“Rapbey?” he said, pulling it out of his mouth and looking at it. “No rapbey.”
“Raspberry?” Barry appeared back in the living room, a baby gate stuck under his arm. He patted the pockets on his cargo pants and found what he was looking for. The bar he pulled out looked fancy with its beeswax made wrapper that showed chocolate and raspberries. Baby Andy clapped his hands and then waved them out for the bar, making happy gurgling sounds.
“Rapbey!” he cheered.
“There you go, kiddo,” Barry said, opening the thing without dropping the gate. He tore off a piece and Baby Andy took it as soon as it was within grabbing distance.
“Rapbey,” he said again before starting to suck on the corner.
“Everyone loves them,” Preston shrugged. “They come from Europe. Elven made.”
Barry set up the baby gate and Mori finished decorating the tree. He did a good job and when it was all lit up with the little winged bear on top of it the conversation turned back to where Baby Andy was going to sleep that night. Usually, he co-slept with Preston more nights than not. Mori and Preston talked it back and forth, but I kept my mouth shut. Sure, I was involved now but it was a no win situation. If I said to let Mori take him – I was choosing romping over the baby. If I said keep him here – someone might say I didn’t want to be alone with my mate. The omegas could figure this one out.
“You’ve been awful quiet,” Mori said, looking at me as if he picked up on the thoughts that I was happy to be left out of the conversation.
“I’m letting you guys figure it out. I’m good either way. I want whatever’s going to make Preston happy,” I said. “I’m not that hard to get along with unless you’re annoying.”
“Well, poop, Mori. He’s not going to get along with you,” Preston teased and Mori stuck out his tongue at him.
“Poo Mo! Poo Mo!” Baby Andy said and we all laughed.
“Buddy, do you want to come home with me tonight?” Barry said, squatting down by the chair and resting his elbows on the arm. “Come home and have stick-your-hands-in pot roast? Maybe hunt down and murder a boiled potato and try to steal the dog’s dinner too?”
“Do! Do!” Baby Andy said and looked around.
“Dog’s not here,” Barry said, holding up his empty hands. “Dog’s at home. You want to come home with me? You can sleep in the dog’s bed again.”
“Dad!” Preston protested.
“What? The dog doesn’t sleep in it. Someone might as well use it,” Barry laughed.
“Do!” Baby Andy said again. “Go do!”
“Bring him back if he cries,” Preston said.
“I’ll bring him back if he cries for you. We raised you without any major problems, didn’t we?” Barry grinned and scooped up the baby who reached out for him. “I got him. You’re allowedto have fun, even if you’re a parent. You two don’t get this time back.”
“Don’t get the time with the baby back either,” he said and my heart sank.
Perhaps, it would’ve been nicer to everyone if I packed up my trunk and took the train back to Hemlock Mountain. Then I could come back when Andy was older, and Preston didn’t feel so bad about being away from him. Only, I was selfish. I didn’t want to leave Preston. I wanted to stay here and build a life with him. To raise a family.
“He’ll be fine,” Mori said, shooting me a look I couldn’t read as he and Barry left with the baby.
“At least they’re not going to be jumped by Venal,”my bear chimed into my thoughts.
CHAPTER EIGHT
Preston
Nightshade Bear Territory
Imissed my baby as soon as he was gone. Wess probably thought I was a sniveling omega who couldn’t make up his mind. I was fine with leaving Andy with Mori and our parents until he cried for me. Now sending him away felt almost evil. As if I was choosing time alone with Wess over him.
“Does he like hanging out at your parents’ house?” Wess asked as he circled around the chair to massage my shoulders again.
“He really does. They’re great with him and it’s good for him to be around other kids too,” I nodded.
“It’s okay to miss him. If you want me to, I’ll go and get him back right now. We have forever – at least in the grand scheme of things and as ourselves we have however long forever turns out to be this turn of the wheel. If you need him here with you, we’ll make it work.”
