Page 31 of Forged

“Isn’t this festival smashing?” Callum asked, glancing around at the decorations and people. “I was so excited when I heard Maidstone was having a winter festival. It’s not exactly Pagan, but at least it’s Pagan-friendly.”

“Oh yeah,” Bax said, making conversation. “I saw Veronica Merriweather with a booth of candles and charms down at the bottom of the high street.”

“Did you pick up anything?” Callum asks. “She gives a discount if she knows you’re a practitioner.”

“I didn’t,” Bax said. “My arms are a little full at the moment.”

In fact, they’d been aching with Macy’s weight for the last ten minutes.

“I see,” Callum said, then laughed. “You’re the last person I would have imagined to see with small children like that, but it suits you.”

Callum was just being polite. Underneath his smile and sophisticated manner, Bax was certain he was trying to match up some of their more heated moments from the past with what he saw in front of him.

The moment turned weird fast.

“Well, I’ll be seeing you,” Callum said. “It was a pleasure meeting you, Nick.” He reached for Nick’s hand again and made a mock swoony noise when Nick gripped his in a firm handshake. “And I’ll speak to you soon,” he added for Bax before walking on.

The silence that followed in his wake had Bax’s back itching.

“He’s…interesting,” Nick said.

“Yes, he is,” Bax laughed as they headed on toward the parking lot. “Callum has always been a bit…colorful.”

“He offered you a place in his coven?” Nick asked, lowering his voice slightly.

Bax wasn’t so oblivious that he didn’t catch the hint of sadness and worry in Nick’s voice.

“He did,” Bax said, swaying close enough to take Nick’s hand, although it took a bit of coordination, since they were both holding sleeping children. “I have to think about it, though.”

“Isn’t that what you want?” Nick asked. “You’ve been looking for a new coven.”

“I have,” Bax conceded. “But you can’t just join any old group that offers. Joining a coven is a deeply personal, spiritual choice. You have to make sure the group is right. It’s a lot like getting involved in a new relationship.”

Nick glanced at him and their eyes met. It was pretty clear to Bax that Nick was wrestling with all kinds of new emotions. He had more than his mum playing matchmaker to contend with. He was a father, a teacher, an artist, and thanks to Bax, he was struggling with a whole new understanding of his sexuality.

Bax wanted to make things easier for him instead of adding to the pile of confusion Nick was dealing with.

“Right now, I just want to be with you,” he said, smiling over Macy’s sleeping form. “That’s enough for me.”

“You’re being generous,” Nick said with a sheepish smile. “I’m more trouble than I’m worth.”

“You absolutely are not,” Bax scolded him. He then shifted to a wicked grin and said, “You’re going to be so worth it.”

Nick’s face went even redder, and he lowered his eyes. It was the cutest thing Bax had ever seen. Nick might have been a giant of a man, but he could blush like a little boy sometimes.

Bax loved it. He loved the sweetness that shone through Nick’s strength. He loved how good Nick was and how hard he tried to be what others needed him to be. It was well past time for Nick to take something for himself, though. Bax was determined to find a way to give him what he deserved and more.

TEN

Nick felta buzz like he’d had a dozen black coffees as he drove Bax and the kids home. It was meant to be an ordinary outing to entertain the kids for a day. Instead, it had turned into an entirely different sort of “outing”.

He still couldn’t believe he’d told Kate that he and Bax were together. He could barely believe that the two of themweretogether.

They were, weren’t they?

Yes, they definitely were. The entire afternoon had felt like proof of it. They’d worked well together to make sure the kids had a good time, they’d had a bit of time to walk around with just each other, sort of, when the kids had fallen asleep, and they’d even held hands at one point.

Wow. He was dating a guy.

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