Chapter 288: Dumplings.

Hunter

The moment Alina had mentioned wanting the cot finished, I was all over it. If she wanted it done, I was going to damn well make it happen. It also gave me a perfect 'out' for not having to have the conversation about Isla coming. So I’d spent the better part of the afternoon in the garage, sleeves rolled up, hands stained with wood dye and varnish, sanding and polishing every single piece until it gleamed like something out of a magazine. I’d stained it darker, just like she’d said, a rich, deep walnut that looked warm and timeless. Perfect for Bean. By the time I tightened the last screw and stepped back to admire it, the whole thing felt like more than just a cot. Now, I just needed a second set of hands to carry it through the house. But the second I stepped inside, the smell hit me. Not sawdust and varnish. Not the usual hint of Kaiden’s cologne or Alina’s shampoo. No, this was something else entirely. It's a warm, rich, buttery, herbs and something meaty and Goddamn, what is that smell? My stomach growled so loud it actually echoed.

I followed my nose through the hallway and into the kitchen, and the second I stepped inside, I forgot about the cot entirely. Kaiden was leaning against the counter with this lazy, lovesick grin on his face. I was just about to ask him what his problem was when I saw why he was smiling. Alina was standing at the stove, barefoot, hair pulled into a messy bun with little blonde strands escaping around her face, wearing nothing but one of Kaiden’s shirts and a whole lot of focus. Some quiet song played from the radio, the soft kind that made you want to sway without realising you were doing it and sure enough, her hips were moving in time with the music, just slightly. I think I actually forgot how to breathe for a second. If there was a scene that could stop time, this was it. Our kitchen, warm and alive. Our girl, cooking. Our life, finally starting to feel like something that made sense.

I crept up behind her, sliding my hands around her hips and pressing a slow kiss against the curve of her neck. She giggled, soft and light, like it surprised her that she still remembered how.

“Smells incredible,” I murmured, reaching around her side and trying to snatch one of the little golden things she had laid out on a plate.

She swatted my hand away without even turning. “Not yet. They’re for dinner.”

I smirked and looked over my shoulder at Kaiden. “Dinner, huh? You’re cooking for dinner?”

“Yes,” she said matter-of-factly, glancing up at me with that spark in her eyes. “Your sister’s coming, and I need to make a good impression.”

“Well,” I said, already grinning, “this is definitely the way to make a good impression.”

She turned in my arms then, hands flattening against my chest. Her cheeks were pink from the heat of the stove, her lips curved in that little proud smile that killed me every time.

“You’re covered in sawdust,” she said.

“And you,” I murmured, kissing her temple, “are perfect.”

I wrapped my arms around her, breathing her in for a moment, warm skin, faint flour, and something that already smelled fucking delicious. Then, while she was distracted by my embrace, I reached behind her, snatched one of those little dumplings off the tray, and popped it in my mouth.

“Hunter!” she yelped, twisting in my grip.

I spun her gently so she couldn’t reach me and backed up toward the counter, grinning around my stolen prize. “Worth it.”

Kaiden was laughing now, shaking his head. “You’re going to get yourself killed, brother.”

“Yeah,” I said through a mouthful of dumpling, “but I’ll die happy.”

I was still chewing the last bit of stolen dumpling when I wiped my hands on my jeans and said, “Oh, by the way, the cot’s finished.”

Alina’s head snapped toward me, her eyes lighting up like I’d just told her we were having triplets made of solid gold.

“What? Already?”

“Yep.” I couldn’t help the pride that crept into my voice. “Looks bloody amazing too. Stained just like you wanted. But—” I jerked my chin toward Kaiden, who was still pretending to be helpful while stealing glances at her—“I’m gonna need a hand carrying it in.”

Kaiden pushed off the counter instantly. “Yep, coming now.”

We slipped out through the side door, and the smell of varnish hit me as we reached the garage. The cot gleamed under the light, dark walnut, smooth, solid, strong. I couldn’t stop staring at it. We built this. For Bean. For her. For us.

Kaiden caught me smiling at it and smirked. “You gonna stand there admiring it all night or help me lift it?”

I rolled my eyes, gripping one end. “Shut up and grab the other side, Romeo.”

We carried it carefully through the hallway, our steps matching, the wood creaking softly as we turned the corner into the kitchen.

Alina looked up, mid-stirring something on the stove, a smear of flour on her cheek, and her lips parted slightly in surprise.

“Oh… Hunter,” she said softly, hand coming up to her chest. “It’s perfect. Thank you.”

That made my chest puff just a little. “Does that earn me another dumpling?”

She laughed, shaking her head. “No dumplings until dinner.”

I gave her my best pout, and she snorted, waving her spoon at me like a threat. “Move it, handyman. Don’t drop my baby’s bed.”

Kaiden chuckled beside me as we continued up the stairs, the cot fitting just barely through the hallway.

Once we got it into Bean’s room, we set it down against the wall where it belonged, under the window that looked out over the willow tree. For a moment, neither of us spoke.

We just stood there, side by side, taking it in. The dark cot against the soft, warm tones of the room. The little plush toys she’d arranged earlier. The engraved display case on the wall catching the light. I felt Kaiden move beside me, and then his arm came up around my shoulders.

“This is fucking perfect, isn’t it?” I said quietly.

He nodded, his voice low but full of that same weight sitting in my chest. “Yeah, man. It’s pretty damn cool.”

I swallowed, eyes fixed on the cot. “We’re… we’re really gonna be dads.”

Kaiden let out a shaky little laugh, the kind that carries too much emotion to sound steady. “Yeah. We are.”

And for a rare, solid moment in our messy, violent world, everything felt right.