Page 121 of Bully for Sale
Ned didn’t care. The man could stay a year. So long as Ezer and the screaming, red-faced babies were going to live.
Ezer held his children close and, shaking, began to cry himself. Ned wiped at his omega’s cheeks, reassuring him, telling him it was all going to be all right now. They were a family. They were going to be happy. It was going to be fine.
Suddenly Ezer gazed up at him, shock and relief shining in his eyes, he laughed.
“What?”
“You’re trying to soothe me, but you’re crying too.”
And Ned was.
PART SEVEN
After Birth
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Ezer stood bythe window to the nest, holding Ollie in one arm and Sundy in the other. Both babies were betas, and both were, in his opinion, so beautiful. Each shared features of their parents, and Ezer couldn’t decide who was more perfect. Ollie with his golden hair but dazzling eyes like Ezer’s and Amos’s, or Sundy with his dark curls but dark eyes like Ned.
Naming the babies had been a joint effort. It’d been weeks of back and forth until they’d finally agreed on two names that seemed right for the babes and easy on both of their ears.
A month had now passed since the birth. Ezer was healing and gaining strength, and the babies were growing quickly. Both Ezer and Ned kept waiting for the horrible post-partum drop to hit. Everyone had warned him about it, describing it as a depth of despair that could bring on paranoia and rage in many omegas. So far, it hadn’t come.
In fact, he felt more and more confident and secure as the days went by.
At first, Ezer and Ned hadn’t known how to care for their sons, but Amos had stayed with them a few days, and taught Ezer how to nurse, and Ned how to swaddle, and encouraged Ezer to rely on Ned for more help than he’d previously expected Ned to give.
Ned, for his part, was devoted.
He took even more leave from school and now spoke of never going back. He told Ezer he had a plan. A big one. Whenever Ezer pushed for details all he got was, “I’m the right alpha for you, and I’m going to prove it.”
Which was adorable, and kind of ridiculous, because whether Ned was the right alpha or not, he was indeed Ezer’s man, and the father of his children, and he had no intention of dipping out on him now. But Ned said he still had more to prove. More to make up for.
If Ned wanted to work to impress Ezer? Well, Ezer was down for that.
He liked how Ned took every opportunity to be strong for him—emotionally or physically—and he loved the way Ned was showing more courage every day. He’d even gone so far as to inform Lidell that this house was nowhishouse, purchased with Ned’s trust fund money, and asked him not to return to live here without Ned’s permission.
Lidell had taken it well enough, since his plan seemed to be to travel endlessly on the funds Ezer’s father had provided at the beginning of their contract. Ned warned that eventually Lidell would use it all up and be back for more. Still, it was a relief to know the man was out of their lives for the time being.
Besides, soon Ezer would leave the nest with the babies and move into the main part of the house. According to Earl, Ned had prepared a lot of changes to the various rooms, making one into a nursery and setting up the master bedroom for Ezer particularly.
“Will I even like it?” Ezer asked the babies, both sleeping soundly for once. “What if I don’t?”
But instead of enraging him, the thought of Ned making choices without Ezer’s input just made him laugh. He was sure if he hated it, Ned would simply have it changed. That was how Ned was these days; he’d do anything to please his children’s da.
Which was something that would have to change eventually.
Ezer couldn’t be with a boring yes man for the rest of his life, but right now, while he was still recovering, it was nice.
Amos was leaving today, though, and he was up in the main portion of the house packing his things. It was time for him to get back to his lakeside apartment and check his bank account for the promised cash from Ezer’s father. Two sons meant twice as much money. Amos said it was all he’d need to live on forever.
Sometimes Ezer wondered how much money Ned had received for the twins. Surely his father had given him a bonus too for the extra child? Or maybe the contract was set up to pay per pregnancy only. Whatever the case, he still chafed at the idea that his children’s father accepted money for their birth, but, as Amos had told him, “George owes you and the children. Ned may be the recipient of the money, but it will only be used to keep you in the manner to which you’ve become accustomed.”
Coming out of the pregnancy haze, and preparing to leave the nest, Ezer was still trying to understand what manner it was, exactly, to which he had become accustomed, and if he indeed wanted to stay that way.
He and Ned needed to talk. Again. Funny how they always kept coming back to that. This time, maybe it would be productive.
There were footsteps on the stairs, and Ezer’s heart leapt. He hoped it was Ned, but he recognized the tread soon enough, and turned from the window to see his da step into the room.
