Page 30 of Choosing Their Omega

“That’s not always a bad thing.” Cruz’s voice is soft and my heart starts to race.

“Look who I found,” Lawson says cheerfully, entering the kitchen with Ben. The others enter as well, and the moment, if it really was a moment, is broken.

I’m sure it wasn’t really anything. Cruz is just teasing me. It’s clear from how the four men interact with one another that they’re used to constantly poking good-natured fun. That’s all it is.

I’m just the nanny. And a Beta. They’ll find an Omega someday. Even if there was something between us, and I know there isn’t, it couldn’t ever be serious. They need an Omega and I won’t set myself up to get my heart broken. I can’t get too attached.

“Well, well, well, look who it is!” I grin and take Ben as Lawson passes him over to me. He buries his nose in my neck to scent me again. “I was hoping that I could have your breakfast finished when you woke up. Did you have good dreams with Oswald the penguin?”

“Uh huh.” Ben launches into an animated story about his dream while I finish fixing up his breakfast, Winston nearly tripping me up as he tries to beg for some of the food.

“And I got to ride Winston! Like a pony!” Ben finishes.

“I think Winston would be very confused if you tried to ride him like that in real life,” I tell him, laughing as I put him in his chair and then get his food. “He’s a little small for that!”

Winston barks like of course he could manage being a pony for Ben if Ben wanted it. I reach down and scratch behind his ears. “I know, you love Ben just as much as we do.”

The others are off soon, and it’s just Ben and me. I don’t mind. I love spending time with Ben. It’s nice to rediscover my love for kids, even if it also reminds me that I’d like my own.

I kind of forgot about that, how much I want children. I was consumed by trying to survive. Now it’s back with a vengeance, the reminder of how much babysitting as a teenager made me want to have kids of my own.

But Ben isn’t mine, and I have to remember that. No matter how great this nanny job is, I have to remind myself that it won’t be permanent.

I make sure Ben takes an extra-long nap so that he can stay awake while staying up later than usual, then we head out to the game. When we get there, I give my name like I was told, and I’m given ringside seats. More than that, we’re given free food, and Ben is given a little Titans flag to wave. It’s adorable.

The game is exhilarating. Ben is totally enraptured by it all, and I point out his uncles whenever they’re on the ice, trying to narrate to him and explain what they’re doing. I want him to understand as best he can even if he can’t quite figure it out on his own yet.

I love the game even more than I did the first time. I know the players now. I watch the four men, taking in their styles and positions. I still don’t know what offside is, but I’m able to pick up on a lot more.

We cheer and yell with everyone else, Ben mostly on my lap since I think as much as he loves it, the crowd also overwhelms him a little. But he yells with me when I cheer, and there’s a massive smile on his face the entire time.

My heart aches for this sweet little boy. I want him to always feel this joyful.

After the game, we wait for the crowds to thin out a little, and I take Ben around to the locker rooms. There’s a security guard, but Cruz or someone must’ve told him about us, because while he gives me a suspicious look, when he looks down and sees Ben, he smiles and nods, and lets us pass.

“Here they are!” I whisper, taking Ben into the family lounge.

I stop short as the doors open, and it feels for a moment like my heart stops too.

Ben doesn’t stop, he just keeps going. “Uncle Knox! Uncle Miles! Uncle Cruz! Uncle Lawson!”

Then again, Ben is three. He doesn’t care about men being freshly showered, their hair still damp and their faces flushed from the exertion of the game. shirtless and sweaty. This is a separate area from the locker room, so thankfully none of them are naked… but they still look way too rugged and masculine for my own good.

“Sorry,” I blurt out, even though I have no idea what I’m apologizing for.

Knox bends down to smile at Ben, while the other three turn to me. Lawson smiles broadly while Miles flushes a little, and Cruz… well, he’s definitely wearing a smirk.

My heart is beating so fast, so loudly, that I’m sure they can hear it.

“It’s all right. This is where you’re supposed to meet us. And it’s perfect timing, because we’re ready to go,” Lawson says, breaking me out of my mini trance.

“Great.” I clear my throat, trying to regain a bit of composure. “Ben was so excited to see you guys. He loved the game.”

Now that the excitement of seeing the game and greeting his uncles is over, Ben is starting to droop. I pick him up, cradling him so that his head rests on my shoulder as I rub his back. I’m grateful for the distraction of taking care of him, since it makes me feel more like myself and less like a flustered teenager.

“I was wondering how quickly he’d get worn out,” I murmur. “I had him take an extra-long nap today to help, but it’s a lot.”

“Good call.” Knox doesn’t smile, but his gaze is soft as he takes in the sight of me holding his nephew. “It’s a lot of excitement for the little guy.”

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