Page 27 of Cold Foot Croc

What the hell?

He strode past the last few layers of trees and entered the clearing where his truck was parked. The tent sat covered in about an inch of snow.

Dylan was nowhere to be seen, but Raynah was bent over the cast-iron pan, flipping steaks. She had eggs frying on a cast-iron skillet.

She wore this adorable little frown of concentration, but looked up at him as he approached.

“Lenace,” he greeted her from behind his growing smile. She was here. She was really here.

“Nice tattoos,” she complimented him, pointing to his sleeve of ink.

He glanced down, and then back to her. She was standing stiffly and rubbing her lower back like it was aching.

“Here, let me cook. You go sit down. Where’s Dylan?”

“Sleeping. He was up most of the night worrying over you. We took shifts.”

“How? Why?” He took the fork from her hand and stared at her pretty face and her tired smile. “How are you here right now?”

“Your brother knows your phone password, so you should maybe change that if you want privacy. I will absolutely refuse to send you nudes until you do so. Not that I would send you nudes in my current state. I feel like a whale on the beach.”

Nudes.He went dumb at the mention of nudes, just imagining her curves and those full tits that were pushing against the tight sweater he could see under her unzipped jacket.

“Hello?” she asked, waving to him.

“You said nudes.”

Her laugh was pretty and filled the clearing.

“Wait, okay, so Dylan had my password?”

“Yeah, he got my number from your ‘Hot Croc’ contact and called me late last night.”

“Why the hell would he do that?” he asked, growing angry. Did Dylan like her? Was he trying to mess with her?

“He is worried about your long Changes.”

“I’m fine,” he grumbled, checking the steaks.

She scooped the half-dozen fried eggs onto a paper plate, and when she stood again, she looked uncomfortable. His anger disappeared in an instant.

“Here, come sit down. Let me do all this. You just rest. You shouldn’t be all the way out here worrying over me, Raynah. I’m okay. You should be warm in your comfortable bed.”

“Oh!” she yelped as she sat down in the camp chair.

“What?” he asked, panicked as he rushed to her.

Her eyes had gone all round, and her lips curved up into the most beautiful smile he’d ever witnessed. “Feel.” She pulled his hand to the swell of her stomach, and under his palm, something rolled.

He flinched back, surprised.

“I’m sorry,” she said, and the smile on her pretty face faltered.

That was the baby. That was really the baby he’d felt. Garret squatted there in front of her, searching her clear green eyes. “Why did you say sorry?”

“Because you moved away. Not everyone likes to feel that stuff. I’m…” She shook her head, and now there was red in her cheeks.

“Can I touch it with both hands?”

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