And he bit back a smile. Because Elliot kicked and it felt like one had been hit with a little boulder.
“What do you think, Mother? Does it surprise you Corbin is trying to outdo us all?” Cullen teased, grabbing a scone off one of the plates.
She took Isabelle off her head and kissed the little girl. “Corbin has always been an overachiever, my dear. It surprises me not a bit.”
Cosmo and Cullen hooted, and Corbin rolled his eyes. But it was all in good fun, it seemed like. There was not a hint of meanness in any of it.
Evander decided to chime in. “My father has always said I outdid myself. To work to be better than him and my brothers as well.”
Orion shook his head. “Nope. I win as far as the mates are concerned. I’m a freaking unicorn.”
They all had to laugh at that. And then they were nibbling on treats and talking back and forth about what they were going to do for certain holidays, and it devolved into a family discussion the likes of which he had only ever seen since he moved into this house.
“Your father will want you to come for the Midsummer Festival, of course,” Calla said. “It is the most important time to us.”
For all that it was called the Land of Summer, and it pretty much was perpetually that, the fae did have a wheel of the year. The land did have to rest itself at certain points in order to provide what it did for the fae people.
So depending on where you were in the Land of Summer, things could be drastically different. In some of the dark woodlands that he and his father and brothers and the other lords of the hunt roamed, it could be as if it were winter.
“Of course.” Corbin waved a hand. “We would love to do that, naturally.” Then he looked a little stricken and glanced up. “Unless your family has something important to them at midsummer as well?”
“No, lethean. My people are much more concerned with the harvest and with getting others through the harder times when the animals go to ground and the land is renewing itself.”
“My fathers would like us to come for a feast at Yule,” Orion said. “But that won’t override anything we do here at the house.”
“I wish you could come to the harvest feast in Lunastra,” Hawk put in both to him and Calla. “I think you would love it so much.”
Calla’s expression went a little sad. “My Bron has always said the same thing. But he and my children have told me the most miraculous tales of singing and dancing and a bountiful harvest time when the huge birds migrate.”
Hawk nodded, smiling. “It is a lovely time.”
“And this year we’ll have Thanksgiving here at the house, and anyone who can come in will be welcome. That way, Yarrow can participate.”
Lare popped up with a fresh pot of tea, and Calla let out a little sound of surprise. “Oh, hello.”
“Pardon, lady. I did not mean to scare. More scones?”
“Thank you, Lare. They’re so good.” Cullen grabbed another one.
“They are yummy,” Cosmo said, looking at Cullen through narrowed eyes. Evander wondered if he was speculating. “I wonder why Cullen seems to be so hungry…”
Corbin’s little chuckle reached him and he met those wonderful green eyes.Cullen was pregnant while Cosmo was pregnant with his second. It was a little weird.
I can see that you three are used to having a little competition about who has more drama. Evander teased because he simply had to. He loved how the words brought a gasp to Corbin’s lips and a shocked expression to his face.
“What did he just say to you?” Cullen stared at Evander as if trying to get him to fess up.
“He said we were drama llamas.” Corbin poked his arm.
Calla and the other two mates both began to laugh. It felt good to make them so happy. Finally, Corbin gave him a sheepish grin.
“Maybe we do indulge in the drama,” Cullen admitted.
“Just a teeny tiny bit.” That was Cosmo, who bit into a muffin without saying anything else.
The grandchildren distracted Calla, all of them demanding her attention. It devolved into laughter and teasing and much loving on the kids, but through it all, Evander could still hear his own children giggling with each other. And he knew Corbin heard it too because his hand lay on his belly, and he was giving Evander such a soft, wonderful smile.
He couldn’t believe this was his life and he was so lucky. But he was certainly grateful for it, and he would never, ever look a gift horse in the mouth.
