“Christian will look after him, I promise.” Cathal placed a hand over Edward’s. “He can relate to what Mikey is going through, and that will help.” He moved his chair over to make room for Tomas. “Of course, if there is anything any of us can do, we will.”

  Will stood and began to make tea. He reached for the herbal mix Heidi kept on the windowsill above the sink. “If you wish to stay and talk, Tomas, I can take this through to your sister.” He put a fresh cup down in front of Edward first.

  “Thanks.” Tomas didn’t need another invitation. He sat down next to Cathal. For a moment he felt an overwhelming sense of sadness, grief, and anger. He gave Cathal a questioning look, knowing that, whatever it was, it was the result of a sudden opening of this weird connection they shared. It was something he wasn’t sure he’d ever get used to, although it had settled somewhat since that bloody portal had closed. Perhaps it had never been completely caused by the portal in the first place? There was no way of telling for sure, although there was no getting away from the very real possibility that the thing had upset it.

  Edward sipped his tea slowly. His hands were shaking. “I don’t have family,” he said slowly. “I’ve already told Cathal that. He said that you’d make sure Mikey is taken care of.”

  If Cathal had promised that, it was what they’d do. “Christian is his family as much as we are, probably more so.” What the hell was going on? Edward sounded so tired, as though the weight of the universe was on his shoulders. Cathal’s other hand squeezed Tomas’s knee. “But of course we’ll do whatever is needed,” Tomas added quickly. “Is everything okay, Edward?”

  It must be something to do with this trip to London. It had to be.

  “Edward is ill, Tomas.” Cathal spoke quietly. He removed his hand from Edward’s. “He has been offered treatment, but it can’t be done here. Mikey needs somewhere to stay, and….” His voice trailed off. He swallowed and edged closer to Tomas.

  “I have cancer.” Edward’s eyes were unfocused. “They’ve given me six months without treatment. It’s rather an aggressive strain so it moves quickly.”

  “And with treatment?”

  “If they get it all, I could be okay.” There was a slight emphasis on the word “could.” Edward was well aware this could go either way.

  “Oh.” Tomas didn’t know what to say. “I’m sorry.” No wonder the kid was upset. Even though he could be a right pain in the arse at times, no one deserved to lose both their parents.

  Hold up. Did this mean he and Cathal were going to end up raising the kid? Surely it wouldn’t come down to that. Christian was Mikey’s grandfather several times removed, not them.

  He looked down, his emotions catching up with his thoughts. No, he wasn’t going to let that kind of reaction dictate his actions. Not anymore. Mikey was family, but it wasn’t just him that Tomas thought of in that way. It was everyone at this inn, blood or not.

  When had that happened?

  “Yeah,” Edward said, “so am I.”

  Tomas squeezed Cathal’s hand. “We’re your family, Edward. All of us. Neither you nor Mikey have to worry about being alone through any of this. Whatever happens, we’ll be there for you, for both of you.”

  Chapter 19

  CATHAL stretched his legs out in front of him, enjoying what was left of the afternoon sun. This part of the garden in particular was somewhere both he and Christian had always held dear, which was why it had seemed the perfect place for the dragon seat, once it was finished. It was a private spot, the hedge acting as a barrier to any prying eyes, but not at the cost of hindering a clear view of what lay beyond.

  In the distance he could see Mikey and Wynne talking while Mikey sketched. Mikey had parked Wynne’s wheelchair on the grass next to the wooden bird feeder that hung from one of the trees by Donovan’s workshop. Heidi had arranged for Wynne to spend a few days at the inn, and Trudy, who they had met at the nursing home, had offered to accompany him. They’d arrived shortly after lunch, and she and Heidi were now in the kitchen drinking tea.

  Tomas had gone with his sister to pick Grant up from the station. Fortunately, the job he’d been working on had taken less time than he’d anticipated, and when Kathleen had spoken to him the night before he’d quickly made arrangements to join her the next day. Cathal had been invited, but he’d declined, telling Tomas to take the opportunity to spend some time with his sister. All things considered, she’d taken their story of recent events very well, although it had taken Christian and Will’s insistence that, yes, it was true, to completely convince her. Christian’s demonstration of his abilities had helped too.

  “Having doubts about the ceremony tomorrow?” Christian slid into the seat beside him. By the time he and Mikey had returned to the house the previous evening, the boy was a lot calmer, although very quiet. The two of them spent some time talking to Edward afterward, before Christian left Mikey to continue speaking with his father alone.

  “No. Why would I?” Cathal decided to ignore Christian’s grin. “I love him. These are our public vows to each other. The private ones have already been said.”

  “Of course they have.” Christian sat down beside him, running his hand over the old wooden seat, his fingers tracing the wings of the dragon. In his other hand he held a sketchpad. It was the one Wynne had given him, from Alice. “I proposed to my Alice here,” he said softly. “She would be happy that you’ve found someone, cousin.”

  “I miss her, Christian. I wish she could be here.” Cathal bit his lip. There were so many memories associated with the inn, more good than bad. It was their anchor in this world, the place they’d both dared call home. “If there was a way of chan―”

  “There isn’t.” Christian’s voice was distant, his attention distracted by something else. “The past is the past, Cat. I’m not about to forget it, but she’d want both of us to move forward and embrace what we have now, not focus on what we’ve lost.”

  “Your Alice was a wise woman.” If he closed his eyes he could see her here, brushing her long hair in the sunshine, her eyes twinkling in humor as she teased both of them about something that had been said. “Even if she couldn’t cook.”

  Christian poked Cathal in the side. “Her cooking was really bad, wasn’t it?” Cathal opened his eyes. Christian’s mouth twitched. “Her talents lay in… other areas.”

  “I’m going to presume you’re referring to her art.”

  “Of course.” Christian chuckled. “Speaking of which, it looks as though others have a few talents of their own.” He gestured behind them. Cathal turned around, his eyes widening. The barn door was open, and just inside the building Donovan and Ethan were kissing, losing themselves in each other.

  Donovan opened his eyes for a moment, looking around as though suddenly aware he and Ethan had an audience. His gaze met Cathal’s, and he waved before using his foot to shut the door, all the while not breaking the kiss.

  “And he says that Tomas and I should get a room.” Cathal rolled his eyes. It wasn’t the first time he’d come across Donovan and Ethan very obviously enjoying each other’s company.

  “You should.” Christian stood, holding the sketchpad close to him. “Wynne and I have a few things to discuss. You’re welcome to join us if you’d like.”

  Cathal shook his head. “I don’t want to intrude.”

  “You wouldn’t be. You’re family too, Cat. You always have been, and that’s not about to change.” Christian outlined the words on the front of the pad with two fingers. Alice had written Christian’s name and Wynne’s, and drawn a sketch of a dragon watching over them. It was the same dragon from her journal. Wynne had used it for the cover of his parents’ story, the book In Hidden Places.

  “It was Wynne who brought all of this to be, Christian. That book helped to bring Tomas and me together, and it gave him the clues he needed to find Alice and come after us.”

  “You and Tomas would have found each other anyway, Cat.” Christian smiled. “Some things are meant to be.” It was one of Aine Emerys’s favorite sayings. Christian was fond of Cathal’s mother and she of him.

  “He’s a good man, Christian, and he loves me.” Would the two of them ever get on? Cathal despaired of it at times, although he was fully aware that Tomas was just as much to blame for the aggravation between them as Christian.

  “I know that.” Christian’s voice was distant, soft. He was watching his son and great-grandson. “I see an echo of my Alice in both of them. I wish she―” He turned back to Cathal. “You’re well matched, cousin, and you’ve chosen well.”

  Cathal looked up in surprise at his words. “Have you ever thought of telling Tomas that?”

  “Of course not.” The moment broken, Christian rolled his eyes. “Where would be the fun in that? Now, are you planning to join us, or are you going to sit here a while longer and keep imagining what you and Tomas are going to do after you’ve taken your vows?”

  “Christian!” His cousin really had no shame at all, but then he’d never had, even when they were children. “What are you planning to talk about with Wynne?”

  Christian nodded toward the sketchpad he held. The smile that tugged at his lips had more than a hint of melancholy to it. “This is a journal of sorts. Alice….” His eyes unfocused, his voice softened. “She did this for us, for Wynne and me.” He opened it and showed Cathal the first sketch. It was of Christian, sitting in the rocking chair in his and Alice’s bedroom, cradling a newborn baby. “It’s our life together, Cat, a lifetime of how things should have been. How they might have been if the Falcons hadn’t come.”

  “Are you sure you don’t want to talk to Wynne by yourself?” This was too personal to intrude upon.

  “We’ve already done so much grieving for what we’ve lost. I want my son and great-grandson to know her, to hear your memories too. She’s still a part of their lives and always will be.” Christian smiled, a proper one this time. “Join us, Cat. Please.”

  Cathal nodded slowly. It was the very least he could do. “All right, Christian. If you’re sure, I will.” He gave his cousin a brief hug. “Thank you. I miss her too.”

  WHEN Tomas and Cathal came downstairs the next morning they were greeted by what appeared to be a meeting already in full swing around the kitchen table. Tomas’s eyes narrowed, but his sister grinned cheerily at him in response.

  The peacefulness of the night before was already beginning to feel like part of a conspiracy to lull them into a false sense of security. This was supposed to be a simple ceremony, just him and Cathal, in front of those they considered family, exchanging their vows.

  Why did he get the feeling it was about to become anything but?

  “Reverend Matthew has agreed to act as a marriage celebrant.” Kathleen looked extremely pleased with herself. Grant was already settled in and had taken Will’s offer of the night before to show him around and meet Buttercup. Mikey, naturally, had gone with them. He and Will were becoming firm friends, especially after some conversation they’d had about one of Mikey’s sketches. “He’ll be here at three.”

  Tomas stared at her. “We never agreed to that! And besides, we can’t. It’s not legal. We haven’t filled in all the paperwork, and it’s not as though the church is going to condone it anyway.” What he’d discovered when he’d looked into all of it had irked him, to say the least. To hell with the law and its different set of rules. Once they’d exchanged their vows, in his mind they’d be married, and he intended to refer to their relationship as such.

  “What’s not legal about it?” Cathal frowned. “Surely all that matters is that we love each other?” His chin came up, his eyes narrowing into a stubborn expression. “All we need to do is exchange our vows. That is binding in my world. Is it not in this one?”

  “This world loves its paperwork, cousin, or we wouldn’t need these identity papers Heidi’s young man is procuring for us.” Christian butted into the conversation uninvited, but what else was new. “You will be living here, so surely it makes sense to follow its laws and have your union documented so no one here can question it either.”

  Kathleen nodded in agreement. “That’s exactly my point, Christian.” Great, just what they needed, Kathleen and Christian forming an alliance of sorts. Tomas’s day was now officially complete. “And if that king of yours tries to argue the point, you want as many witnesses as you can get and a decent paper trail to wave under his nose.” She waved one hand. “I’m sure we can do the paperwork later and get you to sign all of that in a couple of weeks’ time so it is legal.”

  “The king will not argue the point, as you put it.” Cathal shook his head. “Whether it is legal here or not will not matter to him. We are exchanging vows in front of witnesses. That is what matters.” He frowned.

  “And? But?” Tomas prompted. Surely Cathal couldn’t be having second thoughts? A shiver ran up his spine, a wave of panic.

  Cathal kissed Tomas lightly. “Do you want to do what is required to ensure our union is legal here too, love?” he asked softly. He broke the kiss and glanced briefly at Christian, who nodded. “I want your world to know we are together, that we love each other.”

  “Alice and I didn’t get that,” Christian reminded them. Was that where Cathal’s thoughts had gone when he’d looked at his cousin? “It’s not just about wanting a future together and safeguarding that, but also leaving something behind for those who come afterward to find.” He stood and walked over to the window, gazing for a moment at the stump that was left of the old oak. “Cat and I… our world moves differently to yours. Cat still has family there, as do I. If they are able to pass through, they’d want to know what happened to him, to both of you.”

  A shadow flickered over Cathal’s face and then was gone. “I hadn’t thought of that, of actually leaving them something like that. I…. My thoughts had only gone as far as a diary or letters.”

  “Those don’t always work as well, cousin.” Christian didn’t turn from the window. They had to strain to hear. “You know your family, especially Faolan. He’s like a dog with a bone until he gets the answers he seeks.” He shuddered, then looked annoyed at himself for doing so. Turning, the whisper of the sad expression he wore melted, to be replaced by his usual grin. “All these issues with cats, cousin, and Tomas’s sister has a name that can also be shorted to Kat. Does your man have an obsession I don’t know about?”

  “If he does, that’s between them, and needs to stay that way, don’t you think?” Kathleen matched his grin with one of her own, her eyes glinting in a way with which Tomas was very familiar. For one crazy second, he almost wished Christian would piss her off, just to see what would happen. His sister had an even temper for the most part, but often it only took one word, or what she perceived to be a threat against someone she cared about, and the claws would come out.

  Hmm, perhaps there was something in what Christian had said after all. Tomas shook himself mentally. No, he wasn’t going there.

  “I think Tomas’s expression says it all.” Christian’s grin widened.

  So did Kathleen’s. “Meow,” she drawled. Merlin, who was sunning herself on the floor in front of the fridge, looked up and around, startled. “Are you sure you haven’t kept some of those tendencies you must have learned while you were a cat, Christian? After all, you seem to have more of them than Cathal and I do.”

  Cathal brushed his fingers lightly against Tomas’s leg. He cleared his throat. “As much as I’d love to stay and listen to the rest of this conversation, Tomas and I have a ceremony to prepare for.”

  “Of course you do.” Christian winked at him. Tomas bit back a groan. Wonderful. Didn’t Cathal realize he was adding fuel to the fire? “While you’re gone, I’m sure Kathleen and I can find plenty to talk about.” He lowered his voice. “I have many stories of Cat as a child. I’m sure you must have some of Tomas too.”

  “Just remember, cousin, you are not the only one who can tell stories.” Cathal stood. Tomas didn’t need another hint. The sooner they were out of here the better.

  Kathleen brightened. “I’ll hold you to that!” She and Christian exchanged an amused look. “Christian, would you be a dear and refill my tea? It’s time we got to know each other a little better.”

  TOMAS groaned, arching up off the bed as Cathal deepened the kiss, his hands roaming over Tomas’s chest and down his side. Their cocks brushed. He thrust against Cathal, wanting more. “Please, Cat,” he whispered hoarsely.

  God, Cathal was so beautiful, more so when he was aroused like this. Blond hair was plastered to his face, slick with perspiration. Tomas traced one finger down Cathal’s chest, outlining the muscles, letting his hand linger in Cathal’s more sensitive spots. “I want you, Tomas. I love you, now and forever.” Cathal reached over to the bedside table, fumbling through the open drawer until he found what he needed. Tomas leaned back on one elbow, breathing heavily, watching Cathal and openly admiring the way in which the moisture on his skin glistened in the early afternoon sun.

  Cathal sat back into a crouch, his eyes half-lidded, and ran one hand very slowly over Tomas’s upper thigh. He whimpered, instinctively spreading his legs, giving Cathal a clear invitation.

  “You feel good.” Cathal leaned in again, this time following the path his hand had made with his tongue. He lazily swiped it across the tip of Tomas’s cock, just enough to send a shiver of anticipation through him. “You taste good too.”

  There was a creak of floorboards outside their room. They both froze, staring at the door, willing whatever had caused it to go away. “Piss off,” Tomas muttered, not wanting to be interrupted today of all days. While it was true they’d only planned to take refuge in their bedroom to talk for a while before all hell broke loose downstairs, one thing had led to another, as it usually did. Tomas wasn’t about to put Cathal off when he seemed determined to get them both undressed, and once they started touching each other neither of them had any willpower worth speaking of.