doctor’s appointment, but all she’d said was that it had been fine. Before he could ask for any details, she’d received another call.
“Yes. No emergencies.”
He pulled out the croissants, and handed her one, along with a cup of coffee, and waited for her to tell him about the altercation with the angry Mr. Drake. When she said nothing, Wade decided to bring it up himself. “When I stopped back at the office before coming here, you had a message on the land line. It was from Francis.” Her face paled. “Care to tell me what happened?”
“What did she say?” She passed him her coffee. “I’m not supposed to have too much caffeine.”
Damn. He forgot. “Francis said that Mr. Drake was taken in by the police.”
She got up, filled a glass full of water, and returned. “It was nothing, really.”
“If the police had to intervene, I’m thinking the offense was serious.”
She inhaled and then proceeded to tell him about Mahalia Drake and the trouble Emmaline had with the woman’s husband. He’d accosted Em not once but twice. “I never felt as if I was in danger. I shifted, growled, and ran after him. If I had wanted to hurt him I would have.”
Wade liked her spunk, especially the shifting part. “As long as you weren’t hurt.”
“I wasn’t.”
He wondered what else she hadn’t told him about. They both finished their meal in silence. Emmaline was pale and her hand was trembling. He didn’t like it one bit. “I’ll toss these things in the trash. Why don’t you get dressed?”
She didn’t argue and headed down the hallway. He cleaned up the table and looked around. Her kitchen was a small-galley style, with old, but functional appliances. Clearly, he hadn’t paid attention the first time he’d been there. He glanced over at the closed front door and remembered the amazing sex they’d had against it. His cock hardened as he thought about taking her again. Christ, when he was near her, he lost all ability to control himself.
He’d had to use every ounce of his willpower to stay away from her during work, but that was because he didn’t want her to think he was only interested in her for sex—which he wasn’t—at least not all the time.
When a strange sound came from the bathroom, Wade jumped up and rushed to see if Emmaline needed help. He stood at the door and placed his ear against it. Oh shit. She was throwing up, and he had no earthly idea what to do. Wade was good in a fight. Hell, he could handle seeing a dead body, but he sucked when it came to dealing with a sick woman.
He knocked on the door. “Are you okay?”
“Go away.”
That worked for him, but then he pictured her hugging the toilet with her hair hanging down, and decided he needed to go in. Wade twisted the handle and peeked his head inside. He was about to help when she heaved again. He gagged, slipped out, and placed his back against the door. Maybe he wasn’t fit to be a husband and father after all.
* * *
Emmaline should be embarrassed that Wade was seeing her like this, but she wasn’t—not really. It came with the territory of being pregnant. While the ill effects seemed to be restricted to the mornings, they were getting worse by the day. She feared she might be having a boy—a very large boy bear.
When she’d questioned the doctor about the effects of having such a large child, he said the baby shouldn’t be any bigger than any other child, but she wasn’t certain he knew. He was, after all, only a human.
She sat back on her haunches, feeling a little better, her stomach finally having settled. After cleaning up, she opened the bathroom door. Whoa . Wade was there, looking a little green himself. “You okay?”
“Yes. I’m sorry I couldn’t help,” he said.
“There was nothing you could have done.” She glanced down and spotted something on her nightshirt. “Excuse me, I need to change.” She’d been headed to the bedroom to change in the first place when she
“Yes. No emergencies.”
He pulled out the croissants, and handed her one, along with a cup of coffee, and waited for her to tell him about the altercation with the angry Mr. Drake. When she said nothing, Wade decided to bring it up himself. “When I stopped back at the office before coming here, you had a message on the land line. It was from Francis.” Her face paled. “Care to tell me what happened?”
“What did she say?” She passed him her coffee. “I’m not supposed to have too much caffeine.”
Damn. He forgot. “Francis said that Mr. Drake was taken in by the police.”
She got up, filled a glass full of water, and returned. “It was nothing, really.”
“If the police had to intervene, I’m thinking the offense was serious.”
She inhaled and then proceeded to tell him about Mahalia Drake and the trouble Emmaline had with the woman’s husband. He’d accosted Em not once but twice. “I never felt as if I was in danger. I shifted, growled, and ran after him. If I had wanted to hurt him I would have.”
Wade liked her spunk, especially the shifting part. “As long as you weren’t hurt.”
“I wasn’t.”
He wondered what else she hadn’t told him about. They both finished their meal in silence. Emmaline was pale and her hand was trembling. He didn’t like it one bit. “I’ll toss these things in the trash. Why don’t you get dressed?”
She didn’t argue and headed down the hallway. He cleaned up the table and looked around. Her kitchen was a small-galley style, with old, but functional appliances. Clearly, he hadn’t paid attention the first time he’d been there. He glanced over at the closed front door and remembered the amazing sex they’d had against it. His cock hardened as he thought about taking her again. Christ, when he was near her, he lost all ability to control himself.
He’d had to use every ounce of his willpower to stay away from her during work, but that was because he didn’t want her to think he was only interested in her for sex—which he wasn’t—at least not all the time.
When a strange sound came from the bathroom, Wade jumped up and rushed to see if Emmaline needed help. He stood at the door and placed his ear against it. Oh shit. She was throwing up, and he had no earthly idea what to do. Wade was good in a fight. Hell, he could handle seeing a dead body, but he sucked when it came to dealing with a sick woman.
He knocked on the door. “Are you okay?”
“Go away.”
That worked for him, but then he pictured her hugging the toilet with her hair hanging down, and decided he needed to go in. Wade twisted the handle and peeked his head inside. He was about to help when she heaved again. He gagged, slipped out, and placed his back against the door. Maybe he wasn’t fit to be a husband and father after all.
* * *
Emmaline should be embarrassed that Wade was seeing her like this, but she wasn’t—not really. It came with the territory of being pregnant. While the ill effects seemed to be restricted to the mornings, they were getting worse by the day. She feared she might be having a boy—a very large boy bear.
When she’d questioned the doctor about the effects of having such a large child, he said the baby shouldn’t be any bigger than any other child, but she wasn’t certain he knew. He was, after all, only a human.
She sat back on her haunches, feeling a little better, her stomach finally having settled. After cleaning up, she opened the bathroom door. Whoa . Wade was there, looking a little green himself. “You okay?”
“Yes. I’m sorry I couldn’t help,” he said.
“There was nothing you could have done.” She glanced down and spotted something on her nightshirt. “Excuse me, I need to change.” She’d been headed to the bedroom to change in the first place when she
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