Page 24 of Redondo (Mates of the Mylos #7)

CHAPTER 24

THOMAS

Someone, and I suspected Ondo, had arranged for pots of blooming purple azaleas to be set out around the fountain. How did he know that was my favorite flower? Had he read the answer to that question over my shoulder or had it been a lucky guess? Whatever. It was sweet, just like him.

Ondo and I stood in front of Commander Gundar, who’d put on a bright blue aloha shirt for the occasion. His heavily pregnant mate Darla was sitting on a nearby bench resting as she watched the proceedings. A cake carrier sat next to her, filled with homemade cupcakes with purple and white frosting she’d baked as soon as she’d heard from the Commander about the wedding.

Ondo and I stood before the Commander, the fountain at his back, and our guests fanned out to either side of us for a good view.

“We are gathered here today to make promises of love and fidelity. Do you, Thomas, accept Redondo as your husband and mate, to love with all your heart, and to care for him in health or in sickness, cherishing him always?”

“I do,” I replied.

“And do you, Redondo -”

Yes.”

“You’re supposed to let him finish,” Terry whispered at him as I laughed at Ondo’s overeagerness.”

“I’ll try again,” Gundar said. “Do you, Redondo, accept Thomas as your husband and mate, to love with all your heart, and to care for him in health or in sickness, cherishing him always?”

“Yes.”

“Then as Commander of the Earth Bride Fleet, I pronounce you not only true mates, but husbands. You may kiss now to seal your promise.”

Mindful of people passing by pausing to watch us in interest, we kept the kiss to a fairly chaste peck on the lips.

“Congratulations,” Gundar said and several onlookers cheered.

Ondo ducked his head, a faint blush staining his cheeks.

“Is he this shy in bed too?” Ralph asked.

Terry smacked him up the back of his head. “You can’t ask him that!”

I laughed. “No, he’s pretty dominant there, actually.”

“Okay, not fair. Now I want details,” Terry complained.

“What you’re going to get is those cupcakes from Darla,” Ralph told him. “You can carry them to the bowling alley and we’ll have them after the pizza.”

“Congrats, kiddo,” Cheryl rasped. “Don’t forget, first kid is named after me.”

Redondo looked at me questioningly and I laughed. “Tell you later, but she’s joking.”

“That’s what he thinks,” she replied with a wink, making Redodo look even more confused. Terry walked over to get the cupcakes,