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Part 4

The Psionics Center funded entirely by the Burton Foundation was a sanctuary of sorts and he hadn’t expected that. Eddie also hadn’t realized how much stress his son was laboring under until he watched it all bleed away as they settled in a small private waiting room in the center. Buck had gotten comfortable immediately, pulling out a little blanket which he’d spread on the floor and set Wyatt down with a couple of toys that looked handmade.

“What’s that?” Christopher questioned as he watched Wyatt pick up a box and shook it.

“It’s a puzzle box,” Buck said. “I have a friend who makes toys—mostly with reclaimed wood as part of his sustainable business. He makes furniture, too. At any rate, he’s been making a problem solving toys for children and toddlers. This one is too complicated for Wyatt, but I’ve let him have it anyways so he’s familiar with it.”

“Does that child have a single plastic toy?” Eddie questioned.

Buck made a face at him and pulled a small stuffed doll out of the bag which the baby immediately reached for. “The mobile over his bed is made with recycled plastic, but it was a gift. I wouldn’t have bought it. I’ve already found a women’s shelter to donate it to when Wyatt outgrows it. His dishes, for when he can eat on his own, are all made of silicone.”

Christopher laughed a little then left the chair in favorite of the blanket. Wyatt immediately held up the puzzle box and offered it to him.

“He’s generous,” Eddie said with a glance toward his son. “Some of us didn’t learn to share until we were nearly five.”

Christopher huffed. “I still don’t like sharing my stuff with my cousins from Texas. They’re rude.”

Buck laughed.

“They are rude,” Eddie conceded. “But learning to deal with rude people is a very valuable life skill.”

His son made a face at him, so he focused on the text he’d received from Shannon. She’d sent it shortly after they’d finished lunch, suggesting that he take Christopher to the Psionic Center for an evaluation as soon as possible. Apparently, the whole spirit animal thing had been her limit, and he couldn’t say it hadn’t concerned him as well. His son’s casual reveal that he was a Lion Guide was kind of overwhelming.

He’d responded that he would and promised to forward any results to her. Eddie really didn’t know how Shannon was going to deal with the whole thing going forward and found the idea of it stressful. She tried hard, of course, to be as present as possible in their son’s life but things could be difficult to arrange due to schedules and the allergy situation.

The door opened and a man entered. He stared for a moment because he hadn’t been prepared to get the attention of the Alpha Guide Prime of the Pacific West.

“Good morning,” Dr. Salas said quietly. “Considering the power dynamics in the room, I’ve been asked to handle the assessment for Christopher.”

“Sir?” Eddie questioned. “Is this about the lion thing?”

“It’s about you, Alpha Diaz,” Dr. Salas said and smiled when Eddie huffed a little. “We’ve been monitoring the situation and waiting for you to get comfortable as the current alpha pair of Los Angeles are getting ready to retire. They’ve been expecting your arrival for a few years, but no one was willing to push you on the subject when you showed up—unbonded with a conservator cuff.” He paused. “At least, not while you are unbonded. I can’t say there won’t be a variety of political pressures after you’ve settled into a good personal situation. Nothing you can’t handle.”

Eddie made a face at Buck.

“Don’t blame me, bud,” Buck said with an easy grin. “That’s all you. You’re probably lowkey to blame for my coming online since it had been heading my way for a while, and Wyatt was just the tipping point.”

“Oh,” Eddie said faintly when Dr. Salas laughed a little. “I should probably apologize, but honestly I’m not very good at it. I blame my mother—she spoiled me rotten as a child.”

“I know that about you already,” Buck retorted and focused on Christopher who was staring intently on the puzzle box. “Hey, Superman. Are you ready to meet Dr. Salas?”

Christopher smiled briefly, touching the Superman logo on hit T-shirt, then focused on the Alpha Prime Guide, gaze intent and smiled. “I’ve met him already.” He paused. “Right?”

Dr. Salas inclined his head and sat down on the floor with the children. Eddie felt compelled to join them and sat down close to his son to give whatever support he could.

“It was a long time ago,” Dr. Salas said and Christopher nodded. “You were very influential in my development as a Guide during that lifetime.”

“I don’t remember that part,” Christopher admitted. “I just…know your soul. Is that weird?”

“Not for our kind,” Dr. Salas said easily. “Sentinels and Guides are part of an amazing soul cycle on Earth—founded on the principals of protection and service to the tribe. We are very gifted, blessed by the psionic plane with rich gifts.”

“And burdens,” Christopher said. “I’m always burdened, I think. It’s good.”

“Why is it good?” Eddie questioned.

“Carrying a burden builds strength—in my mind and heart,” Christopher said simply and very carefully twisted the wood puzzle until it flowed apart in his hand, revealing a small stuffed toy that made Wyatt chatter in excitement. He offered the toy to the baby who took it with a sweet laugh. “Sometimes I have to be very strong. This time, I think, I get to relax a little.” He focused on Dr. Salas. “Right?”

“Right,” Dr. Salas said gently. “The role of the Lion Guide in modern times is one of arbitration and reason. Our communities often turn to them for solutions, and justice.”

“Justice,” Christopher repeated and slowly nodded. “I was a lawyer once. I think it bored me silly.” He paused when they laughed. “I haven’t told Mom about this stuff. She gets a little upset about it, but that’s because she can’t protect me from it or control what happens because she’s mundane.

“I think that’s why Ms. Flores got so weird about me at school. I know things she thinks I shouldn’t know because of my age and she blamed my extra books.” He paused. “Some people look at me, and they see my disability first. Sometimes that’s all they see and I try to ignore that because I can’t control what other people think.”

“I was given a brief summary regarding the school situation when I arrived,” Dr. Salas said. “Did you want to talk about that some more or about your father’s decision to enroll you in a Burton school?”

“Daddy makes the best decisions for me whenever he can,” Christopher said. “I’m not worried about the new school. I am worried about…Ms. Flores other students. She thinks small and that’s not good.”

“I’ll take care of that part,” Dr. Salas said and Eddie almost felt sorry for Ana Flores. It seemed like getting on the bad side of the Alpha Prime Guide of the Pacific West was career destroying. “I was told that you met Leto in a dream.”

“Yes,” Christopher said with a nod. “A couple of months ago, it’s how I found out spirit animals can talk to us in dreams. It was nice. She took me on an adventure.”

“What kind of adventure?” Dr. Salas questioned.

“We walked through a jungle, and there was a big stone pyramid. She asked me if I wanted to go inside and I said, yes, because obviously!”

Eddie’s stomach tightened in horror he could barely contain. He pressed a hand against his heart.

“What happened in the pyramid?” Dr. Salas questioned. “Did you see a pool of water?”

“Yeah, and Leto let me touch it. Then I met my spirit animal, Adira, and she said that everything was okay because I was worried about the blue dreams.” A wispy form shimmered into place behind his son and slowly took solid form.

“That’s a cave lion,” Buck murmured and Dr. Salas exhaled sharply.

“Isn’t she great?” Christopher asked, eyes bright and shining.

“She’s amazing,” Eddie said hoarsely, and he meant it despite how overwhelming it was.

Spirit animals manifesting in extinct forms weren’t unheard of, but the circumstances were as rare enough to be given a lot of attention when they occurred. The current Alpha Prime Guide of North America had a dire wolf as a spirit animal.

“The spirit of the lion is very special,” Dr. Salas said. “Much like the wolf and the crow, they are chosen to stand with the most gifted and spiritual of us. It’s nothing to worry about you, Alpha Diaz. Your son is uniquely protected by the psionic plane and will be his whole life.”

“I’m in way over my head,” Eddie confessed.

“Fortunately, for you, I’ve already spent the better part of six months getting Buck settled into this gifts as a Guide,” Dr. Salas said wryly. “So, on the Sentinel front, you couldn’t be in better hands. As to the rest,” he said with a shrug and leaned back on his hands. “We often reap what we sow in a very aggressive fashion.”

Eddie wondered if he was actually allowed to dislike Dr. Cristobal Salas. As if the man could read his mind, the older man just smiled at him and quirked an eyebrow. He focused on Buck.

Buck stared for a moment, shook his head and said, “No.”

“You have no idea what I’m thinking.”

“I know exactly what you’re thinking,” Buck retorted. “His Sentinel is two of me and three of you, thus, we aren’t allowed to have a problem with him.”

Dr. Salas laughed.

Nearly thirty minutes later, Eddie was hovering near an observation window while his son was being tested for placement in a Burton school. Everyone else in the room was seated and hadn’t made any effort to herd him toward the table.

“He’s powerful,” Dr. Salas said and Eddie focused on the older Guide. “Immensely so, but you already know that. You’ve probably understood it on some level since the day he was born. You were probably told that he wouldn’t come online, right?”

“Yes, but it felt wrong,” Eddie admitted. “But I didn’t push it because his mother was relieved by the idea that he would be mundane and she was the primary parent due to my military service. When I came online and was discharged, she relinquished custody like it was a given. I’m not saying she just tossed him my way and ran for the hills, but she took my involuntary discharge from the Army as an opportunity.”

“In most cases, an online parent does gain physical custody of their children when partners split,” Dr. Salas said. “It’s a matter of safety for some and imperative for others. It’s clear if she hadn’t given you custody that you would’ve actively sought it.”

Eddie started to disagree but then cleared his throat. “It took me a year to allow her overnight visits once we came to California. I’ve allowed very liberal visitation despite the fact that I developed an allergy to her. Or it merely got worse after I came online. Regardless, I do recognize that I’m territorial regarding my son, and I try to be civilized about it.”

“Most Sentinels at least try,” Dr. Salas said in amusement. “He clearly feels very safe in your care, as most children in his position would. If the teacher files a complaint, as you think you she might, I’ll handle it and her personally.”

“I don’t know how she has the job she has,” Buck said frankly. “Durand is a school for disabled children, right? How many other kids is she basically restricting into a place of limitation she’s comfortable with?”

“Don’t make me go back over there,” Eddie muttered and they both laughed at him. “If I register will a search be automatic?”

“Can I be frank?” Dr. Salas questioned and Eddie focused on him.

“Yes, sir.”

“You and I both know you don’t need a search. If you don’t want to go through that process then that’s fine. If you want to do the full process and meet a bunch of people who will be marginally compatible with you to make the appearance of some sort of fairness then that’s fine, too.”

Eddie focused on Buck. “What do you think?”

“I think many Guides in the system would be genuinely excited to be in the same room with you,” he said dryly and Dr. Salas laughed. “And they would be eager to bond with you no matter the level of compatibility because of your individual power and looks. It would be something of a circus unless you severely restrict your matches and if you did, you’d probably only get matched with me.” He shrugged. “So, do you want a circus?”

“You know I don’t,” Eddie muttered, rolled his eyes and focused his attention on Christopher who was having an animated conversation with the woman in front of him. The kid was waving both hands. “He’s complaining.”

“You can listen if you want,” Buck said and motioned toward a panel near the window.

“I know that look very well,” he said in amusement. “He’s complaining because I only let him have Froot Loops once a week.”

“It’s awful that you let him have them at all,” Buck muttered.

Eddie shot him an amused look. “So, listen, you’re new to parenthood so I’m going to give you a break on this front because I know, from experience, that within the next four years that sweet, adorable baby you’re currently feeding organic homemade baby food is going to pitch an unholy fit because he can’t have chicken fingers at every single meal. He’ll watch the same Disney movie on repeat, act like you’re the problem if you don’t want to hear Let It Go on repeat and decide you are a terrible person if a vegetable is put on his plate.”

Buck stared at him, face slack with horror. “No….” He pressed his lips together and Wyatt took that moment to stretch and yawn charmingly where he was dozing on Buck’s chest. “Don’t tell me lies.”

Dr. Salas laughed.

“Then he’ll go to school and tell everyone that you made him eat a green bean and ask his teacher to hire him a lawyer,” Eddie continued. “If she’s the kind to troll a parent, she’ll help him write a cease and desist letter in crayon and send it home with him.”

“Do you still have the letter?”

Eddie grinned. “Yeah, it’s in a scrapbook. I probably won’t show it to every single person he dates, but it’ll be tempting.” He focused on Dr. Salas who was shaking his head. “What?”

“Just sitting here relieved to have never had any desire to procreate,” Dr. Salas said dryly. “I adore children—especially the part when they go home to make a mess for someone else to clean up.”

“Fatherhood turned out to be the most unexpected and amazing gift of my life,” Eddie said quietly and the older man nodded. “I wish I’d been better prepared for it.”

“You had more time than I did,” Buck said and Eddie laughed.

“I’m sorry it was such a hard day,” Eddie murmured after he stopped laughing. “It can’t have been easy to accept coming online in the midst of meeting your child for the first time. Did they…separate you?”

“Oh, no, of course not,” Dr. Salas interjected when Buck stared in shock. “It was a full blown emergency, of course, but separating his child from him could’ve lead to dormancy or psychotic break. The first minutes, even hours, of coming online for a Guide can be extremely delicate and any additional trauma can be life ruining.”

Eddie nodded, gaze shifting back to Christopher who was now happily drinking from a juice box. He made a mental note regarding the sugar intake and took a deep breath. Being in the same room with Buck was both a pleasure and a source of discomfort. It made him think about the things that he’d missed, the parts of Buck’s life that he wasn’t a part of, yet, and most importantly—he hadn’t been there when Buck clearly needed someone the most he’d ever needed anyone.

“Stop brooding,” Buck ordered as he appeared at Eddie’s side.

Wyatt made a sleepy noise, turned his head and stared at Eddie with bright blue eyes. Magic shimmered on his skin even as he held out a hand to Eddie. He couldn’t help but offer his fingers in return and Wyatt grabbed one with a firm little grip and laughed.

“He’s going to be a complete nightmare,” Eddie said wryly and Buck huffed. “You’re gonna have to get immune to pouty tears very quickly.”

“Stop trying to ruin my baby experience,” Buck muttered as the door opened then shut behind them.

Eddie glanced that way and realized that Dr. Salas had left them alone. Shortly, the man entered the room where Christopher was sitting with one of the doctor’s employed by the Psionic Center.

“What bothers you most about the whole thing?” Buck questioned.

“I’ve been…floundering a bit personally since I was discharged from the Army. I felt like they just tossed me aside because I hadn’t made a match with a military Guide. I felt like a commodity to them, and it was hard not to be entirely put off by the methods they used to evaluate me. It was the organization part, not the people themselves. I was handled very carefully by the people involved, but the procedures were often infuriating, and I felt like I had zero say in what was happening. In fact, the only thing I seemed to have control over was the actual rejection part which I did repeatedly—most of the Guides presented as partial matches barely made it into the room before I rejected them.”

“And the ones that the LAFD have set down in front of you repeatedly?” Buck questioned. “You know you could’ve stopped it, right?”

“Yeah, I know,” Eddie said and exhaled slowly. “Maybe I just kind of wanted….” He made a face. “All this time, I thought, one day you’d just show up.”

Buck laughed a little. “And I did.”

“Yeah, you did,” Eddie murmured. “It’s never been about not wanting a bond.”

“No, of course not,” Buck said. “It couldn’t be—Sentinels innately want a Guide. You’re no different on that front.”

Eddie let his shoulders relax. “Some sense memories are worse than others. Pain is very complicated—physically and emotionally. I don’t remember the actual moments that I was shot but the wounds—the wounds haunted me for weeks after the fact. For days, I was at the mercy of one medical procedure after another. Pain management was difficult, and all the cuff did was make it feel normal. Which, frankly, was no fucking picnic either.

“People who didn’t understand how the cuff works, assumed it was muting all the pain. Losses piled on top of me from the moment I was shot until the day I was discharged. Then the whole thing shifted completely because life seemed to throw one thing after another after I returned to El Paso. It was like the universe was trying to replace what was taken from me.

“Escaping Texas became a goal almost immediately, and Shannon’s job offer was a like a miracle. I had a perfectly reasonable excuse to bail on that whole situation, and I took it.”

“And now here we are.”

“Yeah.” Eddie cleared his throat. “It’s not a bad spot to be in.” He focused on Wyatt, who was staring at him. “Hey, kiddo.”

Wyatt responded by leaning his direction and holding out both hands. Buck easily transferred his son into Eddie’s hold like they did it all the damn time and Eddie let the baby rest on his chest. The desire to create a sensory imprint on Buck’s child was overwhelming, but he couldn’t do it with the cuff on. He’d created one for Christopher shortly after he returned home, when his son has still used baby shampoo. He always took a moment to update the imprint when he removed the cuff.

“He likes you,” Buck said and made a face. “But don’t take that personally—he likes everyone.”

Eddie laughed. “Shut up.”

* * * *

Buck carefully put Wyatt in his crib, grabbed the monitor, and slid out of the room as quietly as possible. The baby had gone to sleep on the way home, which he’d taken for a win. He was a more tired than normal but honestly being in Eddie’s company without work being a distraction had been a bit of a burden empathically. Instinctually, he wanted a soothe the man in the worst possible way, and the cuff had done exactly what it was supposed to do. It sheltered Eddie and prevented any sort of empathic connection between them.

“I don’t resent it,” he said quietly to himself, and he meant it but also it was frustrating to have the cuff directly in his face.

Maybe he was a little jealous of it and that was ridiculous. He put the monitor down on the bathroom counter, stripped off all of his clothes, and stepped into the shower stall. He kept the water temperature cool but not cold, washed thoroughly, and stepped out. As he dried off with an indulgently fluffy towel he’d bought in preparation to have a Sentinel in his life, he let his thoughts meander over the big and small changes he’d made in his house in the hopes that he would bond.

The Burton Foundation had given him a stipend to prepare the house since he owned the property and he’d used it to install a Faraday cage, and the best filters he could afford. His house felt homey, comfortable, and safe. Ursa had done her part, setting up wards as she claimed she did for all of her wish baby deliveries. Buck wondered when she stopped monitoring those children and thought maybe never, which was a comfort he wasn’t prepared to dissect.

He dressed, went into the kitchen, grabbed a flask, and filled it with filtered water from the fridge before walking through the house to check the locks. Ursa appeared as he was setting the security.

“Hey.”

Ursa crossed her arms and stared pointedly at him. “You met your Sentinel.”

“Yeah, but he’s…a hot mess. He’s literally hot mess and I don’t know what I did to deserve it. If you know, don’t tell me. You know I don’t want to know about my past lives.” She laughed. “He’s walking around wearing a conservator cuff, acting like he’s perfectly content, and he has this adorable kid that he co-parents with his former partner who appears nice and stuff.”

“Sounds like you got lucky,” Ursa said dryly. “I went to Paris for lunch and brought home chocolate croissants. They’re in pastry box under a preservation charm.”

“Thanks,” Buck said with a smile. “I could honestly use one.”

“Figured,” she admitted and shrugged. “Drink some herbal tea—it’ll help you sleep.”

He retrieved a croissant after she left and made himself some ginger tea which he took into the office he rarely use. Buck sat down at the desk he still considered his uncles and opened up the lap top on the desk even as he took a bite of pastry. It was absolutely perfect, which he’d expected since Ursa was a judgmental foodie of the first order.

His phone buzzed in his pajama pocket, so he pulled it free after some wiggling and checked it.

Eddie: Who can I call to get an intervention? I need to stop thinking about you so I can go to sleep.

Buck stared for a moment then laughed. He slouched back on the couch, took a big bite of his pastry and just shook his head as he stared at his phone. He briefly considered what to say then just sighed and replied.

Buck: 1-800-DUMBASS

Eddie: Maybe I do want to do a search. I’m sure there are plenty of Guides who would treat me better than this.

Buck grinned.

Buck: Enjoy your three-ring circus

He could picture the man’s pouty expression, and that was even more amusing than the attitude that was practically oozing out of his texts.

Eddie: Be nice to me

Buck flicked through his apps, chose FaceTime and called his pain in the ass.

Eddie answered it immediately and frowned at him. “Hey.”

“The Sentinel in you is chaffing under the control the conservator cuff, and it’s only going to get worse because we are very compatible. I’d go so far as to say that we are a perfect match. Moreover, your imperative is starting to intrude despite the cuff. You won’t be able to ignore it long term because Dr. Salas acknowledged that you are the de facto Alpha Sentinel of LA.”

Eddie huffed. “That’s ridiculous, Buck.”

“It’s the truth,” Buck said easily. “Time will tell if you’ll actually be the Alpha Prime for the state, and I think you could be in that range. Hierarchies amongst the prides locally and above are required to maintain a certain level of civility amongst our population and mundanes. We learned the hard way that we can’t allow them to manage our populations again, ever. It took decades for the psionic plane to fully recover from the damage done.”

“Right.”

“You think you don’t want the power.”

“I know I don’t,” Eddie retorted.

“Your son is a Lion Guide,” Buck said quietly and Eddie’s gaze widened. “There are less than fifty such individuals in the entire country, Eddie. There’s never been, as far as we know, more than a thousand on the whole planet at any one time. His spirit animal is ancient and presented in an extinct form. He’s already remembering previous lives, and we both know what happened in that dream.

“He was taken to the Temple of Sentinels and set upon a spiritual path by the psionic plane itself. We can speculate on what that means all day long, but he’s already stepped onto the path. Has it crossed your mind that you are as powerful as you are because of him? Because of his future role within the tribes of our kind?”

Eddie swallowed hard, eyes dark and intent. “So, Alpha Prime of California.” He paused. “Then…the Pacific West when Lou Ransone ascends to the national prime.”

“That’s probably more than a decade in the making, but yes,” Buck said in agreement. “That’s how you keep your son as safe as possible.”

“And it begins with our bond.”

“Well, with a bond. It doesn’t have to be me. I don’t want you to feel pressured to accept me just out of hand, and maybe we should do a search for you.”

“Shut up,” Eddie muttered and huffed loudly as well. “You are literally the only unbonded Guide I’ve been in the same room with that didn’t make me want to crawl out of my skin.”

Buck raised an eyebrow.

“I can’t explain it any better than that. Every single one of them just put me off completely then there’s you,” Eddie said and sighed. “And I just kind of want to…no, I absolutely want to do some seriously filthy things to you.”

Buck stared for a moment then laughed. “Now, you can shut up.”

“And I wouldn’t have touched the other ones on purpose unless they needed medical assistance and there was no one else available,” Eddie continued as if he hadn’t spoken. “Would you want more kids?”

Buck pressed his lips together and stared for a moment. “Edmundo.”

“What?” Eddie questioned, a little wide-eyed. “How did you know that was my first name?”

“It’s on the station roster,” Buck said and frowned at him. “I’m going to say this very very carefully, okay? Because the last time I got casual regarding such things, a wish baby appeared in my foyer along with a bossy retired fey who treats my house like she owns it and I’m just her badly behaved roommate that owes her rent.”

Eddie laughed.

“I’m open to expanding our potential family in the future,” Buck said and Eddie nodded. “But before we go making any wishes about such things we need to be very settled with each other and the two kids we’ve already got. There will be a lot of adjustments to be made across the board.”

“Yeah, okay,” Eddie said with a shrug.

“Fine, be casual about it. They’ll probably drop a set of twins on us out of spite the next time,” Buck muttered and Eddie’s eyes went wide. “Right? Think about it.”

“I’ll be careful,” Eddie assured. “But also, I’m going to blame you if that happens since you just put that out into the universe.”

“Fair,” Buck admitted and smiled then. “You can’t sleep because of the cuff, Eddie. It’s not really about me.”

“It’s gotta be about you,” Eddie protested. “I slept fine before I met you.”

“Did you have a problem sleeping last night?” Buck questioned and Eddie scowled. “You probably laid down, went right to sleep, and slept for about six hours as that’s the average for a Sentinel of your age and level of fitness.”

“Yeah, okay,” Eddie said. “Then why am I awake?”

“Your son is vulnerable in a way you never knew before, now you know,” Buck said.

“It’s the cuff,” Eddie said and frowned. “Right? The Sentinel in me needs more…access to my environment than I’m allowing.”

“Yes,” Buck said. “Have you slept without it?”

“Yeah, of course. I can go a whole weekend without it, as long as I stay home,” Eddie said, and stood. “I’ll turn on the security and activate my white noise machine.”

“Meditation will probably help as well,” Buck said and grinned when Eddie sent him a dark look. “You know it will.”

“Yeah, I know,” he said warily. “Have a good night, Buck.”

“You, too,” Buck said and ended the call.

He rubbed his face with one hand and sighed. “For fuck’s sake.”

“You must have been real asshole in a former life,” Ursa said as she appeared on the arm of the sofa and sat down. “Maybe you were a serial killer.”

“Rude.”

“Or a lawyer,” she said and grimaced.

“Daniel is a lawyer,” Buck pointed out.

“Yeah, he always is,” Ursa said and shook her head. “Apparently. I checked him out before delivery to make sure he wasn’t a complete waste of flesh and bone this time around.”

“But not me?” Buck asked.

“Oh, that was done above my pay grade,” Ursa said. “The Queen bestows a wish child, Evander, and her word is law.”

Buck made a face at her for the use of his full name. She rarely called him that, but when she did it was because she was being utterly serious with him. “That’s…wow.”

“Indeed,” she said and sighed. “I still don’t know why she chose you. I’ll never know, honestly, because I wouldn’t dare ask. I just have to trust she saw something in you that I can’t.”

“You’re so mean,” Buck said in amusement and she shrugged then disappeared.

He put his phone back in his pocket, grabbed the half-finished tea that was now cold, and small plate he’d used for the croissant. After washing and drying the dishes, he put them away then returned to the living room for the baby monitor he’d left behind. A quick check on Wyatt revealed a baby sleeping soundly like he didn’t have a care in the world.

His son’s contentment was a lovely sort of relief that settled deep in his chest. Buck couldn’t say he’d had a horrible childhood, but it was clear his parents had checked out on their life after his birth. They’d done what was legally required of them and not a single thing more. Neither had bothered to call him in years and he was grateful for that as he didn’t want them in Wyatt’s life in any single way. He took a moment to adjust the sleep sack his son slept in then forced himself to go to his own room. His next shift started in just twelve hours.