Home For The Holidays (Dirt Track Dogs #6) by P. Jameson

Chapter One
     
    Blister slammed the accelerator to the floor, rounding the curve in the highway like it was nothing more than a dirt covered oval and his only purpose was to sling mud at other cars that dared to drive too close. As if the SUV he narrowly missed in the other lane didn’t carry a soccer mom and two kids rather than a suited up, helmeted and harnessed dirt track driver. He might’ve scared the shit out of her, but she was never in any danger. He was a damn good driver, on or off the track.
    Not giving two fucks about the patrolman that usually camped out just inside the town limits of Cedar Valley, he didn’t slow his truck until he’d reached the parking lot of Red Cap, the bar owned and ran by his mate.
    His angel, Annie.
    The text message he’d received from her minutes ago had sent a spike of fear straight through the middle of his chest.
    Get to Red Cap fast. It’s urgent .
    Concerned—and in the middle of dropping an engine block—he’d sent off a quick Are you okay ?
    But there was no answer.
    It had taken half a minute to jump in his truck, still greasy from work, and race to her. Perhaps he was overreacting, but he wouldn’t take a chance with his Annie. Not when she… she…
    It was still so hard to think about. Hard to admit what he’d done to his angel. And while the guys thought it would be fine, Blister wasn’t convinced. They were even happy for him. They had too much faith in him sometimes. It was why he’d give his life for any one of them.
    And not just them. The other mates of the pack filled Annie’s head with sweet dreams about how this would all end. But he couldn’t help feeling like he’d made the biggest mistake of his life.
    It had started with the vomiting. His poor mate was hardly able to hold down a fucking saltine for three solid months. Sweet as she was, she assured him the sickness was a good sign, that it meant her body could support the baby he’d put in her. But he didn’t believe it for one minute.
    It’d taken time to convince him he hadn’t somehow poisoned her with his body.
    But then the sickness passed and her body began to change in the most wonderful ways. Her hips widened slightly to accommodate the new life inside her. Her already perfect breasts grew several sizes bigger. Her pretty face began to glow as if she was an actual angel and not just the angel of his heart. And to his surprise, there was another change. His mate was very needy, and what she needed was his body. A lot .
    He recalled the way she’d woke him up this morning, hand snaking across his abs to grip his cock.
    In their bed.
    He could finally do it. Sleep in an actual bed, like an actual man instead of a dog on the floor. It had taken him almost a whole year of falling asleep holding Annie’s hand while it hung from the bed to meet his on the floor. Or holding her until she dozed off, only to move to the carpet afterward. Every morning he expected to wake to see disappointment in her eyes. And every morning there was only her smiles.
    Because she was fucking fantastic. Understanding and kind. Patient. She was going to make the best mother. The best damn woman he knew. And she was all his. He had the mating mark to prove it.
    If anything happened to her…
    We won’t let anything hurt mate .
    Blister parked his truck and left it running as he bolted for the door of the bar. Red Cap typically stayed busy during the day since people around town loved Annie’s food just as much as beer. Maybe even more. But lunchtime was over so there were only a handful of cars in the parking lot.
    Swinging the door open, he stalled to a stop when he spotted his mate leaned against the counter absently rubbing her swollen belly and staring intently at a Christmas card. She was so engrossed she hadn’t even heard the bell on the door.
    He stalked forward, ignoring the eyes of the few patrons enjoying their meals. Pressing his hands flat on the bar to keep from scooping her up and carting her