Page 40 of The Knotty Clause

His son immediately gave him a wide, gap-toothed grin, and bounced a little.

“I think that would be great.”

“Are you sure?”

“Uh-huh. I liked it when we were together all the time.”

He looked down at Gemma’s smiling face and laughed.

“It appears that everyone is in agreement. I’ll talk to Curtis and see how he feels about being left in charge. But not until after the baby is born,” he added when Liam cheered.

“But that won’t be long, right? I don’t think Mama can get any bigger.”

“It doesn’t seem like it,” she said ruefully, but he saw the anxious look in her eyes.

“Everything will be fine,” he assured her. “I’ll make sure of it.”

It was a promise to himself, as much as to her. When she had first told him that she was with child, he had been both delighted and terrified. But after he had treated Sarah, the woman with the mangled leg, he had known that with the help of the medical equipment from the ship, he could safely deliver the baby without putting her at risk.

“I feel like a house,” she muttered.

“A very beautiful, desirable house.”

She blushed, undoubtedly remembering the way he’d demonstrated his appreciation for her new figure last night, but he saw her pleased smile. He would be happy to prove it again tonight, but the memory of Curtis’s words still nagged at him. He had promised Gemma a winter on the mountain and he intended to fulfill that promise, but it would be foolish not to investigate.

He was trying to decide on the best way to proceed when a soft whir sounded from above. He was on his feet even before he consciously recognized the sound. Liam joined him, giving an excited gasp as the flyer came to rest on the open ground below.

“Have you flown one of those, Daddy?”

“I have,” he said grimly as the hatch opened and a male stepped out.

Fuck. A Tandroki. Their territory was in a different sector but they had a reputation as a cold warrior race. The male below,with his dark uniform and arrogant posture, fit the description perfectly.

“He has horns too,” Liam added. “Can we go see him?”

“No. Stay here and keep an eye on your mother,” he ordered.

“Is everything okay?” she asked nervously.

“Of course,” he said soothingly. “Just stay here while I see what he wants.”

As soon as he started down the hill, the Tandroki focused on him, his posture alert although he didn’t reach for his weapon. Yede was bigger and taller than the other male but he wasn’t foolish enough to think it would be an easy win if it came to a fight.

He came to a halt in front of the other male, assessing him as a potential opponent. The male met his gaze with calm assurance, but despite his arrogant posture, he appeared more thoughtful than aggressive as he returned his gaze.

“I am Captain Yede S’mar,” he said, automatically using his title.

“I am Commander Krampasarian D’Marchandar.”

Somehow the senior rank didn’t surprise him.

“What are you doing here?” he asked bluntly.

“I heard a rumor about another non-human presence on this planet.”

“Is that a problem?”

“Not unless your intentions are hostile.” Krampasarian glanced around the camp and the ring of workers watching them anxiously. “Or you are causing harm to the humans.”