Page 102 of Vegas Baby!

“Pretty impossible not to catch it.” I took a chance on a few more fries, chewing to give myself a moment to think. “I always took care of her before I left, didn’t I?”

Nathan’s features softened. “You did. It’s been a long time, though.”

“You think I’m gonna care for herlessnow that I know she’s my scent matched omega?”

“She’s knocked up with an asshole’s baby,” Nathan pointed out. “A lot of alphas wouldn’t be so understanding. I don’t think I’m out of line in checking if the match still matters in that case.”

“You’re not,” I agreed. “Nathan…I fucking love her, man. I swear I’m going to take care of her, and not just because of you—she got really fucking mad at that concept—but because she’s Ava. She’s…everything.”

“Glad to know I won’t have to drive you into any cliffsides. Dealing with that insurance on a rental would be a bitch.”

“Really appreciate not getting murdered.”

Once we hit the edge of the city, the landscape morphed into the expansive red cliffs, and we drove straight into Red Rock Canyon on its twisting roads.

Nathan sighed deeply and pulled off at one of the overlooks. “Pretty fucked up of you to stop talking to me when you left.”

“I know.”

“Why?”

“A lot of reasons, but mostly I just thought restarting my life would be easier if I left everything in the old one behind. It was a dick move. I own it, and I regret it.”

“Glad to see you’ve gotten smarter in your old age.”

“We’re the same age.”

We sat with the radio on low, Nathan diverting us to some actual catching up on how our lives have gone the last few years.

“So, what do you do for work now? How are you planning on supporting a bondmate and baby?”

“Do you want the honest answer?”

“Obviously.”

“I work in porn.”

Nathan choked on his drink. “Are you serious or fucking with me?”

“Serious. I’ve done it for years. Not sure what the plan for it is now, but that’s how I’ve been making money.”

“Huh. Well, as long as you liked it, that’s the important part.”

I answered more of his questions while I worked my way through my food, telling him about my pack and how things had been since Ava came on the scene.

“You think you’re going to be around more often?” I asked. “Not long until you’re going to be an uncle.”

“Fuck, man, I don’t know. Guess it depends on if she wants me around after this fuckup.”

I shrugged. “She still wants me around, so I’d say your odds are good.”

“You think so?”

“Of course. Ava loves you. As long as you prove you’re going to show up for her, I think you’ll be fine to be part of her life going forward.”

“I fucking hope so. Better late than never?”

“That’s the approach I’m taking. You can start by getting your mom to actually listen to what Ava wants.”

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