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Chapter Twenty-Two

“I really like your house. It’s got a lovely cozy and lived-in feel about it.”

Ness risked a quick glance over at his mate who was sitting with a contented smile on his face, watching the scenery go by while Ness was driving. They had flown into Arrowtown the night before and were on their way to an appointment with Doc. “I hear a but in there somewhere,” he said with a chuckle. “What’s the matter? Are you missing room service already?”

“No, no.” Cyrus shook his head. “I’m perfectly capable of cooking and things are easy to find in your kitchen. I even know how to use a washing machine and dryer, shock horror, I know. But I’m not averse to doing my bit around the house.”

“What is it then?” Ness turned onto the main road heading into town. “Are you thinking about where we’ll be living going forward? Actually, that’s a thought. You never mentioned how much time running your businesses takes in a week. Do we need to be thinking about splitting our time between Vegas and Arrowtown?”

“Would you be upset if we did?”

That was shocking enough Ness had to check his mate’s face again. “What makes you say something like that? Have I said or done anything to make you feel your life and business aren’t important?”

“No…but you are a bit of a homebody, aren’t you?”

“Why?” Ness laughed. “Did you get that impression because my house looks lived-in, as opposed to the penthouse hotel suites we’ve been staying at that belong to you?”

“I’ve got houses, too.” But Cyrus was chuckling, so Ness knew he was just teasing. “It’s just…we do need to be thinking about things like this so our little one can have a settled upbringing.”

Warmth flooded Ness’s body like a hug. He’d caught Cyrus scrolling through a parenting site on the para website when he’d come back from the bathroom that morning. “We both travel for work and pleasure, so I think it would be really weird of us both to just give that up. With two private planes at our disposal, I don’t think taking our young one with us anywhere will be an issue either.

“I do agree traveling less often would be a sensible idea. It’s not so bad between here and Vegas, because both places are in the same time zone, but going to Europe or Scotland would have to be longer trips away. Perhaps if we did that less often?”

“That’s a good idea. We can do that.” Cyrus was tapping something into his phone. “What do we think about having a nanny?”

“No.” Ness didn’t even have to think about that one. “When I was little, I saw my parents once a week on a Sunday evening. My father didn’t start spending time with me until it was time for me to learn how to trade. I hated it.”

“No nannies, then.” Cyrus flashed him a grin. “I guess little ones have to sleep sometimes, so we will still get some alone time every now and then.”

“This is where cultivating friendships comes in,” Ness said, pulling into the parking lot next to Doc’s house. “Especially in Arrowtown, people here are really friendly and will likely offer to look after our little one overnight on the odd occasion when we need some quality adult time. I’ve seen that time and time again here, and it works.”

“Where do you run your business from?” Cyrus asked after some more tapping on his screen. “Do you have a main office somewhere?”

“Nope.” Ness turned off the car and flicked his finger over at the back seat. “My office is in my laptop. I have a website where I take funding applications. It’s a three phase process – phase one is done online, phase two involves my lawyers and accountants, and then if they pass those two phases, I usually travel to meet the applicants personally in their own place of business, if they get that far.”

“Hmm. We probably don’t want to be doing that with a little one in tow.” Cyrus thought for a moment, and then did some more tapping. “I’ll set you up with an office space in my hotel in Vegas and we can do a couple of days there a month, or whatever, so your prospective money grabbers can come and visit you there, if that works for you.”

“I fund inventors and new business owners with good ideas. They are not money grabbers,” Ness protested although he was pleased Cyrus was being supportive of him working despite the baby. “Having an office would make things easier, thank you.”

“I just want to make sure I do everything right with being a parent this time.” Cyrus slipped his phone back into his pocket and then reached for Ness’s hand.

“We’re doing it together and face it” - Ness raised Cyrus’s hand to his lips and kissed his mate’s knuckles - “we know what not to do, so that’s a start. Now, let’s move.” The kiss to the hand was followed up by a quick kiss on Cyrus’s lips. “Let’s see what Doc’s got to say about our latest development. Don’t get nippy if he wants to give me an ultrasound again. Remember he’s helping us, and he’s mated to a deputy sheriff.”

“Making friends, not killing people. I know.” Although Ness was sure he could see Cyrus’s shark in his eyes.

/~/~/~/~/

Doc didn’t have a lot to add beyond yes, Ness was carrying their baby, and yes, it was still in the very early stages. Cyrus expected a lot more. From the things he’d been reading, there were foods that pregnant people shouldn’t eat and long posts about vitamins and things like that. But when Cyrus asked Doc about the advice, the damn man laughed and told him that shifters know their own bodies best, and that was that. Doc insisted he wanted to see Ness every week for at least the next month, so they could all get an idea on how fast their little one was going to grow and warned them it was likely going to be a long pregnancy.

Afterward, they left their car in the parking lot, Ness taking Cyrus’s hand as they slowly walked up the main street. “It has a nice vibe, this place,” Cyrus observed, taking in the bar, the bakery, a general store, a hardware store, and a couple of specialty shops, including a computer repair business. “Everyone seems to know everyone else.”

“They do pretty much. If you hide yourself away here, people tend to view you with suspicion. However, everyone also gathers around when things go wrong.” Ness pointed out the freshly painted sheriff’s office. “That place was bombed a while ago, back when Doc met his mate, I think. Bad blood between some bull shifters and the rest of the town. The bull shifters have since been banished from town completely, but the whole town got together, clearing away the rubble and building the new office.”

“Didn’t Doc say he was mated to a bull shifter? A deputy sheriff?”

“Yep.” Ness nodded. “Deputy Joe was the only good one in the bunch. Apparently, and this is just part of Arrowtown lore, when Joe’s relatives heard he’d gotten a male mate and kept his position in town, one of his uncles completely trashed his house, complete with dead bodies. It’s said, and I wasn’t there so I can’t say for sure, but apparently what was left of that uncle would fit in a shoebox after Doc got finished with him.”

“I’m liking the doc more and more.” Cyrus’s respect for the doctor grew.

“Have a bit of respect for Joe, too.” Ness laughed. “He watched it happen, apparently there was blood and gore everywhere, and all he did was offer Doc some dental floss because there were some bits stuck in his teeth.”

“Okay, I’m warming up to this town.” Cyrus looked in askance as Ness stopped outside of the general store. “Did we need some groceries, darlin’? Are you having cravings already?”

“No, I want to introduce you to someone, but this is where I need for you to be on your most honest behavior.”

“You’ve seen me with people, darlin’. I’m charm personified.”

“Mrs. Hooper is one of this town’s oldest residents, next to me. She knows everything about everybody’s business, and she doesn’t take shit from anyone. She’s a Texas Longhorn shifter, and she rules her sons with a rod of iron.

“But if you get her seal of approval, she’ll make sure you always get what you need. She’s one of the people who make up gift baskets with baby necessities when there’s a new birth in town, and when Joe’s house needed a complete renovation after the uncle business, she was one of the main people behind that. Be yourself,” Ness added, as he opened the door. “Mrs. Hooper,” he said in his friendly tones as he stepped inside the shop. “How are you doing this lovely day?”

“I’m doing good, Nessie, thanks for asking.” The woman had a strong voice. “What’s this, you bringing a shark into my place? He’s a bit far from the sea, isn’t he?”

“This is Cyrus Marinus,” Ness said, and there was so much pride in his voice Cyrus would’ve swooned over it, if he’d been a swooning type of guy. “He’s Blade’s father, baby Ethan’s grandfather, and my fated mate.”

Mrs. Hooper folded her arms across her chest. She was a big woman of indeterminate age. And Cyrus was genuine with his indeterminate assessment. The woman was older than most, not as much as Cyrus, he guessed, but he wouldn’t lay money on it. “Hmm, the gangster. We won’t stand for any of your racketeering in this town, boyo.”

Cyrus was shocked enough to laugh out loud. “Mrs. Hooper, I can swear in all honesty, no one has ever called me a boyo before. On days when I am feeling my age, I’m going to remember your comment and smile about it. Thank you.” He gave a deep bow, complete with flourish. “As for the racketeering,” he added as he stood up, “Doc has already told me it’s fine, provided I don’t do any of it in town. So when I’m here, consider me on a racketeering holiday.”

“Make sure you do that.” Unfolding her arms, she reached across the wide counter and pulled out a basket. “I got a few meals for the two of you. When you’re busy with the little one, you can order them by the week but consider these a mating present.”

“Mrs. Hooper, thank you so much.” Ness hurried over to take the basket, while Cyrus stayed smiling by the door. “We’ll definitely remember about the meal ordering,” he said, his cheeks bright pink. “You know, when that sort of thing happens.”

“You were seen coming out of the doctor’s office.” Mrs. Hooper shook her head. “As if you haven’t already ‘happened’ enough. You’ll find a couple of bottles of ginger pop in there, too. Take that when you get the queasy tummy. Now, get on with you, and remember what I said about the racketeering, boyo.”

“If I feel the urge to racketeer, I’ll come and see you directly so you can whack me over a head with a wooden spoon.” Cyrus opened the door for Ness. “I’m sure you’ve got one somewhere in this marvelous store of yours, ma’am.”

“He’s all right, Ness,” Mrs. Hooper said as they left the store.

“All right?” Cyrus took the basket and sniffed. The food smelled terrific. “I got an all right?”

“That’s the highest compliment you’ll get from Mrs. Hooper.” Ness tucked his hand around Cyrus’s arm and turned them in the direction of the parking lot. “It means you’ve been accepted.”

“I think I like that.” And Cyrus meant it. That feeling of contentment stayed with him for the rest of the afternoon.

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