Dad said nothing, but Eric’s pulse thudded anyway. If he let the truth slip... what if Dad judged Ollie for it?
Eric felt like trapped, felt like he needed to get out of here. He’d always wanted Dad’s approval on things. His grades, his sports events, the little trains and things he’d cobbled together with scraps of wood.
For Eric to lose that, he’d be okay, probably. But Olivier would buckle, wouldn’t he?
Dad would never give Eric and Ollie his blessings. You will go to jail, he would say. Ollie didn’t need that kind of judgment. Not after what Eric’s mom might’ve said to him.
His heart aching, Eric reached for Jenn. “I’m taking Jenn to the store,” he said. “We’ll be back in an hour or two. Want anything?”
“None, thanks.” Dad smiled, but he was watching Eric more closely.
It was only when he slipped out of Dad’s sight, that Eric relaxed a little. This couldn’t go on forever. Not with him fucking Ollie, and still living with the rest of the Lancasters. Something had to change.
13
Olivier
Olivier wrung his hands, squirming behind the counter. For more than a day now, he’d been worrying, his heart thumping whenever he thought about it.
“It’s Eric again, isn’t it?” Levi asked flatly.
“Well, yes.” Olivier winced, glancing around the shop to double-check that no one was listening. “I’m meeting his daughter today. In, um, fifteen minutes.”
Levi winced. “Are you sure you want to do this? I mean...”
Olivier sighed. No, he wasn’t sure. It wasn’t like the meeting would go terribly wrong, but... she was also Eric’s daughter. Eric’s most important person. What if Ollie screwed up the meeting? Eric wouldn’t want to see him again.
His heart twisted.
“I don’t know how to deal with kids,” Olivier finally said.
Levi looked oddly at him. “It’s not so difficult if she’s young. How old is she?”
“Ten months.”
Levi chuckled. “Ten months isn’t a big deal, Ollie.”
“Then you deal with a baby resembling your alpha’s ex,” Olivier snapped.
Levi winced; guilt flooded through Olivier immediately after.
“I mean, I didn’t mean that,” Olivier blurted. “I’m just nervous. Sorry.”
“It’s fine,” Levi muttered, looking away. “Seems like having an alpha is nothing but trouble.”
It wasn’t like Eric was trouble—far from it. But nothing Olivier said about Eric had changed Levi’s mind.
“You’re just pissed you walked in on us,” Olivier muttered.
Levi scowled. Maybe he was envious of Olivier’s nebulous relationship with Eric, even if Levi thought sleeping with your stepbrother was the most incriminating thing.
“I’ll be over by the accessories,” Levi muttered, stalking away. “Tell me if you want me to man the register.”
Olivier squirmed, his anxiety doubling. He hadn’t meant to upset his friend. He’d known Levi for years, and if he lost Levi’s friendship... where did that leave him?
He’d be more pathetic than he already was. And then Eric would see, and realize he shouldn’t be visiting Ollie that often. As it was, Jenn was a reminder that Olivier was just a stand-in for Eric’s next omega.
He fiddled with the edges of the glass counter, his stomach flipping.
There were a few more customers in the store now that Eric had started sending out ads for Olivier’s Strings. They’d been doing flyers in the mail, and posts on Facebook, and Olivier was glad for all that help. Even if Eric was still working for Total Sounds.
Maybe Ollie should be angrier about that. Except Eric had been over to Ollie’s place more than a couple times. After each visit, he’d left Olivier’s ass pleasantly sore, his cedar scent heavy on Olivier’s skin.
If Eric was using Olivier... maybe Olivier was using him right back.
The bells on the front door jangled.
Olivier jumped. Then he recognized Eric—tall and strapping, clad in a knitted sweater and dark pants, a baby girl in his arms. Olivier’s heart missed a beat.
Eric looked good. Olivier would never tire of his intent gaze, his full lips. He remembered Eric’s solid chest against him, remembered Eric’s hands on his most intimate parts.
Eric paused just inside the shop, his gaze sweeping from Olivier’s head to his toes, slow and admiring. Olivier’s entire body came alive.
“Uh, hi.” Olivier waved awkwardly, glancing at Jenn. “Welcome?”
Jenn was chubby, with large forest-green eyes and soft red curls. Eric had dressed her in a knitted strawberry hat, with a scarlet sweater to match. When Eric stepped over to the counter, Jenn looked warily at Olivier.
“Say hi to Ollie,” Eric murmured at his daughter, waiting.
Jenn gnawed on her thumb. So Eric took her hand gently, helping her wave. “Hi, Ollie,” Eric said. “There, she said hi back.”
Jenn looked blankly at her dad. But Olivier couldn’t help noticing the faint smile on Eric’s lips, whenever he glanced at his daughter.
“This is Ollie,” Eric said to Jenn. “He’s very friendly, and he’s a good person. You might wanna smile, Ollie.”
Olivier forced a smile. Jenn looked owlishly at him, then turned back to Eric.
“I don’t think she wants much to do with me,” Olivier said, uncomfortable. This wasn’t going so well, was it? He couldn’t help noticing how different from Eric Jenn looked.
“She’ll chat more when she gets familiar with you,” Eric said. “It was new for her too, moving back to Meadowfall. All the family she never knew she had.”
“I can imagine.”
Eric hefted Jenn in his arms. Then he studied Olivier for a moment. “Doin’ okay?”
Olivier knew he meant, Are you doing fine with meeting my daughter? Ollie glanced at Jenn, unsure what to say. “I guess.”
“I’ll show her around the store,” Eric said. “Then I’ll get back to you. How’s that sound?”
Olivier nodded, relaxing when Eric stepped away. Eric wandered over to the violin cases, pointing out the Glossamer to his daughter. Jenn babbled, pointing at it, too.
Maybe Olivier and Jenn could coexist. Jenn liked the look of violins, so maybe she wasn’t so bad. But it was still nerve-wracking, realizing just how much Eric loved his daughter.
On the surface, it seemed fine, Eric
