Page 10 of Embattled Ever After

The snow was really coming down now and it took all of John’s concentration to get them home. Because he was paralyzed from the waist down, wrecking a vehicle took on an even more serious degree of risk. If they wrecked into a ditch, it would be up to Shannon to rescue them and get help. They were usually home long before now but John took extra care driving because he didn’t ever want her in any kind of danger.

The thoughts of the pregnancy had barely begun to sink in though. She had a feeling he would wrap her in cotton and stow her away in bed for the duration, if he thought he could get away with it. Shannon would have to be sure to stand up for herself. And the baby.

Finally, they arrived at the long ranch house she’d lived in for the past few years. Pressing a button on the remote John waited until the garage door lifted, then drove in. Pressing a few more buttons he closed the overhead door, turned off the truck and started the process of lowering his wheelchair to the garage floor. They’d added a ramp inside the garage now so that he could just roll into the house without having to go outside to the ramp to the front door. They hired a neighborhood teenager to clear the sidewalks in the winter, but he wouldn’t have been around this late and it would have been up to Shannon to clear. On nights like this, they both appreciated the value of the inside ramp, it had been well worth the time and expense.

As she gathered up the items she could carry and slid out of the truck, the puppy finally woke up. She started wagging her tail and twisting, wanting to be put down. As soon as Shannon set her to the floor the little dog squatted and peed.

Laughing lightly, Shannon headed up the ramp to the kitchen. “Well, the garage floor got the first pee puddle.”

John had been in the process of shedding his jacket, but he paused. He motioned her around him. “That’s fine. You just go get ready for bed. I’ll take care of the dog.”

Shannon wasn’t going to argue with him, but she paused. “You know, I never did see what her name was.”

John looked up at her with a grin. “Well, I was calling her Yellow.”

She made a face at him, scowling. “You don’t get to pick any more names in this house. You’ll be naming our child Boy or something.”

It had been a joke, but when a considering look settled onto his face she smacked him. “Don’t you dare,” she laughed.

Leaning down, she pressed a kiss to his firm lips. “Go clean up the puppy pee while I come up with a decent name.”

As she turned away she caught the glint of light on diamond and she had to pause to look at the engagement ring again. The cushion cut stone was beautiful and he’d guessed well when it came to size. Or maybe Duncan had helped him. Duncan helped all of them with everything.

Alex was as beautiful as Shannon had hoped she’d be. She hoped that beauty went more than skin deep. Though he led everyone else, Duncan had his own ghosts that needed to be driven off.

Shannon dropped her bags to the counter, promising herself she would go through them in a bit. Right now, tiredness weighed her down. If she paused too long she would probably fall asleep, even standing up. They needed to decide what to do with the puppy, though. Bathroom? Kitchen? All the floors were either hardwood or linoleum but a small, easily closed off room would be a good idea. And what were they going to call the damn thing?

Lola. Nah. It would need to be something she wouldn’t mind saying a lot. The dog looked to be part golden retriever. Maybe Caramel. Or Carmella. That was kind of cute. She’d have to try it out and see if it fit. If she kept peeing on the floor Shannon had a feeling she would be yelling it constantly.

A wave of tiredness washed over her and as amazing as her night had been, she was about to crash. Peeking out the door at John and puppy, she had to pause just for the merest moment. The dog sat curled on John’s lap, looking up at him as he whispered to it. John looked up at her, dark brown eyes guarded. When he saw her grin, he grinned as well. “What? She was crying.”

“She’s going to have you trained in no time.”

He made a face at her and set the pup down. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Shannon quirked a brow but didn’t say anything more. “Where should we put her for the night?”

John looked around the garage. “Not out here. It’s too cold. Why can’t she sleep with us?”

She tilted her head, wondering if she’d heard him correctly. “You want the dog to sleep with us? In the bed with us?”

John winced as he headed toward the ramp up into the kitchen. “Okay, maybe not. Where do you think we should put her?”

“Spare bathroom. We’ll set her up a little bed and some food and water bowls and she should be fine.”

Though he scowled, John nodded his head. The puppy followed him up the ramp and promptly disappeared into the depths of the house. Shannon heard a hiss and a crash from the living room and paled. They’d forgotten the cats!

After some serious wrangling and ass-kissing on the humans’ part, the animals were separated and bedded down for the night.

Shannon’s bones ached, she was so tired. As she settled beneath her comforter and waited for John to crawl in beside her, she tried to keep her eyes open. Considering it was their engagement night it would have been nice to make love, but she just didn’t think she had the energy tonight.

John went to the bathroom and brushed his teeth, hoping that Shannon was still awake. It had taken him a while to get Gray Cat settled down. She’d been royally pissed when the pup had pounced on her in play. That animal held a grudge too. He bet there’s be a dead mouse in his shoe in the very near future.

As he rolled into the bedroom, Gray Cat gave him the evil eye, curled protectively against Shannon’s knees. Oh yeah, she was going to hold a grudge.

At the end of the bed he set the brake on the chair and peered through the darkness at Shannon’s form. There was no response when he paused and she breathed softly. Her left hand was curled under her cheek and he could just barely see the band of her ring.

All in all he had to give himself props. Marriage seemed to have been the issue, as well as the pregnancy. God, what the hell—heck—was he going to do with a kid? He’d thought the dog was a positive next step in their relationship. But they’d just gone from couple to family at light speed on him. Was he ready for a kid?

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