Swallowing His Pride (17 page)

That was par for the course. Lynn was forever questioning her at each appointment and even at home, trying to ensure that Samantha’s body was adjusting to the added stress of carrying Dylan’s child. “So far, so good. All I have is the typical lower back pain, but that goes hand-in-hand with the gigantic stomach I’m sporting.”

Lynn nodded. “Just be sure to let me know if it gets worse at any time, because back pain can also be a sign of labor in some women. You are only about two weeks out, so we need to be on the lookout for anything. I want you resting, missy,” she scolded as she retrieved the pictures from the ultrasound. “Well, I suppose it was a good thing the baby decided not to cooperate since Dylan couldn’t be here.”

“He was really frustrated this morning, but Jag told me Dylan is working on some sort of surprise that’s running on a deadline, so he had to miss this appointment.” Samantha picked up her phone and turned it to Lynn. “He’s been messaging me non-stop though, wanting a play-by-play of the ultrasound.”

“And here I thought you were transcribing your appointment,” Lynn teased. “I’m glad you found Dylan. He’s good for you, Sam. I can see you’re really happy, and you deserve it.”

“So do you, Lynn, and you’ll find a man who will treat you the same way Dylan treats me,” Sam promised. She had some inside information Lynn wasn’t privy to. “I have no doubt you’ll be able to weed out all the ones who are unworthy. Just try to do it in a way that won’t require bail money.”

“It was one time! Okay, maybe it could have been twice, but once they saw all the cuts and bruises Bumper Boy left on me, they decided to call my hit-and-run self-defense.”

“And you’re lucky. He could have killed you, Lynn, but at least, the guy from the bar dropped the charges. You know the only reason he did was because his handprint was still on your ass, but had it not been, he could have won and you would have spent some time behind bars. Although I’ll admit, you had one hell of a lawyer. How anyone can turn a smack on the ass into an assault worthy of a barstool to the face is beyond me.”

“Yeah, she was great.” Sighing, Lynn stood and headed for the door. “Go ahead and get changed. Jag is probably getting pretty anxious in the lobby with all those pregnant women surrounding him.”

“I should take pity on him, but now, I plan to drag him to the store. I need a few things before we head back to the house. I feel like fixing tacos tonight. Will you be coming out?”

“For tacos? You bet your ass! Besides, you’re finally making them spicy enough for me now that little baby North is on board. And while I’m on that, are you guys
ever
going to decide on a name for the kid?”

“We’re working on it. Of course, it would help if we knew if we needed a name for a boy or a girl. Now, we have to come up with one of each, so it’s double the work,” Sam pouted, sticking out her lip for effect.

Lynn tried to hide her smile but failed. “Nope, you’ll get no sympathy from me. Now go before poor Jag starts pacing the floors. You remember how that unnerved the mothers last time. Besides, there are too many trying to hold their pee out there for him to be making anyone nervous.”

“Oh, please. The man is hot, and they all know it, so the only wet panties coming back here probably won’t be from a lack of bladder control.” Sam smirked as Lynn shut the door on a giggle.

Once she was fairly certain all of the goo was wiped off, Samantha righted her clothing then left to rescue her bodyguard from the waiting room. Being the best friend of the doctor sure had its perks. After all, getting into the office before it even opened didn’t happen any other way.

They’d decided to bring her in that way, since her medical record was one that Lynn had to keep locked away in her office. If anyone were to read it, not only would there be questions, but Lynn would be caught up in trouble, too. Nobody wanted that, so most of Sam’s visits happened at home, with the exception of the ultrasounds.

When she entered the lobby, Jag jumped from his chair as if his butt had a spring in it.

Guess he’s ready to go
, Sam thought with an inner chuckle. She waited until they were out of the building before announcing her need for a grocery store stop on him. As with many males, there was grumbling involved, but he grudgingly agreed.

She managed to gather up all of the ingredients except the meat. As she decided whether to use chicken or beef, Jag moved closer, his body actually rubbing up against hers. “Jag, I so didn’t take you for a snuggler,” she joked, nudging him with her elbow.

“You need to hurry. There are others here.”

Well, that didn’t sound ominous at all. “What do you mean? More shifters?”

“Yes, but ones I don’t recognize. It’s best if they don’t see you,” he replied, his eyes scanning the aisles.

“It’s not like I can really hide behind you. My stomach makes that impossible.”

“I’m hoping that by my being close to you, my scent will overpower that of the baby,” he explained. “If you’re finished, I’d like to get you home where I know you’ll be safe. Not only does your baby carry the scent of a shifter, but you carry that of the Prime. Outsiders who have an issue with our Prime would love to get their hands on his mate if they thought it would give them any leverage against him.”

A shiver of unease shook her, and Samantha grabbed two packs of hamburger meat before dumping them in the buggy and allowing Jag to escort her to the checkout line. “So, do you see anyone? I mean, are they nearby?”

He looked down at her, and the pale blue of his eyes seemed to intensify briefly before going back to normal. “They can hear you. Our hearing is very keen, but in answer to your question, yes.” He leaned down and whispered in her ear. “Smile as if I am telling you something amusing. I want it to appear as though I’m your male. It will give us a better chance of making it out without a confrontation.”

Samantha did as he said, even going so far as to give him a playful smack on his chest. They managed to pay for their things and get to the car, but just as Jag was climbing in, someone called out. She watched as he calmly placed the keys on the driver’s seat, pressed the lock button on the door and closed her inside.

She would have to be the one to let anyone into the vehicle, but if things went south, she didn’t think there was any way she’d get her belly behind the wheel if needed. Luckily, the two men spoke for just a few minutes, and Jag soon came back over.

She let him in and watched as he let out a relieved sigh when he started up the truck. “They’re drifters. He claims they’re looking to join a new Pride so I pointed them in the direction of our land. Dylan and Liam will decide whether or not they’re allowed to join.”

“So you don’t think they’re some of the ones who don’t like humans?” Dylan had explained the dangers to her. Because she couldn’t readily identify a shifter on sight, it was imperative Dylan, Liam or Jag be with her anytime she needed to leave her home.

“There’s no way to tell without asking, and with you here, I wasn’t willing to risk drawing any attention your way. As it was, he didn’t even ask about you, so we got lucky.”

Jag might consider them lucky, but Samantha still had a niggling feeling something wasn’t right.

* * * *

Later that evening, Dylan and Liam arrived just as Samantha put the finishing touches on dinner. Jag inquired after the men from town, but despite the forewarning provided, nobody had arrived on Pride land seeking to relocate. That left all three men slightly on edge, and as far as Dylan was concerned, Samantha didn’t need the added stress. He could hardly blame her possible exposure to danger on her insistence on having tacos for dinner, either. After all, it wasn’t often when a craving hit her. Dylan simply couldn’t refuse her anything. He loved her too much to ever do so.

“There’s always the chance they’ll come by tomorrow. Maybe, they decided to check out the town and stuff first. I know I’d like to take a look around any area I was considering relocating to,” Liam suggested.

Dylan hoped it was as simple as that, but his gut said otherwise. His instincts were screaming at him to beware, but he and Liam had combed Samantha’s property before coming in and found no sign of anyone other than themselves and Jag. Having already discussed the evening’s guard duties with Liam, he trusted his brother to fill in Jag on the fact they would both be keeping a watch on the house that evening.

“If that’s all it is, I’m fine with it. Tonight though, I plan on pampering my mate, especially after she went to the trouble of fixing this incredible smelling meal,” Dylan proclaimed as he pulled Samantha’s back against his chest. Wrapping his arms around her middle, he spoke low to their child. “Hello in there. Did you give your auntie Lynn a hard time today?”

Samantha giggled, and his lion purred at the happy sound. Her hair smelled of strawberries while her nape held the unique scent that marked her as his. Dylan took a moment to breath it in deep, allowing the addictive fragrance to soothe his inner cat.

“You know it!” She moved to the counter by the phone and pulled some small, black-and-white pictures from her purse. “Once again, either we have a very modest daughter or a son who is enjoying being difficult. Hmm, maybe he just takes after his uncle Liam?”

“Hey! I resemble that remark,” Liam shot back with a grin.

This was what Dylan loved, seeing his mate and his brother—the last living member of his family—picking on each other as if they’d been doing it for years. Even Lynn got along with them all, though there seemed to be something more going on between her and Jag. Dylan couldn’t put his finger on it, but the way they watched each other spoke of something more.

“Oh,” Samantha clapped her hands, bouncing on the balls of her feet. “I found two names that I love.” Her beautiful blue eyes sparkled in her excitement, and he couldn’t wait to hear what she’d come up with. “How about Lindsey for a girl? I was thinking that Elijah, or Eli for short, for a boy, in honor of your and Liam’s father?”

“Our father?” Naming his heir after the previous Prime would be an amazing tribute to his father. That Samantha was willing to name their child after a man she’d never met meant the world to him. “Sweetheart, I don’t know what to say.”

Liam came over and gave her a smacking kiss on the cheek, for which Dylan promptly shoved him away. “Darlin’, that’s a good, strong name, and I would be proud for my nephew to carry it.”

“So, does that mean we have our boy name?” she asked, looking back to Dylan for confirmation.

“It sounds like we have both names,” he answered. “Now, we just need to finish up the nursery and we’ll be all set.”

“Ugh, don’t remind me. Just
looking
at the directions for putting the changing table together nearly put me to sleep.”

“Well, you just have a seat, and we’ll get the food to the table. As for the furniture, don’t worry about it. Liam and I will get everything ready. All you need to do is relax and take care of the two of you,” Dylan ordered, gesturing toward her middle.

“That’s easier said than done. I’m just so restless lately.”

“We’ll see what we can do about wearing you out later then,” he teased.

“Awe, man! We’re at the table here, guys,” Liam grouched. As if he’d never bragged about his weekend conquests over dinner.

Lynn breezed in, dropping her purse and shoes by the door before lifting her nose in the air and inhaling deeply. “Sweet mother of chili peppers, that smells good.”

“You’re just in time,” Samantha called. “If you would have come in late, I’m afraid the boys might have cleaned me out.”

Dylan joined Liam and Jag as they all nodded in agreement. One thing they all agreed on was that Samantha could cook. She’d taken to ensuring all three men had a good, hearty dinner every night. Lynn had told him it made Sam feel better to be able to do something for them, since she wasn’t able to work during her pregnancy. As it turned out, she’d confided in Lynn that she felt guilty having Dylan pay her bills, but he’d quickly squashed that. Samantha was his mate, and he considered it an honor to provide for her needs.

Once everyone had finished eating, the men sent Lynn and Sam into the living room and cleaned the dishes and table. They listened as the women discussed taking a walk down to the creek before dark. Seeing as there wasn’t anything going on around the property, Dylan didn’t see any reason to not take them.

When Samantha slipped down the hall to change into something more comfortable for the cool, late-October evening, Dylan followed. He entered the bedroom on silent feet and stood just outside the closet door as she slipped her top over her head. Seeing her body, ripe with child, never ceased to amaze him. It was incredible to watch her stomach move as the baby rolled and stretched inside, and Dylan would often lay awake at night with his hand resting on her belly. It was his own private moment between him and his son or daughter and would be something he’d remember always.

“Are you enjoying the view?” Samantha sassed as she flipped through her sweaters.

“Always.” Dylan stepped inside with her and palmed her rear. “I’m hoping to see more of the natural beauty I enjoy so much later this evening.”

Turning, Samantha wrapped her arms around his shoulders. “Let’s go for a walk and then I’ll take you on a tour of the hills and valleys.” She glanced down and ran a hand over her swollen midsection before quirking a brow and amending her comment. “Well, more like a mountain than a hill now.”

Shaking his head, Dylan grabbed a blue sweater that made her eyes stand out and pulled it over her head. “Let’s get your walk done before you end up in bed at an insanely early hour.”

“I’m not even tired yet. Besides, I need the exercise because my legs have been aching from the swelling.”

“Oh, I have no intention of letting you sleep right away, but I do intend to massage each and every inch of your body, so keep that in mind.” One thing he loved about her pregnancy hormones was the way he only had to mention putting his hands on her to see the spark light her eyes. In her final weeks, she’d become a mass of raging hormones, and Dylan had been reaping the benefits.