Page 64

“She’s fae. She’s very persnickety. She does like things the way that she likes them, and she loves roses. Flowers. All flowers of any kind, in fact. She believes that vegetables are a waste of flower space.”

“Well, I for one am grateful for your vegetable garden, and for the greenhouse. It’s so nice to have fresh vegetables.”

Corbin rolled his eyes, but he did smile. “Thanks, brother. I know it’s unreasonable, isn’t it? She just gets under my skin. I could never grow anything the right way. If she could go outside and see the roses out here in the front of the house, she would tell me they were too antique or not red enough. Possibly the thorns were too long or not curved correctly. Perhaps the vine should spell out ‘I love my mother’. That sort of thing.”

“Oh, how fun, though. If you could spell things with vines.” The thought charmed him.

“It’s easier with ivy. It just doesn’t grow as well here. Roses do so much better with the soil.”

“Ah. Yes. The acidic soil of the desert is their natural milieu.” He sighed. “I didn’t mean to make trouble, brother.”

“Bah.” Corbin came to give him an unexpected hug, and one he accepted with true gladness. The familial feeling he got from being with Cosmo’s brothers grew every day.

Much like Corbin’s flowers.

“It’s no trouble. She will say what she says, and I will rebut, and all will be well.”

“Mmm. What can we have for breakfast that will not be messy?”

“Hot Pockets.”

“Hot what?” His eyebrows went up.

“Hot Pockets—you know, pastry with goo?” Corbin waggled his eyebrows.

“I have no idea what you mean. Well, I have had pastry with goo. Mostly in Paris or Rome.”

“Yeah, this is not that.” Corbin chuckled. “But they’re fun, and not too messy.”

“Hmmm.”

“And they come in bacon and egg. What are you cleaning for, Corbin?” Cullen bounced in and went right to the coffeepot.

“Mother.”

“Oh, that’s why there are so many more flowers outside my door. Cool. Maybe she’ll bring up some of those wild orange mushrooms. Those make for magic illusions…”

Corbin rolled his eyes and fought his grin. “You do know they’re poisonous, right?”

“Only if you eat them!” Cullen singsonged.

Hawk blinked at them. “You eat poisonous things?” That seemed silly. Why on earth would anyone do that?

Cosmo came down to the kitchen, and he was wearing a lovely loose tunic and a pair of pants in solid white. He glowed against it, his rose-colored skin so bright, his scales showing. Time in the sandpit was doing wonders for him.

“You know you don’t have to clean for mother.”

Corbin fastened a glare on his brother. “You knowyoudon’t have to clean for mother.”

Cosmo rolled his eyes. “Corbin has issues. Mommy issues.”

“You know if I shove you out the door of Cullen’s house and lock it, Hawk can’t go out there and save you.”

Cosmo pursed his lips. “You wouldn’t.”

“Try me. You’re the one who invited Mother here without asking. You know the rules. You have to at least warn me.”

“There’s no need to be a panicky idiot. She loves you.”