“Do you need to get back home?” I looked up, giving him my best puppy dog eyes as he pulled his t-shirt on.
“Naw, Brent is doing something with that crazy mother of his.”
“I love Vivian.” And yeah she was crazy in that wonderful why-can’t-I-have-a-crazy-aunt-like-her kind of way.
“I do too, but she’s nuts.” The affection in his voice was unmistakable. He was lucky. So many mated friends of mine couldn’t stand their mother-in-laws, and he had one he adored, craziness and all.
“Okay, fair enough.” I shrugged, standing up and shoving my scrubs into my duffle. “My computer died. Can you pop over to Oak Grove and help me not get screwed while picking out a new one?” Again, I went straight for the puppy dog eyes.
“You buying breakfast first?” The joy of working third shift was getting off when everyone else was getting started for the day. It meant shopping when others were sitting in their cubicles and eating huge, yummy breakfasts midweek. As a single omega, it was ideal. For Joaquim, I knew it was only a short term shift switch with a colleague who was taking classes at the local college. He had a reason to be home at night—his mate, his husband, his omega.
Not that I was jealous, except I completely was. I wanted that too...which was probably why I held on to the idea of Ren, my knight in shining denim, so hard.
“Of course.” My eyes rolled of their own accord. Like we could begin any awesome adventure or boring errand without fueling up on bacon. “But let’s wait until we get there and go to Waffle Jacks. I love that place.”
“Maple pecan waffles with extra thick bacon it is.” He flicked his locker shut, grabbing his duffle before we headed to the parking garage to put his stuff in his car and climb into mine.
The drive was intense as Joaquim tried to school me in all the things I needed to consider when purchasing a computer. No matter how many times I told him I only wanted to be able to buy things, watch movies, and create basic documents, he kept explaining all the other features I needed to consider.
By the time we got to Waffle Jacks, my mind had pretty much been made up—I was going to have to go to the i-store or whatever they called that little corner of tech meca and plunk down a good chunk of change. But I felt good about the decision, which allowed us to have a wonderful breakfast of waffles and bacon. So very much bacon. I had no regrets.
“Thanks for breakfast, man.” Joaquim slapped me on the back as we left the restaurant, my jeans a little tighter than when I went in. Totally worth it.
The i-store was only a block away, so we decided to hoof it. We’d timed things just right so we would get to the store just as they opened, and since we weren’t aware of any huge new releases, chances were good we would be in and out with no problem. If it had been a release day, the line would have made it all the way to Waffle Jacks if history repeated itself.
“Don’t let them talk me into things I don’t need, Joaquin. I beg of you.” I was only half kidding. I had ignorant sucker written all over my face when it came to electronic purchases, and my television the size of Nebraska that I never watched was exhibit A.
“I got you. But fair warning, if you dally too much, this is going to be parlayed into second breakfast and possibly lunch.” He held open the door, and I stepped inside.
I’d not even made it all the way inside when some salesperson pounced. I was prepared though and told them exactly what I wanted. They were none too pleased when they couldn’t upsell me, even going so far as to ask Joaquim if he was comfortable with me not having the four bazillion years worth of warranty.
“Heck. I only came with him for free waffles.” Joaquim shrugged as he looked up from his phone, probably watching one of the many videos his mate uploaded for him anytime their kid did anything—old, new, cute, gross, silly, sad, it didn't matter—Brent documented them all and Joaquim loved it.
“He did,” I reassured as I ticked of the refusal boxes for all the bells and whistles. I just wanted my computer. Done.
“Hey,” Joaquim whispered over his phone. “That hot alpha is checking you out. Want me to slap you on the ass to get him to stop or go over and give him your number?”
I didn’t even pretend to not check out the alpha in question. I was in shock and out of my mouth poured, “Get him my number. That’s Ren. Better yet—here.” I slapped my credit card in his hand. “Take care of this if she comes back.”
I walked slowly over to Ren, who kept looking back and forth between Joaquim and I. Shit. Of course I was looking like a taken omega.
“Hey, Ren, I can’t find you on the apps.” Because nothing says desperate loser like confessing your stalking tendencies.
“I shut them down when I couldn’t find you.” His eyes never left Joaquim.
“Oh, right. I got kicked off the one because—never mind. It’s good to see you. I’m here with my coworker, who is beyond blissfully mated. You might know him from #ifyouseemyJaysendhimmyway. He knows computers and mine died and Waffle Jacks is here, so I bribed him to come so I wouldn’t buy a computer that can take over the world...and I’ll stop now.”
9
Ren
Holy shit, it’s him. It’s really him. I wasn’t sure how to process all the information he just blurted out, but once the immediate threat of the alpha with him had been addressed as a non issue, the next burning question on my mind needed to be voiced. “So, is Thad Heart actually your name?”
He exhaled loudly as if he’d been holding his breath and his eyes were as big as saucers. Beautiful emerald saucers. “Um, no. Well, sorta. I mean, no, but it’s not what you think.”
I held his gaze, not letting this go until I was satisfied with his answer. If he wasn’t into me on the night we met and consciously gave me a fake name, I wanted to know that before I got my hopes up. Even though my hopes were already pretty damn high just because of the mapley scent wafting off his warm breath mixed with his minty balsam scent. And when you added that to the adorable reddish-orange curl that kept falling across his forehead and into his eyes...I was helpless.
“It was my real profile name on OmMatch, which I guess I assumed you’d know to look for me at but was stupid since there are a million apps you could have tried.”
I nodded in agreement. “More like five million, but go on.”
“I know, sorry.” He gave me a guilty grin. “But it didn’t matter anyway because that asshole I was with reported me for assault, so my account was closed before I even got home. So if you did try to find me there, which I doubt you did, my account was gone, and I had no way to find you…”
My eyes narrowed on his, trying to decide if he was being honest or just withholding the rest of his story. “But you found me eventually?”
“You mean today?” His grin grew as his cheeks pinked up, making the sprinkling of freckles across his nose look more pronounced. “I guess I’ve made a few not-completely-necessary trips to Oak Grove on the off chance I’d run into you… But I wasn’t stalking you or anything. I swear.”
“But what about the note? Why didn’t you leave your number then?”
The shy smile I was loving morphed into a confused frown. “What—”
“Shit.” The alpha with Thad appeared at his side wearing a panicked expression and holding a laptop box. “I’ve gotta go. Brent just broke a finger...or his hand...or maybe his foot. I can’t tell from his message, but he’s on his way to the hospital now.”
“Oh my god.” Thad looked between me and his friend, then reluctantly, back at me. “I’ve got to go but...can I get your number?”
“Sure, but can I get your name?” I pulled out my phone, ready to take down his contact information so I could send him mine.
“Thad Eardt.” He grabbed my phone and added his number as we started walking down the street. “My mom used to call me the Eardt of her heart…because it was just us. I know, super cheesy, and it doesn’t even make sense because Thaddeus means heart, so basically she called me the heart of her heart...” He waved his
hand away as if trying to stop me from awwing over how sweet he must have been as a mama’s boy.
It didn’t stop me, but he ignored my cooing and kept babbling as I walked him to his car.
“When I had to pick a profile name, it was the only thing I could come up with that seemed...cute or whatever. So, as far as OmMatch was concerned, I was Thad Heart.”
His friend barked out a laugh. “Tell him what your real first name is...ATE.”
Thad shoved his friend hard enough that he stumbled into the street. “Shut it, or you’ll be walking to the hospital.”
His friend laughed even harder but jogged ahead of us to wait at the passenger door of Thad’s car.
“What does ate mean?” I couldn’t hold back a smile, knowing that whatever was coming had to be good based on how red Thad’s ears were glowing.
“Nothing.” He pulled his keys out of his pocket and stepped up to the same white sedan he was in the night we met. “It’s stupid.”
I was tired of the distance between us. It had been close to a year since I’d seen him, and I just wanted to fucking hold him in my arms and never let go. I settled for sliding my palm behind his neck and giving him a gentle squeeze. “How about you tell me about it over dinner tonight?”
Thad’s breath hitched and he nodded.
“Tonight?” I asked, resting my forehead on his, breathing in his warm breaths.
“I work tonight but…”
“I’m sorry to interrupt but my husband kinda needs me right now. Can you guys do this over the phone?”
Thad pulled back and looked at his friend. “Yeah, sorry.”
I closed my eyes in frustration but held up my phone. “You gave me your number?”
He smiled. “I swear. I wish I had done it that night...but you have it now.”
I leaned down and brushed a soft kiss over his earlobe then whispered, “I’ll call you in two hours.”
“Okay.” He didn’t move a muscle as I wrapped my arms around his back, holding him to my chest for a moment. “I’m looking forward to it.”
I gave him a soft kiss on his cheek before stepping back so he could climb into his car. I didn’t want to watch him leave, but I didn’t dare take my eyes off him as he pulled away and disappeared onto the highway.
All my memories didn’t do justice to the beautiful man I’d just held in my arms. I wasn’t convinced I’d ever see him again, but now that I had, I knew what my future looked like.
It was him. Thad Eardt would be my omega. He’d be my mate and my husband. And if we were truly lucky, he’d be the father of my children. I don’t know how I knew it so truly and completely, but there was no doubt in my mind that he was the one.
Now I just had to prove to him I was his. I was his alpha. The one he was meant to be with for the rest of his life.
I just hoped he agreed.
10
Thad
I’d have probably driven home in a euphoric bubble had it not been for Jay whipping out his nurse voice once he climbed in the car. He tried to make it seem like things were fine to his mate’s mom while at the same time directing the entire scenario from the car. Had I not seen him in action at the hospital, I doubt I’d have even realized it wasn’t him just being nonchalant about the entire thing. We were only fifteen minutes from home when he finally finished all his phone calls and let himself relax enough to talk about it as Joaquim the friend not Jay the nurse.
“I know you overheard most of it, even if you pretended not to, but I’m going to talk about it anyway.” He popped open my glove box and grabbed the box of mints I’d thrown in there earlier. “Brent decided it was a good idea to help his sort of uncle do I still don’t understand what with an old tractor. His foot got caught in a gear or under a chain—that part is unclear, but the thing is pretty darn mangled from everything they’ve not said and the lack of pictures they were willing to send.”
“That’s why you called for an orthopedist?” It sounded like overkill to me, but I hadn’t heard both sides of the conversation either.
“Yeah, but Jackie is on intake and she thinks we need to call in Dr. Hartman.”
I completely understood why his voice cringed at that name. The man was a creeper to be sure. I’d only had to work with him a couple times since our specialties didn’t often meet, but he gave me the willies. The way he said Alistair as if I was a meal always made me cringe when I heard it. I hated that the hospital made me wear my legal name to match my accreditation or some such bullshit, but everyone had always been good about calling me by my middle and preferred name of Thad. Everyone except Dr. Hartman. He liked to roll his tongue on Alistair.
“Speaking of which, thanks for giving Ren the hint about my name.” I could feel Joaquim’s eyes on me even as I watched the road, carefully making sure the plethora of geese that were one the side of said road didn’t decide to cross my path. That wouldn’t end well.
“Because Dr. Hartman is synonymous with Alistair?” He bit back a laugh.
“Or because that weirdo thinks my name is sexy and calls me Alistair.”
“He said those words?” Joaquim went back to professional mode, and I realized he thought he’d uncovered a sexual harasser. No, he hadn’t been that. Just creepy.
“No, he said—holy shit.” Only me. “What is his first name?”
“Thaddeus.” He barked. “Just like you.” Joaquim fluffed my hair as if I were five. At least he was temporarily not thinking of his injured husband, although I knew that would be short lived. I was feeling extremely concerned, and I barely knew the guy.
“Ewwww, if he had a dating app, he’d probably be Thad Hart.” I wrinkled up my nose. Although he probably would have been Dr. Heart to be pretentious or whatnot.
“And since you found true love, it doesn’t matter.” His knee started bouncing to the point it was distracting me from the road. Poor Jay’s distraction was over.
“And by true love, you mean I have a date. Maybe.” If he calls. Which I seriously hoped he would.
“Oh, he’ll call.” Jay knew me so stupid well. After the dating app fiasco, I wouldn’t have blamed him if he ghosted me. And had he not kissed me or brushed his lips near my ear or—I wanted it to have been a kiss—I’d have been worried he was going to.
He was interested. He was. Probably.
Dating sucked.
As soon as we pulled into the ER entrance, I put the car in park and took out the keys, depositing them in the valet’s hand as I walked in with Joaquim. I always wondered why we had that service, and I finally got it as I saw Jay’s hand shaking slightly. This might be his territory, but going in to find an injured loved one was never easy no matter how many times you’d been on the other side of that situation.
We found Brent right away. His mother-in-law was apologizing up and down, promising her son and his husband that she’d take care of the kids. Not that Joaquim was hearing any of it, too busy rushing to his husband’s side and talking to both Brent and his belly about everything being okay. I hadn’t known they were expecting another. No wonder Joaquim’s stress seemed extraordinarily high—at least for a skilled medical professional.
From my perspective, it looked as if the injury was far less severe than initially thought. Although, there was enough swelling and blood soaking through the bandages that I knew it wasn’t good. By the time I left, surgery was off the table and they were making plans for a meal train, or at least Vivian was. If Brent played his cards right, he’d have no more cooking for the rest of the year. Heck, he didn’t need to play his cards right. Vivian had almost managed it already.
The exhaustion that had been seeping into me ever since I got off duty had finally taken full hold. I needed to get home and get some sleep before my shift. At least it was my last one for the week. The great thing about twelve hour shifts was you only worked three days a week.
I grabbed my keys from the guy at valet since there was no need for him to get me my car. The only reason I allowed him to park it in the f
irst place was because I hadn’t been sure what Jay was walking into and wanted to be there for him if things were bad. They weren’t good, but given the things running through my imagination most of the drive home, they were pretty freaking spectacular.
My phone started ringing as I walked into the parking garage. It was Ren. It had to be given the timing. At least I thought so. But one glance at the phone told me it wasn’t him—it was my boss.
“Hello.” Sally calling was never good.
“We need you.” At least she didn’t pretend it was a social call, which my old supervisor used to do, and it always annoyed me. If you are going to bother me on my time off, do it and be done with it. Don’t waste my time.
“What’s up?” I stopped dead in my tracks, knowing I was going to cave. It wasn’t as if I did laundry for a living. I helped people breathe, and if they needed me, it was so people could continue to breathe. My conscious wouldn’t allow me to walk away from that even if others saw it and took advantage of me from time to time.
“Twins from Mercy Hospital turned out to be quads. The helicopter is on their way with them now. ETA fifteen. We need more hands on deck. I could call up from the PICU, but they are so small.”
I was already on my way back in. I could sleep when I was dead. And how the fuck did no one notice an extra two babies?
“I’m on my way.”
She thanked me profusely, and I hung up before dialing Ren, which went straight to voicemail. I tried not to read too much into that.
“Hey, Ren. It’s Thad. Alistair Thaddeus, so you know I’m not doing this intentionally.” I walked back in, taking the back stairs up so I could talk as I walked. It was a small hospital, so it wasn’t as if I had to climb fifty flights. “I just got a call from my boss. I work in the NICU—we take care of newborns who aren’t doing well—and we have four babies being flown in from a hospital with no NICU. Anyway, I need to help them out. I help with breathing. I don’t even know if I told you any of this, but I haven’t slept yet and my adrenaline is spiking because the helicopter is going to be here soon, and I’m hungry, and yeah, I have to go, but I’ll call you or you’ll call me or... let’s just try this. Okay? Bye.”
Birthday With His Omega (M/M Non Shifter Alpha/Omega MPreg): A Mapleville Novella Page 4
