Saint Ives Whelan Chronicles Ch. 08B

She rubbed her eyes, trying to push back the drowsiness of her early morning nap. Rarely had there been a day when Nick didn't wake her up and make love to her in the early morning hours, just before dawn. Then he just held her while she usually fell back to sleep, next or on top of him.

She'd come to love the Fridays they spent working on the car, sure she did most of it, but she didn't mind, she enjoyed it. Last week the car was returned, covered in a brand new color. The only thing that was still needed was giving it a good rub down and making it all shiny.

"But if you insist on finishing it today we better make a move on," she teasingly said.

Getting more comfortable with her nakedness, she dropped the blankets and rose up from the bed and walked towards the bathroom, hips swaying.

Nick groaned when he saw her walking away. He would have preferred to drag her back to the bed and make love to her again. But his surprise today was more important. They could make love to each other for a long time to come. He started counting until she appeared from the bathroom again, hair still wet but fully clothed. At least he wouldn't be so tempted now, he hoped.

"Do you want an easy breakfast or are you making one?" she asked when she passed the bed.

"Just wait for me, I'll toss something together. Let me hop in the shower first," he answered.

He watched her leave their room and he was sure she would be taking care of the coffee. Throwing the blankets aside, he ran to the bathroom and showered in record tempo. He didn't bother putting on his boxers, instead he slipped straight into his favorite black jeans before he joined Fran in the kitchen.

She already sat waiting at the table, a mug of steaming coffee in front of her while she was browsing through the newspaper. That became her usual routine when he made breakfast.

After they were done, Nick got the rest of his clothes and they walked towards the barn. Before they really started on the car he had reorganized it a little so they had plenty of room to work and even found space to put in some machinery they borrowed from Chris' shop. It made it easier than always going back and forth for little things.

They never talked much when they were working on the car, not even mentally. They both liked it, they escaped reality for a little while and both did something they loved.

Two hours later and Fran stepped back, taking in the result of their hard work.

"I think she's finished now. What do you think?" she asked, not letting her eyes stray from the car.

"Perfect, just perfect," he answered.

Something in his tone made Fran look at him and saw he wasn't looking at the car at all but looking at her. He retrieved the car keys from his jeans pocket, secretly checked if his little addition to the key ring was still there, then tossed the keys to Fran.

"Why don't you take her for a spin?" he said with a glint of mischief in his eyes.

Without effort Fran caught the keys and made her way over to the car and got in. She was about to put the key into the ignition when she felt something sharp pushing in the palm of her hand. Turning it around she saw a ring attached to the car keys. She looked up for a second seeing Nick's face turned way. It was clear he was trying not to look her way.

Not sure what to make of the ring she got out again and walked up to him.

"Not sure if you know, but since when do we carry rings on our car keys?" she asked him.

"Since the moment I wanted to marry the woman who's going to be the mother of my child," he told her huskily.

It took a few seconds to sink in before Fran realized what he had said.

"You want to marry? But we're already mated, wolves don't marry, you told me that yourself," she answered, confused.

"I know, but there can always be firsts. I know for a fact you wouldn't make just me the happiest man on this earth if you say yes," he said.

"As far as I know, I'd be marrying you, not some other man," she retorted.

"Hmmm, but when you walk down the aisle, someone has to give you away or isn't that the normal way?" he spoke.

"You mean to tell me my father knows about this?" She dangled the keys in front of him.

"He does, he even helped me organize everything," he said as he pulled her in his arms. "I knew from the moment you said you didn't want to leave your family behind, I had to find a way to make you all happy."

"Nick, as long as I have you, I'm happy. I understand our ways, a marriage isn't needed," she interrupted him.

"I know. But you didn't forget the Italian roots of your father, did you?" he asked in return. "Think he would be ok with us 'just' living together forever?"

Fran had to agree, it was a valid point. They already hadn't told her father straight away she had moved in so soon, they had waited four months before even telling him and even then he was still a bit skeptical about it. He got along fine with Nick, but it was true that the old fashioned sense of marriage always came through.

"We only need one word from you and in less than a month you'll be calling yourself Francesca Saint Ives Whelan Ontario. Thinking about it, I'm going to have to order bigger envelopes with that name," he joked.

"What do you say to let it be Francesca Whelan Ontario and we have a deal?" she told him, her eyes glittering with happiness.

"I'm taking that deal, yes it is," he replied a second before slanting his lips over hers, proving his love once more. "Then you can tell your dad he's becoming a grandfather in nine months as well."

"Are you sure about that?" she countered.

"You didn't listen when I told you that I can smell when you're in heat and sweetheart, this morning you were definitely in heat and I hit the jackpot, no doubt about that." He grinned while he tenderly laid his big hand over her flat tummy.