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“Okay. Locke, you look happy.” While he had been happy every time we chatted, I could see the longing in his face when we did. It mirrored my own.
“I am. I’ve got something to look forward to now. I’m already making a mental list of things to add to this house to make you more comfortable.”
I blew him a kiss. “All I need is you, Locke. Talk tomorrow. I love you.”
“I love you, too. Good night.”
The next morning, I tasked myself to telling Jenson and my parents about the decision. I was both excited and sad about telling them. My parents weren’t the typical parents who kids saw a couple of hours a night and during the weekend. My parents had been my caregivers, my coaches, my support team, my everything growing up and they did a damned fine job at it.
Telling them I was leaving would be hard.
“Good morning,” I yelled out.
“In here, Shep,” Abe called out from the kitchen, of course.
“Morning, son,” my dad Bryan said as he walked into the kitchen from the living room. They were both still in their pajamas, and Abe was making breakfast.
“Have you two had your coffee? I need to talk.”
“I haven’t, but go on,” Bryan said and reached for the coffeepot with one hand while squeezing my other dad’s bottom with the other. I groaned but really hoped Locke and I would be just like these two. I never doubted my parents’ love for each other. Not one minute.
“Locke has asked me to move in with him.”
I didn’t know why but I expected sobbing and dramatic fainting on the floor. Instead, I got bright, shining smiles from the both of them. “It’s about damned time,” Abe said. They both came over to embrace me.
“You’re not sad? Your oldest son is moving away.”
Bryan rolled his eyes and sighed. “You moved out years ago, and Abe and I have been talking…”
Uh-oh.
“We are ready for grandchildren. I can’t believe you two took so long to decide. We need to meet this mate of yours.”
“We talked about it at the inn. We want children as soon as possible,” I admitted.
Abe did a little dance. “I’m gonna be a pop-pop soon! When are you leaving?”
“It sounds like you two are happy to see me go.”
Bryan came over and hugged me tightly. “It’s not that, Son. We are so happy for you. We want you to have the joy that we have in our lives. It’s time. Besides, we love road trips, and coming to see you and Locke will become a new thing for us. You know we can’t go long without seeing you, Shep.”
We all paused, letting the news sink in. “I need some of those plastic tubs, and I’ve got to go to the bank. All kinds of things.”
“You need help?” Abe asked.
“I’ll let you know. Thanks, Dads.”
Chapter Sixteen
Locke
He didn’t fly.
So it took longer for him to get to me, but I had to be patient. My omega did have a car, and it didn’t make any sense for him to leave it behind or have it shipped and then ship all his totes when he could just drive it all here.
I offered to fly there and drive back with him, but as he rightfully pointed out, I had a whole lot on my plate at the office, and if I took time off for the drive, I would have a hard time stealing some for his arrival.
There was something wrong with that logic, but I let it go by. Sheppard wanted to do this himself, and I wasn’t the overbearing kind of alpha who wanted to control every aspect of their omega’s life. If he wanted to drive himself to me, so be it. Once he lived under my roof, we’d figure out our own rhythm, but for this move, I’d bow to his choices. He’d lived alone for quite a while and there would always be adjustments to a new living situation.
