Page 31 of Saving Nevin
“Isobel had better watch out.” I laughed. “She’s got competition now.”
“I have a feeling it won’t be too much longer before Tasha and Rochelle start having pups of their own as well,” Mom added. “My babies, all grown up... Oh, how fast time goes. Cherish it, sweetheart. You blink twice and your baby is a teenager.”
She smiled wistfully, then patted my arm. “On to the next generation of Rubydawn’s legacy. Hey, why don’t you and Nevin come to dinner tonight. I have a pork roast stewing in the crockpot. Gonna throw together some mashed potatoes and gravy, roasted broccoli, and my famous garlic cheddar biscuits. What do you say?”
I grinned. “Count us in.”
22
NEVIN
As we walkedthrough the busy shopping mall, Xan’s boots clicking loudly over the polished tile flooring, I self-consciously kept reaching to tug down the hem of my shirt. It kept riding up because Kace was right—it was getting to be too small for my growing baby-bump.
Now I felt awkward, like everyone in the mall was watching me. I hunched my shoulders up around my ears and gave another pull, which only caused the fabric to stretch and warp the print on the tee.
Xan tilted his head towards me. “Man, you really are growing like a weed, huh?”
Heat rushed to my cheeks. “Well… The baby is, anyway,” I mumbled. At least, I hoped I wasn’t gaining too much weight. My hips did seem wider though… Had Kace noticed? I frowned, but Xan waved a hand, dismissing me.
“Yeah, that’s what I meant,” he said, then hooked his arm through mine, tugging me towards the storefronts. “C’mon, let’s shop for tops first. That way you can change into something a little more comfy in the bathroom so you don’t feel so awkward, how about that?”
I was honestly surprised that Xan was so astute, but it touched me. “Thank you. That would be great. I do feel a little self-conscious,” I admitted.
His chocolate-dark eyes glittered with knowing as he led me into a large maternity store called Omega’s Place, and damn if they didn’t have a little bit of everything. Tops, bottoms, belts, accessories, shoes; you name it, this place carried it, and they only catered to Omegas, it seemed. No large Alpha sizing here.
We wandered up and down the rows of racks, flipping through hangers of clothing. Xan helped out by holding up cute tops and making comments like, “I’d totally wear this if I had a baby-bump,” and “One day, this’ll be me!”
It made me laugh, because the clothing he was picking out wassonot his style at all. Guess flashy and flamboyant didn’t come in maternity sizes. What a shame. Maybe somebody should get on that. They’d probably make a killing!
I tried on a few outfits I liked, and after waiting in line to pay, we made a pitstop at the unisex bathroom. I changed into a lavender v-neck with a dragon on the front that said “Expect the Unexpected” and a pair of stretch jeans that felt so much better than the too-tight clothing I’d been wearing. I stuffed the old clothes into one of the shopping bags, did my business, then went back out to where Xan was waiting for me.
The minute I stepped out of the bathroom, Xan wolf-whistled. “Looking sharp, Nev. C’mon, let’s stop at The Candy Jar. I can use my discount and we can get a bag of goodies.” He beamed at me, and I couldn’t help but grin right back. His happiness was infectious, but I was beginning to think it was just the Howell charm.
I hadn’t been to The Candy Jar before, but as we walked inside, my jaw dropped a little.
It was so bright and colorful. The entire room was filled with oversized candy dispensers, their round glass canisters filled to the brim with a rainbow array of bulk candies. There were large jars with pink plastic scoops that held chocolatey confections and gummies, and trays of rope licorice in every color you could imagine. Scales sat on the corners of every counter, along with bags and twist-ties so you could scoop and weigh your own treats.
A rainbow lollipop sitting in a small bucket caught my eye. It reminded me of simpler times, like the year Father brought me and Zechariah home colorful lollies from a work event he’d gone to. We didn’t get candy very often, so it was both a huge surprise and a delicious treat. Of course, neither of us ate much dinner that night, and we were hyped up on sugar for hours, but it was a once-in-a-lifetime thing.
Literally.
My heart sank at the memory. Just a few months later, my brother died and my father’s flame all but burnt out. He was still there physically, of course, but his spirit was shattered from the grief of losing a child. It didn’t matter that he still had one who needed him. He became a broken man. I not only lost my best friend, but my only parent as well, and I felt so very alone.
Xan came up behind me, startling me out of my thoughts when he said, “Do you want it?”
“What?” I blinked a couple of times, trying to reacquaint myself. Suddenly, the overhead lights were too bright and the music blaring Lady Gaga was too loud.
“The sucker.” He pointed at the swirly lollipop I’d been staring at. He must’ve noticed. I shook my head and shrugged it off, but he huffed at me. “If you want it, just say so! Jeez, Nev. It’s okay to want things, you know. Here.” He strode over and plucked it from its container, then placed it in my hand. “I’ll buy it for you. No big deal.”
“Really?” I whispered, my heart still aching for everything that little-me had lost.
“Yeah, really. Let’s go check out. I got what I came for.” He held up a bulging plastic baggie of maple nut clusters with a conspiratorial grin. “And I’m not sharing these with Kace, either.”
We meandered down the aisles, me sucking on the corner of my lollipop and Xan crunching away at his sugary candies, just killing time, when Xan suddenly stopped. I fell into place beside him, following his gaze to where a cute Alpha and Omega couple were sitting on the edge of the fountain, holding hands with hearts in their eyes. They were young and in love.
Xan sighed wistfully, his shoulders slumping forward. “One day, that’ll be me…”
I turned to see the almost-lovelorn look on the younger Omega’s face as he stared at the couple. His lips curved down at the corners. It surprised me a little bit. Sure, Xan talked the talk about finding an Alpha, but I guess I’d assumed he’d been wanting hookups and flings. Not anything real. Definitely not love, especially because of how much he teased Kace about his “happily-ever-after bullshit.”
