Page 12 of A Hatchling for Valentine’s

Lena chuckled, giving Kellan’s had a few shakes before letting go. “Not a problem at all. It’s good to warm up the place once in a while. You take your time and look around. I’ll make us all some cocoa and me and Dora can get caught up while you shop.”

“Thanks.” Kellan waited until Lena had headed to the back before turning to Dora. “She’s really nice. Is your whole family like that?”

“Oh yeah.” She gave a light laugh. “Especially when they’re not getting on my nerves.”

Kellan arched his eyebrows. “I don’t understand. Some of them aren’t nice people?”

“Don’t get me wrong, I love them all. It’s not that. But we all have our own personalities and quirks. Just because we’re related and would do anything for each other, doesn’t mean they don’t annoy me now and then. Especially my little brother, Darren. What a pain in the ass he can be!”

Kellan’s mouth formed an ‘O’. “But you love him anyway?”

Dora grinned as she snorted out laughter. “Of course. I just tease him relentlessly until he shuts up.”

“Gosh.” This whole family thing is a lot more complicated than I realized.

“Hon? Families aren’t perfect. They bicker and complain, sometimes cry or don’t speak for a while, but most of the time, they’re the ones who will be there for you when others aren’t. What matters is that they back you up and, most importantly, are the ones whose love you can always count on.”

Kellan nodded. “I see. I guess I’ve only experienced family when it’s been one extreme or the other—not the middle parts.”

She gave him a pat on his arm. “That’s okay. You’ll figure it out. Just remember that the love you share is what’s most important.”

Lena emerged from behind the curtain again with a tray of mugs then set them on one of the cases. After taking a few sips of the chocolate, Kellan left Dora and Lena to their conversation and made his way to the boutique section of the shop. Every item was beautifully handcrafted, and he made a promise to himself that he would come back another time to buy an afghan for the couch and a quilt for their bed. He also spotted a beautiful scarlet red knit sweater that would look stunning on Vic.

Maybe for Valentine’s Day?

But for now, he needed to focus on why they’d come to Bobcat Stump. It was all about their baby and nothing else.

After selecting a knitted blanket in an alternating pattern of blues and greens, two knitted caps, an indigo sweater and several pairs of booties, Kellan not only felt he’d annihilated his spending limit, but was no longer able to resist the pull of his nest. He needed to get home.

Dora gathered up the bag with the blanket and sweater and Kellan grabbed the one with the caps and booties.

“Tell Darren I said he’s a dork and I promise to come up for the annual spring equinox get-together.”

Lena bellowed out laughter. “You’d better, or we’ll come and kidnap you.” She regarded Kellan. “Congratulations on your little hatchling-to-be and I hope we see you again soon.”

“Thanks. And you will. I saw other things I want to get next time.”

Lena winked at him. “I saw you eyeing that sweater. Is it for your mate?”

Kellan flushed. “Yeah. He’d be even more handsome in it than he already is.”

She chuckled. “I’ll put it aside for you and you come back whenever you’re ready.”

“Really?”

She grinned. “Really.”

“Thank you so much! If Dora comes to visit again in the next week or two, I can send the money with her.”

Lena smirked at Dora. “Hear that? Now you don’t have an excuse to stay away so long.”

Dora protested to Lena that she hadn’t been making excuses, that she’d been very busy and hadn’t realized how long it had been since her last visit. She continued to protest her innocence as she followed Kellan to the door. Right as he opened it, a cry for help echoed across the parking lot in the direction of the gas station.

It can’t be.

Kellan marched toward the commotion without thinking, some sort of hidden spark of rage within him he hadn’t known existed igniting in his veins, driving him forward, driving him to make things right the way he should have years before.

“Hey! Finn! What do you think you’re doing, you big bully?”