by Jena Wade
The swing was nearly put together. I finished the job as quietly as I could. When it was finished, I stood and admired my work. I sat it in its designated spot in the living room, within view of the doorway to the kitchen, but also getting enough sunlight from the window. It would be a good spot for the baby to take naps and play while his Omega dad took care of whatever task he needed done.
I felt a pang of jealousy. I wanted that kind of life, children and an Omega. I’d had plenty of opportunities over the years but had never taken that plunge with anyone. I looked over at Jayson and I immediately knew why. Jayson was my Omega. The one that got away. The one I’d let get away.
After getting into another heated argument with my dad about my future just after my high school graduation, I’d immediately packed my bags and left. I’d had no idea where I was going. All I’d had were my clothes and the money in my bank account. I hadn’t even stopped to see Jayson first. I didn’t want him to stop me from getting away.
In hindsight, that was the biggest mistake I had made. It took me months to realize why I was so lonely in my apartment in the city. I’d gone out and gotten a job working construction. I met people. I even went on a few dates. But I never connected with anyone, not like I had with Jayson. By the time I realized it, he’d gone off to college and met another Alpha. I’d never told him how I felt.
I’d heard through the Millerstown grapevine via my mother, that Jayson and his Alpha were committed to one another, and were planning a wedding. I’d tried to put him out of my mind. Sometimes I even went days without thinking about him. But here I was in his living room, putting together a baby swing for his child.
He’s single now.
And probably still mourning the death of his husband.
No. Now was not the time for me to step in and play knight in shining armor. If anything, I could see that Jayson had things well under control. He would provide well for his child and he could do so without me.
That didn’t stop me from looking around the house—not snooping—I just wanted to see if there was anything I could help with to make his life a little easier when he woke up in the morning. When I saw the state of his kitchen, I realized he might need a little help cleaning. So, I scrubbed the counters. I did the dishes, dried them and set them on the counter to be put away. I put away the ones that I could guess where they went, but some I wasn’t sure of, so I left them on the counter.
When I opened the fridge to put away the leftover dinner, I scrubbed that too. It wasn’t overly dirty, but it was a tiny way that I could help. Then I got started on the dining room. Dusting, sweeping, I took care of the box the swing had come in and all the packaging. When I saw that he had garbage to be taken out, I put that in my car to dispose of.
Finally, there was nothing else I could do without overstepping. I may have overstepped already, but I hoped that Jayson could forgive me.
I went into the living room and looked at him one last time. I couldn’t resist, pressing a kiss to his forehead. He mumbled something and snuggled in deeper.
“Goodnight, Jayson,” I said.
“G’night, Ty,” he mumbled.
I grinned, pleased that he knew it was me and not some other Alpha there with him. Finally, reluctantly, I left.
Chapter Four
Jayson
As I woke up later, I realized that I was not in my bed and that it was extremely bright in the living room.
Oh, shit. How long had I slept?
I stretched, curling my toes and flexing my ankles to wake up my legs so that I could stand. Seemed like no matter how much water I drank, I still cramped in my calves every morning. Just another pregnancy symptom, or so my doctor told me.
I looked around my living room. I noticed first that I had a blanket on me and that the swing was completely put together.
But I hadn’t…
It came back to me then. Tyler had been here. He’d put the swing together and I had fallen asleep. I put my face in my hands. He had been nice enough to assemble my baby swing while I snored on the couch like an… eight-month pregnant Omega?
He must have thought I was pretty pathetic. Single Omega with a baby on the way, while he was living up the bachelor life.
I stood and went to the kitchen to put on the coffee. I allowed myself to have one cup each day. I noticed immediately that something was off. Everything was clean. Dishes were done. Counters were spotless. Even the cabinets looked like they’d been wiped down. Am I in the right house?
There was a slip of paper on the counter.
Jayson, hope you slept well. Give me a call tomorrow or today, depending on when you wake up. There was a smiley face with his number at the bottom.
I smiled at that. I definitely had to call him and thank him for all the work that he’d done.
I opened the fridge to grab the gallon of milk and noticed that he had scrubbed that down too. Damn. I supposed I could feel like he violated my space, but Tyler had always been the helpful sort. And I wasn’t above asking for help these days.
Some tasks were just harder than others and cleaning was one thing I had let go to the wayside as I had gotten bigger. I picked up my phone and dialed his number. Never mind the fact that it was seven-thirty in the morning and the guy was technically on vacation, I didn’t want to wait another minute to talk to him.
He answered on the second ring. “Miller Carpentry. This is Tyler speaking.”
I took a deep breath. I’d be taking a plunge on this, one that I didn’t expect, really throwing myself out there. And why shouldn’t I? I deserved to take a few chances, right? “Tyler, it’s Jayson.”
“Oh, hey,” he said. “Did you just get up?”
“Yeah, I’m sorry that I fell asleep on you.”
“It’s no big deal,” he said. “I’m happy that you got some rest.”
“Thank you,” I said. “For the cleaning up. I really appreciate it.”
“No problem. I hope I didn’t overstep.”
“No, not at all. I appreciate it.” I didn’t hesitate as I spoke. If I thought too hard about it, I’d back out. “Would you like to go out to dinner tonight?”
“Sure,” he said. “I’d love to take you out to dinner. Where would you like to go?”
“Um, I don’t know. Anywhere. The diner is actually not bad since it got purchased by Harrison Bowman.”
“That sounds great,” he said. “I’ll pick you up at six.”
“That’ll be perfect.”
We said our goodbyes and hung up the phone. I had no business asking an Alpha out on a date given my condition, but then again, why not? I was pregnant, not dead. Likely, Tyler didn’t think of it as a date, though I did. Which brought me to another realization. I had no business asking Tyler out on a date. He was not settling in Millerstown. He was only here for a little while.
And I had a baby due in four weeks.
What exactly did I think a dinner was going to accomplish?
Then again. I deserved to have fun. Right? Right.
I sipped my cup of coffee until it was gone. Maybe being caffeinated and awake would help me sort out the conflicting thoughts that swirled around in my head.
***
I was still debating inside my own head while I prepared for my class that day. I had about fifteen minutes before the kids arrived. I sat at my desk thinking about whether or not to pursue anything with Tyler.
I could just have dinner with him as friends or I could throw myself out there and pursue a relationship like I really wanted. I was tempted to write a list of pros and cons, but that seemed embarrassing. If anyone were to find it...
“Jayson.”
My attention snapped me from my thoughts to my friend and fellow kindergarten teacher, Percy, who stood in the doorway of my classroom.
“Hey, Percy. What’s going on?”
“Nothing. What’s going on with you? I said your name five times before you noticed I was here.”
“Sorry. I’m a little distracted.”
/>
“Everything all right? Is it baby stuff?”
Percy was an Omega, but he’d never been married and didn’t seem to have any interest in finding an Alpha and having babies or so he’d always told me. He’d been an amazing friend to me after losing Brian and realizing I’d be raising this child on my own.
“No, the baby is fine. Have I ever told you about Tyler Miller?”
Percy raised an eyebrow. “Your Alpha friend from high school? Yeah. It reminded me of the friendship I have with Lucas.” Lucas was Percy’s Alpha friend, his best friend. There’d never been anything romantic between them, which I didn’t understand since the two of them would clearly be perfect for one another.
“He’s back in town,” I said. “He came over last night and put the baby swing together. And now we’re going out to dinner tonight.”
A slow grin spread across Percy’s face. “Oh really? A friend dinner or something else?”
I sighed. “I don’t know. Something else maybe. I’ve always liked Tyler. Thought I was in love with him back in high school. But he’s only here for a little while and is now really the time for me to be adventurous and explore my feelings for an Alpha I haven’t seen in ten years?”
Percy shrugged. “If not now, then when?”
“I need to be making decisions for my child, not for me.”
Percy shook his head. “A happy Omega makes happy babies. You’re not tying yourself to this guy for life, you’re going out to dinner. Just see where it goes. It’s not like you’re marrying him.”
“Yeah, I had that exact same thought this morning. But is that really what’s right for my child?”
“Don’t overthink it. Jayson. You’re an amazing Omega. You’re going to be an amazing dad. Your child is extremely lucky to have you and nothing’s going to change that. You still need to do what makes you happy.”
“Now is really not the best time though.”
Percy shrugged. “Why not? Because you’re four weeks from having the kid? What about when the kid is born? It’s not going to be any easier to date then.”
“True.”
“Just have fun,” Percy said. “That’s not overly helpful. Is it?”
I grinned. “No, it kind of is. I guess I am overthinking it. I should just see what happens. Right?”
Percy nodded. “And don’t be afraid to go out on a limb. Throw yourself at that Alpha. If he looks anything like his brother, then he’s probably pretty handsome.”
“Yeah, Tyler Miller is that.”
Chapter Five
Tyler
I circled Jayson’s block several times before six o’clock that night. I could have arrived ten minutes early, but I didn’t want to seem desperate. Of course, it only took me a few minutes to circle the block three times, and by then I figured someone would call the police on me if I went by again. So, I parked and knocked on the door.
Jayson answered right away. He wore a pair of khakis and a polo shirt that stretched over his belly.
I smiled at the sight of him, glowing in pregnancy, gorgeous no matter what he wore. “Ready to go?”
He nodded. He stepped outside and closed the door, then fumbled with the keys as he tried to lock it.
“Need some help?”
“No. I got it.” His voice shook as if he was nervous, but I wasn’t sure why.
“How was your day?” I asked him as we got into the car.
He shrugged. “Oh, you know, just any old day, same old, same old.”
I chuckled. “Well, tell me about it. I don’t know what your days are usually like. Do you have a fun class this year?”
He stared at me for a moment. “You really want to know about my day?”
I snorted. “Well, yeah. Why wouldn’t I?”
He shrugged and I got the feeling his husband hadn’t ever wanted to know, but I wasn’t Brian and I was genuinely interested in hearing about his day, his life, anything and everything he wanted to share. I wanted to know it all.
He started talking. He told me all about his class and some of the more outgoing kids that he had, the ones who would probably cause some mischief in their time in elementary school. But for now, were just amusing. One particular kid he told me was quite the class clown. He even had Jayson struggling to keep a straight face during his antics.
Once we arrived at the diner, we went inside. He continued to tell me about his class and his co-workers. I let him talk because I loved hearing his voice. I wanted to know as much about him as I possibly could. Philip hadn’t been very forthcoming with information about Jayson and his husband, Brian.
“Wow,” Jayson said. “I’m really hogging the conversation here. Tell me about you and your carpentry business. What is it exactly that you do?”
“Carpentry.”
He gave me an annoyed look. “Obviously.”
I couldn’t help but tease him. It was fun, and I found myself smiling more that night than I had on any other date I’d had in the past ten years. We didn’t stop talking throughout our entire date. We ordered food, and we ate it. We even had dessert. Still we kept the conversation going.
He talked a lot about his hopes and dreams for his son but he didn’t talk a lot about his late husband. And I didn’t ask.
When our meal was done I wasn’t sure what we could do. I didn’t want to end the night, that was for sure. “Can we…” I started then stopped.
“What?” he said.
“Well, there’s not much to do around town, at least I assume you don’t want to go bowling or anything. But could we walk?”
Jayson bit his lip. “How about we just go back to my place?”
“Sure,” I said.
“We can talk privately there,” he said. “A walk sounds nice, but I get out of breath easily these days and I don’t think you want me going into labor just yet.”
I shook my head. “No, I suppose that little guy needs to stay put, at least for a few more weeks.”
***
Back at Jayson’s house, we settled into the living room. He handed me a glass of water and we sat down.
“I think I should tell you about Brian,” he said.
“Okay.”
“I think it would be best if you had all the information before I launch into the next thing I want to tell you about.”
That got my interest piqued. “I want to know anything you’re comfortable telling me, Jayson. I like you. That’s never really been a secret. I wish I hadn’t left all those years ago without talking to you first. If I had just stayed in touch with you, things could have been so different.” Flashes of the life we could’ve had together filtered through my mind. Jayson and I building a life together. Jayson pregnant with my child.
He nodded. “I know. I could have reached out to you also. It’s not like I didn’t know where you were.”
We were quiet for a moment, both lost in our own thoughts of what ifs. I’d been so stupid then. Hell bent on getting as far away from Millerstown and my dad as possible.
“We don’t have to dwell on that though,” I said. “We’re here now, right?”
“Right,” he said, then looked down at his stomach. I had a feeling he was going to let me down gently. Tell me that sure, I was interesting, and he’d always had a thing for me, but now wasn’t the time. Or maybe he thought that I wouldn’t want another Alpha’s child, which most certainly wasn’t the case.
I wanted anything Jayson wanted to give me.
“Brian and I should never have gotten married,” he said.
“What?”
“We thought we were in love. Or at least I did. I don’t know if Brian ever really was capable of love. He pretty much started cheating on me right away and I let it happen, because… I don’t really know why. I wanted a family I guess. When I finally got pregnant after years of trying, I was so excited. I assumed that that would mean Brian would stop sneaking around. Of course, he wasn’t even sneaking around at that point. He never tried to hide that he was cheating. He didn’t stop.
Brian got into a car accident because he and the Omega he was with we’re fooling around while he was supposed to be focused on the road. The two of them died on impact. It was pretty gruesome. I just wanted you to know that’s not something I’ll tolerate with the next Alpha I’m with.”
It took a moment for all of that to sink in. If Brian hadn’t already been dead, I’d want to kill him myself. How dare he hurt my Omega. Jayson was the most perfect, caring, amazing Omega there was and this Brian guy cheated?
“That’s understandable,” I said finally. “I would never cheat.”
Jayson gave me a half smile. “I know you wouldn’t. I just wanted you to know all of that. So you would understand that while I was very sad about Brian, and I do wish that he would be able to meet his child, I don’t love him. I haven’t for a long time. I’m not in mourning for my dead husband and just because I’m eight-months pregnant doesn’t mean that I wouldn’t be willing to explore these feelings with you.”
I stood up, went towards the couch and sat next to him. I grasped his hand. “I’m sorry you had to go through that with your husband. Thank you for telling me. You’re going to be an amazing dad and your child is lucky to have you. And I also want to explore this further.”
He leaned into me, and I took that as permission. I dipped my head until our lips touched. He moaned against me and I put my hand on the back of his neck, holding him to me as the kiss deepened.
All at once I wanted to touch him, taste him everywhere. I lifted my lips from his and he whimpered. Knowing that he wanted me too kicked my desire into over drive.
“Lie down,” I told him, and he complied.
I tugged at his jeans until they slipped below his knees, his underwear had come with them, leaving his hard cock jutting into the air. Precum beaded at the tip and I swiped it with my tongue.
“Oh Tyler!” Jayson put his hand to the back of my head and I didn’t hesitate. I swallowed him down. He moaned and writhed beneath me, but I kept my rhythm, bobbing my head, letting his cock hit the back of my throat before hallowing my cheeks as I sucked.
