I fetched ice chips, applied a heating pad on his lower back, panted with him, offered a cold compress, and massaged wherever he wanted me to.
But as the cramps increased in intensity, his wails tore at my heart. I wanted to remove the pain, but my feeble efforts weren’t helping. And finally he begged for an epidural.
When it came time to push, I held his hand as he panted and strained, but he yelled at me to watch our baby being born. And I relayed what was happening as Richard brought our little one into the world.
“I see the head. Lots of dark hair.”
“I can’t do this, Harry. Make it stop.”
“You’re doing so well.”
“Shut up.”
“Almost there, love.”
“I can’t. I can’t keep pushing anymore.”
“Oh my God. The baby’s here.”
“What? Is it a boy?”
“It’s a…” I couldn’t see through the tears.
The doctor answered, “Yes, you have a son.”
“Is he all right?” Richard yelled.
The baby responded by howling, and I longed to hold him close and tell him it’d be okay. My trembling hands cut the cord, and a squirmy red bundle was placed on Richard’s chest.
For a moment it was surreal. We had a baby. Did we? Did that just happen? We had produced a real-life human with fingers and toes and a good pair of lungs based on his crying.
“Hello, little man.” Richard kissed our son’s forehead, and I melted. Life would never be the same. And that was exactly what I wanted.
We snuggled together while people bustled in and out of the room. Though we’d joked about the names in my family, we’d decided to continue the tradition and name our son Enrico, but call him by his middle name, Luke.
“Let’s keep his arrival quiet for another hour or so.” I nuzzled my two loves, the tiniest one wrapped in a yellow baby blanket.
Our midwife paused at the doorway. “I can fend them off, but there’s a group of people in the corridor, and two of them say they’re the Henrys asking to see the newest addition to an exclusive club. They say Henry 1 and 2 are outside and Henry 3 and 4 are in here.” She shook her head. “Have they been drinking? They’re not high, I hope.”
“I’ll tell them to wait,” I told Richard.
“Let them in or they’ll probably send up a drone and take photos through the window.”
He knows my family so well.
65
Richard
“He looks so adorable,” Enrique sing-songed as he took yet another picture of Luke in his suit. Who knew they made suits for babies? I gave the outfit a fifty-fifty chance of making it through the ceremony. Between the spit up and the blowouts, I was being generous with my odds.
“He looks like his father.” He did too, down to the tiny dimple in his chin and the slant of his nose. He was perfect.
And while most fathers say that about their offspring, in my case it was true. He was the world’s happiest baby. He slept well, ate well, and was hitting every milestone like a boss. And the way his face lit up when either Harry or I walked in the room...that look could melt even the coldest of hearts.
I’d just started back at work, the new practice soaring. Enrique had been spot-on when he said there was a need. While it sucked to leave Luke, I was really only missing half of his nap, dinner time, and then bedtime. Far less than if I worked a nine-to-five job.
And it wasn’t as if Harry wasn’t documenting all of it.
We made such a good team.
“You are thinking about him,” Enrique needled. “I can tell, you get that smile, that giddy school-boy smile.”
“What?” I picked Luke up off the play mat. “Like you don’t do the same with Tony?”
“Touché, my friend. Touché.” He held his arm out for me, “Shall we go?”
I took his arm, and we left the groom’s room of the small inn we’d rented out for the weekend. All of our family and friends were here to celebrate our special day. Even Jesse and his family managed to sneak away for our last-minute wedding.
We walked down a narrow hallway and down the stairs as our friends watched from below. Not that I paid them any mind, my eyes were glued on Harry, who stood at the far end next to one of his judge friends.
“I’m getting married.”
“That is why we are here.” Enrique reached for Luke as we reached the bottom step and walked the aisle with him, presenting Harry with our rings. Our little guy might not have a clue what was happening or what the rings were even about, but he made the most adorable ring bearer there ever was even if his great-uncle did all of the hard work. Enrique took his spot up front next to Tony, who was dutifully holding Sophia, much to the chagrin of the innkeeper. Oh well, she was family and she was going to be there.
The music changed from the classical cello piece we’d walked down the stairs to, to more of a march. It was my cue, and I had to remind myself with every step that there was no hurry and I didn’t need to run.
Harry took my hand as I reached him, the butterflies flying around like crazy. I’d foolishly thought they would go away after we knotted the first time. If anything they grew stronger with each day as I fell more and more in love with him.
We took the traditional vows, both of us feeling they somehow made it more legal or something, which given Harry was a lawyer and knew that was very much not the case, I found rather amusing, but there it was.
“And now the couple would like to share their own vows. I guess mine weren’t good enough.” The people behind us laughed at his attempt at humor.
“Harry, I knew the day I met you that you were someone special. It only took me meeting you for the third time for me to let go of my fear and act on it. How lucky I was that no one was smart enough to snag you during that time.” I traced the ring already on his finger, “With this ring I promise never to let my fear and my own buttheadedness get in our way again—or I’ll try not to anyways. I love you, and you are stuck with me even if you get sick, so try not to do that. And I should’ve written this out instead of being all I can wing this, but You. Are. My. Everything.”
“How am I supposed to top that?” His eyes were glistening as he held mine. “I wrote a thing, you know. Being all lawyer-like, but you said it perfectly so I’m just going to copy you.”
“He told us we had to share and stuff,” I pointed to the judge who I could have sworn just rolled his eyes at me. “So technically I guess it is yours to use as you see fit.”
“Richard, You. Are. My. Everything.” He turned to the judge, “Roberto can you do the announcing and kissing bit now? I really want to get to the kissing.”
“And by the power invested in me, I now pronounce you husbands.”
“And?” Enrique called out from the side.
“And you may now kiss your groom.”
He didn’t have to tell us twice, both of us needing that kiss like we needed our next breath. It was a kiss of promise, a kiss of love, a kiss of forever.
Cheers erupted from our friends and family, breaking our kiss far too soon, but there would be time for more kissing...we had the rest of our lives ahead of us and cake. What more could an omega ever dream of?
Blind Date For Spring
66
Jason
“Come on, boss man.” Keith tapped the counter annoyingly as I finished shutting down the computer for the day.
“You know I’d be faster if you weren’t being such a pain in the ass.” I rolled my eyes and continued to finish up the end-of-the-day procedures. Being a tailor shop, there weren’t a ton, so he could get some patience already. “You can vacuum, you know.”
“I could, but then what would I do in the morning?” He sighed, leaning on the counter in front of me.
“You mean when you could be—oh, I don’t know—doing a thousand other things that need doing?” I was giving him a hard time. And true, tonight he was being an ass trying to get out of here and over to Jack’s, the bar we
both frequented, in the speed of light, but most of the time he gave this place his all. “Why are you so wanting to go to Jack’s, anyway?”
We’d been before. Quite often, actually, so I couldn’t see the urgent need to get there. It wasn’t like it was a holiday where you could get pretty colored beer or anything.
“Colin is coming.”
“I’m going to need more.” Because if he had a date, I was going home and calling it a night. I’d done fittings for three weddings and was sore—like, old man sore. I’d be happy to cuddle up with a book and not be in a crowded bar.
“A friend I went to school with. I told you that.”
He did? When? “Uh huh.” I just rolled my eyes. “I’m going to feel like my dad by saying this, but was I here when you told me?”
“You were taking the new bolts out back, and I said, ‘Let’s go to Jack’s tomorrow. My friend is going to be there. You’ll like him.’”
“So I wasn’t here.” I stapled the day's receipts together. “I was in the back room.”
“You said you would go.” He faux pouted.
“To Jack’s. The rest I didn’t know about.”
“So you're not going?” He gave me his best puppy-dog eyes. Those bad boys were going to get him into trouble one day.
“I need to finish this up and vacuum first.” I’d never seen Keith grab a vacuum that fast in—ever.
“All done, boss man.” He gave me a salute. “Are you driving?” Keith cycled to work most days.
“Rideshare and drink?” I offered, and he was ordering a car before the words left my mouth.
“They will be there in a minute. Let’s go, slowpoke.” He grabbed me by the arm. It was nice to see him so excited about seeing a friend. I knew he was lonely now that his alpha had moved on to lesser and crappier things.
Good riddance, if you asked me, but he was still sad, and for that I did feel bad.
The car pulled up to the bar’s entrance, and we climbed out to find ourselves in a short but moving line.
“It’s crowded today,” I stated as we walked in. Getting a table wasn’t going to be easy. “Did you text your friend to see if he was here yet?”
“Didn’t think of it.” He pulled out his phone just as a man came up behind him, pulling him in a bear hug. “Never mind.” He laughed.
“You must be Colin. I’m Jason.”
“Are you single, Jason?” He let Keith go.
“That’s really forward. Not interested. Thanks.” I pleaded with Keith to save me with a look.
“Nothing like that,” his friend slapped me on the back playfully. “I need single people to try my new app.”
“How about we get a table and drinks.” Lots and lots of drinks.
“I got one.” He signalled for us to follow him, and we wound our way through the crowd to a secluded table. His friend was good for something.
“I ordered us a bunch of appetizers,” he said as I grabbed the menu card from the center of the table after we’d taken our seats. Fine. He was good for two things.
“Thanks. Keith says you went to school together.” I attempted to avert the conversation from my single status and it worked for about a half-hour as he regaled me with stories of a younger Keith, one that sounded very much like now-Keith.
“Should I tell Jason stories about you, now?” Keith jabbed his friend with his elbow as the waiter put down our beers.
“Sure. Like those stories are any fun.” Colin made a face. “I’m sure Jason’s not the slightest bit interested.”
It turned out Colin was a big old nerd back in the day and spent most of his time reading, playing video games, and coding...which somehow brought us full circle back to my lack of dates.
Both Colin and Keith stared at me knowingly, but I refused to be pushed into anything to do with a dating app of all things. “I’m just starting to turn a profit on my tailor shop and want to focus on that now.” It had taken three years to be able to afford Keith and with me taking a full salary, so technically what I said was true. Of course, I left out the part about being lonely. Because really...who wasn’t sometimes.
“You have to do me a favor,” Colin whined after downing his third beer. I pushed the nachos closer to him. He needed to soak up some of that if he was going to be able to walk out of here without stumbling. He took one and waved it around. “See, I made this app. You know how all the dating apps are all about who is hottest and people catfish you with model’s photos and all that?”
“Sure?”
“It’s insane, right?” Keith leaned closer. Had he been on dating sites lately? If so, it sounded like things hadn’t gone very well.
“Right!” Colin got a bit louder. Go beer volume control. “What if instead of picking out your date, we let the app do it for you?”
“Dude, I love ya like a brother, but that’s so been done before.” Keith sat back in his chair and raised a hand for our waiter.
“Not like this. It’s a blind date app. You never see each other until your date—which is in a very public and safe place.” He started tapping on his phone and then pointing to things I couldn’t see...not that I was really interested.
“So, Omega Mine with no pictures? Yeah, that can’t end well.” Keith shook his head. Why don’t you create an app that vacuums?”
“Unlike my app, that’s been done before.”
The waiter came closer, and Keith indicated another round. What the fuck? Might as well.
“How is yours different?” I asked, wanting to speed this portion of the evening up.
“You just answer two questions and boom—match made. Something you love and something you hate. Done. No long surveys to answer. No finding the perfect picture. Just those two questions and that’s it.” He was so animated and enthusiastic even about the dumbass nature of the app.
“Sounds interesting.” I grabbed a now-cold mozzarella stick.
“So you’d try it?”
“Naw, I’m good.” I pointed to Keith, “maybe he knows some people who might be interested. I gotta pee. Be back in a minute.” Or as long as I could milk it in the hopes they would’ve moved on to other topics by the time I got back.
And thankfully, they did.
The next day, the last thing I wanted to do was work. I was too old for drinking like that on a work night, but given it was my shop, every night was a work night.
The bell over the door jingled, and I focused hard to not look hungover even though I kind of was. That would not be good for business.
“Welcome to It Suits You,” I said without thinking. But on looking up, I squealed as two men about my age came in with two little ones in a stroller. “Harry.” I hugged the alpha who’d been a customer since his cousin Darren got married. He introduced me to his husband, Richard.
The pair wore matching t-shirts, which read, “Luke, I am your father.” And I couldn’t help but burst out laughing at that.
“Are you Luke by chance?” I singsonged to the older child, a toddler, as he reached for me. Adorable.
“Naw,” Harry said. “He’s Enrico. One of the Henrys.”
Richard playfully smacked his shoulder. “Behave,” he scolded and kissed the man’s cheek. “Luke is his middle name and the only name he goes by. My husband fancies himself funny.”
“If he picked out the shirts, I might have to agree with him.” I half-shrugged.
“Ha. No. That was me.” Richard stuck his tongue out at Harry. “But he is the one who decided we needed to get all fancy for my award ceremony, so today he is the clothing picker outer.”
“That’s not even a thing,” Harry bantered. “It isn’t every day that my doctor husband gets an award for medical innovations.” He beamed with pride. “And besides, have you seen the way your ass looks in a suit?”
The two were so in love you could feel it surrounding them. Had they not been so ridiculously happy and perfect for each other, I’d have been jealous.
Who was I fooling?
I was jealous�
��not of them, but of what they had together.
I wanted that—I wanted everything; the true love, the kids, the picket fence, the dog...all of it. Heck, I’d settle on a cat. But work came first. It had to—for now.
“Shall we go get you fitted? Maybe we can even find something for the little ones.” I swished my arm out to indicate the direction of the fitting area. If it led to yet one more sale before the week and month closed, I was happy for it.
After Harry and his family had left, Keith said, “Richard’s nice.” Like me, he had met Harry before. He grabbed the bolt they had chosen to go with and brought it behind the counter. “And ridiculously in love.”
“Love isn’t a bad thing,” I reminded him. His had been toxic and nothing resembling love, but true love, that was a gift, one I’d not yet been given.
Darn Colin for putting all that relationship crap in my head.
“How about this...you try the app and I will too?” He gave me those darn puppy-dog eyes. Why did they have such power over me? Wasn’t I the boss?
“Fine. What do I do?” I asked.
“One like and one dislike,” he replied.
“I like blue-and-white pottery and hate it when asshats talk at the movies,” I conceded.
“Excellent. Hand me your phone and we’ll get this done.” And in my moment of weakness, I did. What harm could it do? It wasn’t like I ever had to log into it again. It would be nice for his friend to have people on there and possibly be a way to kill time by scrolling through it if I got really bored.
67
Rex
“Rex, did you hear what I said?”
“Mmmm. Yeah. Of course. I’m hanging on every word.” I wasn’t as I was scanning my schedule for the next week wondering how Mike, my brand-new assistant, had arranged for me to be in two places at once. I was hoping my brother, Colin, would stop pestering me while I concentrated on sorting out the mess.
Love at Blind Date Complete Series: Books 1-4 Page 24