Page 26 of Forced Knocked-Up Mate

Rider chuckles, patting me on the shoulder. “Pete, I’d like you to meet the modern woman. At first, it seems as if her demands are unreasonable. But I promise you, it’s worth it.”

“Oh, yeah? How was your wedding night with Fiona?”

Rider looks a little uncomfortable and shakes his head. “It was, uh… lively?”

“I feel like there’s a lot to this story I’m not getting.”

“How about I show you around town?”

“Nice redirection. I see you haven’t changed one bit.”

“What is that supposed to mean?”

I laugh softly. “You slip out of anything you don’t want to talk about with the ease of an eel in wet mud. You’re not fooling me, buddy.”

“Okay,” Rider says, slinging an arm around my shoulder. “You got me. But my offer to see the town still stands, and I’m not nearly drunk enough to talk about my first few days married to Fiona.”

“Jesus. That bad?”

“Depends on who you ask,” Rider chuckles. “Come on.”

I glance over my shoulder and see Fiona hurrying to meet Lucy. The two girls hug and start talking immediately. I let Riderlead me up the hill past the hall to the wide dusty path that serves as the main street.

Rider gives me a quick tour, showing me the renovations they made to existing buildings and the new ones they constructed. I’m impressed by how much work they’ve done and how comfortable their home is.

I don’t like living in town with Lucy. Neighbors looking over my damn shoulders, every sound on the street heard by all the occupants. I could handle an isolated spot like this, though.

When we pass the schoolhouse, Rider shows me their classrooms and proudly points out his son’s work.

“So, you got a kid, huh?” I say.

“Yeah,” Rider says with a ridiculously big smile. “It wasn’t part of the plan, but now that I have him in my life, I can’t imagine it any other way. Once we get back to the hall, I’ll introduce you.”

The idea is extremely nerve-racking, but I nod and smile. I don’t think I’ve ever interacted with a kid in my entire life. The idea of this child being my nephew, a blood relative, only makes it weirder.

“Hey, before we head back, I meant to ask if you had any spare clothes,” I say, gesturing at my feet. “Lucy forgot to magic my gear along with me.”

“No problem,” Rider answers, leading me back to the other end of town.

His cabin is very old, but one of the nicest in town. I follow him up the wooden steps into the cool shadows of the living room, admiring the high ceilings and spacious lounge area.

After putting on a pair of Rider’s boots and filling a bag with spare shirts and pants, we head back to the hall. Food is being put on the long table, and people are talking as they gather around, laughing and joking as they choose seats.

I notice Lucy sitting at the other end of the table and do my best to ignore her. Rider introduces me to a few people and then waves to a little boy with bright blond hair.

“Hey, Caleb!” he says to the boy. “Come over here, kiddo. I want you to meet someone.”

“Okay, Dad!” the boy shouts. As soon as he gets close, I see his eyes, the exact same shade of deep green as my own.

And Rider’s.

“Hey, Caleb,” I say with a smile. “I’m your Uncle Pete.”

“Hey!” Caleb laughs as Rider effortlessly picks him up. “You look just like Dad.”

“Yeah, that’s right, little buddy,” I reply. “We’re twins.”

“Cool!” Caleb announces. “It’s like having two dads!”

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