Do you want some more of the Lucky Ballz, Luke? Or would you prefer one of our Fluffy Ballz instead?” Tom held up a plate of pretty pastel green ballz that had been rolled in edible, gold glitter, but the stomach cramps I’d been having were getting worse.

“No, I’d better not. But maybe I could take some to go? I know those mint flavored ballz won’t be around much longer, now that Saint Patrick’s Day has passed. Although, I can’t deny the Fluffy Ballz are pretty good too.”

I looked regretfully at the Easter-themed dark chocolate-coated marshmallow ballz, each decorated a different pastel glitter. It was amazing how much care they put into their ballz here.

“It’s cool, Luke. That just leaves more for me and Scott.”

Braden grinned and popped a pair of ballz into his mouth. He began clowning around for his daughter, Shannon, by stuffing one into each cheek so that he bore a strong resemblance to a hamster. At only a year old, the little one clapped and giggled as if he were the funniest thing on earth.

“So, is today the day when you finally tell us who the baby daddy is, Luke?” Tom asked as he settled down at our table with a tray of iced coffees. Decaf for me, of course, since pregnant people are denied caffeine. Reason number thirty-seven I was ready to be done with this already.

I huffed out a sigh. It had been a long nine months of my friends all asking this question that I had no interest in answering. My former bosses, Ian and Cecil, had finally given up with it, but Tom? Not so much.

“Trust me, Tom. I’m the only father this baby is going to have, so his name is unimportant. He didn’t want to have kids, he was quite clear about it when we were hooking up. This was my accident, not his. Apparently, I suck at math or figuring out my heat cycle. Either way... here we are and here he isn’t. Besides, I’m the Omega Manny. I’ve got this, okay? I have to... I’m the only parent this little one is going to need. Does that cover it for you?”

Tom nodded reluctantly and changed the subject, thank fuck. “Okay, doll. So... Tell me again how you guys met Scott here?”

“Scott is my across-the-hall neighbor at my new apartment. I thought I told you that? Sorry, preggo brain. But, yeah. Neighbor. And when we discovered we both make our living on YouTube, it was an instant connection.”

I gave a half smile at Scott, trying not to wince as another spasm rocked my gut. Holy hell. Was I about to get diarrhea in the middle of the Sweet Ballz candy shoppe? Or was my bladder so full that the baby was crowded and trying to kick it out of the way?

“Really? I had no clue people really made money that way until Luke started that popular Omega Manny channel. Then I met Braden here with his gaming. What do you do, cutie?”

Tom smiled at my newest friend with genuine interest. I wasn’t surprised. Tom had an amazing head for business, and was always interested in hearing about other people’s success.

“I’m the Outdoor Omega.” Scott explained. “I take videos of some of my hikes, camping trips, and other wilderness themed sports. I did one really cool shoot when I was climbing Mt. Rainier last year. There were a few gnarly moments, let me tell you.”

Tom shuddered dramatically at Scott’s words and held up a hand. “Thanks, but no thanks, babe. Tom’s idea of roughing it is staying in a three-star hotel while his hot alpha daddy takes the chitlins out to sleep in that canvas contraption in the woods. We meet up during the day for funzies, then Tom goes back to his so-so room to sleep. Everyone is happy, and Tom doesn’t miss out on the s’mores and smoked wieners. Win-win all around.”

Scott and Braden were laughing at Tom, but I couldn’t join in. The pain was getting so bad now, I felt bead of sweat breaking out along my brow.

“Tom,” I gasped. “Could I use your employee bathroom? Please?”

“Of course! Come on, I’ll take you right back,” Tom looked concerned when he took a good look at me.

It took every ounce of strength I had to stand up, and once I did, fluid gushed down my thigh. Oh, fuck! Did I just crap my pants? Or, piss myself in public? I looked down in a panic, but couldn’t see over my belly.

Then another pain hit me, and I doubled over, grabbing at the table to keep from falling over. That’s when I saw the small puddle of translucent fluid between my feet.

Braden passed Shannon to Tom and rushed around the table to help me. “Tom, I think you’d better call an ambulance. Luke’s water just broke, and I’m not sure if we should drive him, he looks like he could deliver any second.”

Tom rolled his eyes, his phone already in hand as he stood there and balanced Shannon on his hip. “No shit, Braden. Trust an alpha to state the obvious.”

I laughed through my pain when Shannon chirped see, see, see, as if trying to say shit. Tom glanced at her guiltily before talking into his phone. Scott came over and took Shannon from Tom, tickling her belly and grinning at Braden.

“Dude-bro, you’re going to get in so much trouble with the little mister if he figures out what his angel is trying to say when you get home.” Scott chuckled and kissed the top of her head. “That’s why Uncle Scotty likes to play with other people’s kids and not try to have one of my own. All that policing of the language? My kid’s first word would probably be the F-bomb.”

Braden eased me back down into my seat. “Naw, bro. It’s cool. I’ll just sic Greg on Tom if he figures it out. No way am I taking that blame.”

Tom stayed on the phone with the 911 operator until the ambulance pulled up outside a few short minutes later. I guess it was a good time of day to go into labor, given how fast they arrived.

Tom and Scott assured me they’d be right behind me on the way to the hospital, but Braden had to reluctantly bow out since he had the baby with him. I hadn’t thought I’d need anyone with me for the labor. After all, I was going to do the whole dad thing alone anyway. Might as well start out that way, right?

But now? I was beyond grateful to have my friends here. I hadn’t planned on the pain being this intense, and I was starting to freak out. I gripped Braden’s arm, before the EMTs could carry me out on the gurney.

“Braden, promise if I don’t make it through, you and Greg will still take her for me?”

The alpha pushed my hair back, and smiled gently. “You’re going to be just fine, Luke. But yeah, if anything should happen, Greg has the guardianship papers you gave us as back-up. But they’re completely unnecessary. Trust me, bro. You’ll be okay. Greg and I will be up to see you and the baby as soon as I can find a sitter. Now get out of here, before the candy isn’t the only special kind of ballz on display up in here.”

I tried to smile, but only managed a grimace. A fresh contraction hit and I clenched my jaw to keep from screaming and scaring Shannon who was still chanting see, see, see in the background somewhere.

The nice thing about getting there in an ambulance was not having to sit in the waiting room until they brought me back. They took one look at me and rushed into movement. I was being wheeled toward the delivery room when I heard Tom’s strident voice and the sound of running feet.

“Hold on! Don’t take Luke away without his labor coaches extraordinaire!”

I kind of tuned out at that point, delirious with pain. When I tuned in again, I was sitting up in bed with Tom standing on one side of me wiping my sweaty face while Scott was sitting behind me and rubbing my back. My feet were up in stirrups, and Dr. Green was massaging me in places I didn’t care to think about.

“What’s happening?” I rasped out in confusion. “Am I dreaming?”

“No, doll. You’ve been given the good stuff. Just bear with us, you’re almost done,” Tom encouraged with a toothy grin.

The mother of all painful fucking contractions hit then. Dr. Greene was saying something in her calm voice, but I had no time for that shit. I bellowed up at the ceiling instead.

“Fucking Grazer! What the fuck kind of a cockamamy-ass name is that, anyway? Wherever you are, I fucking hate you and your perfectly curved, banana looking cock! You can go fuck yourself with it, Grazer! Do you hear me?”

I vaguely hear Scott chuckling behind me. “Breathe, babe. I’m pretty sure the entire town heard you. Trust me, if that Grazer guy is anywhere within the city limits, he heard you too.”

A lifetime, and several bone crushing pushes later, I heard a cry as my daughter heralded her entrance to the world. Dr. Greene laid her on my chest, then proceeded to cut the cord with Tom’s help before going back to finish things with the afterbirth.

“What’s her name,” Scott asked softly from over my left shoulder.

“Samantha Grace,” I answered without hesitation. “I plan to call her Sammy.”

The nurse came just then to take her away so they could clean her up and do all the newborn tests and measurements. The minute she was gone, my arms felt empty. Tom’s voice distracted me before I could focus on my loss, though.

“You know, if I recall correctly, Ian’s good buddy Grayson is called Grazer. I don’t suppose you met him while you were working for them? Yeah, I’m sure you did... in fact, I’d swear we were at more than one get together with both of you present at some point or other. Hmm. Grazer... Yeah, that’s kind of a unique name. He’s a unique guy too. A hot alpha-daddy type, not total sex-on-a-stick like my own hot alpha-daddy, but still not at all hard on the eyes.”

I froze, as I slowly remembered what I’d stupidly shouted during that one ridiculously painful contraction. Shit. There should be a warning given about that possibility happening.

“Yeah, well... If I said his name during labor, it must have been the meds talking. You know how it is when you’re out of your mind with pain.”

Tom looked at me with one elegantly raised brow, but merely shrugged. “If you say so.”

This shit was making me nervous. “Please don’t say anything, Tom. Really... I need you to forget you heard anything.”

Tom looked divided for moment, then shrugged again. “You know what? No worries. Tom is absolutely not about outing people for their secrets. But... you should really think about telling him, doll. It’s the right thing to do.”

Luke shook my head. “The time for telling him was nine months ago. It’s kinda late now. Besides. He told me he likes to be on the other side of the May to December type thing when we went out. Although with us it’s more of a May to August at best, but... what are you gonna do, right? He told me silver foxes are more his speed than fertile pups like me. With his job and travels, he can’t risk it anyway, because he’d never be there. We didn’t have condoms that last time, and I calculated my heat cycle and figured I was safe, you know? But then he left on a new security gig, and I got pregnant. I was scared to ask Ian how to contact him. I mean, we only went out on a handful of secret dates over the three month period before he left for the new job. Ian and Cecil had no idea we’d even been dating.”

Tom sighed. “The longer you wait the worse it will get when he finds out, I need you to realize that, Luke.”

Scott eased out from behind me when the nurse came back with Sammy. He paused to lean over to admire her as he spoke his thoughts. “Unless he never does? I mean, Luke doesn’t work for Ian and Cecil anymore. If the dude didn’t want to be a parent anyway, why tell him? Luke agreed to a few dates and a little fun, not a lifetime commitment with him.”

Tom’s hands went to his hip as he stared Scott down. “No. Uncool, Scott. Neither of them asked for Sammy-girl, yet here she is. And he has a right to know she exists. Whether he wants to be a part of her life or not, he deserves the courtesy of having a choice. And Sammy is going to have questions in a few years. Trust me on that one. Kids have way too many questions anyway. You’ll regret this, Luke.”

I took a deep breath and looked into my daughter’s perfect face, then shook my head again, decisively this time. “I’ll think about it another time, Tom. I never intended on not telling him—I just don’t know where to begin at this point.”

Tom looked like he wanted to say more, but Cecil and Ian showed up right then. Before he slipped out of the room, Tom paused and gave me a long look, then smiled wistfully at Sammy.