1. Sam

1

SAM

L u smiles at me as I walk into his hospital room. It's been one week since he moved here. We both agreed that I'd sleep at home with the kids half of the time. But I still come in to be with him as often as I can.

"Did you see they gave me a different hospital gown today? It's very fashionable. Blue spots instead of stripes," he says.

Despite all of our efforts, the move has been hard on him. The nausea he suffered at the beginning of his pregnancy is back, which means he's hooked up to an IV for hydration, and there's a feeding tube in his nose.

I sit in the recliner next to his bed. "You're cheerful today."

"Well, this handsome alpha came to visit me. Of course I'm cheerful."

I lean over and kiss his forehead. In just a few weeks, the pregnancy will be over, and I can take Lu and our egg home.

"You smell like Sam."

I chuckle. "I'd hope so."

He takes in a deep breath. "It's my favorite scent."

I reach out and rest my hand on top of his. "Cy and Ben offered to stay with the kids tonight, if you feel up for a companion in your bed."

Lu's smile widens. "That would be nice. I'm not sure if I'm up for… I'm not well."

"It's okay. Don't worry about that. It would just be nice to sleep next to you."

He sighs contentedly. "Yes, it would be."

"I can't stay long. I have to go get Liam for his doctor's appointment. But I thought I'd stop by. Do you want me to bring anything for you tonight?" I ask. It was hard to explain to the doctor that we needed to double check that Liam was developing normally after his gender reveal party. But I still want to check.

"Swedish fish," he says.

"Again?"

He shrugs. "They're the only thing I can keep down."

"One bag of Swedish fish coming up. I'll be back around six with the kids. Mary wants to see you. Cy and Ben are going to pick the kids up at the hospital and take them home. I guess Axe is working through the night." I stand, but Lu grabs my hand.

"Don't forget to leave your shirt at the foot of the bed."

I look back at him. "What?"

"Your shirt. It goes at the foot of the bed. Don't forget."

"What do you mean—" Then I stop. It's only two weeks from the birth. Lu should be starting his nest any day now.

"You think my shirt goes at the foot of your bed?" I ask, just to clarify.

He nods, as if it were obvious. "It smells like you. I can't be stuck in this bed without your scent, can I?"

Okay. Lu's nest is going to be my shirts? That's sweet. But also a problem. I was in a rush to get here, and I didn't grab a jacket.

"There isn't any chance that I could give you my shirt later this afternoon, is there?"

He glares at me with a brazenness I've never seen from Lu before. "Take your shirt off. That's where it goes. Right there in the corner," he points.

Okay. I guess I'll be walking the halls of the hospital in an undershirt. I tug the shirt over my head and drop it at the corner of the bed where Lu indicated.

"I love you. I'll be back soon," I say and turn to leave.

"Sam, you're still wearing the undershirt. You have to put that at the foot of the bed too."

I can't walk through the hospital without a shirt. But if Lu's expression is any indication, I won't be leaving this room without surrendering my undershirt either.

There's a knock at the door. A nurse in scrubs printed in rubber ducks enters. He's young, with bright blue hair and a name tag that says Kevin . "Oh, am I interrupting something? I can come back later."

"No, everything is fine. Sam was just leaving his undershirt where it belongs at the foot of my bed."

Kevin covers his mouth, but his eyes are still twinkling with a smile. "Is that where it belongs?"

"Obviously."

"Well, you heard the man. Take off your undershirt." That twinkle is still in his eyes. He's enjoying this.

He walks to the wooden dresser opposite of Lu's bed and pulls out a hospital gown with blue spots. "I don't know if Lu told you, but we got new gowns today. Lucky you." He tosses it at me.

"They don't close all the way in the back," I remind him.

Kevin holds up his hands. "Dude, you should be grateful he didn't ask for your pants."

Lu's eyes light up. "Maybe he should leave the pants too."

I glare at Kevin. He tries to hold back a laugh, but he isn't entirely successful.

There's no help for it. I can't deny Lu his nest. I pull off my undershirt and toss it to the foot of Lu's bed.

"Your pants too," Lu says.

Damn Kevin and his ideas. I unbutton my pants, desperately hoping that Lu doesn't think to ask for my underwear. But as soon as I get my pants off, Lu's eyes drop to my briefs.

"I also want those."

Kevin's shoulders shake with laughter as he takes Lu's vitals. I rip open the hospital gown and thread my hands through the arm holes before slipping off my underwear and depositing it into the pile. When it lands next to the jeans, Lu beams up at me with a smile so big, my heart does a little flip flop. "Thank you, Sam. I can smell them from here. You can go pick up Liam, and your scent will be here with me the entire time."

Kevin types a few things into a computer next to Lu, then walks over to the closet and takes out a second robe. "Double up. Tie one in the front, and the other in the back. And you may want to bring a second set of clothes when you visit… just in case." He winks at me. "At least he didn't ask for your?—"

I raise my eyebrows because the last time he said something along those lines, I lost my pants.

He bites his lip. "Right. Sorry. Just remember, this means Lu will likely be able to give birth without a C-section. This is a good sign."

He's right. Which is why I end up walking through the hospital halls and out into the parking lot with nothing but two hospital gowns. The other people in the parking lot stare at me like I'm an escaping patient as I unlock my car and climb inside.

I don't care. Lu's going to be okay. Our baby is going to be okay. And my sweet Lu is collecting my scent for his nest.

There's nothing more romantic than that.