“Which is?”
“Sawyer’s gonna cloak Quin, Alex, Fionn, and Hunter,” Glenn replied. “I know you think your spells will prevent any attacks on them, but I would feel better if, in addition, no one would be able to see them…just in case.”
“Absolutely…just in case,” Remy smiled before looking at Dylon. “I don’t have a problem with that, do you?”
“Nope.” Then, turning to the rest of the group, Dylon said, “Okay folks, Glenn’s gonna go through the plan, confirming everyone’s role. If you have any questions, thoughts or issues, now is the time to bring them up.”
Striding to the center of the group, Glenn waited until everyone nodded in agreement before he started. Looking down at the paper in his hand, he had to admit it was a damn good plan, tempering his reservations about using a bunch of civilians for a mission that should have been left to professionals. But now was the time to focus on the task at hand. Calling each one’s name, he confirmed they knew what their role was in Operation Freedom. Once that was done, he separated the participants into two groups, one headed by him and the other by Dylon.
When Glenn was finished, Dylon said, “Okay everyone, remember always stay with your partner and if you run into trouble contact me or Glenn.”
“Tiger mate, are you sure I can’t come with you?” Alex asked, his fear rising at the realization his mates would shortly be leaving.
“Sweetheart, we talked about this…it’s way too dangerous for you,” Sawyer replied, walking over to Alex and hugging him.
“It’s not fair you get to go on a mission before I do,” Alex pouted.
Joining his mates, Glenn wrapped his arms around Alex and Sawyer, surrounding both with his love. “Buttercup, I promise there’ll be a mission in your future…it just can’t be this one.”
Shoulders sagging in defeat, Alex buried his head between his mates’ chests, inhaling their unique scents before whispering, “Just make sure both of you come back to me.”
Glenn caught Sawyer’s eyes over their mate, seeing the same determination in them as he had. “We promise, buttercup.”
Backing out of the mate sandwich, Alex searched both their faces before saying, “I’m gonna hold both of you to it. Now go…and come back to me soon.”
~/~/~/~/~
After checking the roast in the oven, Theo headed outside to his garden. It wasn’t on his schedule but since Hope and Sophia were spending the afternoon with Jake and Jessica, he was free to work with his plants. He’d debated what to sow, but after consulting with Dakota, ultimately settled on plants he could use in recipes. Once they decided what to grow, he’d ordered the seedlings from a company Brady recommended, but before they could be planted, Brady stressed the importance of properly preparing the soil—that was his job today. Walking along the fence designed to keep out rabbits, deer and other animals living in the forest nearby, he inhaled the scent of the freshly tilled soil, reminding him of the times he helped his mother in her garden. Those were some of the happiest memories of his childhood.
Every spring, he would accompany her to the local nursery, pushing the cart as his mother filled it with plants, explaining why she’d selected each one. Thinking back, he realized how much she’d taught him.
Once in his garden, Theo’s feet sunk into the soil, bringing back happy memories that made him smile. He was tempted to remove his shoes and feel the soil squeeze between his toes as he’d done so many times in his childhood. After an afternoon of planting, weeding and watering, his feet would be caked with mud and his mother used to laugh as he tracked his footprints across the kitchen floor on the way to the bathroom for a much-needed soak in the tub.
Sighing, Theo’s sadness when he thought back to his childhood dampened his anticipation of getting his hands dirty, making him wish there was some way his memories could be erased. Tilting his face to the sun, he closed his eyes, concentrating on different bird songs he heard.
“Hey, need some help?” Norm called from the back porch, before descending the steps. It wasn’t his plan for the afternoon, but after seeing the look of dejection on Theo’s face, the need to comfort his fiancé demanded action. Plus the fact he was worried about Theo and his frequent bouts of melancholy that had increased in the last month or so.
Theo hid any lingering emotions in his face before turning to his pooh bear. “I thought you were working on grant proposals this afternoon.”
“I was…but my eyes needed a break. I have no idea how Carson managed without giving his eyes a rest.”
Frowning slightly, Theo walked over, searching Norm’s face for signs of fatigue. He didn’t like what he saw. Placing a hand on the side of his fiancé’s face to hold it still, he ran his fingers of his other hand over the creases in his forehead, chastising himself for not noticing how tired Norm had been looking lately. “Have you been sleeping okay? Maybe you should have a nap instead of helping me.”
Taking Theo’s hand in his, Norm brought it up to his mouth, kissing it lightly before answering. “Everything’s fine, honeybunch…fresh air will do more for me than a nap, so tell me what to do.”
“If you’re sure…”
“I am.” Looking around at the bare soil, Norm asked, “Are we planting today?”
“Goodness, no,” Theo smiled. “First, I’m staking out beds for the different seedlings before adding compost which will then be mixed with soil.”
Chuckling, Norm said, “I have no idea what you’re talking about. You better give me a job that doesn’t need any know-how.”
Giggling, Theo pointed to the pile of bags near the back porch. “That’s the compost and it has to be moved over here so it can be spread. While you are doing that, I’ll mark each bed according to the diagram I drew up.”
Pumping his arm muscles, Norm grinned at his fiancé, knowing it was a turn on for Theo. “No problemo…bet I finish before you.”
“We’ll see.” Laughing, Theo walked towards one of the back corners of the garden, gathering the stakes and twine he needed to outline the beds. Once there, he got to work, ignoring everything else except the task at hand.
