Page 52 of Forced Pregnant Mate

I get Sam started packing some orders while Lena heads in to help Betty with admin and calls. I go to my office to talk to the clients, and for a few hours, I lose track of time.

When I come out onto the shop floor, Sam is nowhere to be seen.

“Hey,” I call out to Derek. “You seen Sam?”

“Oh, he went out the back to get some scrap wood. He’s been out there a while. I was just about to go and get him.”

“I’ll do it,” I say, heading out the back. Extended from the main warehouse is a storage shed where scraps go, everything from small tools to bags of concrete. We can often sell it as small lots to people doing personal projects. The big construction companies we usually sell to would have no use for it.

“Sam?” I call out. “You around?”

I can hear a bit of noise towards the back of the shed, so I head that way. When I finally find Sam, he’s seated at a big worktable with several small pieces of soft white wood. He’s whittling away with a small knife, completely focused on his work.

“What are you doing?” I ask, curiously. Sam jumps in his seat like he’s been shot and looks at me with guilty eyes.

“Nothing!” he exclaims. “Just fiddling with some wood. The guys said this stuff out here wasn’t important…I hope I haven’t done something wrong.”

As I get closer, I see that Sam has been carving small wooden figures. Little cats, dogs, and frogs are scattered under his hands. The lines are simple, and the carving itself is crude, but I’m impressed by how easily he has shaped the wood.

“These are amazing!” I exclaim, reaching out to get a closer look. “Have you ever done any carving before?”

“Ah, no,” he mutters. “I got out of shop at school to do extra math. And my father wouldn’t allow a frivolous activity like this.”

“Well, I think you’ve done great,” I say, slapping him on the shoulder. “How about we go and grab some food for the morning break?”

Sam nods eagerly, and we head out to the diner, bringing back food and coffee for the crew. While we eat, everyone laughs and talks together, and I can slowly see Sam beginning to relax.

Over the next few days, Sam works odd hours at the store around his school hours. He gets a feel for the business and obviously enjoys everyone’s company, but he still has a nervous look, as if he’s waiting for a bomb to drop.

At the end of the week, it’s time for dinner at my mom’s house. Lena is excited, but I can tell Sam is nervous.

What the hell did Peter tell him to make him so scared? And how did he justify giving Lena to such horrible people?

When we arrive, my mother abandons her kitchen and charges down the hallway like a horse out of a gate. Lena leaps towards her, and they hug, but Sam hangs back behind me.

“Hi, Babykin!” she cries, hugging me.

“Jesus fucking Christ, Mom.”

She laughs, messing up my hair, then turns to Sam. “Lovely to meet you, young man,” she says, holding out a hand. He takes it hesitantly.

“Nice to meet you, too,” he answers, shaking her hand. “Thank you for having me.”

“My absolute pleasure,” Carla says, not letting go of his hand. “Come on into the kitchen with me and see what I’m cooking. A young man like you needs feeding, and I’ve made so much food in honor of our new guest.”

I can’t hold in my groan. Mother always makes too much food as it is. I can’t imagine what “extra” even means.

We head out the back and join Bailey and Gina, and Dad at the barbecue. As Dad finishes up cooking the meat, Mom comes out with Sam, both of them carrying trays of salad and sides.

Sam looks relaxed and happy, a big smile on his face. When I look over at Lena, she’s grinning, too.

“I never thought I’d see him so happy!” she says. “He’s definitely taking his time settling in, but I think this might be the turning point.”

“Mom has gone to extra effort tonight, not that she needs to.”

Lena nods. “It was your mom who convinced me, too. I couldn’t equate her with the image Dad gave me of your family. I knew it had to be a lie.”

I reach out for her hand, squeezing it gently.

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