“Sit,” he insisted, pointing to the folding card table and chairs that was littered with half-finished coloring pages. I plopped down onto the cushioned seat and adjusted Kennedy so she was sitting on my lap with her legs dangling over the side. He heldout one finger. “I’ll be right back.” He started to hurry off, then spun back around. “Sorry, forgot to ask—cream and sugar?”
“Yes, please.”
In the time it took Brinden to bring me a steaming mug of coffee, Kennedy had toddled off to entertain herself with a couple of plastic dinosaurs that roared when you pushed a button. And, of course, being a little kid meant she pushed it again, and again, and again. I pinched the bridge of my nose and focused on breathing.
“Here you go. Mind if I…” He gestured to the seat across from me.
“Sure.” I wrapped my trembling hands around the warmth of the cup and closed my eyes, inhaling the steam. I opened them once more and looked at him. He was watching me, curious yet still concerned. I wondered if he felt this same weird tingling in his chest… “Thanks, I really appreciate it.”
“Are you not from around here?” He paused, then waved his hands in front of him. “I mean, driving in the snow and all? I thought maybe you were from the south, where it doesn’t…you know…snow.”
I chuckled. “Nope. Born and raised here, but you’d think I’d move to Florida or something, huh? Instead I torture myself, year after year.” I shrugged. “I was in a bad wreck in my early twenties. Happened in the dead of winter and ever since, driving in the snow sets me off. The weather’s some scary shit.”
He chewed on his plump bottom lip, sawing it between his teeth. “Oh, no wonder you were shaking. Are you okay to drive home?” He glanced over at Kennedy. I followed his gaze and took a long gulp of coffee. The heat soothed my raw throat and I felt myself start to relax.
“I’ll be okay, but thanks. So this is all yours?” I gestured to the menagerie of toys and books. It was like a child’s paradise.
He blushed, smiling brightly, andwow.“Yes, it is. I decided that it was time for a new beginning, so I sold off most my stuff and moved to Destiny. I saw this building and it was just perfect for what I was envisioning, and here we are. The parents seem to like me. They’ve been referring me to friends and honestly, business is better than I’d expected, seeing as I’m just starting out.”
“You like it here?” I mused.
He nodded. “Very much. I have friends here. They put me up for a couple of weeks, until I found this place. The best part about this building is the attached apartment off the back, so I can live and work in one place. No winter driving for me.” He winked, his cheeks dusting pink once more.
Yeah, hedefinitelyfelt the tingles.
“Lucky duck. I typically work from home when it gets really bad. My boss is pretty cool about that, thank god.”
“Oh? What do you do?”
“I work in insurance. I’m one of their numbers guys. It’s not the most exciting job in the world, but the pay is nice and I get great benefits, so I’m not really hard-pressed to quit anytime soon. I’m not ambitious enough to start my own business, though. This is really cool.”
“Thank you. I’ve always loved kids. I know, typical Omega.” He bounced his shoulders. “Seeing as I don’t have any of my own, I decided the next best thing would be taking care of other peoples’ children. At least this way, I get to say goodbye and clock out at the end of the day.” He giggled, but not before I saw the glint of sadness in his eyes.
“You don’t have kids?”
He slowly shook his head. “Nope. Gotta have an Alpha to have kids, you know?”
I stared. This beautiful man was single? How?Why?
Brinden cleared his throat and stood. “Sorry. I talk too much.”
“You’re fine, Brinden, really. I’m just…surprised.”
“That I’m single?” He frowned, then mumbled, “It’s not that hard to figure out. I’m not exactly the poster boy for sexy young Omegas, now am I? Just… Sorry. Let’s forget this conversation ever happened.”
Before I could call out to him, he spun away and started picking up toys. I drank my coffee in silence and texted Nathaniel that I was just leaving the daycare, and that I’d be there soon. I felt like an asshole though. Obviously I’d struck a nerve.
“I’d better go. Hey, thanks for the coffee.”
He didn’t meet my eyes. “You’re welcome. Drive safely, okay?”
“Yeah,” I murmured. “I will.”
The drive to Mac and Nathaniel’s place seemed like it took years, but I eventually arrived. Kennedy sprinted through the snow with me hot on her heels, and she hugged her daddies the minute we walked in the front door.
Mac frowned, catching my eye. “You okay?”
I swallowed. “Yeah. Just gotta get home.”
