207 Shopping 2

"You really mollycoddle me, Daryn," she said as she chuckled and stepped out. 

"A werewolf has only one mate. You can't stop me from pampering my mate and that too a pregnant mate," he replied. 

They walked inside and Dawn could feel how almost everyone in the mall was looking at them. She couldn't help it. She had to deal with all the popularity she was gaining being the wife of the most influential businessman in the country. She kept her head low and avoided people as usual. "Daryn, I want to assign a room for the baby's nursery, and for that I wanted to call the designers in." 

"Anytime baby," he replied enthusiastically, as he led her to the shop he had wanted to visit for a long time. He remembered how just two months back they were there selecting her wedding gown. A smile spread on his lips when he recalled how lovely she looked in her wedding gown. He pressed her hand to his lips and kissed her there. 

When they reached the shop, Dawn was surprised to see that he had brought her to a children's shop. She quipped, "It is too early to buy things for the baby." 

"What? No!" he cried. "We have to be well prepared," he said. "This is my first time becoming a parent, and I don't want my baby to complain that I didn't do anything for him." 

Dawn almost let out a throaty laughter at his eagerness. She stopped when saw that the Manager of the shop came running to the couple. She was out of breath. "Mr. and Mrs. Silver, it's such a pleasure to have you here."

"Please take us to the section where you sell cribs," said Daryn. 

"Sure," said the Manager. "Please come this way." She waved her hand forward. The shop was sprawled across a large space. Dawn noticed several pregnant women buying various types of clothes, right from that of boys' jump suits to girls' cute frocks complete with padded shoes and headbands. The smile on her face only broadened. 

"Sir, would you like to join your father in the clothes section?" asked the Manager.

"My father?" Daryn asked with wide eyes. "What is he doing here?" 

The Manager slowed her pace. She looked at them as if she had committed a crime by revealing Gayle's secret visits. She swallowed her saliva and croaked, "Mr. Silver has been visiting us for almost two weeks now. He buys clothes for boys as well as girls." 

Dawn stared at her. And Daryn's mouth fell open. "Two weeks?" 

The Manager nodded. "Yes Sir. He has bought a lot of clothes and has ordered us to get fresh stock." She pointed at a counter deep inside the shop where they could all see Gayle inspecting a pink frilly frock on him. He had pressed the frock on his chest and was looking in the mirror. 

Gayle removed the dress and then picked up a yellow colored jumpsuit. "I think if it's a boy, he would definitely look like me." 

Daryn and Dawn started to walk towards Gayle. They couldn't suppress the grins from their faces. Gayle had been planning much ahead of them. They thought of buying gender-neutral items and here he was buying clothes for both genders. Dawn realized how much he was waiting for his grandchild's birth. And she also realized that the child would be greatly spoiled by him. 

Gayle was so absorbed in buying that he didn't sense the two coming, even though the werewolves could smell from a long distance. 

"Father?" Daryn called him. 

Gayle turned sharply. "Daryn!" he exclaimed. He was embarrassed but then he immediately recovered. "Which of these is good?" He asked, picking up five dresses at a time. 

"But father," Dawn reasoned, "We don't know the sex of the baby yet!" 

"So what?" he dismissed her. How dare she stop him from buying for his grandchild? 

Dawn crossed her hands across her chest and shook her head. She saw a pile of clothes for the baby on the right side, which the salesman was folding with an ear-to-ear grin. Gayle had already bought all those. 

"I think that green one is better," Daryn commented. "If the baby has eyes like Dawn, then the green frock would suit her."

"Not a bad point," said the Senator. "I think we should have a big wardrobe for the baby with clothes segregated according to the colors. We should have a broad theme of VIBGYOR." 

"But what about the nightdresses and then we might have to buy a truckload of diapers," said Daryn. 

"Truckload?" Dawn squealed. Were they thinking that her baby would poop like an elephant? 

"Hush Dawn!" Daryn dismissed her. 

Dawn's mouth fell open. The father and son duo wouldn't just let her decide anything. She pouted and sat on the side while watching the two of them having fun like babies. On the inside she was exhilarated. How could a man like Gayle even know anything about Luke's murder? Her mind wandered to Sedora. She had dark vibes. Crazy… 

An hour later her stomach grumbled. 

"I need to feed my wife," said Daryn. "If possible do check the cribs father." 

"I will see them tomorrow, son." 

"Would you like to join us for lunch?" 

"No!" Gayle looked at his watch. "I have a meeting with my party's chief." 

Daryn took Dawn out of the shop feeling joyous. He felt he had accomplished a lot as a father. Though there was more to do, but then a pregnant father has to think a lot. Mentally he patted himself. He could almost feel that it was him who was pregnant. 

He led her to the topmost floor where they had an open rooftop arrangement. The waiter ushered them to a secluded spot, which was surrounded by tropical ferns on three sides. The cozy wicker furniture added to the comfort of the ambience. "What would you like to have baby?" he asked, scanning the menu. 

"Anything that can be prepared as fast as possible." 

Daryn started ordering food and Dawn looked at the vista. It was lovely. The place was open and the warm sunny afternoon relaxed her. Her gaze fell on the TV screen in the distance, and she became rigid as a board. An incredulous expression stuck on her face. She watched the news channel with an unblinking stare. Anne was speaking to the journalists outside the court. 

"We are so ashamed of Dawn Wyatt. Her father, my brother, Luke had built the foundations of this refinery so painstakingly and Dawn?" Anne shook her head as a tear ran out of her eyes. She wiped that tear and sniffled. "She is so inclined to tear it apart. Poor Luke must be turning in his grave today. She has proven to be a shameless child. I feel sad for her Grandmother Lily Wyatt who has been asking her repeatedly to come back home, but unfortunately she keeps refusing." 

Suddenly all eyes in the restaurant fell on her and she lost her appetite.