Page 12 of You Are Cordially Invited

I loved Cory deeply, but Cam was definitely the better peacemaker. Ninety percent of the time, he intuitively knew what Cory needed if he got frustrated. Not that it worked all the time, but he was right more often than he was wrong.

As for me? I just muddled through.

“Okay.” Cory finally held out the truck. I chalked one up for Pappy as I slipped it on the table and gotUpqueued on the television. Craig had kept the name Dad. I’d been given Pappy, and Cam got, well, Cam.

“Thank Christmas for that,” Mark moaned and turned on his side while I headed back into the kitchen and kept an eye on them over the breakfast bar.

Cory scooted into the curve behind Mark’s knees and patted his thigh.

“Okay, Mark?” He leaned forward to peek at Mark’s face.

Mark returned a somewhat sickly grin. “Wonderful, little man, just wonderful.”

I swallowed a laugh.

“That’s good.” Cory patted Mark’s leg once again. “Did you know Pappy and Cam are getting married? I’m carrying the rings with Tink.”

I flipped a pancake and tried not to cry. Cory looked so damn proud.

He loved all the dogs in our tight group of friends, interacting with them in ways he never allowed with people, but Mark and Ed’s huge Neapolitan Mastiff was his absolute favourite. It had taken us a couple of months of practice to get the ring carrying thing ready to go—first with our family and friends, then with his class at school who loved the visit from Tink and Mark—and just last weekend Cory had let the mastiff lead him around the park while he carried the ring box.

He might pull out at the last minute with everyone there, but that was fine. We’d work around it. And a dog of our own was next on the Wano-Taylor list of family to-do’s—after the wedding.

Family.

Mark shoved another cushion under his head and rubbed his bloodshot eyes. “Yes, I do know. Are you excited? Tink is.”

“Yep.” Cory glanced sideways, then back at the television. “Shh. It’s starting.”

“Give him his headset,” I told Mark. “Then come and eat. You’re making me feel sick just looking at you.”

“I can’t,” he whined. “Someone switched my stomach out for a vat of acid.” A long, noisy burp underlined his point. “Oh, my god, yuck. I think I’ll join you after all.”

He lumbered his way to the breakfast bar and slumped in a seat. “Where’s the love of my life, by the way?”

I nodded down the hall as I slid another pancake onto the stack and pushed the dish Mark’s way along with the butter and maple syrup. “Eat something. Plates are on the shelf beside you and utensils in that drawer. And to answer your question, Ed’s in the spare room. Where I thought you’d be, by the way. What happened?”

He blushed. “I vaguely remember coming out for a drink of water, and then for some reason, I had to sit down... on the floor, apparently. Seemed like a good idea at the time.” He poured syrup on a pancake, stabbed it with his fork, and lifted the whole thing to his mouth to take a bite.

“Well, that explains that.” I pointed at the water glass sitting on the floor by the hallway.

“Huh.” He chuckled. “How about that? Guess I didn’t drink it after all. Is he okay?”

I snorted. “Who, Ed?”

“Mmm.” Mark chewed on his mouthful while I flipped another pancake.

“I have no idea,” I answered. “He’s your problem, not mine. But I have to say, I’ve never heard him talk as much as he did last night.”

Mark swallowed his pancake and gave a huge grin. “Right? Proper little chatterbox with a few drinks in him. Aces in bed like that too. Just lets loose and—ow! What was that for?”

I returned the silicon flipper to my other hand. “Not another word about your sex life. I’ve got gym training at ten. It’s gonna be hard enough keeping my breakfast down with only four hours sleep without adding any images of you and Ed having kinky sex into the mix.”

Mark’s mouth dropped open. “Gym training. Holy sh—” His gaze shot to Cory. “Shivers. Sucks to be you.” He glanced at the clock on the wall. “Damn, I need to call Carla and get her to pop next door and let Tink and Nana out before they bust their bladders.”

He took his cell to the window while I finished the pancakes, just in time for Cam to appear from our bedroom looking like... last week’s fish.Holy moly. I’d have grabbed a photo if I didn’t value my balls.

“Feeling better, my sweet?” I bit back a smile.

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