“Yes?” Calder’s forehead lifted.
“Ked and I were thinking, now that Assa is out of the hospital, you all might want your privacy…so you cantalk.” Jordie glanced at his brother, his face flushing. “We thought we could take Ryde back to our house for the night and you all could stay here. I’m happy to take Lachie too, but I know that’s tricky with Zinn still chest-feeding.”
Calder stared at Jordie in bewilderment.
Valentin tried not to grin. It was rare for the other alpha to be discomfited.
“Yes,” Zinn said, also looking like he was holding back a smile. “I can’t be away from Lachie for the entire night, not yet.”
Calder eyed his oldest son, still looking flustered. “What exactly do we need to discussprivately?”
Jordie’s cheeks reddened further, and he exchanged another loaded glance with Ked. “You know…stuff.”
Valentin looked over to see Assa and Wes on the verge of laughter. Assa coughed into his fist.
Ked sighed theatrically. “C’mon, Papa. Don’t make us, like, spell it out. You guys need to talk. You’re obviously all like—” he waved his hand in a circle “—in love now. I saw you grab Wes’s ass by the grill.”
Turning to Wes, Calder finally cracked a smile. “Not as stealthy as I thought, huh?”
“Apparently not.”
Calder sat back, the wicker chair groaning under his weight. He folded his arms across his chest, addressing his sons. “And what do you think of that, the five of us being in love?”
Valentin appreciated that he didn’t bother denying it. Full speed ahead.
But it wasn’t Jordie or Ked who replied.
It was Ryde.
“Papa C, we want you to be in love. I don’t mind having two bedrooms and all that, but sometimes it would be easier if I didn’t go back and forth so much. Or if Daddy Z was always there to help me with my painting. And I love being at the bakery house, but I miss Pop and Dad and Papa V. And I want to be with all my brothers all the time. It doesn’t make sense to be two families. Especially since we always end up all together anyway.”
Jordie put a hand on Ryde’s shoulder. “We’re just one family, bro.”
Ked studied Calder seriously. “Papa, you deserve to be happy. You were alone for a long time after Daddy died. And we know Zinn made you happy, but you’re happier now. With everyone.”
“Thank you, son,” Calder said. “And we’ll take you and Jordie up on your offer to hang out with Ryde at our house so we cantalk. Just keep your phones on.”
They finished their meal in relative quiet, and soon enough, Valentin was shutting the door behind the three older boys as the men clustered in the living room. He waited for it to feel awkward. But it didn’t. Getting the go-ahead from their sons was the last unofficial hurdle. Everything else was just frosting.
“I need to put Lachie to bed,” Zinn said, shifting the sleepy baby from one shoulder to the other.
“Thank you, sunshine,” Calder said. “But just checking that you’re okay here? This isn’t some type of stalling tactic?”
“No.” Zinn smiled. “More like alet’s get the baby down as soon as possible so I can find out what happens nexttactic.”
Calder cupped Zinn’s face before placing a long, lingering kiss on his lips. “What I’d like to happen next is that I take you to bed.” He turned to the other men. “All of you.”
“Yes,” Zinn breathed out.
“I want that too,” Assa said, surprising Valentin with his forcefulness. “I’ll need to be careful, but I’m clear for sex as long as I’m not…lifting anything.”
Wes pulled Assa against him. “Don’t worry. You can be a pillow prince, sweetheart. We’ll do all the work.” He nodded at Calder. “I’m ready. I want this.”
“So do I,” Valentin said, squeezing himself between Wes and Assa.
Butterflies swarmed in his belly because there was one discussion that needed to happen before the five of them could be together. He focused his attention on the other alpha, silently communicating with him.
Calder spoke to Zinn. “I think Valentin should help you put the baby down.”