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Jake gave him as innocent a stare as he could manage. “Whatever gave you that idea?” He peered at the flickering candles and fanned himself. “Whoa. You could heat the whole house with those. Better blow them out fast before they burn the place down.”

Nicholas placed his hands on the table and leaned forward.

“Make a wish!” Seth yelled.

He closed his eyes for a second, then blew out every single candle.

Horvan cheered. “Way to go, Doc. Amazing breath control.” Dellan dug him in the ribs with his elbow, and Horvan blinked. “What did I say?”

Jake chuckled. “I think it’s more a case of what Dellan didn’t want you to say.”

Any retort Horvan had planned was lost in the pop of champagne corks, and Dellan and Rael busied themselves filling glasses. When everyone had one, Dellan gave Jake a nod.

Jake raised his glass. “They say elephants can remember. So raise your glasses and join me in a toast to the man who not only remembered me, but also never forgot that he loved me.” He locked gazes with Nicholas. “Happy birthday, Doc.”

His words echoed around the kitchen, and there followed the sound of clinking glass. Jake took a sip, pleasantly surprised by its smoothness and flavor.

Nicholas picked up the cake knife from the table and gently tapped his glass. The room fell silent as he raised it.

“Thank you all for your kind wishes, and for helping me celebrate a day that… well, to be honest, I’d almost forgotten about. I also have a toast, but it has nothing to do with my birthday.” He cleared his throat. “Let us drink to all our tomorrows. May each one be better than the previous, and may all our efforts be rewarded with success.”

For a moment nobody spoke, and Jake noticed tears in the eyes of more than one of those people gathered around the large table. Everyone took a drink in silence.

Jake pointed to the cake. “And now you need to cut it.”

Nicholas’s eyes twinkled. “Only if you cut it with me.”

Crank snickered. “Watch it, Jake. He’ll be bringing out a ring box next and getting down on one knee,” he quipped.

Jake opened his mouth to reply, but Nicholas got in there first.

“Two things about that. At my age, you only go down on one knee if you’ve dropped something and you’re looking for it, because while getting down is easy enough, getting back up again takes more effort.” He snickered. “And sometimes by the time you get down there, you’ve forgotten why the hell you were kneeling in the first place.” Laughter ensued.

“What’s the second thing?” Saul asked.

“I don’t have a ring for Jake because I’ve already given him something more valuable and much more significant.” He gazed at Jake. “My heart.”

That was all it took to bring on Jake’s tears. He put down his glass, Nicholas did the same, and they clung to each other while their friends and family patted them, cheered, whooped, and hollered.

Jake caught sight of Dellan’s tear-streaked cheeks, and he smiled.

You’re happy for me, right?

Dellan beamed.As if you have to ask.

It didn’t matter that there was the possibility of danger awaiting them around the very next corner. That they were about to face a Geran who had the potential to be the greatest menace they’d ever faced, and in his own stronghold too.

We have the strongest weapon imaginable. We have love.

Nicholas tightened his arms around Jake.

Let’s hope it’s enough.

Chapter Eight

EVE LAYin the darkened bedroom, listening to the cute sounds Hashtag and Roadkill made while they slept on either side of her. So far, sleep had proved elusive, and she had a good idea what lay at the root of her insomnia.

I need to tell them.