Brock let go of me and went to hug his dad. “Sorry. But I want you to come too,” he said.
“I’d love to but I can barely stand up.” Kyle brushed Brock’s hair back out of his eyes then gave his son a comforting hug. “You want to go with Gavin?”
“Yeah.” Brock nodded quickly.
“Alright,” Kyle said. “Come home straight after, though, okay?”
Brock raced out of the house, sprinted across the yard, and bounced excitedly as he waited for me at my car. I unlocked it and he dove in, buckling up before I even got close.
“This car is so cool,” he said. “It’s like something out of a game.”
I chuckled as I turned on the engine. “That’s how I choose all my stuff. I think to myself, ‘what would look cool in one of my games?’”
“Are you working on any other games?” he asked excitedly.
“Yeah, all the time. I don’t think anything will be as successful as RuneMaze, but it’s still really fun to come up with new worlds and stories,” I told him as I started the engine. I pulled away from the house, with just a glance back to make sure Kyle hadn’t changed his mind.
“I want to illustrate games and stuff one day,” Brock said as he looked out the tinted glass of my car windows.
“Oh yeah?” I asked. “That’s really cool, that’s like, the most important part of building a game. The visuals either make it or break it.”
“That’s what I think! But kids at school think it’s about the bad guys and the guns.”
“Well those kids sound like they don’t know what they’re talking about,” I said with a smile. “What do your friends think?”
Brock was silent for a moment, and I glanced over at him. His eyes were fixed onto the buildings as we passed through the densest area of town and came closer to the homestead, driving north where the houses got larger and the yards were bigger.
“I don’t have any friends,” he said so quietly I almost didn’t hear him… But I did hear him, and the words broke my heart. I wanted to reach over and pull him into a hug. Instead, I looked straight ahead.
“You want to meet some kids today?” I asked. “There are a bunch who go to your school who you might not know.”
“I guess,” he said, and started fidgeting.
“If they’re the idiots who think it’s all about guns and bad guys, just give me a signal and we’ll get the hell out of there,” I said, and Brock let out a little laugh.
“Like a secret hand signal? Like this?” He threw his hand up on top of his head and waggled his fingers around.
I laughed and nodded. “Yep, just like that, very subtle.”
“No one will know what it means.” He giggled, and I had a good chuckle.
“Does your dad get sick very often?” I asked cautiously.
“Dad? Nah. He hasn’t been sick for ages. Maybe his margarita pizza wasn’t very good.”
“Any idea what makes him feel better when he’s sick?”
“Hmm… Peace and quiet.”
I laughed again. “Well he’s getting plenty of that right now.”
“Oh! I know! Chicken noodle soup. He always makes it for me when I feel bad, and he says he loves it too.”
“Great.” I nodded and quietly formulated a plan.
I was about to pull in through the gates of the homestead when I realized I’d been driving on autopilot. We were supposed to be heading to the sports field in town. I quickly veered back onto the main road, but I caught glimpses of Brock’s face as he saw the pack lands for the first time. His mouth was open and his eyes were huge as he sat up straight in his seat. I wound down the electric window and he took in a deep, instinctive breath.
“It smells amazing in this part of town,” he said as he looked out of his window. The homestead was fenced but you could still catch glimpses of it from the road.
“It’s pretty nice, huh?”
“Wow.” He sighed as he took in flashes of the mansions, the intricate architecture of our houses, and the forested mountains that overshadowed the entire community and made it feel like home.
He slumped back into his seat when we turned south to head for the sports field. I could hardly wait to properly show him the homestead.
“Oh, those guys are cool!” Brock said as he spotted Cole and Liam outside on the field. “They’re in the grade below me but I see them around and they’re always nice.”
“So, no hand signal?” I asked, and he laughed and shook his head. “No, they’re cool.”
I parked, and then we walked over to where the boys were stretching.
“Hey guys, this is Brock. Brock, this is my nephew Cole, and his friend Liam. They’re like you.”
“Like me…” Brock frowned.
“We’re wolf shifters.” Cole smiled and held out his hand.
“Oh! I’m not—” Brock glanced at me nervously, and I gave him a reassuring smile.
“It’s okay,” I said. “I am too.”
His eyes almost bulged out of his head before a knowing smile spread across his face. “I knew it,” he said smugly, then happily shook Cole’s hand.
“Do you play?” Cole asked.
Brock hesitated. “Just video games.”
“Cool!” Liam said as he shook Brock’s hand too. “Do you play RuneMaze? We play that a lot.”
“Yeah! I do,” Brock said, still clearly shaken at this newly pleasant social interaction.
“Let’s play together sometime,” Cole said, and then he quickly turned around when Jaxon whistled for the team to gather up on the field.
“We’ll see you at school!” Liam called over his shoulder as they ran off.
Brock stood completely still and watched as they left. “Cool,” he said quietly as we made our way to the concession stand and stocked up on snacks for the game.
“Can I have one of those or do you have to be in the game?” he asked, pointing to a Timberwood Cubs hat.
“You can definitely have one of those.” I put it on his head. He looked at me from under the brim with a huge, goofy smile.
As we watched the game, I decided Brock was a really great kid. He got fully into the game and cheered hard for the Cubs. I had to admit, I’d been a little worried he wouldn’t fit in so well, but it really felt like he had always been part of the pack. And a part of my life.
The game was long and the Timberwood Cubs lost a fair fight. Cole flounced off the field when the out-of-towners scored their final home run, and Jaxon chased after him. We caught up with the two of them in the parking lot where Cole was staring at his feet, Liam had an arm around him in solidarity while Jaxon finished up a coaching lecture about hospitality and being a VIP.
I saw Nicole rushing over from the other direction and I waved to her. She smiled and waved as she spotted us. She reached my side at the same time Jaxon did.
“Hi there,” Jaxon said, and he immediately looked Brock over.
“Brock, this is Jaxon. He’s the coach of the Timberwood Cubs.”
“Hello,” Brock said politely and offered his hand. Jaxon gave it a firm shake and tipped his hat to Brock.
“You might recognize him from the back of cereal boxes or television commercials,” Nicole added as she wrapped an arm around Jaxon’s shoulder.
Brock just looked confused.
“I was a pitcher for the Timberwood Wolves,” Jaxon remarked. “A little before your time maybe.”
Brock laughed nervously and I gave his shoulder a reassuring squeeze. Realizing I needed to take attention off him, I introduced Nicole. “Brock, this is my sister Nicole. She’s Cole’s mom. Nicole, this is Brock.”
“An absolute pleasure to meet you, Brock. Gavin has been telling me a lot about you,” she said, ignoring the harsh look I gave her.
“He has?” Brock asked as he glanced from her to me.
“He said he met a couple of cool guys at the convention,” she explained, then she quickly diverted her attention to her own son. “Cole, what was that about on the field?
”
“Just didn’t seem fair,” he said.
“But it was fair, wasn’t it?” Jaxon frowned to show his disapproval.
“Their kids were bigger than ours so they could hit the ball further,” Cole grumbled.
“Well that just means we need to work on our batting game,” Jaxon replied.
“Or we could get a big kid on the team,” Liam announced. “Like Brock!”
“Yeah, I wish I was a big kid like Brock,” Cole said, giving Brock a small grin.
Brock just stood dumbfounded until I squeezed his shoulder again and got us out of there. “Well, we need to get going. We have some chicken soup to make.”
8
Kyle
The smell of chicken noodle soup woke me up from a long, deep nap in bed. I pulled back the covers and sniffed the air. It smelled too good for it to be Britt or Kennedy’s cooking, and besides, they were out of town for the weekend…
As I sat up, nausea hit me again and my head spun.
“Oh god.” I groaned and ran a hand over my face. I’d been feeling awful all day, and it had come and gone while Brock and Gavin were at the game. I’d been pottering around the house, organizing my music collection and trying to tidy up, until I finally admitted I had to lie down.
I hadn’t really wanted Gavin to take Brock to the game alone… But I had to admit having an empty house was exactly what I’d needed. And now what I needed was some of that chicken noodle soup.
I threw on my sweats and an oversized Feather Boats hoodie then wandered toward the kitchen, bracing myself against the wall, the couch, and then the door frame in case the dizziness hit me again.
I stopped in the kitchen doorway and absorbed what was there. A handsome man in a tight baseball shirt and slim cut denim jeans, standing over my stove and blowing on a spoon full of soup he’d made for me. If I’d felt dizzy before, the giddiness of this moment just about knocked me out. I practically melted as I leaned into the doorframe. My heart was fluttering, and I could barely believe how happy I was to see him.
“That smells so good,” I said quietly, and then laughed when Gavin jumped and almost spilled the spoonful of soup on himself. He chuckled as he spotted me, and then brought the spoon over.
“Try it,” he said, and I obeyed. I opened my mouth and let him feed me.
“Mm!” I said as a strong umami flavor hit my tongue. “That’s incredible!” I went to grab the spoon out of his hand but he held it out of my reach.
“Just wait, it’s almost ready.” He headed back to the pot to give it another stir.
I came up behind him and leaned my chin against his shoulder, looking over him at the simmering pot.
“You’re making me chicken soup?” I asked.
“A little bird told me it’s your go-to food when you’re sick. Where do you keep your soup bowls?”
“Cabinet above the fridge,” I said as I slumped into a chair at the kitchen table. “Where do you keep my son?”
Gavin laughed and motioned upstairs. “He’s in his room. I thought he’d want to help me make dinner but I was wrong. He’s playing games with Cole and Liam, some kids from the pack.”
“There are kids here?” I just about jumped out of my chair before Gavin gave me a look to say as if.
“They’re playing together on live,” he explained in a very patient tone. I gave him a sheepish grin and shrugged.
“One day I’ll learn all the game stuff,” I promised.
He pulled three bowls down from the cabinet then placed them on the table before putting a soft kiss on my forehead.
“You don’t have to be into video games just because I am.”
“No, I know… But it’d be nice if I spoke the same language as you and Brock.”
“How’re you feeling?” he asked as he ladled out a bowl of soup and stole a few glances at me.
“Nauseous… Dizzy…” I tried to sound nonchalant. Maybe he picked up on it or maybe he didn’t, but to me it was obvious was having symptoms of morning sickness. The exact same symptoms I’d had when I was pregnant with Brock. But I also knew it was way too early to start freaking out about it, when I probably just had a stomach bug. So I kept my eyes on the soup and changed the topic.
“Where’d you learn how to cook?” I asked as he placed a steaming bowl in front of me.
“Well, my sister Nicole and I kind of had to fend for ourselves most of our childhood, so we both learned how to cook early on. Plus, we’re very critical of each other’s cooking, so that spurred us on to get better.”
I was just about to ask why he and his sister had to fend for themselves when he ducked into the hallway.
“Brock! Dinner’s ready!” His voice was so deep and strong I almost jumped. It felt like the whole house was shaking. After a couple of minutes with no sign of Brock, I couldn’t wait a moment longer so I started drinking my soup. It was packed with layers of herbaceous flavors and every mouthful seemed to make me feel better.
“What’s in here?” I asked. “Is that heat coming from the ginger?”
“Yes, and an herb called galangal,” Gavin said as he pulled up a seat. “It’s from south east Asia.”
I raised my eyebrows, truly impressed by his culinary skills.
“Brock seemed really happy to meet some packmates today. I think it’ll be good for him to know some other shifters who go to his school. Especially some other alphas. It sounds like he’s not having such a good time there without friends.”
I stopped eating mid-spoonful as I felt my defenses rising. This co-parenting business was moving a little too fast for my liking. But as soon as Brock came bouncing into the kitchen, I relaxed. There was something about his demeanor that seemed different. For one there was a huge smile on his face. That was new; completely different to the usual sulky pout he stomped around the place with.
“Hey Brocky,” I said.
“Hey, Dad.” He slid into the chair next to me, leaned over, and gave me a kiss on the cheek. I looked at Gavin in shock and he produced a smug grin.
“Are you feeling okay?” Brock asked me with a look of genuine concern on his face.
“I…am! You okay?”
“I’m great. I just played a level with these kids from the baseball today, Cole and Liam. They’re younger but they’re really cool and pretty smart. Thanks for taking me today, Gavin.”
“No problem, pal,” Gavin said as he reached over and ruffled Brock’s hair.
I stared in awe at the politeness, the affection, and the smile on Brock’s face. I could barely believe it. Had I walked into an alternate universe? Maybe there really was some kind of alpha father power Gavin was using to turn my wild son into a nice boy.
We ate dinner and I downed two servings of soup. By the time we were done I felt so much better and my dizziness had disappeared. I was about to stand up to clear the plates when Gavin put his hand on mine and urged me to stay put.
“I’ve got this. You and Brock go relax on the couch. We picked up a movie on the way home. Start without me, and I’ll be there once I’m done with the dishes.”
I swallowed and glanced over his shoulder toward the living room. I hadn’t signed up for a family night with a guy I’d really just met… But I guess he was family. Brock was already grabbing the DVD from the kitchen bench and making his way over to the television.
Brock and I cuddled up together under a blanket and watched the previews while Gavin cleaned up in the kitchen. It felt so good to have someone taking care of things while I felt unwell. Part of me wanted to keep building that wall, kick him out, and prove I could take care of everything myself. But a bigger part of me told me that I’d already done that. I’d shown the whole world I could be a capable single parent, a popular radio host, a kind brother, and a good friend. Where was the harm in letting someone else help out every now and then? After all, that’s why here was here, wasn’t it? Because I needed his help?
And besides, I was totally giddy about him.
I heard the k
itchen sink draining and began getting ridiculously excited just from knowing Gavin was going to be joining us on the couch. A few moments later he snuck up behind me and held out a box of chocolates.
“I wasn’t sure if you’d be well enough to eat these, but I thought I’d better get them, just in case…” he whispered in my ear.
Brock made grabby-hands at the box, but I quickly snatched the chocolates out of everyone’s reach as we laughed.
“Your chicken soup did the trick. I feel so good I could probably eat this whole box right now!” However, when Gavin settled in next to Brock I shared my chocolates with both of them, and then leaned back on the couch to give Gavin a smile behind Brock’s head.
“Thank you,” I said softly. Gavin reached out and rubbed my shoulder.
“It’s nothing,” he replied.
“It’s something,” I insisted. “I really feel so much better.”
He lightly squeeze my shoulder then turned back to the movie when Brock gasped and squealed. “Oh my god, look!”
We watched all two and a half hours of the movie, and I got through it by nibbling on chocolates and closing my eyes whenever I felt my dizziness coming back. But by the time the credits were rolling, I wasn’t doing too great.
“I think your soup’s magic is wearing off,” I grumbled. “I think I need to go and lie down.”
“Dad, is Gavin staying the night?” Brock asked quickly.
I glanced at Gavin, who glanced right back at me. I felt a flash of doubt, but it went just as swiftly as it came.
“If he’d like to, I think he should,” I said, and watched as Gavin grinned at me happily.
“Yes!” Brock pumped his fist in the air.
“Bedtime, Brocky,” I said. “I’ll come get you tucked in.”
We got up without too much grumbling from Brock, and I started up the stairs. I got all of three steps from the bottom before I got a head-spin and had to lean against the wall.
“Oh god.”
Gavin rushed to my side.
“You okay, Dad?” Brock asked from the top of the stairs while I slid down the wall and sat heavily on a step.
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