Page 29 of Rhubarb 2 Go

Ricky laughed in my mind.You know if Glass joins the pride, the fights are going to be spectacular.He’s the grumpiest stalk in town.

Maybe Apollo will mellow him,I suggested, because he was more chilled than Maximus.

Ricky’s snort told me what he thought of that idea.I rested my head on his shoulder and let the chatting and laughing wash around me as I cupped my belly.I was such a lucky bull.

Chapter Nineteen

Ricky

“How long?”I gawped, wiggling a finger in my ear because Burke couldn’t have said what he’d said.

“Two hundred-seventy-three-days, give or take,” he answered me again as I eyed his dancing belly, trying to consider how big my little bull would be at the end of his pregnancy.

I patted his hand, continuing to cuddle him against my chest as I stared at the wall over his head, unseeingly.Crimson?

Hmmm?

Crimson, how long do stalk pregnancies last?

We’d started this conversation after Glass had left, looking like he’d gotten a kick to the nuts when Apollo didn’t get up and follow him to the door as he clearly wanted.Lions were clearly good at holding a grudge.Then things had gone a little rhubarb-shaped.

Drew had given Apollo an eye roll that left no one in doubt he thought Apollo was being a dick.Then Randy had offered to take Apollo’s mate off his hands and that had led to a bloody lip and a black eye, despite it being a joke.We could all see he was joking, but not Apollo.

To avoid the drama, I’d hurried Burke out of the room, much like Maximus had done with Tim, and we’d come up to his room.Then I’d started this silly conversation—

Stalks vary from season to season, could be four weeks or eight to twelve.Is there a problem?

Oh, I’d stalk there is!Cows are pregnant for two hundred-seventy-three days.What does that mean for my bull?My stalks?

All of that I kept strictly for Crimson.My ballsy-bull did not need the stress, not when he got uncontrollable urges to do things he wouldn’t normally.My brain was doing a pole dance, a complicated one that left me figuring out how to get me back on the ground, ready for a bull birthing like no other.

We don’t have a doctor in town.We’ve never needed one.I could always figure things out.I think we need help.

You don’t say!I wasn’t willing to take any risks with my mate.Help from who?I was screeching, and my heart was beating hard enough to break free of my chest.

“What’s wrong?”Burke lifted his head, his eyes narrowing as he looked up at me.

“It’s… you see… oh Great Rhu.We need a doctor,” I exclaimed, making a mockery of not sharing any stress with my mate.

His brows tugged together.“We do?For what?”he asked, confusion swimming in his eyes.

“Your pregnancy.Tim is just having stalks.You are having both stalks and a calf.The difference between the two… we need to figure out.”I’d opted for the truth, then wished I hadn’t when he mooed in distress.

“My babies.”His hands cupped his little round belly.“What does that mean for my babies?”he continued.

“We’ll figure it out, I swear we will.”Won’t we, Crimson?We’ll figure this out.There was no way I wanted to be a liar.

I’ll make some calls.That doc from Potatoville, he’s been on the news talking about cross species.I’m sure he’ll help us.

Cross species.I shuddered, not liking the implications of that, tucking Burke back against me and making soothing noises.“It’s going to be fine.You, me, the babies, everything will work out.If an alpha wolf can give birth to potatoes and a potato can give birth to pups, we got this.”Did I sound convincing?

“You promise?”Burke made an undignified sniffing noise, then pushed his face into the curve of my neck, snuffling.

“I promise.”If I crossed my fingers when I replied and chose to send a request to the Great Rhu, my ballsy-bull didn’t need to know.

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Three days later

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