Page 91 of As The Shifter World Turns

“Mmmm. But it’s a little crowded. Might need to rearrange a few things.”

I raced up the stairs, two at a time and opened the door. Or tried to. I managed to squeeze in and was surrounded by boxes and flatpacks and ready made furniture.

“Micah.”

“I know. I know. You were right. I went overboard.”

“You have to return most of this.” I took his hand but there was nowhere to sit. “I get that you’re excited by our baby.” I put his hand on my belly. “But our child needs us.”

“And a diaper genie?” he asked. I rested my head on his chest as my butt knocked off a package onto the floor.

“But if we had a bigger place, we wouldn’t be so cramped.”

“Please don’t tell me you want to move so we can accommodate all this stuff.”

“No. I agree with you. Most of this is going back.” He took my hand. “Come with me.”

He led me onto the roof. It’s what I loved about this place. And the people. Micah extended his arm. “What do you see?”

“A bunch of houses.” Most were new builds but there was one on the next street over that was from a similar era as Sunshine Manor.

“Notice anything about that one?” He pointed to the older house I’d been looking at.

“Yeah. Was it built at the same time as this place?

“It was. And it’s going on the market soon because I’ve been asked to stage it.”

“It’s beautiful but there’s no way we can afford that house,” I told him.

“Hear me out.” He sat me on the bench. “Most of my savings ended up in my ex’s bank account but since then I’ve been putting away as much as I can.”

“Even so. The deposit alone on that house would be more than we could afford.” I did have money saved but that was for my parents.

“This is where we need to be creative. That house has a basement apartment.”

“Ewww. An old smelly basement that we’d have to renovate.”

“That’s where you’re wrong. It’s on a slope, so the basement looks out onto the garden. And the current owner had a tenant there until last month. The basement was done up a couple of years ago.”

I saw where he was going. “My parents could live in the basement apartment.” He nodded. We’d called my folk about the baby and our being mated and promised to visit them in the coming weeks.

“This is hard for me to say. Unicorn pride and all. And while I don’t expect them to help out?—”

“They would, of course.” If they sold their house, they’d put some of that toward the new place. I’d discussed something similar with them before I left to start my current job.

“Do you think it’s possible?” I loved Sunshine Manor and my friends. But the apartment would be cramped with a baby and a dog. It was close enough to the manor that we’d still be neighbors with my best friends. And we could walk over and enjoy Friday nights on the roof with everyone.

“I do.”

Ivor

Working from home was perfect. No commute. And not getting caught in the rain while waiting for the bus.

But I missed Ryder. Him rearranging everything on his desk so it was just so. That might irritate some people—people like Kellan—but it was part of who Ryder was. He couldn’t function if his stapler was in the wrong place. That had me giggling which led to tears ‘cause he was a butthead. Damn that stag shifter for touching my heart.

Run? Ryder?My wolf asked hopefully.

Not happening buddy. Work. Study. Remember?

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