Chapter Twenty-One

MAX STOOD THERE IN HIS PATERNITY OVERALLS OPEN at the sides because he couldn’t close them anymore, his cowboy hat on his head. He only had a few more weeks until his due date. “I can’t go to the farmer’s market anymore.”

“Why not?” I asked. It was getting close, so that alone was a good reason.

“Before, when I wore my overalls with a flannel around my waist, you couldn’t tell I was really pregnant, maybe just thick, but now ….”

“You look adorable.” I just wanted to gobble him up all the time. He was irresistible.

He pouted. “I don’t care. I’m not going.”

“Nobody’s going to care, baby.”

“Nobody besides your dads know that I’m pregnant. I’m not ready for others to know.”

“Well ….” I bit my lip and winced.

“Who did you tell?” His face flushed, and he bore his eyes into me.

“No one, but Theo and Garver might’ve surmised you were with child.”

“What? When? How? They haven’t even met me.”

“I guess the way I talk about you. How you’ve been feeling, all you’ve been eating .…”

“Bauer, I trusted you,” he said, balling his fists.

“I didn’t confirm anything.”

“But did you say no?”

“Well .…” I bobbed my head from side to side.

“That’s just as bad,” he growled through his gritted teeth.

“It’s just my cousin, and your dad won’t be at the farmer’s market.”

“But still, word will get back to him.”

My poor alpha wouldn’t admit it, but his dad ruled over his life. “Are you going to live your whole life in hiding?”

“Possibly.” He sucked on his lower lip.

My sweet thing. “Baby.”

“Don’t baby me. I’m the pregnant alpha.”

“You are, and I’m the one who got an alpha pregnant. This doesn’t just affect you, Max.”

“But your whole life didn’t change. Who you thought you were. What damn sub-gender you are.”

“But my life did change when I met you.” It got five thousand times better. “I thought we were happy.”

“I did think so. I am, but in the world we created for ourselves, here,” he said, pointing to the ground.

“You’re living in a protective bubble.”

“Is that so bad? And besides, I’ve been going out.”

“Only because people couldn’t tell you were pregnant yet. I want people to know I’m going to be a dad.”

He furrowed his brow and pressed his lips together. “You need to leave.”

“I can’t. I have to take care of you.” Especially with him getting all worked up.

“That’s the thing. I shouldn’t need taking care of. I’m pregnant, and all of a sudden, I’m the one who needs to be kept and watched after.”

“It’s not like. You know that already. You’re just all worked up, hormones.”

From the scowl on his face, I knew I had said the wrong thing.

“It’s not always hormones. It’s how I feel,” he yelled.

“No farmer’s market for you today, then.”

“You think I’m saying this so I can get out of going?” he asked, his chest heaving.

“Um ….” Sometimes, I just didn’t know. His moods were hard to read.

He threw his hands in the air. “Unbelievable.”

“Max ….” I went in for a hug.

He stepped backward. “No, please, just leave me alone.”

“Come on, baby.”

“I’m serious, Bauer.” He glared at me.

It was time to give him some space. “Okay. Okay, I’ll come back later.”

“No, just go.”

“I’ll leave, but I’m taking your pickup and payment processing thing, and I’m going to sell your produce.” He wouldn’t go, but I would. I couldn’t leave him hanging like that, all that wasted profit.

“Stop.”

“No, you don’t sell this stuff—it’ll go bad. I’m leaving before you can say anything else.” I grabbed his keys and ran out the front door.