Page 192 of Blue Moon Mistress

I stay there just long enough for Joshua to have his turn, and then Johnny and Chase.

But Chase doesn’t let me down.

“Happy Yule.” He nods to the pile of greenery on the far counter. “We haven’t decorated yet.”

“This is sweet, but you’re a week or so early.”

“That’s okay. We still want to give you a gift.”

“We didn’t really know when to give you this…” Thomas pulls out a box. “Since you don’t celebrate what we’d consider traditional Christmas.”

He pops it open, and a ring glitters at me but it’s Joshua who takes it from its velvet cushion and slides it on my finger.

Myrightring finger.

“We didn’t think you’d accept the other yet.” Thomas says as if he senses the sliver of disappointment that tumbles through me.

The ring is a dark pewter band, holding four faceted pieces of lemurian quartz. And it fits perfectly.

“We asked your mom so that we knew the stones were right.” Johnny says, taking my hand and slipping the ring from one hand and onto the other. Meeting my eyes, he winks. “Just checking.”

He puts it back where Joshua had originally placed it and his fingertips slip from my wrist… from my truth-telling pulse.

“I love it.”

“We have other surprises planned, you may not celebrate our secular Christmas, but we’ve never held back.”

I look around the house. There are some decorations up, but not a ton. But that, I suppose, might just be a consequence of their ordeal more than anything else.

“I look forward to being awed.”

My phone buzzes and for a moment I wonder what has my mother texting so early, but it’s later than I thought.

You’re welcome to come up for any Yule festivities you’d like, but you’re not required.

Thank you. I’m going to spend time closer to home this year.

Good.

I know they aren’t going to propose, but you don’t need to marry any of them in order to give me a granddaughter.

Love you too mom. Have a blessed sabbat.

“No bad news, I hope.” Joshua isn’t so bad that he’s jumping at shadows, but he hates the sound of my phone.

“None. It’s not allowed for the rest of the year.”

“Can we disallow it for the rest of our lives?” Johnny asks, grumbling.

“That would be nice.” I kiss him and he shoos me to the table.

The pancakes are stacked high, and Joshua pulls me into his lap. “I hate to say it, but you are going to have to go home, eventually.”

“I go home.”

“Yes, but you don’t stay home. And it’s starting to affect you.” He draws a line down my forehead, stopping between my eyebrows.

“I don’t want to leave you.”

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