Page 89 of As The Shifter World Turns

89

SOMETHING UNEXPECTED

Neil

My body slumped onto the floor. There were distinct sounds in the room and outside that I would remember for the rest of my life. Crickets chirping in the bushes, a dog barking in the distance, Martin turning over in bed, and the voice at the other end of the phone giving me news that would change my life forever.

“Can you repeat that?”

“Adrian Williamson, your former high school classmate, died in a car accident yesterday.”

Gods, no. Daire and I had been out to dinner with Adrian many times, including when he was pregnant with his son. He’d so wanted to be a father and after a one-night stand with an alpha who was in town for a conference, he got pregnant. The alpha, who it turned out was mated, didn’t want anything to do with the child and so Adrian became a single dad.

He’d brought the baby to Sunshine Manor about six weeks ago but what with the lead up to the trial and Daire’s new motel project, neither of us had seen Adrian since then. The baby, Charlie, must be about six months old.

“I’m… I’m so sorry to hear that,” I managed to get out between sobs. “He was a good friend to me growing up.” Adrian was human but unlike me, Daire had never let him in on the secret that shifters existed.

“Neil,” Martin whispered. “Tell me what’s happened. Is it someone at the manor?”

I shook my head. “Thank you for letting me know,” I said into the phone. In the back of my mind, I wondered why a lawyer was calling me about Adrian’s death, but having no close family of his own other than Charlie, the baby, perhaps he’d left instructions for the guy to inform his friends.

“Charlie!” I shrieked. “Was he in the car?” Oh no, not the baby too. But if Adrian had been killed in the accident… I couldn’t go on, my thoughts were so bleak and sad.

“Neil, tell me what’s happening?” Martin leaned over the side of the bed. I held his hand as I waited for the lawyer to give me even worse news.

“No. He was on his way to collect Charlie from daycare when the accident happened.”

“Thank goodness.”

“And that’s why I’m calling.”

“Sorry?”

“Adrian named you and your friend Daire as Charlie’s guardians.”

Guardians? That would be a temporary arrangement until they could find the alpha parent. But the lawyer squashed that idea. “I’ve been in contact with Charlie’s alpha father. Even though Adrian said he wanted nothing to do with his son, I needed to confirm that and make it official.”

“Huh?”

“The guy’s giving up his parental rights and is flying into town in the morning to sign the papers, even though it’s Sunday. You and Daire can collect Charlie after that.”

“Wait what?”

I must have yelled louder than I realized because Toby pushed open the bedroom door. “Neil, you woke me up.”

Martin sat up as I babbled, “Baby. Baby.”

Instantly, Toby was wide awake. “Has Archer had the baby? That’s so exciting.” He climbed into bed with his dad. Right now I needed Martin and Toby and I got under the covers and mouthed, “Hold me,” to Martin.

“It’s incredibly sad but Adrian was adamant that should anything happen to him, you and Daire would bring up Charlie. And when the time is right, you can adopt him officially.”

So much information was being flung at me, I was lost for words, but the guy was under the impression Daire and I were mated. Not that it mattered. What was important was little Charlie. After telling the guy I was out of town, I assured him we’d drive back now. We were only two hours away. He’d call me in the morning once the alpha father had completed the paperwork.

It wasn’t enough time to get my head around what had happened but Charlie was my focus.

“Boy or girl?” Toby asked as I ended the call.

“Boy,” I said without thinking. “A six-month old baby boy named Charlie.”

“Six months?” Toby and his dad repeated.

“Yeah,” I mumbled. “We have to pack up and go home now.” But neither of them moved and I managed to get out the relevant information

“You’re a dad, Neil. You have a baby. Can I play with him?” Toby was enthusiastic while Martin was dumbfounded. I assured Toby he could while we threw clothes and toiletries in our bags and headed to the car.

“I’m sorry our weekend was ruined,” I told both of them as Martin started the car.

Toby was bouncing up and down on the back seat. “I can’t wait to meet Charlie. What about Patch? Will he get jealous if I spend so much time with the baby? Does this make me a big brother?”

Martin and I shared a glance. “How about you try and sleep,” Martin said to his son.

I had to phone Daire and while we’d be home soon when I could see him face to face, this news couldn’t wait. After waking him up and repeating myself a few times, there was a huge thump and Nate came on the line. “Daire fainted. What did you tell him, Neil?”

He also went silent as I repeated the story. “I’ll be there soon.” I wasn't sure if anyone in 3B was conscious and could hear me.

“Martin, I—” We’d been closer than ever since the nasty business with Xavier and we’d discussed mating. But now? Now my life was thrown into disarray and I couldn’t think about us, Martin and me.

He cut me off. “You’ll need things. A crib and bottles and clothes.”

I put a hand on his thigh as he negotiated a bend in the road. “The lawyer said we can go to Adrian’s rented apartment tomorrow and take all the baby stuff along with memorabilia that will be important to Charlie when he gets older.”

The rent was paid until the end of the month and anything we didn’t want, he’d donate, sell, or toss. And there was money. Adrian had saved a substantial amount but I told the lawyer to put that into a trust for Charlie. I earned enough and didn’t need to dip into Adrian's savings. Besides, Daire would be contributing, assuming he resumed consciousness.

“We’ll get through this,” I said. “It’ll delay things.” And by that I meant mating and moving in together. “But we’re already a family.” I jerked my head at Toby asleep in the back seat. “You two are my loves and now they’ll be a third.”

Martin sighed. There were so many unasked and unanswered questions and we drove in silence the rest of the way.

“Good to see Daire’s alive.” Not only my former school friend, but Nate was on the porch along with Ryder and Ivor. Dyani was in her stroller. Archer had waddled over from his place holding onto Micah who was carrying a sleeping Elune. Patch was with them and Toby took the dog’s leash.

The sun was barely up and I’d never seen the Sunshine Manor family awake so early except when they’d been planning on shifting.

“Good news travels fast.”

Ivor hugged me. “I’m so sorry about your friend. But now you’re a dad. You too, Daire.”

The word dad had never applied to me. I wanted a baby and thought Martin and I would have one together. Being pregnant for nine months gave both the omega and the alpha time to get used to the idea of being parents. But parenthood was being thrust on me and Daire. So where did that leave Nate and Martin?

We ended up in Ivor and Ryder’s apartment. Ivor made coffee and tea while Ryder ordered breakfast. Ivor agreed to come with me after we’d eaten and grab necessities from Adrian’s place. We could go through the rest another day.

“Isn’t it odd that Adrian never mentioned making you and Daire the baby’s guardians? Archer asked as he sipped his tea.

I was overcome with guilt at not seeing as much of Adrian as I would have liked in the last few weeks. “He probably meant to and never got around to it,” Ryder suggested. “When you become a parent, you end up with a long list of should haves and would haves. I’m sure he intended to.”

“Ummm.” The sheepish expression on Daire’s face alerted me to the fact that he was hiding something. “He did. I think.”

“You think he intended to?” Micah asked.

“No. He did say something. He mentioned it to me when I last spoke to him.”

Adrian would have assumed Daire had told me. “Why didn’t you say something?”

He made a face. “I forgot. He asked if I was okay with it and I said yeah, of course.”

This was one of those times I wanted to throttle my grizzly friend. But there was no point getting annoyed. Once Ivor and I had gotten the baby stuff from Adrian’s apartment, it would be time to pick up the baby.

“If you drive me, Martin, I’ll collect Charlie. You can meet him when I get home, Daire, if that’s okay.”

My friend nodded and appeared relieved I was taking charge. “How is this going to work?” he asked.

I couldn't answer that but it would. I’d make sure of it.