Page 2 of Manny's Surprise Baby
“Colin would probably hate that I’m not playing nice with you.” I sighed. “He always wants everyone to magically get along. Personally, I think he’s dreaming. The world isn’t like that.”
He hesitated, as if considering his words carefully. “I guess what I’d hope from you is that you give me the benefit of the doubt. If I screw up, then hate me.”
I felt a little bad I was giving him such a hard time. He’d never been anything but respectful to me. He’d even stood up for me once at the compound when an alpha had gotten too aggressive. But I’d never had positive experiences with alphas. Everything was always about them. Even the ones who’d seemed nice at first had turned out to be assholes when they were alone with me. I shivered, pushing thoughts of the past away.
I exhaled roughly. “Look, I’ll try harder. I’ll be out job hunting most of the time anyway, so hopefully I won’t be underfoot too much.”
“I want you underfoot. I want you to spend as much time with Colin as you can cram in. You understand what he’s feeling better than me, since you’re both solar eclipse omegas. He needs an omega friend to talk to. We’re on tour a lot, and he doesn’t get to see Blade as much as he’d like.”
“You do know when omegas get together, they talk about alphas, right?”
“I’m secure enough that I don’t care. I want Colin happy.”
My chest tightened at the sincerity behind his words. If he was a fake, he was the best damn fake I’d ever met. “How’s Garrett doing?” I decided to change the subject since we’d kind of hit a wall.
He smiled immediately. “He’s great. Growing like a weed. I can’t believe he’s already a year old.”
“Me either. It seems like you two were just up at the compound having him.”
“Yeah.” He got off the freeway and after about half a mile turned onto a treelined street with sprawling mansions on both sides of the road. He pulled up to a house surrounded by gray walls, and he stopped at the tall iron security gates. He pushed buttons on a small electronic box on his side of the car, and the gates slowly swung open. He accelerated up the long driveway, then parked in front of a large, two-story Mediterranean-style home. He climbed out and I followed, trying not to feel intimidated by how fancy the house was. He beat me to the trunk and insisted on carrying my bag.
I followed him up the travertine steps, and when the door opened, Colin stood there, holding Garrett. “Pierce, I’m sorry I wasn’t at the bus station.” He gave me an enthusiastic, one-armed hug, while Garrett stared at me curiously, only inches from my face.
“It’s fine. I heard you had a good reason.” I tickled the baby’s cheek, and he blinked at me, giving a half smile. “Hey, Garrett. Remember me?”
“He probably does. You babysat him enough,” Colin said. “How was the trip?”
I met Riley’s gaze and laughed. “It was fine.”
“What’s so funny?” Colin squinted.
“Riley and I were discussing bus people earlier.”
Colin smiled. “Oh, good. If you were picking on them, you probably didn’t have time to rag on Riley.”
With a grunt, Riley headed up the sweeping staircase. “I’m putting your bag in the guest room, Pierce.”
“Thanks.” I was glad he didn’t tell Colin I’d given him a hard time. I had to grudgingly respect him for that. Glancing around the marble-decorated foyer and up at the enormous chandelier that hung above us, I gave a low whistle. “This place is… wow.”
“It takes some getting used to. I know exactly how you feel.”
“I’m surprised you don’t have a butler.”
He winced. “Riley actually did have one before I moved in. But I wasn’t really comfortable with that. Now Charles is only here if we put on a big event. I know how to open a damn door.”
I chuckled, pleased that Colin was the same down-to-earth omega I remembered.
Colin squeezed my arm. “It’s so good to see you.”
“Is it?” I grimaced. “Are you sure it’s not an imposition?”
“Not at all.” He moved toward a side room. “Let’s sit on the patio and talk about life.”
“It will have to be your life. Mine is pretty dull at the moment.” I followed him, admiring the sleek chrome decor, big white leather couches, and enormous rosewood entertainment center. “Jesus, people really live like this? I still had a tube TV up at the compound.”
“I’ll tell you one thing, it sure makes a nice change from the tour bus.” He opened the french doors, and I slipped past him.
There was a huge, glistening pool and a clear view of the Hollywood hills. Off to the side was a separate barbecuing area with built-ins and a shiny grill that looked big enough to roast a pig in. A bright red umbrella shaded expensive-looking teak patio furniture, and nearby a fountain trickled serenely. Everything was so immaculate and high-end, I immediately felt even more out of place.
