Accidental Surrogate

Chapter 483 – Growing Family Ella

“What do you mean I made it snow?” Cora frowns at me as she bustles around the kitchen, making mimosas. ” That’s ridiculous – you must have imagined it.”

“It totally snowed!” I protest, laughing and shaking my head at her, turning to Sinclair at the table for support.

“It did,” he says, raising his eyebrows at Cora even as he hands Rafe another slice of apple. “”The news is completely baffled by the sudden cold-snap that immediately disappeared by morning. They’re calling it the duke’s miracle.”

“What!?” Cora gasps, spinning to stare at Sinclair wide-eyed.

“That’s so cool,” Roger says, grinning at baby Jesse in his arms, who peers up at his dad with sleepy eyes.” Mom’s magic, Jesse,” he whispers. ” It’s very cool.”

“You guys are just teasing me,” Cora sighs, leaning against the counter as I turn the knob on the stove, cutting off the fire beneath the pan of eggs, sausage, and bacon that I’ve finished frying up.

“Dominic is dead serious,” I say, nodding to Cora eagerly with raised eyebrows. “Seriously, word got to the media that the nation’s beloved duchess had her baby and that night it snowed unseasonably early – people are freaking out.” I laugh a little as I starting to portion our breakfast out onto plates.

“Oh my god,” Cora says, covering her face with her hands. “I didn’t even mean to do that – do you really think it was me?”

“You tend to affect the weather when you’re emotional,” Roger says, grinning at his magical mate with a happy shrug. “I think it makes a lot of sense.”

“Oh, that’s so weird,” Cora says with a sigh, shaking her head at Roger and then at me. “People are going to start figuring out what we can do, Ella,” she says. “We’re going to need to have some sort of story.”

“I think my secrets kind of already out,” I say, giving a little grimace. ”

And why do we have to tell anyone anything? Just let the rumors fly – it’s not anyone’s business but ours.”

“Yeah,” Cora says, rolling her eyes at me before turning back to her previous task of adding the world’s tiniest amount of orange juice to nearly-full glasses of champagne. “Until they burn us at the stake for being witches or something.”

a little as he

Cora as if it’s inconsequential, “it’s not like it will work. You can just

laughing at this and Cora, despite herself, laughs

thanks. “I guess you’re right and it doesn’t really matter at least not until our children develop some

raising it to all of us in a toast. The rest of us raise our glasses as well, toasting baby

of the champagne press against my lips before putting the drink down on

much as I would usually love to toast my nephew’s birth with a festive breakfast

Still, it’s Cora’s day, and I don’t want to steal her thunder just

I ask, raising my

arms and frowning over at him. “But that’s normal,

her a little. “He’ll find his patterns soon, don’t worry. How did

says, giving me a little smile. “I kept waking up

remembering that habit in the early days of a new baby. “You’ll get

people,” Cora says, laughing already and glancing over at Roger, “are already used to

says, looking at her completely unashamed of himself. “It is self-care. I will

smiles. I grin, truly appreciating

says, gesturing to the baby cradled in his arm. “At

share of childcare without complaint, day or night. He’ll just tease Cora about it more, mostly because he knows that

of the baby all day,” Sinclair asks, turning mischievous eyes on his

the military from

with me,” Roger says, grinning down at Jesse like it’s obvious. “Never too early to get the boy used to

a little barf dribbling down his back. And honestly, I don’t mind it as much as I probably should. These

I wonder quietly if the same will be true when there’s a girl in the picture. Would Roger have said the same thing – that it’s never too early

year older than

mind but keeping the breakfast plates that I forgot about