“I left you a note. It was on the bedside table.”
My eyebrows bunched. “I didn’t see a note. I waited all morning. I thought about staying, but the more I waited, the more my heart broke, and I didn’t think I could look at New Orleans one more minute without you in it with me. So, I got on a plane to Portland. Where did you go?”
He finally looked up at me. I didn’t remember that his eyelashes were so long. It was a bonus getting to know him again like it was the first time. “That morning, early, my stepbrother texted that his alarm was going off so I had to go over to his place and clear everything up. Who knows what happened? I went back to the hotel, but the maids were already cleaning everything out.”
“I should’ve waited,” I groaned, regret lacing my voice.
“No, you had to live your life. I probably would’ve left, too. In fact, when I saw you weren’t there, I came back home later that day.”
My eyes were drawn to his lips over and over again. “But we’re here now. Are you hungry? Thirsty? I have this overwhelming need to take care of you.”
Brent’s cheeks blushed and he nuzzled his face into the crook of my neck. “I could eat, but there’s something else I’d much rather do.” His lips grazed the bottom of my earlobe before teeth nibbled on the same part.
I’d wanted him naked since the moment I opened the door, but after his announcement, my protective instincts had kicked in full gear. My mate carried our young, and that came first.
But now, my instinct was in the back seat. My mate needed what my body could give and I would give it freely.
Chapter Thirteen
Brent
#Onemoredelivery
It was intoxicating being around Jay again, the scent of sandalwood enveloping me, the taste of his lips pressed against mine, the heat of his body warming me. There was nowhere I’d rather be. None.
Except, I had to go.
“Ummm.” I pushed myself the littlest of bits, beyond mad at my former self,for deciding to not follow the stupid route my cousin gave me. “I have to go.”
“What?”
“Come with me? Or do you have someplace to be?” I hadn’t wanted to make any assumptions even if I was pretty sure by that point, even if I was more confident by the second.
“I came here for you.” He kissed my cheek. He wasn’t mad, just as unsure as I was.
“Then come with me. I have a stupid delivery to make.”
It wasn’t stupid, but it was to hospice, so not getting it there was not an option.
“Really? He gave you more than one?”
“To be fair, he told me the order to deliver them but I went by shortest drive times.” Because his reasoning was stupid. Who delivers flowers in the order they were paid for. In hindsight, I should’ve seen his sorry-ass excuse as what it was, but walking up to the door and finding Jay—that made me very glad I hadn’t. I’d probably have crashed the van if I’d allowed him to distract me.
“So expediency is our cock block?” Jay just shook his head. I so very much didn’t blame him.
“Pretty much.”
“Okay. Let’s go so we can come back.” He grabbed my hand, pulling me to the door. Yes, coming back was the best of ideas.
“Sounds like a plan to me.”
We drove to the hospice to deliver Mr. Cook’s flowers. He was hilarious, all blushing, pretending he was too manly for flowers and then nonchalantly sniffing them every chance he got.
I might’ve been grumpy about losing my time with Jay to do my cousin’s bidding, but that ended the second I watched Jay interact with not only Mr. Cook, but the other patients who were in the common room. They were the more mobile patients, the others stuck in their rooms, but that didn’t mean they had more time. Death didn’t play that way.
Jay was made for nursing. He had some of them in stitches, others asking him to adjust their seats, and one even tried to set him up with their grandson. I may have growled a little bit at that, and Jay smirked while Mr. Cook cracked up. By the time we left, I was glad we had had to make the stop, not only because I got to see a new side of Jay, but because the patients seemed so much happier than when we walked in.
“There,” I said as we got back to the van and climbed inside. “Now all we need to do is return the van.”
“He really didn’t think this through.” Poor innocent Jay thought that was accidental. He’d figure out my family soon enough.
“Oh, to the contrary on that. He thought it through perfectly. He wanted to meet you and figured he’d force the issue.” Which would be fine except I had dibs. I saw him first and licked him and everything.
“Is he always like that?”
“Pretty much. He works for my mom, so he comes by it honestly.”
I loved their relationship, but they were becoming twins in many ways so I was pretty much always double teams. Although with Henry in the mix now, the odds were a little more in our favor.
“So I’m meeting her, too?” Nervous Jay was adorable.
“Possibly.” I shrugged as I backed out of our spot. I so very much hated driving the van.
“I guess since the whole world seems to know us it’s not that big a deal? I mean, I did knock up her son at Mardi Gras so it’s not like she’s going to adore me.”
And there was where he had it so very wrong. She was going to love him to bits. If anything, it was me she was going to have issue with for not telling her yet.
“About that.” I pulled to the side of the road, needing to get things off my chest before we were bombarded by family. “I’m scared. Excited and happy and very much scared.”
“We’ve so got this.” He leaned forward and kissed me gently on the lips before placing his hand on my belly. “We’ve so very much got this.”
Love stories like ours don’t work. Not in real life, but I wanted it to so badly.
Chapter Fourteen
Joaquim
#meetingthefamily
I was so very glad I thought to go back to the hotel to get my car. Not because we needed it; technically his car was there, but I needed just a little bit of time with him in my arms, letting me know this was very much real.
We spent the next hour snuggled on my bed not doing anything but enjoying holding each other.
“I have some bad news for you,” Brent mentioned, rolling over to lay his head on my chest.
“What’s that?” At this point, bad news couldn’t touch me. I was wallowing in bliss.
“I have to return the van soon or Kayson is going to have some kind of breakdown. He’s already texted me four times.”
I sighed. Reality called.
“Let me shower really quick and change. I don’t want to meet your cousin looking like a mess. Wait, did you want me to come with you?”
Assuming was my downfall.
“Of course,” Brent said, reaching up to rub his thumb over my lips. I took it into my mouth and gently sucked before biting it.
His gasp turned me on like nothing else.
“Five minutes. I’m an expert at showering fast.”
When I got to the bathroom, I looked back one last time to make sure this wasn’t all a dream. That Brent lay on my bed, watching me as I strolled away. He was with me, and he carried our babe inside him.
I was a lucky man.
I kept my promise of a quick shower. Ten minutes later, I wore corduroy pants and a V-neck sweater—ready to go.
“One time I thought you in a black T-shirt and jeans was my fantasy, but then I saw you in scrubs on that video and that became it. But this is the best one yet.”
He pulled on his sweater and sat on the bed, looking a little greenish again.
“Let me do that for you.” I bent down in front of him and tied his shoes one by one. Converse suited his nerdy image. When I looked up, Brent eyed me with something like awe. Smiling, I said, “What’s that look?”
He shrugged. “You’re too good to be true.�
�
“I was thinking that same thing about you.”
On my knees, I leaned forward and lifted his sweater, revealing the smallest of pooches in his belly. I rubbed the sides of it. “Now you listen here, little one, be nice to your daddy. I just got him back, and I hate to see him not feeling well.”
I sat back on my haunches. “There. No more morning sickness. He or she just needed a little talking to.”
Brent’s eyebrows rose. “Just like that?”
We both chuckled. “Well, maybe not. It was worth a try, though.”
He agreed, nodding. “Worth a try. Ready to go?”
“Ready as I’ll ever be.”
~~
“Something is definitely up.” Brent squinted through the windshield of the delivery van, his eyes targeted on the shop.
“How do you know?” I looked around for signs that something was awry, but nothing looked out of the ordinary. Then again, I’d never seen this place in my life.
“There’s too many cars.”
I burst out in laughter. “Isn’t that a good thing? Customers?”
His jaw clenched. “These aren’t customers. Oh well, you’re gonna have to meet them all sometime.”
“Them all?” Now I was the one feeling a bit ill.
“Them all.”
We walked hand in hand to the florist. It reminded me more of a vintage greenhouse than an actual place of business. Whoever owned this place could simply sell tickets and give people a tour, it was that beautiful. Roses, vines, and flowers I’d never seen crawled up the walls and grew in pots all around me. A refrigerated case held premade arrangements. I had a feeling I’d be frequenting this place in the future since I intended not to let a day go by without expressing how I felt about my mate.
“Joaquim?” Brent laughed.
“Oh, sorry. This place is great. It’s nice to meet you all.”
“This is my mother, Vivian.”
His mom stepped forward, her chin quivering. I hoped it was the beginning of happy tears. She stuck out her hand to shake mine, but I was having none of this. This redheaded woman was the reason Brent was on this earth in the first place.
“Vivian, it’s nice to meet you.” I wrapped my arms around her shoulders and in two seconds, she had my torso in a vice that only belonged to a mother, warm and strong at the same time. It reminded me of my mother’s hugs.
“And this is Kayson.” A man crossed the room, handing over a baby to who I assumed was his mate. He and Brent shared some similarities.
“Kayson, I feel like I know you already.”
Kayson chuckled loudly. “I’m assuming the plan worked out.”
“It worked very well. Thank you for helping us. It means the world to us both.”
Vivian had Brent in a death grip, and they were crying together and whispering.
“And this is your mate?” I took a chance on calling them out.
“Yes.” Kayson waved the man and the baby over. “This is Reid and our little darling Rose.”
I side-hugged Reid since he was holding the baby. “Nice to meet you. May I hold her?”
“Of course,” Reid responded, not hesitating to hand the quiet and chubby baby over. As soon as I took her, though, she stiffened, and before long began to cry and reach for her papa.
“Reid has made her a brat. Sorry about that.”
“It’s okay,” I said, shrugging one shoulder. “One day soon we will have a brat, too. Isn’t that right, Brent?”
He nodded from the other side of the room, a slight blush blossoming on his cheeks.
“Not so bratty,” he said, and the room cracked up laughing.
“We thought you two might want tonight to yourselves, so we’ve arranged something for you.”
“What did you do?” Brent asked, hands on his hips. My heart beat a little faster. Feisty looked good on my omega.
“Nothing. Just made reservations for dinner for you two. Don’t get your panties in a bunch.”
Brent tried not to smile. “Don’t make me beat you up like I did when we were kids, Kayson.”
Kayson scoffed. “Please, I have a get-out-of-jail-free card for life. I found your alpha and brought him here. I win. Forever.”
Looking at my mate with one hand on his belly, arguing with his cousin, and his family surrounding us, I knew they were both wrong.
I won. Forever.
Chapter Fifteen
Brent
#DinnerandaShow
So somehow, my mother let Jay’s comment about the baby go, meaning she totally knew. Technically, it had been my secret to share, but in this one case I was glad he had spilled the beans. It was a chicken way out and I’m sure she’d mention it at some point in the future, but in the meantime, she was a happy grandmother-to-be, and that worked for me.
Reservations meant a table in the back of The Diner. The only other restaurant was open sort of kind of on a schedule when they felt like it. They overcharged for weddings and didn’t seem to be too concerned about the rest.
I loved The Diner. I really did. But it was far from romantic. Not that I needed to woo or be wooed, but still. Heck, my cousin took his omega on their first date to my mom’s house and had her cook for them and then hightail it out of there. Not that I should judge, it totally worked.
All heads turned our way as we walked into The Diner. Not that we could be missed, seeing as how my aunt or cousin or possibly Reid had the booth decorated with flowers and a tablecloth. Blending wasn’t an option.
“So, is this normal?” Jay quirked an eyebrow as we settled into our seats.
“Dates at The Diner? Yeah, pretty much the only place to eat unless Francesca’s decides to open. Honestly, this tastes hella better.”
“More the fancy setup.” He didn’t mention our built-in audience, which I appreciated.
“Naw. That was all my family. They kind of rock.”
“What are you drinking, fellas?” Marsha, the evening waitress asked. I hadn’t even noticed her coming over.
“Ginger ale, please.” What I wanted was coffee, but I knew once I smelled it that desire would be over.
“Same for me,” Jay answered as she looked his way.
The lighting in The Diner was butt awful, but he still managed to looked movie star amazing with his slight scruff, his deep-brown eyes, and that jawline begging to be nibbled.
“I’m not taking your order because your mama—she had plans.” Marsha winked at me before turning her eyes back to Jay and blushing slightly. I couldn’t blame her. He was hot as Hades. “But you will eat soon.”
And then she stood there just staring at Jay as if she asked a question needing answering. She had not.
“Works for me. You?” Jay directed things back to me after answering her non-question.
“Works for me, too.” I wasn’t hungry, even though I knew I should eat.
And with my response, she walked away, presumably to get our food.
Jay reached across the tabletop, placing his hand on mine. It’d been a long time since I’d been out on a date, a real date, much less had someone be affectionate with me in public like that. I liked it. A lot.
“So, your stomach?” I must’ve looked perplexed, because I was, and he immediately tacked on, “I mean, with the ginger ale. Is it bad?”
“It comes and goes.” And that was when it clicked that I hadn’t felt any queasiness all afternoon. “It’s less bad now that I know what it is, if that makes sense.” Not that it did for me, but I was rolling with it.
“It actually does.” He gave my hand a squeeze. “Are you fine else-wise?”
“I am. Better since you’ve been here.”
“It’s my scent. They say it’s an old wives’ tale but I know it’s true. I’ve seen it time and again at work.”
Marsha picked that moment to bring our drinks. I took my straw and tapped it on the table to loosen the paper before pulling it out of the wrapper wi
th my teeth. No way was I going to give up my hand holding time for the easy way out on straw removal.
“Speaking of which.” I had dread in my belly even thinking of, much less asking the question. “When do you need to go back?”
I knew I should be savoring the time we had and not thinking about it being gone, but I couldn’t help it. We fell back together so quickly, it was almost scary. No, not almost. It was terrifying, but at the same time spectacular, and I didn’t want it to end too soon—or possibly ever.
The hormones probably were doing more of the speaking than they should, but chatting with him, hugging him, watching him with those patients—all of that had him worming his way deeper into my heart. I might have magnified our connection during my longing selfie times, but it was there and strong, and I wanted to see if we could make it sustainable.
“I work at will. So, I don’t need to be back.”
I still didn’t fully understand how his job worked. The only nurses I knew were local ones who got a position and stayed there until they retired. Which was probably why what he was saying sounded more than a little bit off to my ears, even if he said it with sincerity. He was probably right that he didn’t need to be back, but technically I didn’t need to finish school. That didn’t make it a viable option, either.
“But you love your job.” Why was I arguing. Jay told me he could stay. Not how long he wanted to, but that it was possible, and I was arguing for him not to.
“And I love my baby.”
My jaw fell open, and I just stared at him a solid minute before I found my voice.
“How can that even be?” I asked more in wonder than in disbelief. “I mean, how have you even wrapped your head around it? It took me days to even get out of denial enough to acknowledge I might need a test.”
And even then, I held onto that denial. Yet, there he was, slipping smoothly into the role of expectant father.
“I kind of had it cross my mind a few times.” He shrugged off before taking a sip of his ginger ale. “I mean, not that I thought you were, but how someday might look.”
Mardi Gras with His Omega Page 6
