Chapter Three

Hal

I pushed back from the table with a groan. “Patrick, Damon, I don’t know when I’ve had such a good meal.”

Patrick rose and picked up a couple of big platters. “Well don’t be rushing off now. We still have to play football and have dessert.”

“I really think football is a bad idea since I just ate enough to feed a small town.” Covering my mouth, I let out a small burp.

“Oh, first we have to put away all the food and get the dishwasher loaded, the pans soaking...by the time we’re done with that we should be ready to scrimmage. Plus...it’s the only way to build an appetite for all the pies.”

“Don’t say pie,” I moaned, and both the kids giggled.

Damon handed me a stack of plates. “By the time we finish cleanup and play for an hour or so, you’ll be hungry again.”

I was torn. I didn’t mind helping out, but I’d had another plan in mind after that. Six hours between now and my piano gig wasn’t nearly enough alone time to get to know Kipling, something I hoped he’d agree to.

“That sounds great.” My omega was grinning up a storm, without a single qualm about ruining the plans he didn’t have any way of knowing about. “I haven’t played football in years. I hope you kids will take it easy on me.”

The good-natured banter continued while we got everything done and then headed outside to their big front lawn. Edison, who hadn’t been feeling well—and who Patrick had whispered might be pregnant—sat on the bench on the porch and cheered on Liam’s team, consisting of Patrick, Anderson, and Kipling. Damon, Robbie, Suzi—Patrick’s dental assistant—and I faced off against them in a game destined for the annals of Thanksgiving history. A deep-blue autumn sky overhead showcased the few puffy clouds and golden sunshine, and the breeze sent leaves chasing across the grass.

Lots of laughter and teasing accompanied our roughhousing, but for me the high point was when I tackled Kipling. Cheers and protests arose, probably since we were playing touch. And he’d rolled over so we were lying on the cold ground face-to-face, staring at each other. The sounds of the others faded away until all I could hear was our breathing, and all I could feel was the man whose long, muscular body pressed to mine. I told myself the panting was from exercise.

“Okay, fellas, that’s enough football,” Edison called from the porch. He held up a pie cutter. “I laid out dessert. Come in before someone gets hurt.”

The moment shattered, we climbed to our feet and followed the others inside where the table was once again laden with pies and a pumpkin-spice cake roll and a plate of cocoa-dusted truffles from Sugar, Liam’s amazing candy shop. Edison disappeared into the living room, pale again, but the rest of us ate far more than I’d have believed possible and as soon as we finished, Robbie and Anderson disappeared to play video games, and Patrick and Damon gave each other amused grins and stood. “Hal, I have leftovers for you in the kitchen. Maybe you’ll share them with our new friend.”

Damon disappeared and returned with two big bags. “Here you go. Thanks for coming, guys.” He shoved them into our arms and stepped back next to his alpha. “Don’t do anything we wouldn’t do.”

Patrick slipped an arm around him and tucked him close to his side. “I can’t think what that would be, omega mine.”

Their love filled the room, and for once I didn’t feel jealous. My cheeks, however, did flush. “Really, we just met…”

Liam paused on his way into the living room. “Yeah, I remember when we just met. Get going. It won’t hurt our feelings. Nice seeing you again, Hal. And, Kipling, I think Anderson enjoyed spending time with you out of the office.”

Kipling nodded. “Sometimes that can be a big help, for the kids to know I’m an ordinary person, just someone who’s good at listening. He’s a special boy.”

Liam beamed. “We think so. Well, I’d better get my family home.”

And five minutes later we were standing on the porch by ourselves, and the easy comradery of the afternoon faded into silence. I’d had fun, and I thought he had, too, and there was certainly heat between us, but would he want to continue our date...was it a date?

I waved him toward the car, glancing at my phone. Three hours until I had to be at work. “So, nice afternoon, right?”

Kipling’s teeth were white against his tanned cheeks. Did he use tanning beds, or how did he get that golden color? “It was great. I didn’t want to admit that I was dreading spending the day alone. My family is far away, and the friends I usually spend holidays with are on a cruise. You saved me.”

My alpha side puffed out my chest in pride. That’s right. I saved my omega. “Anytime.”

He waited while I fished out the fob and clicked the doors open. “Are you playing tonight?”

“Yes, all weekend in fact. Are you going to come by?” Say yes!

“I thought I would, if you don’t mind.” He slid into the seat and I handed him the bags and closed the door then scooted around the front of my sports car and climbed into the passenger side.

“Better than that, if you don’t have anything to do this afternoon, maybe we can go to my house and kill a little time, then you can come to the lounge with me?” I gestured to the bags that filled my car with the scents of Thanksgiving. “We won’t starve.”

He wrinkled his nose and my stomach flipped. Every move the man made had a visceral effect on me. “I usually am very careful with what I eat, but everything was so delicious, and it’s a holiday, right? I don’t break training often.”

“I think it’s a law to eat yourself into a coma on Thanksgiving. Or at least a moral imperative.”

His grin rewarded me for my sentiment. Although he hadn’t actually answered my question, I steered down the hill, heading for my place. I didn’t live far.

But something he’d said had caught my attention. “I wasn’t aware counselors had to keep in training. I guess you get some wild kids?”

He chuckled. “No. I participate in some competitions. Swimming, biking...running. Obstacle courses. Stuff like that.”

I eyed him with even more appreciation. “Do you mean like the ninja shows on TV?”

“Oh, do you watch them? I made it to the finals last year, but I didn’t win.”

Holy shit. Yeah, I watched it. It was my guilty pleasure. “I saw you.” And that meant I’d seen him in shorts and a tank and oh God. Talk about a perfect body.

He bounced in his seat. “You did? I’m embarrassed. I almost made it to the end before my fingers slipped and —”

“On the ninth obstacle. The spinning fountain. Nobody finished, right?” I pulled into the parking structure and turned off the engine.

“No, but I was point three seconds behind the winner. Sucked.”

“Are you competing this year?”

“Sure. Did you want to come watch me work out sometime? I could teach you a few tricks.”

I grimaced. “I don’t want to embarrass myself. And after that meal, I feel like I won’t even fit on the piano bench.”

But his gaze held nothing but admiration. “Tonight, will you sing a song specially for me?”