What have you been doing, Raph? Wyatt stared down at his phone, tempted to hit Call on Raph’s voice message. See if he could catch Raph, if Raph happened to be awake right now.
Or maybe Raph had finally realized that Wyatt wasn’t the best omega he could have.
Wyatt gulped, rubbing the scent gland on his neck.
“Are you ready to go to the store?” Hazel poked her head into his bedroom. “We’re completely out of milk. I checked every shelf in the fridge. There’s no evaporated milk, either.”
He sighed. “Do you think Uncle Raph will be here today? He left me a voicemail at 1 AM. That’s late for him.”
“Maybe not. He’s been coming over later and later every week.” Hazel stepped into the bedroom, and Wyatt patted the mattress next to him. Hazel sat, looking down at his round belly. “How’s the baby?”
“Kicking. He might kick if you hold him very carefully,” Wyatt said, pressing his fingers to his belly to demonstrate. “Like that.”
Gingerly, Hazel set her small hand on his abdomen. “I don’t feel anything.”
“You’ve got to be patient, hon.”
She frowned, looking down.
“While you wait, I’ll leave Raph a voicemail,” Wyatt said, pulling her into a hug. Her hair smelled like shampoo. “Then we’ll go to the store.”
“Okay.” Hazel wriggled out of the hug, pressing her ear to Wyatt’s belly.
Wyatt hit the Call button, holding the phone to his ear. The dial tone rang. He held his breath as the tone continued, on and on for long seconds. Then the phone clicked, and the answering machine greeted him.
”I’m sorry, the number you’re calling is currently unavailable. At the tone, please record your message.”
He sagged. Still busy, huh?
“Hey, it’s me,” Wyatt said, stroking Hazel’s hair. “Just wanted to say hi. I haven’t seen you in ages, Raph. I miss you. I think the baby misses you, too.”
“I miss him, too,” Hazel said. “He said he’d make me lunch, but he’s been visiting later and later. You owe me mac and cheese, Uncle Raph!”
Wyatt couldn’t help snorting, then. “Everything is all about the food to you, hon.”
“Not everything,” she said. “Coloring books are important, too.”
“They should be,” Wyatt said. Then he looked back at the phone, smiling to himself. “Anyway, I hope you’re listening to this, Raph. I’ve been trying to catch you awake, but you’re either at work, or asleep. And it sucks. I thought you wanted to spend time with me.”
It always felt weird, talking to a silent line. Wyatt paused, watching as Hazel dragged her finger in a swirling line across his belly.
She perked up suddenly. “I felt the baby kick!”
Wyatt had felt it, too. “Did you really?”
Hazel nodded, wide-eyed. “It was right here. If you put your hand down, you might feel it again.”
Wyatt let her guide his hand onto his belly, smiling. “Tell Uncle Raph he’s missing out.”
“You’re missing out,” Hazel said. “And Dad has been upset that you’re not visiting for longer. He wants to do the sex thing.”
“I did not say that!” Wyatt spluttered, his face burning. “What in the heavens, Hazel?”
She grinned up at him. “Aunt Penny said it when you were out on your date. I asked why I couldn’t be around when Uncle Raph visits. She said you’re probably doing the sex thing.”
Wyatt covered his face, groaning. Penny wasn’t exactly wrong. “Raph, I’m holding you responsible for this,” he said. “Your turn to babysit Hazel the next time.”
“Then who will you do the sex thing with?”
“No one!”
Hazel blinked. “Will you be sad, then?”
How was she even coming up with these questions? “No, I won’t be sad,” Wyatt said. “It’s okay to not want to do the sex thing, too.”
“Oh.”
“Anyway.” Wyatt breathed out, listening to the silent phone. “I’ve got to be going. We’re running out of groceries. If you’re heading down today, give me a call. Miss you.”
He hit the End Call button, and spread his arms. Hazel leaped into his hug, grinning. “Are we going to the store now? Super Cocoa cereal is on sale. Can we get three boxes?”
“Sure. Let me get dressed first, and we’ll head out.” Wyatt rubbed her back fondly. How was it that his daughter was the one scanning the grocery store ads? That was something a parent should do. Hazel had learned how to cook, and compare food at the grocery store, and pick out sale items at good prices, and she wasn’t even ten yet.
Dr. Smith had looked oddly at him, back at the prenatal clinic. What does this say about me as a dad?
Hazel skipped out of the room. Wyatt looked down at his belly, and his empty hands. His phone stayed quiet—no calls from an absent alpha.
It wasn’t as though Wyatt was new to this. He could do things by himself. He’d done it before. He’d just thought... with Raph around, he wouldn’t be quite as lonely.
He pulled himself to his feet, and got dressed.
They were halfway through the store, the cart a quarter full, when Hazel grabbed his arm. Wyatt fumbled with his box of linguine. “Hazel!”
“We’ve gotta go, Dad,” she hissed, glancing over her shoulder. “Max is here.”
Max? Wyatt’s stomach swooped. “What?”
“Hurry! Don’t look.” Hazel grabbed Wyatt’s hands, setting them on the handle of the shopping cart. Then she stepped between Wyatt’s arms, pushing the cart down the pasta aisle. Wyatt followed awkwardly, trying not to step on her shoes. The boxes of angel hair, soup mixes, and canned tomato blurred.
Panic slithered through Wyatt’s nerves. Max couldn’t be here, could he? He didn’t live in Meadowfall. But he’d dropped by the drive-in the other day. He’d seen Wyatt.
Wyatt remembered the sharp sting of Max’s hand, his cool, sneering eyes.
Why bother to run? Max had asked. You’re too
