22. Anders

Chapter 22

Anders

"I'm bored." Brett licked his fingers as he lay on the bed, a box of chocolate ginger balanced on his big belly.

I handed him the tablet. "Lots of new shows on the streaming service."

"Mmmm, but as much as I love the bedroom, I want to get outside."

My mate was at the waddling stage—his words, not mine—so there'd be no hiking, he wouldn't shift again until after the baby was born, and we'd checked off everything off his baby to-do list.

"I have an idea, so tell me if you'd be up for it."

My mate popped another chocolate in his mouth and tossed one to me. We'd discovered a shared passion for ginger coated in chocolate, and the vegan place where Anders got a lot of his specialty items ordered some for him. Some being a huge carton containing twenty boxes.

"Try me."

I gave him the short version, and he was all in. I bundled Choccie into the car, making sure we had snacks and water for him and human snacks for Brett.

"First stop, the hospital."

Brett put a hand on my arm. "Shouldn't it be the restaurant where you were talking to Jonah before you scented me?"

I agreed and started the car.

Ten minutes later we were on the restaurant terrace with Choccie in his carry case.

"This is the table." I took out my phone and snapped a pic as Darcy approached.

"We're not eating, just commemorating our meeting and courtship, and I'm making a digital album for the baby."

"Sounds fascinating," Darcy deadpanned. "Bet your little one will be super excited looking at a pic of a table and chair."

I glared at her, and she tapped my elbow. "Just joshing you, Anders. It's sweet you are recreating it." She placed the menus on the table.

"I could eat." Brett sank into a chair and ordered an avocado-and-tomato baguette. "It's just a little break in the tour, love."

I ordered noodles, and Brett stole some, winding them around his fork and popping them in his mouth.

"Hey, " I protested. "Get your own."

"I think I will." And he called Darcy over.

"Looking back, I felt so alone not being mated, and yet my friends invited me everywhere. I was never left out."

"And now they're our friends." He patted my hand. "My situation was bleak, but I knew there was something better waiting for me."

"And that would be me!"

He laughed. "I was talking about my job, babe, but yes, my new position led me to you." He sucked in a noodle. Gods, my mate was hot, his big beautiful belly under the paternity tee. If we weren't in public, I'd put my hand under the table and stroke his cock. Maybe crawl under and give him a blow job.

"Anders, you have your sexy face on," Brett hissed.

"Can't help it. It's your fault."

Pleased we'd taken a break, we enjoyed the rest of our lunch and walked over to the community center, and I took another pic.

"Poor Edgar's accident is what led me to you."

On we went to the hospital, but not wanting to get thrown out and also endanger my mate's job, we took a photo outside the emergency room and then in the parking lot where I'd also scented my mate.

"Where to now? I'm peckish and I hope it's the grocery store." Brett rubbed his belly and munched on crackers we'd brought with us.

"Soon." I checked my list. "Garbage bins." Off we zoomed to our street. As it was Sunday, people were mowing their lawns and kids were kicking balls in the front yards. I got odd looks as I waved and tried to take a photo of the wheelie bins without anyone catching on.

"People are staring," Brett observed, his cheeks bulging with crackers.

"Okay. The hardware store."

"Do they sell food?" My mate peered into the snack bag and pulled out a lonesome chip.

"There's a café near the plant section." Perhaps I should rename this an Oakheart food tour instead of retracing my steps on the journey to meet my mate.

I needed some rechargeable batteries, so I had a reason to go there. Brett snapped a pic of me in front of the store, and inside, he went one way to get food while I held the dog in her carrier and picked up my batteries before joining him.

Damn, I was reconnecting with my journey, forgetting about Brett's. I rubbed one eye with the heel of my hand. What an asshat I was.

"Love, I'm so sorry for excluding you."

My mate was slurping a fresh lemon tea and was attacking a plate of nachos.

"Huh?"

I explained and said we could crisscross town, taking pics of where he'd scented me.

"Nah, I'm good." He picked up a corn chip, laden with guacamole and melted cheese. "This is delicious." He pushed the plate toward me.

"Yum." We fed one another corn chips and gooey cheese while offering Choccie his snacks.

"Where to next and what food do they serve?"

"The post office, and they're closed today, but after a quick photo, it's on to the grocery store."

"Yippee!" Brett leaned over and kissed me. His eyes lit up. "Give me your hand."

He placed my palm on the bump. The baby kicked and kicked again. "Maybe our little one enjoys nachos." Choccie whined, and I picked up his carrier and Brett swiveled. Our little boy sniffed my mate's bump.

"You're such a cute family." Of course Marge was working today. "And I'm aware of how much Anders loves taking photos."

Covering my face with my hands, I lay my head on the table as Marge giggled and said my secret was safe with her.

"What was that about?"

My cheeks burned, and I took some wet wipes from Brett's snack bag and wiped my face. "She caught me in the parking lot taking a dick pic for you."

Brett giggled, and I helped him up, anxious to be away from Marge's knowing gaze.

Choccie wasn't allowed in the grocery store, so we dropped him at home. He was bored being in the carrier and had whined from the hardware store to home. I settled him in his bed, surrounded by his favorite toys, and we took off for the grocery store.

Brett yawned as we pulled up. "Why don't you take the photo and buy all the snacks and we head home."

"Sounds good." I'd need to take the last pic back at the restaurant, maybe with Kyle and the two of us. But I could do it another day.

I filled a cart with goodies, plus a vegetarian pizza for dinner, took my photo, and we headed home.

"I'm pooped." Brett headed to bed while I put the groceries away and let Choccie outside.

"That was fun." My mate nibbled on fruit I'd cut up. "Maybe we could make it a thing. We could do a restaurant tour. You take me to all the places you ate before you met me."

"That would be Daxon's restaurant, Daxon's restaurant, and let me think… oh yeah, Daxon's restaurant with a dash of fast food thrown in."

"You're exaggerating."

I was a little, but I was a creature of habit. "And thank gods I did eat there a lot because it led me to you eventually." But it was the perfect place to take a baby. Everyone in the sizzle ate there with their kids.

"Just think. Next time we eat there, we'll probably have the baby with us." Brett's due date was a couple of weeks away.

"I know." My mate giggled. "We'll hire a babysitter and do a tour of all the places where you showed me your cock. The cock tour."

"Does that include here?" We could go from room to room, recreating where we'd made love.

"We can." He stuck his hand under the covers. "Wanna start now?"

I yanked down the bedding and pulled out my dick.

"How about we do rock paper scissors and the winner gets a blow job," Brett suggested.

"How is that fair?" I joked. My mate always won when we did that. Every single time.

He shrugged. "It's just luck."

I suspected my mate had made a deal with the universe which was why he always beat me.

"Our lives are going to change, babe." Brett wriggled his paternity pants over his hips. "Sleepless nights, midnight feeds, burping, diapers, poop, and not much sex."

My mate was anticipating a win and bringing out his dick and stroking it, knowing how it turned me on and I'd lunge at him and swallow his length.

"In that case, we'd better stock up on blow jobs now." Now that he was hugely pregnant, he preferred my mouth on him rather than my dick in his hole.

"No rock paper scissors?" He raised a brow.

"What's the point?" I swallowed his length.

"I think the point is in your mouth."