Page 44 of Admiring His Omega
“Would of, should of,” he mumbled, fighting a yawn. Now, both teenagers faced the charge of obstruction of justice. Yes, it was better than manslaughter, but it could still be a felony if the judge decided it was.
“Did you hear about those girls that killed Eugene Scott?” an older woman asked her companion at the table next to his. “What is wrong with the younger generation now-a-days?”
Mal growled, ready to yell at the gossips.
“Enough of that,” Zoe told them, refilling their drinks. “We don’t know the whole story. What we do know is that Eugene was a bastard.”
“Well, that’s true,” the woman said, patting her mouth with a napkin. “It’s just so shocking.”
“Violence always is.” Zoe looked sad. “Those poor girls are probably a mess right now. They did the right thing in confessing, but I bet they’re scared.”
The elderly woman winced, looking slightly guilty. “I should make a casserole for their families. I bet they don’t have the time or energy to stay fed.”
“Good idea.” Zoe smiled. “I believe I’ll bring coffee and breakfast sandwiches to the station right now. I hear they’ve been there all night.”
Mal sniffled. All it took sometimes was one person deciding not to fuel hateful gossip. Bianca and Paula didn’t need the town’s gossips speculating about them. He was glad he had only pranked Zoe twice over the years. She was good people.
Cain sat down with their food, and Zoe turned to smile at them. “Is this the man I’ve been hearing all about, Cain?”
Cain yawned. “Meet Mal. Mal, this is Zoe. Wait, I’m sure you already know about her.”
“Zoe owns the bakery and is married to Gib. She’s the granddaughter of Gramps Wilson, the daughter of Barry and Jamie, and the sister of Abel and Ernie. She likes martinis and has a pet rabbit.” Mal sighed. “That’s all I really know. I need to give her more of my time. She deserves custom designed pranks.”
Her eyes narrowed. “You’re the one that posed gingerbread cookies in my kitchen.” She glared at him. “Did you have to have them decapitating one of their own? It was disturbing, especially the girl cookie crying over the headless body.”
“Generic.” Mal shook his head, slightly embarrassed. “If I knew more about you, I could have done so much better.”
“You’re as bad as my brothers.” She rolled her eyes and walked away.”
Joy built as Mal brushed tears from his eyes. “Did you hear that? She sees me as family already. I can’t wait for Grandpa David and Gramps Wilson to make the announcement.”
Cain watched him, eyes darkening. “I love you so much.”
The buzz of people filling the bakery disappeared until only the alpha of his heart was there. “I love you too. Are you sure about doing this? It’s not too late for you to duck out.”
Cain snorted a laugh. “It is way too late for that. You already have my heart. There is no possibility of me leaving now.”
“What if Jasper dumped his alpha and wanted to be with you?”
“Too late. I have you and there is absolutely no one better.”
“Hmm.” Mal felt inordinately happy to hear him say that. He thought he had gotten over those doubts months ago. “What about the kids? It would be overwhelming for anyone.” Mal patted his extended baby bump. “You only have responsibility toward one of the three kids I come with.”
“Sorry, but I already love Bianca and Teddy too.” He shook his head. “Besides, what would Uncle Ron think of me if I didn’t love all the kids?”
“This is true.” Mal reached for his hand. “You’re really sure?”
“One hundred percent.” Cain watched him for a moment. “Are you sure? I’m not like your first love. Rick is fun and easy-going.”
Mal shook his head, fighting a smile. No, Cain wasn’t like Rick, and the love he felt for his alpha was different than the unrequited painful love that had sent Mal running after graduation. Love that was returned was so much better. It felt like a circle of fondness, care, and adoration, ever cycling between them. He loved Cain’s serious nature as much as he loved his willingness to follow Mal into trouble.
The way he made Mal feel about himself was just as important. Mal had three kids now. The responsibility would have sent past him into spirals. Now, he was scared, but determined. That was because Cain hadn’t even hesitated to believe in him. He hadn’t told Mal that he wasn’t ready for a child. He hadn’t pointed out that Mal still lived a nomadic life in an RV. He had only shrugged and said alright. If it was what Mal wanted, then it would happen.
“I want to live the rest of my life with you by my side,” Mal told Cain. “Maybe we didn’t have a traditional start to our relationship, but that’s just how the Reeds do things.”
Cain moved over to his side of the booth and pulled Mal into his arms. “Our love story is a damn good one to add to the Reed family history.”
“It is.” Mal settled his head on top of Cain’s.
