“I’ll give her as much credit as I can,” Corbin agreed.
“Corbin, come on!” Cullen waved them over to where tables had been set up on the other side of the window so that everyone could eat together. “Tyr brought honey cake, and Orion made you a rainbow red velvet cake with cream cheese icing…”
Corbin winked at him, then whirled and headed over to where his brother was calling him. “Is there ice cream too? I love cake and ice cream together.”
“There is. There’s vanilla and there’s Butter Brickle.”
Evander followed his mate so he could hold the chair for him where he was going to sit in the place of honor. “What is this Butter Brickle?”
“Oh, it’s this wonderful creamy vanilla ice cream with crunchy bits of toffee stuff. It’s really yummy.” Corbin winged to them. “You’re going to love it. You have a sweet tooth.”
“I never did before I moved in with you,” he accused, teasing hard.
“Oh yes, it’s all my fault,” Corbin agreed.
Evander settled next to his mate, his nose vibrating as he sniffed the cakes. Obviously red velvet had something to do withchocolate, even though those two things didn’t sound anything alike. Honey cake, on the other hand, he understood, he knew what it was, and he loved that. He’d had Tyr’s before, in fact, and he wanted to make sure he got a piece of it.
He didn’t, though. He knew Corbin was craving honey, and he would make sure he saved his piece for his mate.
Corbin took his hand, his thumb rubbing over Evander’s fingers.You’re very good to me, mate.
“I try very hard.” He looked around. “Everyone here is happy for us, though, and has been so helpful.”
“It’s the best baby shower I’ve ever seen. And I put on Cosmo’s.”
Evander chuckled as he was handed a plate of cake and ice cream. The Butter Brickle was indeed amazing. It was creamier than the other ice creams he had tried. And it had crunchy bits of buttery goodness in it. He could get very used to eating that.
“It’s good, isn’t it?” Corbin’s eyes twinkled for him.
“So good.” He made sure Corbin got his honey cake, and they shared red velvet and ice cream. And then it was time to open presents.
By the time Corbin had revealed hundreds of pairs of tiny socks, little outfits called onesies, toys, games, and stuffed animals, he thought his mate had perhaps forgotten all about being sad about things that were outside of his control.
Elliot’s bird seemed to really enjoy picking up the socks and taking them somewhere else in the house. At some point, there would be an Ostara-type egg hunt for them, he was certain.
Just as he thought that, Lare appeared again, carrying an armful of socks. Oh, good… man? House spirit? That meant no great hunt.
Until Eddie grabbed the next pair.
By the time the party wound down, Lady Calla kissing her sons’, and his, cheeks, the dragons drifting away down themountain, and Orion and Hawk helping Lare clean, Corbin was dozing against his shoulder, worn out from the festivities.
“You should go ahead and take him upstairs,” Cosmo murmured. “We’ll send the new house guy with a tray of munchies for when he gets hungry later. This was the best idea, Ev. Well done.”
Evander couldn’t quite stop smiling. “Thank you, my brother. I wanted him to have a most wondrous party.”
“He loved it, though possibly letting Elliot participate in bobbing for those plastic eggs full of toys was a bad idea.”
He snorted. “Indeed. Gargoyle dragons sink.”
Evander scooped Corbin up carefully, nodded to everyone, and then headed back toward their side of the house. This had been a good day.
More importantly, this has been Corbin’s good day.
Chapter
Seventeen
Corbin sat in his garden, testing the soil and getting the ground ready to be worked. Spring was coming and everything was about to grow. As if the babies heard his thoughts, they started kicking and rolling inside of him.
