Page 90 of Treasure and Tarot

“Ghost delivery? Cool. Remind me to write that one down.” Colton was recording all the phenomena that happened in the house these days, saying it might be handy to have it all marked down at some point.

He thought maybe Elliot had convinced Colton to write a book.

“Yes. Which is good. My feet are killing me.”

“Did you want me to come down and rub them?” Colton paused. “I draw the line at the ghosts doing that.”

He bit back a silly giggle. “Please?”

“Make room on the couch. I’m on my way.”

They hung up, and he limped to the couch. “Make room for dads! Papa is coming down to rub my feet.”

“Okay.” Abby scooted, taking all her babies and her blanket with her.

Colton came down, cane tapping, which meant he’d probably been crawling around down on the floor or something equally ridiculous.

Colton sat, then patted his lap. “Come on, baby.”

He sat and turned to put his feet up, letting Colton rub the soreness out. So gently. Swelling could hurt like the very devil.

“Can I lean on you, Papa?” Abby asked, scooting back over to lean on Colton’s back and side, since he was half turned to Sebastian.

“Of course you can, baby girl. I’ll rub your feet when I’m done with Daddy’s.”

Giggling, Abby rubbed her babies’ feet, her little fingers more clumsy than Colton’s. Which felt like heaven.

“Papa?”

Colton smiled down at Abby. “Yes, baby girl?”

“Am I going to have a baby like Daddy?”

He couldn’t wait for Colton to explain this one. Abby was an alpha, no question, no concerns, and while he had no doubt that one day she would be the best alpha parent known to man, she was not going to be delivering any babies.

Colton gave him a wide-eyed look, and he nodded, encouraging. “Well, baby girl. Your daddy is an omega. Omegas can have babies. But you’re an alpha like me, and we’re the ones who take care of the omegas while they’re having the babies and love on them, and then help raise the babies after they’re born.”

He was fighting his laughter for all he was worth. Colton actually had done a fine job. There was no reason to explain sex until Abby was ready to ask the questions, really. And he wasn’t sure that she understood that there was a method in which babies were made.

It seemed perfectly reasonable at four years old.

“So…” She frowned at him, so serious. “You didn’t take care of Daddy when I was in his tummy. Does that mean you’re not my Papa?”

Oh, he wasn’t going to let that one go unanswered. “That is not what that means. Papa hurt his leg, remember? You know how his leg hurts sometimes?”

She nodded, tears barely held at bay.

“Well, he’d been in a bad accident when you were in my tummy, and so he couldn’t be here, but as soon as he got better, he came.”

“Oh.” She melted into a lump. “So youaremy Papa?”

Colton nodded to her, hugging her tight. “Yes, I am your Papa. You are half mine. And even if you weren’t, I would still be your Papa because I love you. But I am the alpha who helped make you.”

There went that head again. “You maked me in Daddy’s tummy? Did you put me in Daddy’s tummy?”

Uh-oh. Danger, Will Robinson. Danger!

“Yes.”

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