Wyatt sucked in a sharp breath. Raph hadn’t mentioned this before, hadn’t been able to commit fully. “What about your job?”
“I’m quitting. I’ll find a job in Meadowfall, and I’ll take on more than one if I have to.”
“What about your other jobs? The ones Grandma mentioned?”
Raph’s cheeks burned. “I quit the chauffeuring. The other one fired me.”
“You were fired?” Wyatt’s eyes grew wide. “I can’t see anyone firing you.”
“I flaked on them.” Raph looked away, his skin crawling. Some alpha he was. “Was drinking.”
Wyatt narrowed his eyes. “You know that’s terrible.”
Looking back on it, it was. “Swear I stay off booze if I get upset.”
Wyatt studied him suspiciously. “Really?”
“Really.” When Wyatt didn’t seem convinced, Raph slipped his fingers into Wyatt’s hand. “I didn’t think I was gonna get you back, Wy. Didn’t see a reason why I shouldn’t fuck things up anymore. Stupid-ass reason, I know. But I—I’m gonna try harder now. Got two children to care for. Got you, too. It isn’t worth getting drunk if I’ve got all that to lose.”
Wyatt pursed his lips. At length, he touched his fingertips to Raph’s cheek. “I believe you. And I believe you’ll do that for our children.”
Raph’s chest squeezed tight. Our children. “Yeah.”
“You’ll be a great dad, you know,” Wyatt said softly.
Raph blushed, perking up. “You think so?”
“I know so. You’re so precious, Raph. You’re adorable when you blush.”
“I’m just trying my best,” Raph said.
“And that’s important.” Wyatt’s eyes gleamed, full of pride. “I like seeing that in my alpha.”
Raph’s cheeks burned hotter. He clicked his tongue, shrugging. “So, we talk to Dad? Where would he be right now?”
“At the station, I think.” Wyatt set his hand on Raph’s shoulder, squeezing him lightly. “Do you think... we should wait?”
But waiting didn’t suit Raph. Not when he’d already made his decision. “It changes nothing. I’ll tell him how I feel about you.”
“I don’t know if that’s enough.” Wyatt squirmed, some of the light fading from his eyes. “To be honest, I’d be fine not seeing Mom and Dad for another few months.”
Raph had promised Mom he’d get Wyatt to visit, though. “Mom would want to see you. You saw how she was on Saturday.”
Wyatt sagged. “I did. I just... don’t want to bring them any more trouble. If Grandma evicts them, I have no space for them to stay.”
They really didn’t. Raph wasn’t about to sacrifice the privacy they had in this apartment, not when Wyatt sometimes moaned out loud, his voice breaking, the scent of their musk soaking through the bedroom.
“They can’t stay here,” Raph murmured, slipping his fingers down Wyatt’s back, to the damp warmth of his ass.
Wyatt shivered. “It would be very inconvenient.”
“All options considered, the best thing would be to tell him and Mom half our plans. I’ll tell them I’m moving in with you. We won’t mention the loan, so they won’t feel obliged to help. We’ll explore other options. I have some old friends around town.”
“You sound every bit like the experienced manager, Raph,” Wyatt murmured, burying his face in Raph’s neck.
“Really?”
“What would you do if a diner threw a fit and said there’s a fly in the food?”
“I’d get them a replacement.”
Wyatt hummed. “What if there’s a conflict between two of the staff? Say, Mina tells you Sam insulted her.”
“Probably listen to both their stories. Then I’d make a decision based on their past behavior.”
“What if you found Sam stealing the food from the kitchen stock?”
Raph frowned. Where the hell was this coming from? “I’d ask him what he’s doing. But probably give him the stuff you’d toss, anyway. Why are you asking me all this?”
Wyatt chuckled against him, the vibrations of his body seeping through Raph’s chest. “You’re hired as my assistant manager. You’ll start when I go on paternity leave.”
“You sneaky little—”
Wyatt kissed him on the lips, his eyes gleaming. “I know it doesn’t solve the debt, Raph. But I want you to know that you have a place at the drive-in. Once we get this whole mess cleared up.”
Raph’s chest squeezed. Wyatt looked so excited then, that Raph almost hadn’t the heart to pop his bubble. “Didn’t think I’d be sitting through an interview in bed. I haven’t even given you my resume.”
With a smile, Wyatt ground down on his hips, his balls dragging over Raph’s cock. “You’ve given me plenty of your resume, Mr. Fleming.”
Raph snorted. “Pervert.”
“The one and only.”
“Were you always this horny?”
“I’m pretty sure it’s the pregnancy hormones.” Wyatt wriggled on his lap, raising his arms in the air. “Like what you see?”
“Yeah.” Raph admired his body for a long moment, then caught Wyatt, leaning him down to kiss his lips. They were patching things up, little by little. They were making plans for their lives, solid plans that Raph would stick to. “But back to the serious stuff—I’ll need to find a job around here. Can’t rely on the drive-in’s income for the loan.”
“I know. We’ll figure out something else in the meantime.” Wyatt snuggled into him. “Hazel gets off from school in about two hours. If you’re still staying in Meadowfall, we could go pick her up, and then talk to Dad. I think it’s quieter for him in the afternoons.”
“Sounds good,” Raph said, nuzzling the bonding scar on Wyatt’s neck. For better or for worse, they were doing everything together now.
He couldn’t be happier about it.
Hazel frowned when she saw Raph in the car.
Raph reached across the backseat, pushing the door open for her. The schoolyard chatter rushed into the car, and Raph leaned back, waiting to see if Hazel would climb in.
“Sit with Raph, hon,” Wyatt said, smiling from the driver’s seat.
“I don’t want to.” Hazel pouted. “I’m not happy with him.”
Raph winced. This, he didn’t know how to fix. He’d discussed his options with Wyatt, but the fact remained that he was the one at fault. He’d disappointed his omega, and by association, Wyatt’s daughter.
“Tell me what I can do, princess,” he said. “I swear I’ll make it
