Page 51 of Pack Plus Three

It was a miracle, really.

“Is that bacon?” I asked sleepily.

Jeremy nodded. “It is, as well as eggs, toast, and a few other snacks I thought you would like. I know you haven’t been the biggest fan of eggs lately, but they're great for protein. Remember, you're growing the little one, and they need good food.”

As he spoke, he sat on the edge of the nest, handing me the tray. It smelled divine.

“I can try and eat the eggs,” I said with a pout.

Jeremy smiled. “I added lots of butter and cheese to the scrambled eggs, so they should taste good.”

That sounded bearable. I picked up a strip of bacon, cooked to perfection, and took a bite, satisfied with the crunch it made as I bit down. My palate had changed so much since getting pregnant. Beforehand, I liked bacon well enough. But now that I was pregnant, bacon was the nectar of the gods. I couldn't get enough of the stuff. I was tempted to beg Jeremy to make the spicy rice cakes that he had fed me the first night I had met him with bacon in it—just the thought of that combination had me salivating.

“What did I do to get breakfast in bed?” I asked after I finished my slice of bacon.

“You’re growing a tiny human and you need rest. Now that you're here, you're just gonna have to put up with me taking care of you.”

“Oh no, the horror,” I deadpanned.

Jeremy laughed, shaking his head. “Eat your breakfast. I was thinking we could go spend some time outside today. It's a lovely sunny day, and you could probably use the vitamin D.”

He was probably right there. When had I last just sat in the sun? Daylight wasn't exactly an easy thing to come by when I could hardly leave my apartment because I lived in one of the city’s worst neighborhoods.

“That sounds nice. Does this place have a big yard?” I asked.

Jeremy nodded. “Oh, yeah. The landscaping is Devon’s baby. There’s a pond and a gazebo. It looks amazing. I told him I wanted to put in an herb garden, so I could grow some mint for food, and he swiftly told me that there was no way in hell because, apparently, mint is evil and will overtake the entire garden.” Jeremy shrugged with a laugh.

“It's an invasive plant. If you don't put it somewhere like a pot, it will grow everywhere—which is kind of useful when you have the opposite of a green thumb, like me.”

“I think we will leave the gardening to Devon,” Jeremy said, leaning forward and plucking a piece of bacon from my plate, biting down on it before I could even protest.

“You're a brave man, stealing bacon from a pregnant woman,” I growled.

“What if I told you there was a whole tray of bacon downstairs?”

I stilled. “I would say you're very sexy.”

Jeremy threw his head back with a roaring laugh. “I've seen the way you've been leaning toward bacon lately. I thought it was better safe than sorry.”

“Sexy and smart.”

The yard was indeed stunning. Jeremy had made a fresh pitcher of lemonade, and we were sitting on the comfortable outdoor furniture, soaking up the rays.

“This may just be heaven,” I moaned.

“It’s pretty spectacular, isn’t it?” Jeremy agreed. “Give me your feet.”

I did as I was told, kicking off my flip-flops and placing my feet in his lap. Foot rubs and sunshine? I could officially die a happy woman.

We basked in the sunshine, not saying much, content to watch Gilbert frolic around the yard.

“He must hate it when you are at the apartment without a yard to play in.”

“Gilbert is a simple creature. As long as I take him for plenty of walks, he's happy with just a bed. I did feel a touch guilty, though, so I would take him for extra walks while staying there. It’s nice to be home.”

“You could have spent less time at the apartment and more time at home.”

“No, there were things keeping me there.”

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