the place without her.
“It’s not locked. You can head on in, and I’ll be there in a second.” Roman could barely finish his sentence before she’d trotted up the porch steps.
“You’ve got yourself an enthusiastic one there,” Austin noted as he helped pull the luggage out of the truck’s bed. “She seems sweet, too, not like some of the girls I’ve met recently.”
“You must like her, considering how civil you’re being,” Roman noted. “I know you’re not a fan of having strangers around.” He’d witnessed Austin react when some tourists had accidentally come up Austin’s driveway, then were promptly escorted out by the wrong end of a shotgun.
“If she’s your mate, then she’s part of the clan. That’s different, not like these city slickers my sister wants to bring in after converting the whole damn place to a dude ranch like the Bancrofts did.” He turned his head and spat on the ground.
Roman shrugged and smiled. “I had to go halfway across the country to find her, if that tells you anything.”
“The bigger miracle is that you convinced her to come up here to the middle of nowhere and live with a lout like you,” Austin said with a grin.
“You just go on home and be jealous, then. I’ve got to get settled in and give Melody the grand tour.” Roman made a shooing motion down the driveway.
Austin waggled his brows suggestively. “I see how it is. I should be getting home, though. The dogs will be upset that I’ve left the house without them for a change.” With the last of the bags out of the truck, Austin hopped back into the driver’s seat and fired up the engine.
Roman leaned in the window. Everyone down at Force HQ in L.A. knew about the good news, but it was going to spread fast enough around Sheridan. “I’ve been so busy traveling that I didn’t get a chance to tell you we’re expecting a little one next summer.”
“You lucky son of a bitch!” Austin clapped him on the arm and grasped his hand. “Congratulations! Man, I hope I’m lucky enough to find my mate at some point. Some of these cold nights get pretty lonely, but I guess you wouldn’t know about that.”
“Not anymore. I can’t wait to introduce her to the rest of the clan. I think she’s going to fit in well.” Roman glanced toward the house, eager to get back to her.
“She will. I’ll put together a New Year’s Eve party up at my house, and I’ll be sure to stock something non-alcoholic for her.” Austin put the truck in reverse and waved as he backed out of the driveway.
Roman headed inside to find Melody standing in the middle of the living room. She looked so happy as she turned to him, her hair bouncing as she jogged across the rug to put her arms around him. “Roman, this place is great! I know it’s past Christmas, but I can already see just how beautiful we can make it next December. I love the open floor plan and all the wood, and there’s plenty of room for the baby.”
He nodded as he pulled her into his arms. Roman couldn’t remember ever having such a sense of home and family, and they’d only been there for a few minutes. “There’s a room right next to the master bedroom that’s perfect for a nursery.”
“Perfect, just like you.” Melody kissed him, and then she kissed him again.
He pulled her closer, deepening the kiss. The house was cool from being unoccupied for the last month, but he felt his own body heating up. He’d been looking forward to having some alone time with her. “I can’t wait to show you the place. This house is on clan land, and all the ranching area that expands between the houses is shared by all of us. I also can’t wait for them to meet you, but first, I’d like to give you a very detailed tour of that master bedroom. I plan on the two of us spending a lot of time in there, at least as much as we can before the baby comes.”
She bit her lower lip as she looked up at him, but she backed away and let go. “We can do that soon enough, but there’s something I’ve got to do first.”
“What’s that?”
Melody bent over toward one of the suitcases he’d just brought in and unzipped it. “I think your house is absolutely lovely, but I’d like to start giving