Page 23 of Snowed in at Santa's Lodge
He gave me a look.
“Fine. I suppose there’s a way, but it’s not the best. I’ll help you.”
“Nope. Absolutely not. You’re pregnant—very pregnant.”
“Call somebody to come help you?” The box was huge and had warnings on it about needing two people to carry it. Of course I was going to worry about him attempting a Superman and doing it on his own.
“How about this… I’ll bring it in a few pieces at a time.”
We agreed on the compromise, and I went and held the door as he brought them into our bedroom.
After much discussion, we planned to put the crib in there, at least for the first couple of months. It would be easier to get to him, and if we were able to open up for Christmas, which was the plan now, there’d be less chance of people in other rooms waking our little one up.
It wasn’t a long-term solution, but it felt like the right decision for now.
“You’re at least gonna let me help put it together, right?” I stood over the pile of pieces.
“If by help me, you mean you read me the directions.” Stubborn mate. “Then absolutely you can help.”
“I’m pregnant, not an invalid.”
“I’m sorry, what was that again? All I heard was, ‘I’m pregnant.’”
I growled.
“You’re not even a shifter. Why are you doing that?”
That only caused me to growl again. “Don’t pick on the pregnant omega.”
“I wasn’t picking. I was protecting.” He put his hands on my belly and brought his lips close. “Your daddy is not a good listener. He’s stubborn, just like me, which means we’re in for a wild ride, aren’t we?”
The baby kicked, just like he did every single time Ragnar talked so close to him.
“I’m going to take that as agreement.” He kissed my belly and then handed me the instruction manual. “You can help by telling me which pieces go together.”
I’d once heard somebody say that you could tell if a relationship would last by giving them a piece of IKEA furniture to put together. This wasn’t IKEA, which probably made it a better test because the instructions were horrific, but we managed to get it together with neither one of us getting upsetand only having to take apart one piece and put it back together the correct way. I called that a win.
“Can’t believe we’re going to be a family of three soon.” I took his hand and intertwined our fingers.
“I’m a little scared I won’t be a good father,” he confessed.
“It’s okay to have whatever feelings you’re having. We can’t control those.”
I pulled our hands up and kissed the back of his.
“But if you think because your father was the father he was that you would be anything like that…don’t. If anything, it’s strengthened your resolve to be the best father our children could ever have.”
“You always know the right thing to say.” He smiled. “Thank you, omega mine. I love you.”
“As I love you.”
Frosty jumped up on Ragnar’s legs, begging for attention. Jealous doggy.
“We love you too, Frosty. We love you too.”
Chapter Seventeen
Ragnar
