Page 18 of Manny's Surprise Baby

She lifted her chin. “I’m not.”

Seth glanced at me as if wanting backup.

I shook my head. “Don’t look at me. You started this.”

He straightened. “You know what? I’m just going to shut up now.”

Emily laughed. “I win.”

“I can see when I’m beat.” Seth’s mouth twitched. “I’m going to go change my clothes and eat dinner. Then I’m going to crash for the night.” He moved to the door. “Good luck on your first day of school tomorrow, Emily. Are you nervous?”

She shrugged.

He hesitated as if unsure whether to push her or not. But then he just said, “Good night, Emily.”

“Good night,” she said softly.

Once he was gone, I sat on her bed. “So,areyou ready for school?”

She nodded, looking uneasy. “I just hope the kids are nice to me.”

“If not, you tell me or your dad right away.”

“Okay.”

I couldn’t discern from her expression if she would or not. “I mean it.”

“I will.” She yawned. “Oops. Sorry.”

“You don’t have to be sorry.” I stood and she moved to hug me. I wrapped my arms around her. “You have a good night’s sleep, okay?”

“I will. This bed is so much nicer than my old one.”

Ruffling her hair, I said, “I’m glad.”

I left her room and wandered into the kitchen to set up the coffee maker for the next morning. Seth was standing over the sink eating a bowl of cereal. “That’s your dinner?”

He jumped as if caught doing something wrong. When he faced me, he looked sheepish. “I was too hungry to wait for something to cook.”

“At least tell me you’re eating something healthy like Wheaties?”

He winced. “Captain Crunch is healthy. It has oats. Oats are good for you.”

“With nutritional expertise like that, I’m almost afraid to leave you alone with Emily.”

He finished the last spoonful of cereal, and as he rinsed his bowl, he said, “You and me both.”

I grabbed a coffee filter from the package on the counter. “I’m kidding. You’ll be fine.”

“Sure about that?” He looked more vulnerable than I’d ever seen him. His eyes were glittery in the dim kitchen lighting, and his mouth turned down at the corners. “I’m terrified.”

“Of what?”

“Of being alone with her. Of not being enough.”

My stomach churned at the angst in his voice. I was moved by how much he seemed to care. I’d rarely met an alpha who was able to tap into his emotions like Seth did. They were usually only concerned with themselves. “You really care, don’t you?”

“Of course.” He scowled. “This is probably the most important thing I’ll ever do. But I have no idea how to raise a kid.”