Protecting the Black Wolf's Mate
By: wizardtho
Chapter 27:
Sam's POV
I kissed my Angel’s shoulder, then trailed my lips across it as I let my breath fan over her. "Come, My Beautiful Mate. Will you wake for me?"
She hummed softly, burying her face into my neck, then nipped it lightly. I nipped her shoulder in return, then she whispered, “I had a very good dream.”
I smiled into her shoulder, “Tell me about it?”
She hummed, "We were sitting on a blanket at the beach. It was warm out, and the twins were playing in the sand at the edge of the water. They couldn’t have been more than 2 years old, and they were so beautiful. I think I was pregnant again, though, because you were doing that unconscious tracing thing on my lower stomach."
I smiled widely, “That does sound like a very good dream, Angel.”
Bella's POV
I don’t think he could have smiled any wider when I told him about my dream. I asked him then, “How soon should we start thinking of names?”
He chuckled, “Shouldn’t we wait until we know what they are?”
I shook my head, "I think we should pick out both boy and girl names. Two of each, just in case. That way, no matter what happens, we have names that we can call them once we know."
He smiled, “Then I say we start thinking right away.”
I smiled, kissed over his heart, then sat up.
As soon as my core brushed against his length, I was instantly aroused. He moaned, gliding his hands up my thighs, and whispered, “We still have a little bit of time, My Little Minx.”
I shook my head, whispering just as softly, "I don’t want a quicky, Sam. That won’t fit for what I have planned for you."
He let out a shaky breath, then said, “Then we'd better go downstairs, before I’m tempted to take you.”
He massaged my hips gently under my dress, and I hummed, “Mmm, that feels really good.”
He smiled, “Let’s get you onto one of the kitchen stools, and while you eat, I’ll massage your hips and back.”
I smiled, "We need to talk to Emily and see what areas to avoid. Certain spots are off limits in pregnant women."
He nodded, then scooted us to the edge of the bed. Once he turned me to situate me in his arms bridal-style, he stood with me in his arms, took hold of my IV stand, and carried me down to the kitchen.
He situated me straddling the stool with my chest towards the back, and once I made sure the dress covered me properly, I looked up. Emily was helping Leah and Kim, while Sue was writing on a tablet. They all smiled up at us, so I said with a smirk, “What are you four up to?”
They chuckled, then Emily brought a plate over for me as she said, “We are going over your meal plan, trying to find easy to prepare foods that are high in calories.”
I smiled when she set my shake and vitamin down next to my plate. I took a long sip of my shake, humming happily, "Oreo… I officially love whoever thought of this one. My God, this is good."
I heard a beautiful laugh behind me, then saw Eva coming in the room, "That would be me, Bella. I always craved sweet things when I was pregnant with Sam. Oreos just happened to be my favorite."
I smiled widely, “It was a very good idea, and I'll definitely be enjoying it.”
I looked at Emily when Sam’s hands went to my hips, “Sam wanted to massage my back and hips, since they're a little sore, but I told him we had to go over with you any spots to avoid.”
Emily said seriously, "Don’t press into the pressure points of her hands or feet, but soft circles are fine. Very light pressure on her abdomen and breasts. Her back and hips are good, so is her tailbone. Arms, legs, and shoulders are normal."
I smiled, then Sam’s hands massaged into my hips, making me moan as my head fell to my arms on the seat back. Sam stilled, asking carefully, “You alright, Angel?”
I moaned again while nodding, "Feels amazing. Don’t stop."
He kissed my neck, "You eat and I’ll massage, my little mate. I feel how hungry you are."
I nodded, “Deal… just don’t stop.”
I picked up my fork and dug into my food after thanking the flame for cooking it. Sam continued to massage my hips and tailbone while the girls went on planning meals for me.
Eva sat next to me at the bar. I smiled when Sam kissed the top of her head lovingly and whispered, "Hi, Mama. Did you get the things from your house that you’ll need while you’re here?"
She smiled up at him, "Yes, Paul was nice enough to take me while Charlie and Jared worked in the garage on some trim. He even offered to take my stuff up to the room. I believe if the offer is still open, I'll be here through the weekend to help out. I’m staying in the one with the bay window, I think."
I smiled at her, "You're always welcome here, Eva. That room has a pretty view of the front clearing. I’ll be so happy when we can get all the paint off the trim in there... actually be able to see the wood."
She smiled, then I took a large sip of my shake.
We continued to talk as I ate. Sam would kiss my shoulder every few minutes as he worked out the tension in my hips and back. I was feeling much better when I finished eating. I drank the last of my shake with my vitamin a few minutes after I was done.
Emily smiled at me then looked at Sam. He beamed at her, "It worked. There doesn’t seem to be any tension now."
She looked at me, then smirked, “Once we see that you are gaining weight after the IV is gone, I’m putting you on a birthing ball routine designed to help with your hips and pelvic area.”
I nodded, expecting her to explain more, but Eva beamed, “And I'll be your instructor, Bella.”
Sam laughed, “I forgot all about your time as a doula and pregnancy instructor, Mama.”
I smiled widely at her, “We’ll be able to spend regular time with each other?”
She nodded, "When Emily told me about the complications you could have later in the pregnancy with being so small, I mentioned that there were birthing ball exercises designed specifically for opening and widening the pelvic and hip areas in pregnant women, which helped the babies settle properly as a result. Once she’s satisfied with your continued weight gain rate, I’ll go over some of the exercises with you, help you do them correctly, and see how you feel after a couple of sessions. If more is needed later on, we can see about some stretch poses too, that are a standard a go-to with pregnant mothers."
I nodded, leaning into the stool back for a few minutes as Sam rubbed my shoulders, then Charlie, Paul, and Jared all seemed to converge on the room. Leah practically bounced as Kim squealed excitedly, "Can we, Sam? Can we show her now? Please?"
Sam chuckled before asking me to turn on the stool. When I did, he picked me up bridal style, then said, "Close your eyes, My Angel. We have a surprise for you."
I did as he asked with an indulgent smile as he carried me off somewhere. Everyone rushed to follow by the sound of things. When he stopped and told me to open my eyes, I gasped. They had found the original leaded glass french doors that fit the study, cleaned them and the hardware up, then hung them in place. The glass was milky, so it offered some privacy to the room. They were beautiful, causing me to whisper, “You guys did this while I was asleep?”
Charlie smiled softly at me, "We all needed something to keep us busy, to keep productive and not worry ourselves crazy, so we worked on this. Look inside, Princess. See what we worked on."
My eyes widened, “There’s more than the doors?”
They nodded, so I asked, “Can you open them for me, Dad?” He grinned proudly, then opened the doors and stepped aside.
I gasped again as Sam stepped to the doorway. The transformation the room had undergone while I was with Taha Aki was unbelievable. None of the trim work had paint on it anymore. The window sills and fireplace surround were even fully stripped of the yucky paint. The room shone like a craftsman masterpiece... almost. The ceiling was still missing the beams, and the fireplace stone needed to be changed. "My God, this is glorious. This room is so much closer to being complete than I ever hoped for at this stage. Thank you all for working so hard."
Leah took my hand, explaining, "I have options for the fireplace stone for you to pick from. I found a wonderful site that carries a bunch of stone we’d be interested in for the house. Paul and Charlie looked up the stuff for the ceiling, looked at the drawings again, and found that the ceiling is actually a coffered ceiling. There are long posts running parallel to the fireplace, splitting the ceiling into thirds, then short ones connecting in thirds the other way. Then the nine squares the ceiling makes are fully trimmed out. He measured, then found all of the materials needed. Paul double checked the calculations, so all you have to do is order them. The kitchen and your sitting room ceilings are the same way. You can order all of the materials at the same time if you want."
I smiled widely at her, then at Sam, saying, "Well, get the laptop set up at the bar, and let’s get ordering. I want to see those samples you’re talking about."
Sam smiled, “You’re going to be with the girls for a while, so I think I'm going to do some of that guy bonding over paint stripping.”
I laughed and kissed over his heart, "You do that, Honey. What room are they working on now?"
Sam turned me to the dining room, which was missing every bit of trim except for the window sills, "Wow, okay. So you’re in the long garage with the guys, then.”
He carried me back to the kitchen bar, where Kim and Leah were setting up the original samples on either side of the laptop, so I could compare them to what the website offered. Sam set me down on the stool, then kissed me softly. He rubbed my stomach for a second, smiling, then said, “Have fun with the girls. You know where I am if you need me.”
I nodded, “You too, and don’t let Charlie rib you too much.”
He nodded, then looked at Eva. She smiled, then said tiredly, “Go, and I'll see you when I wake up.”
He kissed the top of her head before making his way out to the garage. Kim and Leah sat on either side of me as Eva called 'goodnight' to us on her way up the stairs.
Leah pulled up her favorites list, then tabbed a few different pages. She handed me a piece of stone, saying, “This is the original fireplace stone for the study. These are the ones I came up with that were very similar.”
I looked at the stone sample in my hand, then clicked through each of the ones she had tabbed for me. There were aspects of each one that I liked, but something kept bringing me back to the last one tabbed. I calculated the amount we would need, then added a 15% overage for damage or miscuts, added the total to the shopping cart, then said, “Let’s look for the other fireplace stones while we’re here.”
I clicked the continue shopping button, closing the other tabs as Leah said, "They also have floor stone, but I haven’t had a chance to look through them yet. They may have what we need for the wet areas."
I smiled, going back to the fireplace stone section as Leah handed me another sample, saying, "This is the master sitting area and bedroom stone.”
I started scanning down the page. Four pages into the section, I stopped in my tracks, then clicked on a picture. Leah and Kim both said, “Wow.”
I nodded in finality, "This is the one. I had the same feeling with the last one, so I'm going with it."
Those fireplaces were smaller than the one in the study, so I just left out the overage that I calculated for the last stone, then doubled the amount. That would be more than enough. I added the amount to the cart, then clicked the continue shopping button again.
I looked at the fireplace in the great room, then said, "Call Sam in here with the boys, please. I have a hunch about the stone for the great room."
Leah flipped her phone open, hit a few buttons, then hit send. I said, “Tell him to bring tools, too.”
She nodded, then said, "Yeah, Babe. Tell Sam that Bella has a feeling about the stone for the great room fireplace. Bring tools."
She flipped her phone shut a second later, smiled at me, then said, "They’re on their way in.”
A few minutes later, Sam came in carrying a large toolbox, smiling. The rest of the guys filed in behind him, so I said, “Do me a huge favor?”
He kissed me, "Anything for you, my little Beauty. What is your hunch?"
I beamed at him, "If I’m right, there’s stone under the walls surrounding the fireplace. Look closely at the mantle. Tell me what you see."
He walked over to the mantel, inspected it closely, then laughed, "My God, you’re good, Isabella. The mantel looks like it was here before the sheetrock was put up. You’re wanting me to take down a section to find out for sure?"
I beamed at him, so he said, “Alright, Angel, but please stay there.”
Sam grabbed a hammer, making a few careful holes into the wall where stone should be on the side of the mantel… five in a circle format... then he ripped the center of the circle out. He looked for a minute, then smiled widely at me as he spoke, “My intuitive mate, we have stone.”
I held up the sample for the great room. Sam looked at it, then at the hole, smiling even wider. He nodded, "Original stone, Isabella. Guys, everyone is to be careful when we tear all of this off of the stone. I don’t want it ruined. If the original stone can be saved, we’re that much closer to having the house as Isabella intends."
Everyone chorused, “Of course, Boss.”
Sam trashed the circle of wall he ripped out, washed his hands, then came over to me. He kissed my mark while asking, “Would you like to see, Angel?”
I nodded excitedly, so Sam swooped me up into his arms, carrying me and my IV stand to where he made the find.
I grinned as I looked at the random dry-stacked configuration, "Wow, Sam. It's beautiful. We should just be able to secure any of the loose stones, then clean them up so they aren’t dusty. It’ll fit the house so much more than the yucky drywall. Think of how beautiful the mantel will look against the different colors in the stone."
He smiled at me, then said, "It was a great hunch, Bella. You’re a natural at this." I beamed at him as he set me back on the stool between Kim and Leah.
He kissed me softly and rubbed my tummy, so I smiled, "Thanks, Sam. We’re going to purchase the flooring, now that we know we don’t need the stone for the great room. I already got our room and the study ordered, for fireplace stone."
He kissed me once more, saying as he nuzzled our noses together, "Then I’ll be back out with the boys, Angel. I love you."
I whispered against his lips, "As I love you, my mate. I’ll call if I need you. Have fun."
He smiled as the guys all filed back out the side door, then disappeared out it right behind them. Kim and Leah were both grinning at me, so I hurried to change the subject while blushing, “Let’s tackle this flooring, girls.”
They nodded, then Leah handed me a flooring sample as I navigated to the flooring section of the website.
We were lucky enough to find an almost exact match to the slate that was originally in the mudroom, then Leah went to hand me another sample as I was calculating the amount needed. I felt a sudden breeze and a chill along the back of my neck as she held it out for me, so shook my head and refused to take the sample.
She gave me a questioning look as she held the piece, still waiting for me to take it, but I suddenly felt queasy. She asked softly, noticing something was wrong then, “What is it, Bella? What’s wrong?”
I shook my head again, saying, “I don’t know, but I’m not touching that. My instincts are screaming at me right now. Please, just get it away from me.”
Leah nodded seriously, then rushed to the side door as she called Sam. He was there instantly, so Leah explained what happened to him. He hurried to take the piece from her, then dropped it in the outside garbage can before shoving the lid on it.
Sam came inside when the lid was on tight, then scrubbed his hands in the sink, asking Leah to please do the same. Once done, he came to me, asking as he stroked my cheek, “Are you alright, Angel?”
I nodded reassuringly, “Yeah, I just got a really bad feeling about that sample.”
He cupped my cheek, then asked, “Close your eyes for me, Isabella. Tell me what else you feel. If there’s another sample we need to get rid of, I’ll do it now, so you don’t need to worry.”
I nodded as I closed my eyes, then took a deep calming breath.
Sam's POV
I kissed my Angel’s shoulder, then trailed my lips across it as I let my breath fan over her. "Come, My Beautiful Mate. Will you wake for me?"
She hummed softly, burying her face into my neck, then nipped it lightly. I nipped her shoulder in return, then she whispered, “I had a very good dream.”
I smiled into her shoulder, “Tell me about it?”
She hummed, "We were sitting on a blanket at the beach. It was warm out, and the twins were playing in the sand at the edge of the water. They couldn’t have been more than 2 years old, and they were so beautiful. I think I was pregnant again, though, because you were doing that unconscious tracing thing on my lower stomach."
I smiled widely, “That does sound like a very good dream, Angel.”
Bella's POV
I don’t think he could have smiled any wider when I told him about my dream. I asked him then, “How soon should we start thinking of names?”
He chuckled, “Shouldn’t we wait until we know what they are?”
I shook my head, "I think we should pick out both boy and girl names. Two of each, just in case. That way, no matter what happens, we have names that we can call them once we know."
He smiled, “Then I say we start thinking right away.”
I smiled, kissed over his heart, then sat up.
As soon as my core brushed against his length, I was instantly aroused. He moaned, gliding his hands up my thighs, and whispered, “We still have a little bit of time, My Little Minx.”
I shook my head, whispering just as softly, "I don’t want a quicky, Sam. That won’t fit for what I have planned for you."
He let out a shaky breath, then said, “Then we'd better go downstairs, before I’m tempted to take you.”
He massaged my hips gently under my dress, and I hummed, “Mmm, that feels really good.”
He smiled, “Let’s get you onto one of the kitchen stools, and while you eat, I’ll massage your hips and back.”
I smiled, "We need to talk to Emily and see what areas to avoid. Certain spots are off limits in pregnant women."
He nodded, then scooted us to the edge of the bed. Once he turned me to situate me in his arms bridal-style, he stood with me in his arms, took hold of my IV stand, and carried me down to the kitchen.
He situated me straddling the stool with my chest towards the back, and once I made sure the dress covered me properly, I looked up. Emily was helping Leah and Kim, while Sue was writing on a tablet. They all smiled up at us, so I said with a smirk, “What are you four up to?”
They chuckled, then Emily brought a plate over for me as she said, “We are going over your meal plan, trying to find easy to prepare foods that are high in calories.”
I smiled when she set my shake and vitamin down next to my plate. I took a long sip of my shake, humming happily, "Oreo… I officially love whoever thought of this one. My God, this is good."
I heard a beautiful laugh behind me, then saw Eva coming in the room, "That would be me, Bella. I always craved sweet things when I was pregnant with Sam. Oreos just happened to be my favorite."
I smiled widely, “It was a very good idea, and I'll definitely be enjoying it.”
I looked at Emily when Sam’s hands went to my hips, “Sam wanted to massage my back and hips, since they're a little sore, but I told him we had to go over with you any spots to avoid.”
Emily said seriously, "Don’t press into the pressure points of her hands or feet, but soft circles are fine. Very light pressure on her abdomen and breasts. Her back and hips are good, so is her tailbone. Arms, legs, and shoulders are normal."
I smiled, then Sam’s hands massaged into my hips, making me moan as my head fell to my arms on the seat back. Sam stilled, asking carefully, “You alright, Angel?”
I moaned again while nodding, "Feels amazing. Don’t stop."
He kissed my neck, "You eat and I’ll massage, my little mate. I feel how hungry you are."
I nodded, “Deal… just don’t stop.”
I picked up my fork and dug into my food after thanking the flame for cooking it. Sam continued to massage my hips and tailbone while the girls went on planning meals for me.
Eva sat next to me at the bar. I smiled when Sam kissed the top of her head lovingly and whispered, "Hi, Mama. Did you get the things from your house that you’ll need while you’re here?"
She smiled up at him, "Yes, Paul was nice enough to take me while Charlie and Jared worked in the garage on some trim. He even offered to take my stuff up to the room. I believe if the offer is still open, I'll be here through the weekend to help out. I’m staying in the one with the bay window, I think."
I smiled at her, "You're always welcome here, Eva. That room has a pretty view of the front clearing. I’ll be so happy when we can get all the paint off the trim in there... actually be able to see the wood."
She smiled, then I took a large sip of my shake.
We continued to talk as I ate. Sam would kiss my shoulder every few minutes as he worked out the tension in my hips and back. I was feeling much better when I finished eating. I drank the last of my shake with my vitamin a few minutes after I was done.
Emily smiled at me then looked at Sam. He beamed at her, "It worked. There doesn’t seem to be any tension now."
She looked at me, then smirked, “Once we see that you are gaining weight after the IV is gone, I’m putting you on a birthing ball routine designed to help with your hips and pelvic area.”
I nodded, expecting her to explain more, but Eva beamed, “And I'll be your instructor, Bella.”
Sam laughed, “I forgot all about your time as a doula and pregnancy instructor, Mama.”
I smiled widely at her, “We’ll be able to spend regular time with each other?”
She nodded, "When Emily told me about the complications you could have later in the pregnancy with being so small, I mentioned that there were birthing ball exercises designed specifically for opening and widening the pelvic and hip areas in pregnant women, which helped the babies settle properly as a result. Once she’s satisfied with your continued weight gain rate, I’ll go over some of the exercises with you, help you do them correctly, and see how you feel after a couple of sessions. If more is needed later on, we can see about some stretch poses too, that are a standard a go-to with pregnant mothers."
I nodded, leaning into the stool back for a few minutes as Sam rubbed my shoulders, then Charlie, Paul, and Jared all seemed to converge on the room. Leah practically bounced as Kim squealed excitedly, "Can we, Sam? Can we show her now? Please?"
Sam chuckled before asking me to turn on the stool. When I did, he picked me up bridal style, then said, "Close your eyes, My Angel. We have a surprise for you."
I did as he asked with an indulgent smile as he carried me off somewhere. Everyone rushed to follow by the sound of things. When he stopped and told me to open my eyes, I gasped. They had found the original leaded glass french doors that fit the study, cleaned them and the hardware up, then hung them in place. The glass was milky, so it offered some privacy to the room. They were beautiful, causing me to whisper, “You guys did this while I was asleep?”
Charlie smiled softly at me, "We all needed something to keep us busy, to keep productive and not worry ourselves crazy, so we worked on this. Look inside, Princess. See what we worked on."
My eyes widened, “There’s more than the doors?”
They nodded, so I asked, “Can you open them for me, Dad?” He grinned proudly, then opened the doors and stepped aside.
I gasped again as Sam stepped to the doorway. The transformation the room had undergone while I was with Taha Aki was unbelievable. None of the trim work had paint on it anymore. The window sills and fireplace surround were even fully stripped of the yucky paint. The room shone like a craftsman masterpiece... almost. The ceiling was still missing the beams, and the fireplace stone needed to be changed. "My God, this is glorious. This room is so much closer to being complete than I ever hoped for at this stage. Thank you all for working so hard."
Leah took my hand, explaining, "I have options for the fireplace stone for you to pick from. I found a wonderful site that carries a bunch of stone we’d be interested in for the house. Paul and Charlie looked up the stuff for the ceiling, looked at the drawings again, and found that the ceiling is actually a coffered ceiling. There are long posts running parallel to the fireplace, splitting the ceiling into thirds, then short ones connecting in thirds the other way. Then the nine squares the ceiling makes are fully trimmed out. He measured, then found all of the materials needed. Paul double checked the calculations, so all you have to do is order them. The kitchen and your sitting room ceilings are the same way. You can order all of the materials at the same time if you want."
I smiled widely at her, then at Sam, saying, "Well, get the laptop set up at the bar, and let’s get ordering. I want to see those samples you’re talking about."
Sam smiled, “You’re going to be with the girls for a while, so I think I'm going to do some of that guy bonding over paint stripping.”
I laughed and kissed over his heart, "You do that, Honey. What room are they working on now?"
Sam turned me to the dining room, which was missing every bit of trim except for the window sills, "Wow, okay. So you’re in the long garage with the guys, then.”
He carried me back to the kitchen bar, where Kim and Leah were setting up the original samples on either side of the laptop, so I could compare them to what the website offered. Sam set me down on the stool, then kissed me softly. He rubbed my stomach for a second, smiling, then said, “Have fun with the girls. You know where I am if you need me.”
I nodded, “You too, and don’t let Charlie rib you too much.”
He nodded, then looked at Eva. She smiled, then said tiredly, “Go, and I'll see you when I wake up.”
He kissed the top of her head before making his way out to the garage. Kim and Leah sat on either side of me as Eva called 'goodnight' to us on her way up the stairs.
Leah pulled up her favorites list, then tabbed a few different pages. She handed me a piece of stone, saying, “This is the original fireplace stone for the study. These are the ones I came up with that were very similar.”
I looked at the stone sample in my hand, then clicked through each of the ones she had tabbed for me. There were aspects of each one that I liked, but something kept bringing me back to the last one tabbed. I calculated the amount we would need, then added a 15% overage for damage or miscuts, added the total to the shopping cart, then said, “Let’s look for the other fireplace stones while we’re here.”
I clicked the continue shopping button, closing the other tabs as Leah said, "They also have floor stone, but I haven’t had a chance to look through them yet. They may have what we need for the wet areas."
I smiled, going back to the fireplace stone section as Leah handed me another sample, saying, "This is the master sitting area and bedroom stone.”
I started scanning down the page. Four pages into the section, I stopped in my tracks, then clicked on a picture. Leah and Kim both said, “Wow.”
I nodded in finality, "This is the one. I had the same feeling with the last one, so I'm going with it."
Those fireplaces were smaller than the one in the study, so I just left out the overage that I calculated for the last stone, then doubled the amount. That would be more than enough. I added the amount to the cart, then clicked the continue shopping button again.
I looked at the fireplace in the great room, then said, "Call Sam in here with the boys, please. I have a hunch about the stone for the great room."
Leah flipped her phone open, hit a few buttons, then hit send. I said, “Tell him to bring tools, too.”
She nodded, then said, "Yeah, Babe. Tell Sam that Bella has a feeling about the stone for the great room fireplace. Bring tools."
She flipped her phone shut a second later, smiled at me, then said, "They’re on their way in.”
A few minutes later, Sam came in carrying a large toolbox, smiling. The rest of the guys filed in behind him, so I said, “Do me a huge favor?”
He kissed me, "Anything for you, my little Beauty. What is your hunch?"
I beamed at him, "If I’m right, there’s stone under the walls surrounding the fireplace. Look closely at the mantle. Tell me what you see."
He walked over to the mantel, inspected it closely, then laughed, "My God, you’re good, Isabella. The mantel looks like it was here before the sheetrock was put up. You’re wanting me to take down a section to find out for sure?"
I beamed at him, so he said, “Alright, Angel, but please stay there.”
Sam grabbed a hammer, making a few careful holes into the wall where stone should be on the side of the mantel… five in a circle format... then he ripped the center of the circle out. He looked for a minute, then smiled widely at me as he spoke, “My intuitive mate, we have stone.”
I held up the sample for the great room. Sam looked at it, then at the hole, smiling even wider. He nodded, "Original stone, Isabella. Guys, everyone is to be careful when we tear all of this off of the stone. I don’t want it ruined. If the original stone can be saved, we’re that much closer to having the house as Isabella intends."
Everyone chorused, “Of course, Boss.”
Sam trashed the circle of wall he ripped out, washed his hands, then came over to me. He kissed my mark while asking, “Would you like to see, Angel?”
I nodded excitedly, so Sam swooped me up into his arms, carrying me and my IV stand to where he made the find.
I grinned as I looked at the random dry-stacked configuration, "Wow, Sam. It's beautiful. We should just be able to secure any of the loose stones, then clean them up so they aren’t dusty. It’ll fit the house so much more than the yucky drywall. Think of how beautiful the mantel will look against the different colors in the stone."
He smiled at me, then said, "It was a great hunch, Bella. You’re a natural at this." I beamed at him as he set me back on the stool between Kim and Leah.
He kissed me softly and rubbed my tummy, so I smiled, "Thanks, Sam. We’re going to purchase the flooring, now that we know we don’t need the stone for the great room. I already got our room and the study ordered, for fireplace stone."
He kissed me once more, saying as he nuzzled our noses together, "Then I’ll be back out with the boys, Angel. I love you."
I whispered against his lips, "As I love you, my mate. I’ll call if I need you. Have fun."
He smiled as the guys all filed back out the side door, then disappeared out it right behind them. Kim and Leah were both grinning at me, so I hurried to change the subject while blushing, “Let’s tackle this flooring, girls.”
They nodded, then Leah handed me a flooring sample as I navigated to the flooring section of the website.
We were lucky enough to find an almost exact match to the slate that was originally in the mudroom, then Leah went to hand me another sample as I was calculating the amount needed. I felt a sudden breeze and a chill along the back of my neck as she held it out for me, so shook my head and refused to take the sample.
She gave me a questioning look as she held the piece, still waiting for me to take it, but I suddenly felt queasy. She asked softly, noticing something was wrong then, “What is it, Bella? What’s wrong?”
I shook my head again, saying, “I don’t know, but I’m not touching that. My instincts are screaming at me right now. Please, just get it away from me.”
Leah nodded seriously, then rushed to the side door as she called Sam. He was there instantly, so Leah explained what happened to him. He hurried to take the piece from her, then dropped it in the outside garbage can before shoving the lid on it.
Sam came inside when the lid was on tight, then scrubbed his hands in the sink, asking Leah to please do the same. Once done, he came to me, asking as he stroked my cheek, “Are you alright, Angel?”
I nodded reassuringly, “Yeah, I just got a really bad feeling about that sample.”
He cupped my cheek, then asked, “Close your eyes for me, Isabella. Tell me what else you feel. If there’s another sample we need to get rid of, I’ll do it now, so you don’t need to worry.”
I nodded as I closed my eyes, then took a deep calming breath.