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“What’s wrong?” Interesting how that was my first reaction. “Is Sheppard all right?”
“Yes, well, no. I’m not sure.” The other coach was also a bear and an alpha, and I knew from the first time I met him that my mate had a protector on the job. He’d kept an eye on Shep since he started working there, sent him home early when he was tired or didn’t feel well, made sure he ate on his lunch break and other times, and always had his water bottle handy. When I thanked him, he told me that if he had a son, he’d want him to be just like my mate. And if he had an omega, he would be glad for someone to help out when he couldn’t be there.
“Care to clarify that?” I had spoken to him before, but the tone in his voice had me standing up and ready to run for the door.
“Well, we’re having a big meet here today,” he said. “Six other universities. It’s a huge deal for the school to host it.”
“Shep told me. Is it going well?”
“The meet is, but I’m not sure your omega is at his best.” He cleared his throat. “He’ll kill me if he finds out I called you.”
“He doesn’t need to know, but I thank you for the call. Is he in labor?”
“Says he’s not, but I think he’s fibbing because he doesn’t want to disappoint the team, the university, the association… The omega takes his work seriously.”
“I hope he’s taking our child’s birth just as seriously.” I shouldn’t have said that. Of course he did, but he also felt a great sense of responsibility, and would do anything to avoid leaving his team in the lurch. This was not only the university meet, but it was opening with the kids he coached, and he’d grown very close to them in the few months. Unless he was actively about to give birth, he’d stay there and coach his teams. “I’ll be right there.”
I arrived to find the meet in full swing and the young people already done with their races and sitting in the stands. The JV was in the pool and around it, lining up for their races if they weren’t actively participating. Although the stands were not nearly the size of those for many of the university sports, like football, for example, the ones that were there were filled with fans, parents, other students, and athletes. They were cheering and clapping and much more involved than I’d expected for a swim meet.
What had I thought a meet would be like?
So many people recognized Shep from his Olympics, and he did not nearly have the public persona many did. He’d turned down a lot of lucrative contracts to promote various products, passing on a whole lot of money. The university did not have the budget to compete with those offers, but Shep was so happy with the job, and I was happy I could provide for us so he could do whatever job he wanted, even if that meant none.
But watching him with the team gathered around him, I knew he’d never be a stay-at-home dad. The university did have a day care that was open most of the time I was at work, and I’d become more flexible with my hours as well. I could work from my home office whenever I chose. The joy of working for myself. It meant working extra hard to build the business, but it also meant—and I’d just figured this out—that I could set my own hours and that they didn’t have to continue to be as long. I’d gradually cut back throughout the pregnancy, but I could do a little more.
As I watched him do his job, Sheppard got a funny look on his face. His brows drew down, lips tightened, and one hand flattened on his baby bump. He’d had those false contractions before and it had been no big deal, but Reggie was right. He was off. A couple of kids had to chase him down when he walked past them with no notice of their saying something to him. And then he stopped and hunched over, palming his belly again. How long had it been since the last one? Five minutes or so?
I couldn’t stand there any longer. Approaching Sheppard, I waited until he was free before I made myself known. “Mate? You’re in labor.”
“No, I’m not.” He waved me off. “I’m just feeling more of those fake pains. They’ll pass soon.”
“I want to take you to the birthing center to be checked out, at least.”
He gasped then tried to make it appear as if he hadn’t. I wasn’t falling for it.
“Sheppard, it’s time to go.”
“Locke, why are you here? Don’t you have a lot of meetings today?”
“I canceled them.” Or I would have Davey do it as soon as I sent him a text. “Come on. Reggie can handle things here.”
“Alpha, I don’t tell you how to do your job and—” His mouth formed a complete O.
“And?”
“And it would be wrong for you to tell me how to do mine.”
On a hunch, I glanced down to see a puddle forming at his feet. And it was not pool water.
“Alpha! I think I need to go to the birthing center.” He was absolutely pale.
“Good idea, omega.”
We did take a few minutes letting the maintenance guy know to clean up and Reggie and the teams know we had to leave before I helped him to the car. As the door swung closed behind us, I heard a ripple of applause that might or might not have been for us.
I kind of thought it was.
Chapter Twenty-Three
