Page 165 of As The Shifter World Turns

“Okay.”

“Wait.” That was Archer who emerged from the kitchen. “The cleaners either didn’t do a great job or Daire had too many boxes piled on the floor in the second bedroom. It needs vacuuming and mopping before the curtains arrive and we put any furniture in there.

He must have noticed my trembling lip as I figured out where our vacuum cleaner was. “This is what we’ll do.”

Martin poked his head in the door and asked, “How can I help?”

“Good timing,” Archer told him. “Help Daire get the rest of his stuff out of here. Neil, can you clean the room? Ryder, take Ivor back to bed and make sure he’s got food and then you and I will arrange the furniture.”

“Why did Daire leave it so late to do this?” Martin scratched his head.

“Busy,” we all yelled.

“I feel bad not helping,” I said.

“Oh really?” Ryder tapped his lips. “Who organized the painters, cleaners, curtains, wallpaper for the baby’s room, and most of the new furniture?” He wrapped his arms around me. “That would be you.”

“I’ll order food as there’s not much in the fridge,” my mate admitted as we walked into 2A. We were selling our current fridge and had bought one twice the size for our new place.

“Yes, please. Thai food. And remember when you’re done, buy food and drinks for everyone.”

“I will.” He glanced around. “Can’t quite believe we’ll sleep in 1A tonight. Our new home.”

“Mmmm. What are we going to do with all that space?”

He winked and patted my ass. “We’ll think of something. Now get into bed and I’ll bring the food up when it arrives.”

The bed was also staying in the apartment for the moment until we sold it because we finally had a room big enough for a king. I’d joked to Ryder when we bought the new one that it was my bed and where would he be sleeping?

The rest of the day was spent eating, reading, napping and listening to Daire yell, “Where are my kitchen utensils?” and “I can’t find my pillows.” But with Martin’s help, he must have sorted it out, because by mid-afternoon Martin and Toby went shopping, the fox shifter having asked me if I needed anything before they left.

As the sun sunk lower, I got up and showered, thankful I had a mate and friends who were doing what I couldn’t.

Ryder came in as I was getting dressed and he was wearing clean clothes. Not a trace of dust or dirt. “I showered in our new place.” He stood behind me and rubbed his hands over the bump. “That shower in 1A is so big and I can’t wait to get you in there and soap you up.”

“Me too.” I nuzzled his throat.

“Come down and see what we’ve done and then we’ll go onto the roof and thank everyone.”

When we reached 1A, memories came flooding back of me sharing the apartment with Daire. Me not having much money, juggling work and college, working for Ryder, sleeping with him, breaking up and getting pregnant. It was a lot but we were going to make new memories.

“Close your eyes.” He led me inside and I sniffed the new furniture aroma. “Now open.”

Ryder, Archer, and Neil had done an amazing job. The boxes had been unpacked, clothes put away and the baby’s room was ready for our new arrival. Tears filled my eyes. “This is where we’ll bring our daughter. It’s where we’ll become a family.”

68

GIMME A BREAK AND NOT THE CHOCOLATE KIND, ALTHOUGH IF YOU’RE OFFERING CHOCOLATE I’M HERE FOR IT

Ryder

“You’re doing too much.” The baby wasn’t even going to be here for a while and Ivor was rearranging the room for the twenty-fifth billionth time. “Maybe we can take a break? Get some ice cream?”

His face curled up in disgust.

“Moved on from the ice cream phase?” It had been all ice cream all the time for a bit. But then again before that it was cans and cans of black olives. Babies were funny like that—giving their daddies weird cravings that turned on a dime.

“Yeah. No more ice cream… possibly ever. And I can’t stop.” His eyes suddenly discovered something very interesting on the floor. “It has to be perfect.”

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