“Not really. Just that you should call him back.”
“I see.” I looked back at my cupcakes.
“Do you know what he wanted?”
I licked my lips. There was probably no harm in telling my cousin. He already knew that Daniel wanted to talk to me, and seeing as he was the director of a fire department and I was a firefighter, it wasn't too hard to guess what he might want. “They need more people at the department.”
Shane was quiet for a moment, and I wondered if he feared I might take the job and stop helping him out with the business. “Are you tempted?”
I shrugged. “Not really.”
Shane raised a single eyebrow. “Not even a little bit? I know how much you love your job. Your actual job, I mean. Not taking care of seniors. I appreciate you coming down here to help me, really, but... it's been almost a year, man. I don't want to hold you up forever.”
“You're not holding me up.” Far from it. “If I wanted to go back to firefighting, I would go back to my old department.” But I was glad for the excuse to stay.
“Does that mean you don't want to go back to firefighting?”
Shit, did I say too much?
“Of course I want to go back to firefighting.” I laughed and hoped it convinced him. “Just not right now and not here. I've got your back, Shane.”
Shane looked like he didn't believe me a hundred percent, but he nodded anyway. “Okay, then.”
I suppressed a sigh of relief that we were done with this topic. Sooner or later, I would have to face my demons. But not for as long as I could avoid it.
An unfamiliar face greeted me when I knocked on Griff’s door, cupcakes in hand.
“Uncle Griff!” the little boy called out. “Your friend is here!”
So this must be Jake. I recognized him, of course. Griff had shown me pictures. Tons of pictures. I hadn’t known the kid would be with us tonight, though.
“Come in!” Jake took me by the arm and dragged me inside before I could even utter a greeting. “I’m Jake, by the way.”
If I hadn't heard tales of the boy's energy levels before, I would have wondered if Griff fed him a ton of sugar before I arrived.
“Oh hey!” Griff got up from the couch when Jake led me into the living room. “You're early!”
I was only five minutes early, but to someone like Griff who was perpetually at least twenty minutes late to meetings, that must have felt like an hour. I gave him a smile—it was so easy to smile at Griff. “I guess I just couldn't wait to get here.” I still couldn’t believe he’d invited me for the evening.
Of course, I hadn’t thought that Jake was invited as well.
What, did you think this was going to be a date? Get over yourself.
I bit back a sigh.
“I guess we’re not watching horror movies after all?”
Griff gave me a pained smile and rubbed the back of his neck. “I’m sorry. I forgot that we talked about horror movies. But there’s some really good anime on Netflix that we could watch. I mean, if you want to?” His voice took on a cautiously hopeful tone at the end that was nothing short of endearing. God, he was cute. I remembered the first time I noticed that about him when I hit puberty and my alpha genes started to express themselves. I’d spent a few days out of town on a family trip, and when I came back, he’d startled me by throwing himself at me in a hug. I could never forget the way he’d smelled that day. Like all of my favorite treats combined. I’d wanted to pull him closer and lick him. And when he broke away he left me feeling confused as hell. I hadn’t known how to handle my sudden attraction to my omega friend back then—and I still didn’t.
“I don’t mind watching anime,” I said when I realized that I’d been quiet for too long. Truth was, as long as I got to spend the night with Griff, I didn’t care what we were doing. Shane was right. I was pining for this omega to an unhealthy degree. Especially considering he was my friend.
But there was nothing I could do about it. Nothing I really wanted to do about it.
“I brought you something,” I said, holding the box I was carrying out to Griff.
Immediately, his face lit up. “Oh, is it cupcakes?”
“Cupcakes?” Jake perked up.
Thank God I'd made more than enough for all of us. “I tried something new, going for a cinnamon taste. Tell me how you like it.”
Griff took the box and looked into it. “That sounds awesome! I'm sure your bakery is going to be awesome when you open it.”
I had no idea why I'd told him that I thought about opening a bakery someday when I had no intentions of doing so. I just needed a reason to keep feeding him treats without him growing suspicious.
And I really sucked at lying when I had to make something up on the spot.
Griff handed a cupcake to Jake and then bit into one himself. And the expression on his face when he did so...
He looked like he was about to have an orgasm.
How could I stop baking when it made him look like that?
“These are amazing,” he exclaimed. “You definitely need to make more of them!”
Oh, I would.
Jake seemed happy too, finishing his cupcake off in record time and digging into the box for more.
“Hey,” Griff addressed his nephew. “Don't eat all of those.”
I had to laugh. It was good to know my sweets were worth fighting over. I’d grown up as one of seven siblings. When I was a child, Griff was the first person I met who truly managed to make me feel like I was special—and he continued to do so to this day. One of the many reasons I loved him—maybe more than I should.
“I'll surrender my share,” I said, not really wanting the two of them to fight.
My generous gesture pleased both Griff and his nephew and they split the cupcakes evenly between them. Then we could start our movie night. Or, anime night, as it had turned out.
I wasn't really into anime, but I was totally into the way Griff responded to the show. He lived the experience. He laughed when the characters did and he bit his lips when any of them were in danger, completely absorbed in what was happening. Even more so than his nephew.
In fact, Jake passed out on the couch between us just around 10pm.
“Should we turn off the TV?” I asked Griff, nodding to the sleeping boy.
He waved me off. “It's fine. Once he's asleep, he's out. That's my favorite thing about him,” he joked, although it was obvious how much he loved his nephew. He'd told me so many stories and showed me so many pictures. He was a great uncle, and someday, I was sure, he was going to be a fantastic dad.
And whoever the lucky bastard was who’d eventually put a claim on him, I was already jealous.
“I'm sorry I sprung Jake on you,” Griff said quietly. “I was going to tell you, but...”
“You forgot?”
He gave me a sheepish smile. “Got caught up in this new project I'm working on. It's kind of awesome. They want a lot of nature shots.”
“It's fine,” I said, even though I had been a bit disappointed that we weren't going to be alone. That was only due to my fantasies of starting something with him. In the end, it had been good to finally meet the kid I heard so much about. He was obviously a major part of my friend's life. “He seems like a sweet kid.”
“He is.” Griff smiled. “Lots of energy.”
“That's good.” I leaned back into the couch and inhaled. “I wish my cousin's child could be a little more like that.”
“Conner?”
“Yeah. He's only a year younger than Jake, but he spends all of his time hiding away with a book. Not that there's anything wrong with a child who loves books, but... it's all he ever does anymore since Ron passed away.”
“It's difficult to lose a parent,” Griff said with so much sympathy in his eyes I almost wished I hadn't brought the topic up. The evening had been so lighthearted up to now. But Griff made it easy to talk about difficult topics. There wasn't a judgmental bone in his body. He'd always just w
anted everyone to do what made them happy.
Even in school, he'd offered his friendship to every outcast and bullied kid he could find. It was no surprise he'd done everything he could to support his brother when Eli became pregnant.
I wanted to be there for my family too. “I just wish I knew how to help. Nothing can replace Ron.”
“No, I guess not...” Griff trailed off, his brow furrowed deep in thought. He always got this faraway look in his eyes when he was thinking, and I wondered where his mind wandered off to.
“I know it's not a long-term solution, but what if we took the kids out to do something fun? “
“The kids?”
“Yeah. Jake and Conner. Jake doesn't have too many friends, I'm sure he'd love to get together. And maybe some of his natural enthusiasm will rub off on Conner.”
Lord, I hoped it could work like that. “That might not be a bad idea.”
Griff beamed at me as if he'd just solved the world's most complex problem—and gotten a cookie for it too. “So let's do it!”
“Yeah, let’s.” I gave him a soft smile. “But do what, exactly?”
“I don't know.” Griff waved his hand as if he could grab the answer out of the air. “Something fun. What's fun to do? Oh, I know, it's supposed to be hot next week. We could take them to the lake.” His expression turned nostalgic. “Remember how we used to go to the lake as kids? That was fun.”
I only nodded, because I did remember. I remembered the whole thing getting kind of awkward as we became teenagers and I developed this stupid attraction to my friend. But I could hardly tell him that now. He was so excited about his lake idea.
“Is next weekend good for you?”
“Sure,” I said, hoping he didn't plan on skinny dipping or anything. He'd done that one time when we were younger and didn't have swim wear with us. I'd had the hardest time controlling my hormones around my naked friend, and I didn't want a repeat of that.
Or did I?
Maybe I wanted it a little, because I wasn't making any counter suggestions. Besides, it might be difficult to see Griff naked, or even half-naked, but I'd still be seeing him naked. I was sure the sight would more than make up for any difficulty I had to face.
God, I really was hopeless, wasn’t I?
4
Griffin
Why oh why had I ever thought going to the lake would be a good idea? Yeah, it was hot, and yeah, the kids were loving it—at least Jake was, Conner still seemed skeptical of all the wet stuff—but I was having the hardest time not staring at my friend and making a total idiot out of myself.
I'd noticed even when he was clothed that Dean had shaped up nicely since high school, but now that he stood in front of me in just some swim shorts?
Holy shit.
I used to laugh at people who used the words 'sex on legs' to talk about men, but I only had to take one look at Dean now to know he was the whole reason the phrase had been coined. Just to be able to describe him.
And if he went into that lake now and got himself wet I was gonna fucking lose it. I was sure of it.
Look at something else, Griff. Anything else but his abs. Good, good, watch Jake. You're a responsible, non-sex-obsessed uncle.
While I was doing my best not to pay attention to him, Dean spread a blanket out on the grass leading up to the lake and put the basket he'd brought on top of it.
“Griff?”
I nearly jumped when Dean tapped my shoulder from behind. “Yeah?” Jesus, his alpha-scent was strong today, mixing with the day's sweat. I drew in a breath, wondering if all omegas got funny thoughts in their head when they caught a whiff of a hot alpha and why I seemed to be the only one who had a problem with it.
I leaned away a bit, hoping he wouldn’t notice. He hadn’t said anything when I made Jake sit between us for movie night.
“Do you need sunscreen? I packed some. We should probably get the kids.”
“Yeah. Good thinking.” I rubbed my face with the heel of my hand.
Snap out of it and focus.
Barely looking at Dean, I took the tube of sun cream out of his hand and walked up to the edge of the lake. “Jake!”
The boy had swum out a little bit, but he turned to me at the sound of his name.
“Come here!”
I turned to Conner while my nephew swam back. The boy was still wearing a shirt over his swim trunks, just dipping his feet in the water. He was super pale too, and probably not just because of his Irish background. The kid really needed to get some sunlight on his skin—and apply three layers of sunscreen.
I bent down in front of the eight-year-old. “Hey, Conner.”
“Hey.”
“You want to put on some sunscreen so you don’t burn your skin?”
“Sure,” he said without any enthusiasm, like he knew it was the only acceptable answer. Like he just wanted me to go away again.
He’d hardly said a word and my heart was already breaking for him. Kids his age should be running around and having fun, not saying whatever adults wanted them to say so they could go back to suffering quietly.
But before I could say anymore, something cold and wet hit my side.
I glared at Jake, who looked at me with the biggest grin on his face.
“Got you!” he exclaimed. And then he ran, because he knew that I would want to get revenge. I chased him across the uneven, grassy shore, until he stumbled, laughing, and I wrestled him back into the water where I dunked him for a split second. He came back up panting, but still in good spirits.
“Got you back,” I said. “Now let’s get out so we can get sunscreen on you.”
“Okay.” And as we waded to the shore he asked, “Isn’t Conner gonna swim?”
“I don’t know.” Actually, I wasn’t even sure if he could swim. If he couldn’t, that would at least explain why he wasn’t getting in the water with any part of his body other than his feet.
I really hadn’t thought this lake idea through.
When we got to the grass, I dried Jake off with one of the towels we’d brought and rubbed some of the sunscreen on his arms.
“Can Conner swim?” Jake asked. It seemed he’d been having the same thoughts as me.
“I’m not sure. You’d have to ask him. But be nice about it.” I tapped a finger with sunscreen on his nose.
“I’m always nice!” he insisted. “And if he can’t swim, I could teach him.”
Good. I was going to be so busy making sure nobody drowned that I wouldn’t have time to ogle Dean. Speaking of… I glanced around to see him talking to Conner, though I couldn’t quite make out what they were saying.
Conner finally took his shirt off, though.
Good. He could stand to get a bit of a tan.
When I was done with Jake, I applied some sunscreen to myself—just cursory, really, I didn't burn easy—and then I patted Jake on the back and handed the tube to him. “Go and bring that to Dean.”
He went off obediently while I busied myself with checking my phone and not looking at Dean.
When I glanced up, I saw that Jake was trying to strike up a conversation with the other boy.
“Do you want to swim?”
“I can't swim.”
“But it's really easy! Look! I'll show you.” Jake sprinted into the water again.
“Don't swim too far!” I yelled after him. Yeah, I was definitely going to be busy watching Jake.
“Try to catch me!” Jake yelled back.
I groaned, but then Dean stepped up to the task before I could. Muscles rippling, he jumped into the water and caught up to my nephew within moments. He dragged him back onto the grass, hauled him up over his shoulder and carried him to me, Jake's legs kicking. “Express delivery,” he said, setting the rascal down in front of me.
“Not fair!” Jake complained.
“What's not fair?” Dean asked, while I watched as a single drop ran down from his chest to his abdomen and past his belly button. My brain nearly short-circuited.
<
br /> It was definitely not fair for anyone to be that hot.
How was I supposed to keep my cool?
“It's not fair because you're like... super fast,” Jake said.
“Well, in my job, I have to be.”
“What's your job?”
“He's a firefighter,” Conner said, startling me, because I hadn't heard him approach.
“Really? Coooool.” Jake's eyes lit up. “Do you like, save people from burning buildings?” He gazed at Dean intently, clearly starstruck.
“It's not always that dramatic.” Dean laughed, but something about it sounded forced. Like there was something haunting him that he didn't want to talk about. I wondered what it was.
Dean changed the topic too quickly for me to latch on to anything.
“What do you say we teach Conner how to swim?” he said to Jake. “It's an important skill.”
Jake agreed, and Conner simply went along with the two alphas' shenanigans. I got the sense that he was a good kid, just a bit disappointed by the world.
He didn't learn how to swim that day, not really, but I did hear him laugh once or twice, which was good. This was why we'd come here after all, not so I could freak out over Dean's half-naked body.
It was a little better now that he was half-submerged in the water, if only slightly. How could it be that I wanted to touch him and run away from him at the same time?
I bit my lip, hard, and told myself to focus on something else. Dean and the kids made a lovely picture together, splashing in the lake. I dug out my camera to take a few snapshots.
“You have to come visit me, I'll show you my dog.” I heard Jake say later when they waded back out.
Conner nodded—a bit hesitantly, but still. I smiled. My nephew was the best.
“Who wants some food?” Dean asked, reaching into his basket again. Apparently, he'd brought sandwiches. He was also the best.
Even so, I ate mine mostly facing away from him. It was the only way I could get myself to eat with him being so naked next to me and smelling like that.
I hoped he didn't think I was trying to avoid him, even if I was. And I also hoped he wouldn't ask about it because I had no idea how to explain to him that he was both too gorgeous for me to think straight, and too alpha for me not to lose my shit if he got close. I wanted him. But I also knew that as long as I couldn’t get a handle on my issues, we were better off staying friends.
A Baby for the Firefighter Page 3
