Page 241 of Labor of Love

Lothian had always wanted a big family. His parents had only had him, then died young. All that he had left of his Papa and Ommie was a mountain of money and a few memories. His childhood had been lonely until he’d met Dante.

“Now that that’s settled. What are we going to do today?”

Dante scoffed and speared a small sausage. “You should eat more. For the baby.” He pushed a dish of eggs across the table. “What did you have in mind?”

Lothian spooned some egg onto his plate and added several sausages. He had been craving meat for weeks. The physician said that was a good sign the child was healthy.

That sent a pang through his chest.

He stuffed a bite of egg into his mouth to stop from turning the conversation back to Ryland.

Dante cocked his head.

Lothian swallowed. “I thought we could do some shopping. I need to ready the birthing room.” Sometimes he hated living in the same house he’d grown up in, but days such as these he felt the opposite. Now his child would be born in the same room he had been.

“Nesting already, are we?”

Lothian nodded. “I am, yes.”

“And you still won’t reconsider reaching out to Sir Ryland?”

“Dante, you promised.”

Dante waved his fork through the air. “I promised I wouldn’t say anything to him, not that I wouldn’t say anything to you.”

Lothian huffed. “You’re impossible.” He threw his napkin at his friend. “Let’s go shopping.”

“You’ll need to change.”

Lothian glanced down at his pale gray slacks and white blouse. “Why?”

“That’s hardly appropriate for shopping. You need to look your best. You are still an unbonded omega.”

He clenched his teeth and stood. “Fine. And you don’t need to remind me.”

Dante chuckled, then sobered. “You know, there’s one thing you haven’t thought of. If you don’t tell Sir Ryland, who is going to give you the bite when the time comes?”

Lothian glanced at the front windows, though there was nothing to see outside except for the green lawn. It was true the alpha’s bite was said to ease the birth, but countless omegas had done without. He could, too. He shrugged.

“I’m going to change.”

When he came back down, he was wearing a day dress in a lovely pale green. Apart from being more traditionally omega, the dress had the added perk of providing padding for his hips and belly. He was already protective of his babe, though he knew it was hardly bigger than his thumb. Or so the physician said. He couldn’t imagine a being so small. What would they look like? Him? Or Ryland?

He secretly hoped they shared their father’s coloring and unique golden eyes, but he’d never admit it to anyone. Not even Dante. He grabbed his bag and tapped his foot. “Aren’t you ready?”

Dante set aside his tea and stood. “I’ve been waiting on you. Let’s go.”

The carriage reached the shops in record time for the traffic on the street was light. Dante had stared at him most of the drive, as if willing him to say or do something. He knew what his friend was thinking. He had not stopped championing Ryland since he’d abandoned Lothian. He wondered sometimes if Dante wasn’t a little in love with his?—

He shoved the thought away. Anyway, Ryland wasn’t his anything.

Lothian took the footman’s hand and let the male help him down the steps, glancing up and down the street. It was lined with all the best shops. He could afford it.

Dante stepped down beside him. “Have you considered what you’re going to say?”

“To whom?” He drew back his shoulders, not liking the implication that he had something to hide.

“The minute you start ordering birthing things, people will guess you’re with child.”

---