Page 67 of Knight Life In Vegas

It was better for everyone if I let us all indulge. I knew I was touch starved, but maybe the others struggled with that too. Why make any of us suffer when the solution was right there?

“I need all of you to think critically about the match. This isn’t a typical situation. I’m not an omega coming into the match on my own. I have kids to think about and I willneverbring them into a situation that repeats the relationship they had with their father. Don’t ask me to accept a match before you’ve all actually considered what that would mean.”

I watched him absorb the words, focusing on the subtle shifts in his expression as I spoke.

“I promise it hasn’t escaped any of our notice that you have children, or what that would mean if you packed up with us.”

“It’s still different than the reality,” I insisted. “It would never be a case of doing only the fun things. You can’t know how you’ll react to the unpleasant parts of parenting until you’re in it. I’m not saying I need you guys to do anything, but I do need you to consider all the ways your lives would be impacted. If you really want me to think about one day accepting, I have to know you’ll be doing the same for more than a sake of fate.”

“It sounds like you’re just giving me a road map to your heart.”

Maybe I was. I needed to know that my children would be loved and wanted as much as I would be. From what little I’d seen of the alphas, they seemed like amazing men. Dylan was entertaining my kids right now, but those were the fun parts. They hadn’t experienced sleepless nights or tantrums, and the thousand other things I had to navigate on the daily. Parenthood was one of those things that hit you like a truck, except quite often that truck reversed and drove over you a few more times. You had to face it no matter how exhausted and broken you were.

Unable to bear the weight of emotion in Francisco’s gaze, I dipped my head down and stepped back, only to be nearly toppled when Ollie crashed into me. He took my knees right out from under me and Francisco caught us both before we smacked into the concrete floor.

“Easy there, little man. We don’t run around the horses.”

“Ididn’t run,” Sammy announced. I bit my lip to stop from laughing. He was a rule follower, but mostly so he could get brownie points, and loved pointing out when other people broke the rules.

“I wanted to tell Mommy that we should get to do a field trip so all my friends can pet the horses.” Ollie burrowed his face against my side.

“I can certainly bring it up to the school.” I glanced to Francisco, who still had his arms wrapped firmly around me. “Do you guys do field trips?”

“Once in a blue moon.”

“Does the arena get used during the day?”

“Mostly for training, or when we have new hires who need to practice, but that’s not every day.”

Sammy bundled up against my other side, wedging between me and Francisco. “I’m tall enough to see over Sugar Snap. Dylan said I could learn to ride on her.”

I swiveled my gaze to Dylan, who was busy eavesdropping on Beau and Eduardo talking. “Did he now?”

“Yep.” Sammy nodded. “That was the rule. We all have to be tall enough to see over a horsey back so we can take care of them.”

“Sugar Snap is one of our ponies,” Francisco explained. “Everyone always gets a kick out of her going out in the knight’s horse regalia.”

Dylan tiptoed over like the others wouldn’t notice he had been snooping on their conversation, but Eduardo caught him with narrowed eyes, Dylan offering a grin and leaping to cross the short distance to us. “What do you think, Mama? Would it be okay if I trained up some young squires?”

“Only if I can help. Do you guys usually offer lessons?”

“Who has the time?” Francisco said with a laugh.

“I mean,I do. We were going to talk about potential employment. Why not explore that avenue?”

Francisco’s fingers flexed against my waist. “We do have a fair few docile rides that would be good for beginners.”

My mind immediately started churning. Extended lessons for locals, crash courses for tourists, maybe even training programs for people who eventually wanted to join Night of Knights or other places where those skills would be invaluable.

“Be sure you make use of waivers and amp up your bodily injury insurance if you’re going to be doing lessons,” said Beau as he and Eduardo joined us. “I’m sure you already know all of that, but I would be lax if I didn’t mention it regardless.”

“We could charge a premium if we’re having our equestrian champion give lessons,” said Eduardo. “Regular people probably won’t care, but there’s always the ones with more money thansense and want their kids taught by the best of the best even if it’s just for fun.”

Beau stiffened.

“Were you one of those parents with Bryce?” I asked.

“There’s nothing wrong with wanting the best for your child,” he defended.

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