Page 141 of Heartbeats & Highways

“Hmm. Tell you what. Why don’t you let me jump in this one alone. While I’m baking bread, you go back to sleep for a bit. When I’m done, I’ll wake you up nice and slow.”

“Today’s gonna be a good day.”

“It already is.” I patted his chest.

Chapter 36

“Babe, I’m worried about you,”Savage said as he took my bare foot into his hand and began massaging it.

My head tilted back in ecstasy. “My arch. Please massage my arch.”

He obliged. “Did you hear me?”

“It’s hard to pay attention to anything right now. That feels so good.”

“You gotta slow down,” he said.

“Slow down? Slow down how?” I asked with a gasp. “Oh, yes. Right there.”

“You’re working too much.”

“I like my jobs.”

“You have jobs, plural. And one of them makes you get up super early. You need your rest.”

“I’m resting,” I insisted.

“No, you’re not. It’s the first trimester, babe. Between the morning sickness and the exhaustion, you’ve got to take it easy.”

“I have to wake up early to make the sourdough loaves—do you know we’re selling out by noon? We’ve had to make five new starters. But I always go back to bed for a few hours before goingto Three Kings. And once I’m at Three Kings, I just sit on a stool. It’s not labor intensive.”

“What are you trying to prove? That you can do all the things? Forget the money for a second. Do youlikeworking as much as you are?”

It was a lot, he wasn’t wrong. And even though I had two days off from Three Kings because the tattoo parlor was closed, I was up every morning for the bakery.

“I’ll talk to Roman,” I said softly. “And see if I can go down to four days a week.”

“Four days would be good.” He nodded.

“I think he wants to hire Cozy anyway,” I said with a smile. “Keep her close, you know?”

“Speaking of close.” Savage cleared his throat and patted my ankle, signaling for me to give him my other foot. “There’s a barbecue at the clubhouse this weekend. Everyone’s back in town. You finally ready to meet the rest of the club and all the other Old Ladies?”

“I’ve gotta take off,” Savage whispered, pressing a kiss to my naked shoulder.

I stretched underneath the covers and hastily covered my mouth as I yawned. “What time is it?”

“A little after seven.”

I hadn’t had to get up early to bake bread, so I’d thought we both would’ve been able to sleep in, wake up leisurely, and then go about our day.

“Are you sure you have to leave right now?” I arched my back and let the sheet slip off my body.

“Babe,” he growled. He cupped my breast, immediately stroking my nipple with his thumb.

“I need you.” My eyes cracked open.

“I’m already running late, and?—”

---