Page 10 of His Omega Bear

As I observed the two of them, my heart swelled with a mixture of emotions - warmth, jealousy, and admiration. He clearly was a natural with kids that most people—namely me—could only dream of having.

Rhys hummed softly under his breath; it was an unfamiliar tune, not one I’d heard before, but my daughter seemed to love it. She had stopped crying completely and seemed content to lay her head on Rhys’s shoulder while he swayed side to side, humming.

His voice felt like a gentle caress in my ears, soothing me as much as it did my daughter. His eyes were glued to her tiny face, almost like he was memorizing every little thing about her.

“Thanks, Rhys,” I muttered, trying to hide my irritation.

He nodded, but there was a knowing smile on his face that told me I hadn’t done a very good job. My stomach churned as it occurred to me that Rhys could be silently judging me for not being able to handle fatherhood.

It hit me then that we couldn’t be more night and day at that moment if we tried. Standing in the kitchen, I couldn’t help but notice how put-together Rhys looked. His clothes were crisp, and he smelled of cologne, nothing heavy, but it was there. I, on the other hand, hadn’t showered yet and was wearing the same stained T-shirt I’d thrown on yesterday.

“You look like you could use a break,” Rhys said, breaking the silence. “I could watch her a little if there’s anything you need to sort out.”

I rolled my eyes as if I would let a virtual stranger watch Emilia while she slept. I held my hand out for her, and as he handed her over, I prayed she didn’t wake up. Thankfully, my prayers were heard.

Or maybe Rhys settled her better than you do.

I ignored that voice and headed towards the door.

“Come on,” I said, but didn’t wait to see if he was following as I headed to the media room, which had basically turned to my bedroom.

I placed her in the pack and play I’d moved down here two days after we’d moved in. I still couldn’t believe I’d been living in Montana for a six whole days.

Once Emilia was settled and I was certain she wouldn’t wake up, I noticed my guest hovering at the door.

“Come in,” I invited him.

He nodded and took a step inside the room. I caught him looking around, and it occurred to me that he had probably been here before. I swallowed the lump in my throat.

“Have a seat.” Lowering myself onto the sofa, I smothered a yawn. It was like my body knew the baby was asleep, which meant it was time for me to catch some shuteye for however long that lasted. It was our routine, after all.

“So,” I began trying to think of the quickest way to get him out of the house without being rude. She probably wouldn’t be asleep long since I hadn’t actually given her a bottle, but at this point, an hour of uninterrupted snoozing would be welcome.

“So,” he repeated.

I turned to face him and noticed he’d taken a seat at the other end of the sofa. Like he felt the need to keep space between us. My sleep deprived brain didn’t like that, and I blamed it on sleep deprivation.

“How did you get Emilia to sleep so easily.” I hated that I wasn’t sure if I should refer to her as my niece or daughter. Calling her my daughter felt like I was erasing Jayson and Leanne, but calling her my niece felt like…well, it didn’t feel right either.

Rhys smiled as I watched his lips move. I didn’t hear what he said as the timbre of his voice lolled me into a state of relaxation. When his lips stopped moving, and the smile crept up his face, I knew I was busted. Hadn’t heard a word he said.

“Sorry what did you say?” Fuck, the man would think I was being a dick for not paying attention or something, but things were definitely getting fuzzy.

“I said,” he repeated patiently, “I have a couple of nieces and nephews, one around Emilia’s age. I’m a pro at babysitting. May even be a baby-whisperer.”

He smiled, but there was something sad about it. I didn’t know why I could sense that, but I could. The air of sadness made him fragile and made me want to wrap him in my arms and tell him it would be okay.

Fuck. Clearly, I was more sleep deprived than I realized. It wasn’t like me to have these thoughts. I knew he was an omega, but it wasn’t enough reason to feel that way towards him.

“And you’re close to your siblings?” I asked.

He smiled wider. “Yup. All of them, although being the youngest,” he rolled his eyes, “it can get a little smothering. Thankfully, they all have ma—partners and kids they can focus on now.” I could tell from the irritated fondness in his tone he loved his siblings. “Between my four brothers, I have five nephews and three nieces. So like I said, I’ve had a lot of practice. Sometimes, babies can sense nervous energy, so if a person is—” his voice trailed off.

I chuckled, which turned into a yawn, “You can tell I’m just figuring shit out huh?”

He shrugged, smiling, so I didn’t feel like he was judging me. “You’re doing you’re best, she’s fed, warm, and safe…”

“Low bar,” I snorted.

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