Chapter 23
SANTO
“Why do you look like you’re about to jump out of your skin?” Mr. Freedman asks.
My eyes have been on Caelia, but I can’t stop tapping my foot. She’s been sleeping for an hour, and we’ve all been shooting the shit in the meantime. Now, I’m indeed antsy as I start to think about everything.
“He’s overthinking,” Levon grunts. Sighing, I slouch in my chair as I nod. “Out with it before you infect us all with your nervous energy.”
“Where are we going to live?” I ask. “How are we going to handle leaving Caelia when we’re on the road? Though, I can renegotiate my contract so I won’t have to travel. I only agreed because there was nothing keeping me tied to Nashville. That’s obviously changed.”
“I have a huge house, remember? Move in with me, sell the apartment or rent it, Santo,” Miles says with a shrug. “There’s plenty of room for everyone, and space to grow.”
Kids. I know immediately that he’s talking about children, something I haven’t really thought about.
“Cae likes kids,” Mr. Freedman says absently. “Space to grow is smart.”
“There’s so much we haven’t had a chance to discuss with her,” Miles groans, scrubbing his face with his hands. He has more scruff than usual since none of us have had a chance to worry about shaving.
“I’ll add you to our pack, talk to HR, and make sure that they know we have an omega. It’ll help get some of our more vocal staff to leave us alone about dating,” Levon says.
“You have someone worried about that?” Mr. Freedman snorts.
“We do,” I grumble. “She thinks that if players have an omega that they’ll be less volatile.”
“I’ve seen Levon play, he’s in the penalty box a lot,” Mr. Freedman chuckles.
“It used to be worse,” Levon winces. “Most of the things you’re worrying about are easily solved, Santo. The only thing I’ll miss about my condo is the soaking tub.”
“Remodel one of the bathrooms,” Miles suggests. “My house is yours now. If I have a hockey player living there, it makes sense that you have what you need.”
“I was kind of concerned about how different you all are from each other, but it works,” Mr. Freedman admits. “Cae is figuring out how to lean into her omega instincts and all that entails. She’s going to be needy… It’s weird to say that when she’s such an independent person.”
“I would carry her on my back like an omega backpack if she’d let me get away with it,” Miles says. “I mean…”
“You already cart her around enough,” Levon says, stretching his back with a grimace. Yeah, these chairs are terrible.
“I’m guilty of carrying her when she’s upset,” Mr. Freedman says, his eyes on his sleeping daughter. “I don’t know how her anxiety is going to be around a new team if she attends a game or something.”
“I’ll sit with her,” I say immediately. “They only need me before and after games unless something big happens.”
He hums under his breath, clearly worried about his daughter.
“Should she not come with us?” Miles asks, cutting to the heart of the matter.
“No, she should,” Mr. Freedman grunts. “Her best friend lives in Nashville. They haven’t seen each other in months. Don’t be surprised if she steals her.”
The three of us growl and Caelia shifts in the bed.
“Neanderthals,” Mr. Freedman says, amused. Caelia’s stomach growls, making him grin affectionately. “Cae, time to get up, lazy bones. You need to eat.”
Sitting up, she looks around blearily. “Ugh, I forgot where I was.”
“You’re adorable,” I say, standing to help her up.
“We’ll probably take Caelia’s car and drive back tonight,” Miles says, for both Caelia and her father’s benefit. “This way I can have a day to get back into the swing of things and get Caelia moved in, and she’ll have her vehicle.”
“Where am I moving to?” she asks, still sleepy as she leans on me.
She’s seriously adorable. Picking her up, I enjoy the way she curls up in my arms. Her father just shrugs, as if it’s the most normal thing in the world to cart around your omega.
Who needs to walk?
“You’re moving in with me,” Miles says, winking at her as she gives him a smile.
“And Levon and I,” I continue, “are also moving in with him.”
“Good,” she says, her eyes already threatening to close again.
“Screw it, she won’t starve,” Mr. Freedman says. “I expect she’ll wake up and be hungry though.”
“We’ve been keeping odd hours the last few days,” I admit, the closest I’ll get to discussing Caelia’s heat with her father. “We’ll feed her whenever she wakes up again, though we need to go by your house to pack her things. Ah, are you sure you’re going to be okay without her?”
“Honestly? I’m going to miss her,” he says. “It’s been really nice to spend time with her, but I know she’s going to be fine with you all.”
“That’s about as glowing a reply as I expect to get,” Miles says. “I’ll make sure she or one of us lets you know when we get back to Nashville.”
“They took my phone,” Mr. Freedman complains. “Something about stress. It’s very obnoxious. If I don’t reply, that’s why.”
“Stress is bad,” Miles teases him.
“Pot,” Mr. Freedman grumbles.
“What’s that, kettle?” Miles laughs, walking out with us.
“Ugh, does anyone else think that could have gone so much worse?” Levon asks quietly. He hasn’t said much this entire time, but I realize he’s been nervous.
“Maybe,” Miles says. “I think we’re good with her dad now. All he cares about is Caelia being happy.”
Amen to that.
CAELIA
Two days later
It’s unseasonably gorgeous out today. Eighty-five degrees and shorts weather? Get outta town.
Grinning, I sit back in a lounge chair in Miles’ backyard to bask in the sun.
Things may be in a transition phase, but none of it sucks.
Levon submitted paperwork to add Miles to Pack Diaz, and then as soon as that goes through, he’ll be able to announce me as his omega to the Scented Scorpions’ Human Resources department.
I told him that I don’t want anyone surprised about who my father is or who he works for.
There’s too much room for misunderstandings, and Levon, Santo, and Miles have worked hard for their careers.
Friedrick is dragging his feet on my severance package, which means I submitted my videos to Santo’s father to hold hostage on my behalf.
Just because I dislike confrontation, doesn’t mean I’m a push over by any means. Santo says that he lives for this shit, so his father is happily ripping Friedrick and his lawyers a new asshole since nothing in my contract states that I can’t date my alphas.
Unfortunately, there is a noncompete clause in my contract, which means I can’t work in any hockey staff position that’s content related. Fucker.
Miles opens the French doors onto the patio, and I turn my head to see him.
“Baby, you’re going to burn,” he admonishes. “The team will be here in a half hour.”
“It’s so nice out,” I pout, knowing that he’s right as I stand.
“Wear a hat and sunscreen then,” Miles chuckles. “Take a break with me and hydrate.”
Knowing he’s right, I stand up and walk back inside.
Pushing my sunglasses up to sit on my head, I follow Miles into the kitchen where he’s prepping food for the grill.
He decided that I should meet the team off the ice first to help my anxiety, and said he’s been meaning to host the team at his home.
This almost certainly sounds like advice my dad would give him, but I won’t look too closely at that. It’s a good idea either way, and if I get too overwhelmed, I can slip upstairs to take a break.
Piece of cake, right? I don’t know about all that, but I know that Levon and Santo are on their way over.
“Levon met with a property manager today,” Miles tells me as he walks around the kitchen working.
“Yeah?” I ask, smirking as he puts vegetables on the counter with a knife for me to begin to chop. He told me that he wanted to roast them for a large salad.
The counter is a butcher block at the island, and so clean, someone could eat off it. Hoisting myself onto a stool, I begin working. Not all the vegetables will be cut up, only the larger ones that can take a while to roast otherwise.
The oven is already warmed and set at four hundred degrees, it’s just waiting for me. I don’t mind being put to work.
“Mmhm. He’s going to lease out his condo, fully furnished,” Miles explains. “The place is in such a great area, it seems a shame to let the investment property go. Levon thinks he may want to buy another condo in the building to lease it out as well.”
“That’s smart,” I admit. Levon has a good head on his shoulders when it comes to money. He’s not really showy about what he spends, but he does like nice things, and continually reminds me that they can take care of me.
I still want to work. I need to stay busy or I get in my head too much.
“On the plus side, it gives Santo and Levon less to pack up,” Miles says. “They’re staying here tonight, and will start moving in over the next few days. I know you miss them.”
“I do,” I sigh. “I love to sleep with you all at night, I’m just spoiled now.”
“Good,” he shrugs. “I want you to be spoiled. Now, keep chopping, beautiful. I need to get this on the grill or we’ll all starve.”
Grinning as he picks up several racks of ribs that have been brining in beer since last night, I nod.
I lose track of time as I put the vegetables on the greased pan.
Santo surprises me with a kiss on the cheek as he takes it from me to season and oil the veggies before sliding the pan into the oven.
“Want to help me make a dessert?” he asks, turning to me mischievously.
“Why do you look so excited about that?” I ask, laughing. “I very much doubt there will be pot in this dessert.”
“Oh God, you don’t want to see me high,” he grins. “Naughty little omega, no pot dessert today. Just normal double chocolate chunk brownies.”
“That sounds like an orgasm in my mouth,” I groan, slipping out of my chair.
“It pretty much is,” Santo says. “The only thing better would be me coming in there.”