Chapter 16

Chapter

Sixteen

T hey'd made love.

Samuel felt a little like he wasn't sure exactly who he was right this second. Like the world had shifted under his feet. It wasn't a bad thing, but it was new. And when Grant woke up and demanded changing and breakfast and loving, it made it a little bit easier because it was just normal. What he did.

Still, there was that bit in the back of his brain that was saying they'd made love.

Jake wanted him. It had been wild and wonderful and passionate, and he'd loved every second of it.

Hopefully, Jake wanted to do it again.

Once he got Grant changed for the morning, Samuel put him in the highchair, handed him a graham cracker, and then went through the process of making a bottle of milk and some scrambled eggs. Grant loved scrambled eggs, and so did Jake. So that was a no-brainer.

The sun shone through the window, making him smile. He didn't think he'd seen the sun since he'd been here, not really. Not like this. And it was a welcome sight.

"Ammu."

"What, baby?"

"Bye-bye." Grant stared him in the eye as if willing him to do what he asked.

Hmm. Maybe they should go out. They could go to the bookstore, the coffee shop. Maybe Jake would drop him off, or maybe Jake would like to come. He'd ask.

"Let me talk to your daddy and see what he wants to do. He might be busy, you know. Guardians are very, very busy. Once I go to work at the library, you can come with me, and we'll spend the day having books and sorting books and taking care of books, and making sure books get into the hands of the dragons who want to read them."

"Book, book," Grant cheered, going right along with him.

"That's right, book, book." He handed over the bottle. "We do love our books, don't we?"

Grant nodded very seriously while he sucked.

"Books are good. Morning, baby." Jake came in, kissing him on the forehead and ruffling Grant's hair.

"Good morning." His cheeks heated the moment Jake touched him. "I'm making eggs."

"Yum." Jake grabbed the coffee pot to pour a cup.

Jake kept touching him—a stroke here, a caress there. The touches kept happening the whole time they were moving around the kitchen, making toast, buttering it. Plating up eggs, pouring cups of coffee and orange juice. It was wonderful and maddening.

"I was telling Grant that maybe we could go out today." Why was he so revved up? "I wasn't sure what you had planned, but I thought the bookstore and the coffee shop, maybe? Grant wanted to go bye-bye."

"I think that that sounds amazing. It looks like it's going to be a beautiful day."

"It does, doesn't it? Sunny. Pretty. The snow is melting fast."

"It is. You would think that somebody was happy," Jake teased.

"Stop it."

Samuel had never really noticed that his happiness had made things more or less snowy, or more or less weathery .

But he was smart enough to know that it happened. He didn't mean to be meteorological.

It just happened that way.

And here, it really seemed to respond to him. The land was newer, there was no sea to interfere…

"I'm playing with you, mate. You know I don't mind getting rid of snow…"

"It's time, right?" He stretched, trying for casual. "So, would you like to go to the bookstore today?"

"Bye-bye!"

Jake glanced at Grant. "I would love that."

"Yay! Bye-bye! Ammu! Da! Me!"

Jake chuckled, then hoisted up Grant, who was done with his bottle. "My so smart boy."

"I have eggs for you, Grant. You want?"

"Eggzzz…" Grant growled, sparking at him.

"No tossing fire," Samuel admonished. "Here we go."

"Eggzzz… Pease?"

"Good lad." He handed over the eggs and Grant attacked them.

"Nice. May I have some, or do I need to move the earth?" Jake teased.

"I made you a plate with toast, mate. Just like you like it."

"Thank you." Jake waved the coffeepot, and he shook his head.

"I got tea."

"Ah. Come sit?"

He settled close, keeping one eye on Grant, who was mauling the eggs, stuffing them in his mouth and humming.

"These are good, love."

"Thank you. I'm trying to learn. I have many, many cookbooks."

"Well, it's working."

Jake's praise meant a lot to him. It really did.

"Thank you. I don't…you can figure anything out, right? Anything." Especially with good friends like Lars.

"I believe so. And you're so smart." Jake put the eggs on the toast and munched.

His cheeks heated, and he beamed, so pleased. "Thank you."

"Anyway, we should go have lunch too. Like at the Golddigger. You didn't get to enjoy it last time."

"Oh? I'd love that. We can share—I'd love to share with you." He wanted to erase some of the lousier memories.

"Yes." Jake reached over to squeeze his hand, the little motion so sweet.

"Bye-bye! Da! Ammu! Me! Bye. BYE."

"Hey." Jake leveled Grant a look. "When we're ready, we'll go, I promise. But the bookstore isn't even open, bud."

That pooched-out bottom lip pout was amazing. Goddess, that's cute.

I know, but you can't give him an inch. Jake winked at him. He knows how cute he is.

There's no way he knows how cute he is! Look at that face!

Ah, just you wait. Jake finished up his breakfast, then sipped his coffee, humming in a happy way. "I like this very much."

"The coffee?"

"Being with you and Grant."

"Me!" Grant kicked his feet and threw his hands in the air. "Ammu!"

"Yes, that's right." Jake bent over and grabbed Grant up to kiss him. "You and Samuel."

Grant crowed and blew sparks, so proud of himself.

Samuel clapped his hands, delighted. "Let me just wash up the dishes."

"Hey, I can do that," Jake said. "You cooked."

"I did." If omegas could be guardians, then alphas could do housework, right? "I can help."

"Two pairs of hands make it fast." Jake handed him Grant to clean up, then began gathering the plates.

He put Grant in the pen, and the baby frowned.

"No! No, Ammu! Up!"

"Let me do the dishes."

"Ammu!"

"Grant, Da and Ammu need to clean up. You can wait a minute." Jake looked down at Grant, his eyes flashing with earth energy.

Grant flopped down on his butt. "Okies."

"Such a perfect boy. Thank you."

Samuel's words made him beam. "Sankoo."

Jake's mouth kicked up on one side, but he didn't say anything. He just started running hot water.

See? Super crazy cute.

He really is. I'm excited to spend the day with you.

Samuel was too. Stupidly excited, for a normal, simple day like a normal dragon family. And there would be books. He loved books so much.

Books and Jake in the same place…

He might embarrass himself.

Badly.

He grinned, grabbing a towel to dry dishes.

"Are you thinking naughty thoughts?" Jake murmured.

He couldn't stop his blush. "I am."

"Ah, well, good. That's nice. All day, you can imagine things and then tell me about them tonight."

"I can do that. I think I'd enjoy it, in fact." Even though it was going to make for a very long day.

"Mmmm. You do that." Jake reeled him in for a kiss.

"Ammu! Me!" Grant loved to smack big kisses on his cheek.

"You have a very jealous son," he whispered.

"I do. He's the center of the world, huh?"

"You know it. The center of the universe. As it should be."

Jake handed him the last dish to dry, the egg pan. "Okay, little man, let's go get you changed, and then we'll take a drive to the falls while we wait for the stores to open, huh?"

"Go bye-bye? Me?"

"That's right." Samuel picked the baby up. "You're going to go bye-bye with me and Daddy."

They headed to the bedroom to change both Grant and them, putting on warmer clothes. The snow was gone, and the sun was out, but it was still chilly out there.

He felt light as air, and he couldn't stop smiling. Grant was singing, his little voice like a trucker singing along with that old convoy song. It was hilarious.

"Someone loves to go in the truck, doesn't he?" Jake rolled his eyes. "That boy…"

"He does. He loves people too, so wait until you see him flirt. He's just amazing." Jake turned off up toward the falls, which he'd never gotten to see before. He was as excited as Grant.

"He is." He reached out, stroking Jake's thigh. "So are you."

"Thank you, love." Jake chuckled. "I feel like I didn't start out well."

"We—we had to learn to talk. To each other, I mean."

"We did. And to trust. But once I knew about your wing, something kicked me in the butt." Jake winked over. "And it wasn't Lars."

"No. No, I know. You are my—" Mate . "—hero."

I am your mate. Jake's mental voice was calm. Clear. Certain.

Yes. I'm yours. We're a family. I spent the night in your bed.

You did. And I want you to spend every night there.

"La la la, Ammu!"

"La la la, Grant!" He smiled back at the baby. "Love you so much!"

"Oh ma!"

He nodded. "So much."

They drove to the falls, all laughing and singing, and when they stepped out and Jake carried Grant while they walked to the falls, he gasped at the view. "Jake, it's gorgeous."

"It is. I love it here."

He hadn't thought anything would be better than the ocean, but this rang inside him, magic flooding him.

"It's just such a good place. You can feel it, huh?"

"I can." It stunned him, and he reached for Jake's hand. "It's like?—"

Coming home.

It was like coming home.

Jake beamed at him. "I was hoping you'd feel that way."

Grant cheered, like he knew exactly what was going on.

They laughed, and Jake kissed his hand, and he knew it was going to be the best day.

His new family, water, and books? How could it go wrong?