that was good news. To my surprise, Rosalie, Milo, Colt, and Lincoln were all around the table, but they hadn’t dug in yet.
“Hey there! We’ve been waiting for you.” Rosalie came around the table and kissed me on the lips. “Well, not Milo. He was hungry. He’s always hungry! He’s going to grow into one big bear. The biggest in these woods.”
I stroked her cheek with the back of my hand. “I’ll wash up quickly and join you.”
She nodded and went back to the guys. As I went inside my trailer and turned on the tap, I thought the raise was a good thing. Maybe we could upgrade some stuff around here. Maybe I could even buy a new trailer and replace this one, which was a bit rundown. And I could only hope that would inspire Lincoln and Colt to do the same. Theirs weren’t necessarily in better shape. Or, maybe I could do something better. Bigger. But I didn’t know if we were ready for that yet. I was going to suggest it, anyway. At some point, when I myself felt more comfortable with the idea. I had to sit on it first.
A house. A house for the five of us. Of course, Lincoln and Colt would have to use their own damn money and build their own wings. I had no intention to share too many rooms with them. But it was a crazy thought. We could definitely build an honest-to-God house if we wanted to, with our own hands. As long as Rosalie was on board, anything was possible. Yes, I had to tell her about my idea. On second thought, why would I sit on it at all when Rosalie’s opinion and desire was the only one that mattered. She should have been the one to make the decision. With that thought in mind, I finished washing my hands and went back outside.
“Fish, potatoes, sweet potatoes, mushrooms – all roasted.” She lifted the lids off all the pots on the table. “And your favorite berry sauce, of course.”
She was one hell of a cook. Since she’d moved in with us three months ago, we’d all bought new stoves and ovens. She’d also spent a lot of money on new pots, pans, and all the kitchen-y stuff she swore she absolutely needed. We ate cake or pie every day, so we couldn’t complain, either. Looking at Milo, I was actually thinking we might all need to go on a diet soon.
She filled our plates first, and then she finally filled hers. She set some berry sauce aside for Milo, since he liked eating it like that, with a spoon. We all ate in silence for a while. We weren’t finished when she went inside and took something out of the fridge. It was a bottle of red wine. I cocked an eyebrow. We didn’t usually drink wine around here. We were all beer guys. She proceeded to fill three glasses for us, but I couldn’t miss the fact that she hadn’t poured a fourth glass for herself.
“I’d like to propose a toast,” she said.
“Where’s your glass then?” Lincoln asked.
She giggled in a cute, silly way and grabbed her glass of water to hold it as she spoke.
“To us. To Brooks,” she nodded at me, “to Colt, and Lincoln, and to Milo. To me, and to the cubs in my belly.” She placed her other hand on her flat stomach.
My jaw dropped. I probably looked like an idiot, glass of wine in hand, staring at her like I was seeing her for the first time.
Lincoln hadn’t paid attention, and he was sipping his wine when Colt smacked him hard over the head. Lincoln spluttered, sending wine everywhere. Milo clapped and laughed.
“What?” Lincoln complained.
Colt shook his head in disbelief. “Idiot.”
“What?” Lincoln looked around the table, trying to understand what was happening. His eyes fell on Rosalie, and he noticed how she was still holding her hand over her belly. “Oh.” But the information still hadn’t registered with him completely. Half a minute later: “Oooooh!”
Rosalie smiled brightly. “I’m pregnant. And at the rate I’m growing, I’m pretty sure I’m with at least two cubs.”
“Growing?” Colt huffed. “Where? You look perfect to me.”
I studied her curiously. Now that she’d mentioned it, I could see how she’d become a little thicker around the waist. I set my glass down and embraced her gently. She nestled against my chest.
“Thank you,” I whispered in her hair.
She laughed. “That’s a silly thing to say.