Page 19 of Mate for the Space Cowboy

“Is it official?” Nadine asks.

I nod. “Yes, I saw the doctor today with Hunter. I can’t wait.” I feel like I’ve been smiling for hours at this point.

“What’s official?” Martha asks.

“I’m pregnant. I thought I was, but I wasn’t ready to say anything about it until the doctor confirmed it. To be honest…” I pause, my gaze sobering. “When I lived on Earth, the last thing I wanted was to have a baby. I hoped to avoid men and family for the rest of my life. I can’t believe how different I feel after just a few months here.”

“Here, having a family is worth it,” Nadine offers softly.

“It is,” I agree.

Risa glances toward Romi. “And what about you? Have you met your mate yet?”

I expect Romi to shake her head and be dismissive, but when she hesitates and her cheeks turn pink, my mouth drops open. “Who?” I gasp.

“Tell us everything,” Nadine teases. She gestures to the center of the table. “And, please, eat. I got the snacks from the coffee shop. Trudy made her special cookies, and the lemonade is, of course, from the lemon grove in town.”

“Romi has been a little cynical about meeting anyone. We weren’t sure she’d even want to find a mate,” I explain to the newer women in our group as I take a cookie and a glass of lemonade.

Romi rolls her eyes. “I’ve been worried I wouldn’t find a mate, but…” Pausing, she looks toward me. “When Hunter andhis team returned to the stables, there was a man with them who I hadn’t seen yet.” Her cheeks are bright red, and she pauses to take a swallow of lemonade.

“And?” Nadine circles her hand in the air impatiently.

Romi rolls her eyes again. “And, well, there was a vibe.”

“A vibe or a pulse?” I prompt.

Romi sighs. “I don’t know what the infinity pulse feels like, but I know this man wouldn’t stop looking at me. He’s the first alien I’ve met that I might want anything to do with. Well, not just alien man, but a man of any species—human, alien, or otherwise.”

Nadine and I laugh together, along with the other women who join in.

Romi throws her hands up. “I can’t help that I don’t like men. I mean, Asher seems really nice, and Kayden worships the very ground you walk on, but still,” she says dryly. Her eyes arc toward me. “Hunter worships you too, and it’s strange to see.” She looks toward the new women who’ve arrived from Earth. “The way the men here treat women is…” She sighs dramatically. “You’d think it was a joke. Even the couples who don’t have the infinity pulse are good to each other. The men are respectful of women here. They’re kind, and they protect them. The women are treated…”

When she pauses again, Nadine interjects, “Like equals.”

“Yeah.” Romi nods vigorously. “It’s crazy.”

“What’s his name?” I ask, wondering if I’ve met the man Romi might like.

“Thorne. Hunter said that even though he’s grumpy, he’s a good man. It was kind of funny,” Romi offers with a shrug. “Hunter saw us looking at each other.”

“I’ve met Thorne,” Nadine offers, her lips teasing with a smile. “He is on the broody side. I agree with Hunter that he can be a grump. I’ll ask Kayden about him and get the whole scoop.”

“Same,” I offer. “If he was with Hunter, then he’s on the team of spies. Hunter only works with those he trusts, so that’s a good sign about Thorne.”

“Can someone explain this whole spy thing to us?” Risa asks.

Nadine quickly summarizes the situation. “This planet is a democracy. They vote and everything, but they’ve always had a figurehead royal family. They keep it that way because it’s a benevolent leadership, and the royal family protects the planet.”

“It’s one of the best planets in the galaxy,” I add. “We have the best medical care here. We offer services all over the galaxy, even to Earth.”

“Anyway, long story short, there’s a small group in one town that has been protesting the line of succession in the royal family,” Romi says.

I roll my eyes. “They say we shouldn’t have a royal family, but they want to change the royal family succession so they can be part of it. Before Asher found Jane on Earth, he had to marry within a certain timeframe. He was running out of time. That’s why they came to Earth. Although they’ve traveled to Earth for centuries. That’s not anything new, but after so many women died in the big space storm during the festival to honor women, they came up with this plan to set up a matchmaking service with Earth. That’s why we’re all here.”

Nadine picks up the thread. “Asher married in time, and Jane’s already had a baby. The protesters kidnapped her, though, so now it’s a big deal.”

Jenny gasps.

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