Page 29 of The Omega's Secret Baby
It was a lofty dream, but one that I couldn't quite let go of now that Matt had reentered my life and he was getting along with Jake so well. He was making such an effort. That had to count for something, right?
I got the feeling that Jake was really starting to like him, too.
Still, there was doubt nagging at my heart.
Could I really let myself fall for Matt again?
The stakes were even higher now than they had been when we were younger. This time, if things went south again, that would hurt Jake too, if we weren't careful. And Jake had enough on his plate already.
Sitting in the back of the car with him on the way home from the movies, I kissed his hair. He'd fallen asleep again. Car rides always put him out when he was tired. It had been that way from the time he was a baby.
Slowly, I undid his seat belt as Matt parked the car in front of our house. Matt opened the door on his side and lifted the sleeping boy out.
“Be careful,” I told him, even as the sight of him holding my son--his son--tugged on my heartstrings.
“Of course.”
I nodded and got out of the car myself, so I could open the front door of the house for Matt. That done, I led him inside and up the stairs. Then I showed him to Jake's room, turned the light on low and watched him lay our boy down on his bed and pull a blanket over him.
It was surprisingly quiet in the house, and I wondered whether Griff and Fiona were out on a walk or something, but wherever they were, I was selfishly glad for their absence. If only because it allowed me to see Matt watch our son sleep. And the expression of tenderness on his face told me all I needed to know about how serious all of this was to him.
Finally, he tore his gaze off Jake and studied the room instead, eyes trailing over the colorful drawings on the wall with interest.
“Why are there so many animals wearing clothes?” he wondered, and I could just keep myself from laughing. Afraid that the sound might wake our son, I took Matt's arm and led him out of the room. I closed the door to Jake's room before facing him again.
“Jake's got it into his head that I should do an animal fashion show at the shelter. Because I made that hat for Fiona, you know.”
“Ah yes, that. It's a nice hat. But why should the shelter put on a fashion show?”
I shrugged. “We're low on funds. We need donations.”
“A charity event?” Matt cocked an eyebrow. “You should talk to my mother. She knowsallabout that sort of thing.”
I gave a dry laugh. “Right. Me and your mother. Wouldn't that be fun?”
“It would be absolutely horrible. And probably boring. I don't think my mother's ever done anything as entertaining as an animal fashion show.”
I shook my head. “It's just a crazy idea Jake had.”
“Well, maybe you should do it.”
I shot him a disbelieving look. “You really think so?”
“Why not?”
“I don't even really like knitting. I only learned it because I had to. It's an omega thing.” I made a dismissive gesture with my hand--only to have Matt grab my hand in mid-air.
“Don't do that,” he said.
“Do what?” I asked, trying hard to keep a clear head while I felt Matt's hand on mine and something about that single point of contact suddenly made me realize how close we were standing.
“Don't dismiss your talents because they're omega traits. There's nothing wrong with being an omega. And even if there was, you know that's not all you are. You've always been so much more than that.”
I didn't know what to say to that. Matt sounded so sincere. “I'm not the man you knew anymore. I couldn't do any of those things I'd planned. I couldn't even finish college.”
“So what?” Matt took a step closer, and I had to take a step back because my heart wasalreadygoing several miles a minute--but when I did, I found myself with my back to the wall.
Of course.
