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“Thank you,” I whispered, turning to the giant alpha next to me, Marshall. He was the one who smelled slightly metallic and rugged.
The look he gave me was firm and sincere. I got the impression that he was a no-bullshit kind of man, direct and to the point. Honestly, I was surprised by how much I liked that.
“You don’t need to thank me. It’s ludicrous for her to think you would leave him with someone you just met.”
“Plus, she didn’t exactly seem like she knew what to do with a baby.” I frowned, thinking about where she was even going to put him. I was positive she had things to do, and you couldn’t just set Milo on the floor and let him roam.
Emmett—spiced apples—held the door open for us, and we walked inside the restaurant, standing at the front. It was small but not too small, and very busy.
Milo started to wiggle in my arms.
“You’ve got a wrigglepants there.” Noah smiled down at Milo, who was very interested in his fingers.
“He’s in the stage where he likes to throw himself around a lot.” I chuckled, looking down and placing a kiss on Milo’s sweet, chubby cheek.
A server came up to us and quickly guided us to a table, dropping off a high chair before she left us to settle in. I slid Milo into place at the head of the table, buckling him and getting him up to the tabletop so I could put some puffs down for him. Emmett sat in a chair on his other side while I sat on Milo’s left. Marshall sat next to me, and Noah was across from him next to Emmett.
“I know it’s not the fanciest of places,” Noah said with a grimace. “But I promise it’s tasty.”
I waved off his concern. “This place is amazing. I’m a student; ramen noodles are a large portion of my diet.”
“Not anymore. You need to eat better,” Marshall grumbled with a light shake of his head. “Protein, Summer. Protein.”
He wasn’t wrong, but I had been so focused on making sure Milo had everything he needed that shopping for better food wasn’t on my radar. My needs came second.
The waitress quickly dropped off our drinks with a smile before heading back toward the kitchen, so I took a moment to distract myself with a sip.
“I know. I’ll work on it when I’m not spending every dollar on this guy.” I turned to Milo, playing with his cheeks as I reached into the diaper bag for his puffs. I gave him a bunch, which acted as both snack and entertainment, then retrieved a bottle with formula already measured out. I’d just need water, which I had already prepared.
“So… it’s pretty obvious why I decided to do this,” I said, gesturing between us. “But why did you guys? If I’m being frank, you’re a successful pack. Looks aren’t an issue, so why a matchmaking service?”
Tobias grinned as everyone stifled a chuckle. “Would you believe me if I told you it was because Emmett the Lawyer has a contract kink?”
I snorted with laughter, quickly putting my soda down to avoid making a mess.
“That’s not why!” Emmett said indignantly. “If that were the case, you can bet your ass I’d be writing up the contracts myself.”
“Other people’s contracts not doing it for you?” I asked playfully, rolling my lips between my teeth as I fought a grin.
He sighed dramatically. “It’s just not the same.”
“For real, though,” Noah interjected. “We began discussing it a year or two ago. We enjoy our lives, and it’s been hard finding someone to fit into that. We have very different personalities and needs at times, and it’s a lot to take on.”
“It sounds like you’re trying to scare her away,” Tobias muttered.
“He’s being honest.” I offered a grin. “I appreciate that.”
“We’re also all workaholics. We’ve spent the last five years building our careers and businesses, and we never had time to socialize. One day, we looked around and realized we were missing something.”
That made sense. They all had highly specific careers—maybe that meant they wouldn’t have a lot of time for me, but that wasn’t a bad thing. A small part of me had been worried about meeting the needs of four alphas. I liked the idea that they were all self-sufficient. I already had Milo to care for; I had no desire to take on a manchild, or four.
“I understand that.”
“And what about you? Why did you decide to do this?” Noah asked, and I handed Milo the bottle as his grabby little hands reached for it. He needed help, so I held it in place while he attempted to hold it and drink for himself.
My face flushed, heat crawling through my cheeks. “I’m sure Emma explained.”
“She did, but we’d like to hear it from you,” Marshall said. There was no judgment in any of their eyes, only curiosity, and that helped pry the words free.
