Chapter 161 Chapter 161

Chapter 161 Chapter 161
Kira’s POV

"Good timing," he said, pulling up a wooden stool beside my desk and taking a sip of his coffee. "The weather report says a cold front is coming through by Sunday night."
"How are we looking for the cold weather?" I asked.
"Everything's ready," he said. "Marcus and I stacked the last two cords of wood near the back porch overhang this morning. The backup solar batteries are sitting at full charge, the greenhouse is locked up tight, and the generator started up on the first pull during the morning check."

He paused, looking down at my lap. He reached across the small distance between us, resting his hand flat over my sweater. The second his palm touched my stomach, the baby kicked again, pressing right against his hand. He blinked, a quiet smile breaking across his face. No matter how many times he felt it over the past few weeks, he always stopped what he was doing to pay attention.
"He's awake early today," he said quietly.

"He knows his room is ready," I said with a smile, putting my hand over his. "Did you finish sending over those last consulting reports to Manhattan yesterday?" I asked.
"Sent them off last night," he said, looking back up at me. "I told them I'm completely offline now. No briefers, no calls, no email checks until next year. They can manage without me."
"Talon Steele, completely stepping away from corporate risk decks to focus on crib safety and nursery heating," I teased softly.
"They can figure out their own problems," he said with a grin, his eyes bright. "What we have right here, the property, the house, and our kid is what actually matters."

He stood up, took my tea mug to set it safely on the bench, and reached down to help me out of my chair. He wrapped his arms around my waist, pulling me in for a quick hug. I rested my head against his chest, listening to his steady breathing while the lab vent fan hummed quietly in the corner.
"We're totally set out here, Kira," he said against my hair. "The firewood's stacked, the gear is prepped, and the winter can do whatever it wants."
"I know," I said, leaning into him. "I'm not worried about it."
We walked out of the lab barn together, turning the lock on the door before heading up the gravel path toward the main grounds.

The autumn afternoon was cool and clear. The wind rustled through the maple trees overhead, dropping red leaves across the driveway as we walked down toward the machinery shed. Marcus was down by the shed, greasing the bearings on the tractor. He looked up as we walked up, wiping his hands on a rag.
"Afternoon, boss! Kira!" Marcus called out. "It's going to drop down fast tonight. The temperature gauge near the creek is already showing thirty-five."
"Wood is stacked at the house, Marcus," Talon said. "Make sure you fire up the heater in your quarters before it gets dark."

"Already got it running," Marcus said. "Don't worry about coming out for the early morning property check tomorrow, boss. I'll take the side-by-side around the perimeter line so you two can stay inside where it's warm."
"Thanks, Marcus," Talon nodded, giving him a quick nod.
We walked back up the driveway toward the house while the sun started dropping behind the ridge, turning the sky a deep shade of purple and orange.

When we stepped through the mudroom, the house was already warming up. Talon walked into the living room and struck a match to the kindling he had set up in the woodstove earlier. Within a few minutes, the wood caught, filling the room with the quiet crackle of burning oak. I sat down on the living room couch, pulling a heavy wool blanket over my legs.
Talon walked over a minute later, sitting down next to me and pulling me against his side so I could rest my head on his shoulder. He laid his hand over my stomach, feeling the slow movements of the baby. Outside, the wind started blowing harder through the pines along the ridge as the temperature dropped. But inside the house, with the woodstove burning and the room warm, everything was completely settled. We were ready for the winter.

Talon's POV

By mid-November, the last of the autumn leaves were completely gone, leaving the bare trees along the ridge outlined against the gray sky. The morning frost was staying on the grass until almost noon, and the mountain air had that sharp bite that meant winter was right around the corner. Inside the house, though, it was completely warm. It was a Sunday evening, just past six o'clock. The sun had dropped behind the mountain, and the woods outside were dark and quiet. In the living room, the woodstove was burning a steady supply of dry oak and hickory, filling the room with heat and a low crackle.

I was sitting on the couch with my arm around Kira while she leaned against my side, resting her head on my chest. One of her hands was resting on my shirt, and my arm was wrapped around her waist, my hand laying over her bump. Down the east hallway, the nursery was finished. The white oak crib I built was set up in the corner, with the side rails locked into place. The drawers in the changing table were full of baby clothes and extra sheets, and the rocking chair Martha helped us pick out was sitting near the window.

Everything was set.
"You're quiet tonight," she said softly, her thumb making small circles against my shirt. I looked down at her, the light from the woodstove reflecting off her eyes. I kissed the top of her head, smelling the faint scent of soap and wool.

"Just thinking about how things worked out," I said.
"How so?" she asked, tilting her head up to look at me.
"Just everything getting us to this point," I said, tightening my arm around her slightly. "Finding this land, getting the house built before the weather turned, setting up the lab... it all fell into place."

She smiled, resting her hand against my cheek. "We put a lot of work into making it happen, Talon. We chose this place, built the surrounding barns and greenhouses, and worked for every bit of this."
"A team of two," I said, leaning down to kiss her. "Soon to be three."
"Soon," she said against my lips, laughing softly as the baby gave a hard kick against my hand.

I pulled back a little, looking down at her stomach with a small grin.
"I'm telling you," I said, "this kid is going to be as stubborn as you are. He's going to be checking the farm equipment by the time he's six months old."
"Probably," she said with a laugh, settling back against my chest. "A stubborn kid running around the property with your habits. The neighbors won't know what to do."