turns me on too.”
Allie snorted at that. “I’m bloated, tired all the time, have swollen ankles, and a big fat belly.”
“I love your big fat belly,” he assured her, running one hand over her extended stomach. “It’s holding our child while it develops and grows.”
Allie smiled softly and covered his hand. “Have I told you I love you yet today?”
“Only three or four times,” he said with a soft smile. “I was beginning to worry that you might be tiring of me.”
“Never,” she assured him, and then bit her lip and leaned back to peer at him. “I’ve been thinking of names for the baby.”
“So have I,” he said solemnly, sitting on the side of the bed and taking her hand in his. Before she could say anything else, he asked, “How do you feel about Stella if it’s a girl?”
Allie’s eyes widened. “Really?”
Magnus nodded solemnly. “I think it would be fitting to name our daughter after the woman who gave us our son, and helped bring us together.”
“Yes,” Allie breathed, tears filling her eyes. “I’d like that. In fact, I was about to suggest it myself.”
“Perfect. Then it’s settled,” he said, kissing her hand. Releasing her then, Magnus stood and grabbed his shirt to pull it on as well.
“But what if it’s a boy?” Allie asked, slipping out of bed now to find her own clothes.
Magnus paused in the act of doing up his shirt, and then shrugged. “I picked our daughter’s name. You get to choose for our son if we have one.”
Allie was silent a moment as she dressed, but as she did up the light summer dress she’d donned, she said, “Then I think I would like Erik.”
When Magnus turned to her with surprise, she pointed out, “He was your friend, and if he hadn’t convinced you to go a’viking, you never would have been turned and I never would have met you.”
Magnus nodded solemnly and walked over to slip his arms around her. “Then Erik, it is.”
Allie smiled, but then asked anxiously, “Are you sorry we’re having a child right away like this?”
“No, of course not. As I said when you told me about Drina’s plan the night we killed Abaddon, I have always wanted a family.”
“Yes. But I’ve been worrying that you just agreed to make me happy. Most newly married couples want a little time to enjoy each other before—”
“Allie, my love,” he interrupted. “We have hundreds of years to enjoy each other. Besides, with Drina, Leonora, and Edward’s Dawn all having babies too, our child will be as lucky as their brother, and have friends and playmates to grow up with. That is a rare and wonderful thing.”
Allie relaxed, and then rose up on her tiptoes to kiss him lightly on the chin, “You are rare and wonderful, Magnus. I love you.”
“Allie, I have lived more than twelve hundred years and can tell you without any doubt at all that you are the most rare and wonderful find in this world.” He kissed her softly on the lips and then took her hand to lead her to the door to the hall, adding, “And I have lived everywhere in this world.”
“Everywhere?” she asked with interest. Magnus had told her some of his history, but he had a lot of history. Twelve hundred years’ worth, and they were both too easily distracted by each other and ended up making love before he could tell more than one story. Fortunately, they had a long future in front of them; she’d hear it all eventually.
“Everywhere,” Magnus assured her now, and then added wryly, “But never did I imagine I would end up living in Baby Central and so happily.”
Allie burst out laughing at that comment. She always found it amusing that the men had taken to calling Port Henry Baby Central, and was still smiling over the name as Magnus ushered her out of the house. Pausing on the back deck of their new home, she glanced over the large backyard. It was actually the combined backyards of Casey Cottage, Mabel and DJ’s house, and now Allie and Magnus’s own home beside Casey Cottage as well as the house backing theirs.
The minute Magnus had heard that Elvi’s neighbor was considering moving his family to the city and selling their house here in Port Henry, he’d walked next door and made a very generous offer. Shortly after, Harper and Drina had bought the house next to Mabel and DJ’s.
It all felt perfect to Allie, and as she stood there she pondered how funny life could be. She had never imagined she would marry, and her life had never been easy before coming to Port Henry, and yet here she was not just married, but happily, and with those bad times nothing more than a memory. Oh, she wasn’t foolish enough to think that hard times wouldn’t come again. That was part of life. But she knew they would pass, and she could survive them so long as she had Magnus at her side. In truth, their love was really the most rare and wonderful find in this world, and she thanked God for it every day.
The clang of a screen door drew her gaze to Elvi and Victor’s house and Allie smiled when she saw Liam rush to the deck railing to wave at them.
“There you are,” he said, sounding excited and impatient all at once. “Elvi sent me to get you. Us kids want to play alligator island and Elvi says Dad has to make the tape islands for us.”
“All right,” Magnus said easily, taking Allie’s hand as they started across the yard to the deck. “Tell her we’re coming.”
Liam nodded happily and whirled to rush back into Casey Cottage.
The moment the door closed, Magnus squeezed her hand and asked, “Have I told you that I love you and our son yet today?”
Allie’s smile widened. “Only three or four times. I was beginning to worry you were tiring of us.”
“Never,” he assured her as he released her hand to wrap his arm around her instead, and Allie leaned into his chest, believing him.