Love Rents A Room
Chapter 234: Domestic Bliss

Chapter 234: Domestic Bliss

The morning sun poured like gold syrup across the porch, dappling the wooden floorboards where Joanne stood on a small stool, hammer in hand, trying to hang the horseshoe Patrick had gifted them at the Rockchapel reception.

She’d asked Jeffrey to do it an hour ago, but he was glued to his laptop, firing off emails with the intensity of a man sealing billion-dollar mergers—though, in reality, he was just confirming supply chain logistics for his company. Still, the way he was zoned in, you’d think the stock market would collapse if he blinked.

She smiled to herself. Tunnel-brained. That’s what she called it when he got like this. There could be a thunderstorm, an alien invasion, or a marching band parading through their living room, and Jeffrey wouldn’t notice unless it was BCC’d to his inbox.

And honestly? She didn’t mind. This was her husband. Her focused, fiercely capable, wonderfully stubborn husband. He was working on her business too, taking care of her dreams as if they were his own.

So, she climbed up and started nailing the horseshoe herself—facing it upward, of course. She wasn’t about to let luck spill out.

She’d just lined up the final nail when the porch door flung open, and Jeffrey rushed out, slightly breathless.

"Why are you doing this?" he half-yelled, reaching for the hammer like she was diffusing a bomb.

"Well... I needed to hang it," she said, calmly, brows raised.

He stared at her belly, eyes wild with guilt and panic, the hammer now awkwardly clutched in his hand. "I was going to do it."

"I know," she replied. "But you were busy."

"I should’ve made time."

"You didn’t have to. I’ve been doing these things for years, Jeff. I’m not made of porcelain."

He sighed and looked at the half-done horseshoe like it had personally betrayed him. Then he climbed up, muttering under his breath about how they didn’t have a proper nail gun and how he’d "pop down to the hardware store and get it."

Joanne leaned against the porch rail and watched him. Something about hearing him speak in the local drawl, catching on to the quirks of her hometown, made her heart pinch sweetly. He was becoming one of them—without losing the sharp edges of who he was. It was beautiful. It was funny. It was... them.

"Love you, Hubby," she said, just loud enough.

He looked down at her and smiled, his whole face softening. She loved calling him that—Hubby. It still felt surreal sometimes. She was married. Married to the most amazing, maddening, kind-hearted man in the world.

And without needing to climb down or hesitate, he leaned in and kissed her, warm and lingering, their fingers brushing near the last nail in place.

He loved hearing her say it.

After all, it took him long enough to earn that title.

-----

"There’s only two months left..." Joanne sighed as she rubbed her belly, her fingers moving in slow, familiar circles over the gentle curve that had steadily grown with time. Now that she was well into her third trimester, everything felt heavier—her steps slower, her balance shifting, and her bathroom visits absurdly frequent.

"Feels like a year," she added, half laughing, half groaning.

"Yeah," Jeffrey said, his voice low and warm as he sat beside her. "Now you finally look six months pregnant."

Joanne raised an eyebrow at him, amused.

"I mean it in a good way," he clarified, leaning in and pressing his palm over her belly with quiet reverence. "I was worried... I still am. You were so small—I kept wondering if she was growing enough. Even though the doctors said everything’s fine, I... I don’t know. Maybe it’s selfish, but I kind of hoped she’d be small. It might make things easier for you."

She chuckled softly. It was true—other women in the waiting rooms always seemed to be carrying far more obvious pregnancies, their bellies round and full. Meanwhile, Joanne could still pass for someone who’d just had a heavy lunch if she wore the right dress.

"She’s kicking," Joanne whispered suddenly, her eyes lighting up as she reached for his hand. "There..."

Jeffrey’s hand was guided over the spot just in time to feel a faint but firm flutter from within.

His breath hitched. His lips curved into something soft, almost disbelieving.

"That’s her?" he asked, even though he knew it was.

Joanne nodded, her smile radiant. "Our daughter."

He looked at her, and for a long moment, he didn’t say anything. There was wonder in his eyes. She could see it—how hard he was trying to understand the miracle growing inside her, how deeply he felt it without having the words.

To him, this wasn’t just pregnancy. This was her, becoming something even more extraordinary. A woman who once ran from everything, now carrying the most fragile and powerful thing in the world—their child.

"Who else but you..." he murmured, as if finishing a thought only he could hear. "Who else but my wife could do this?"

And Joanne leaned into his shoulder, sighing. The weight of everything—her belly, their future, their love—rested between them like a secret no one else could touch.

"Grandpa said he’ll be here in two weeks," Joanne said with a soft smile, her fingers resting on her belly as she shifted slightly on the porch chair. Philip wanted to be around when the baby arrived. She still had a month to go, but, as he said—only God knows when a child chooses to come.

"Of course, he would," Jeffrey chuckled, sitting beside her and reaching for her hand. He wasn’t the least bit surprised. Ever since their wedding, his grandfather had made it a point to call Joanne every day—even if just for a minute. Sometimes Jeffrey wondered if he was even the real Winchester, or if his grandfather had just claimed Joanne as one by soul and spirit. Either way, he felt blessed. His wife wasn’t just accepted—she was cherished.

Joanne often found herself overwhelmed with gratitude. Not everyone had family who would get this excited about a baby. Philip had been overjoyed when he found out it was a girl—he’d even called dibs on naming her. Joanne hadn’t minded at all. To have a grandfather who wanted to name your child felt like a gift, a rare one. She considered herself incredibly lucky.

Just then, the dogs barked sharply in the distance, their alert tones cutting through the still air.

Jeffrey immediately rose. "Stay here," he said, protective instinct sharp in his voice. He went to check.