Page 25 of The Ruby Dragon's Unconventional Mate

Lars gave him a patently false stank eye. “Are you just trying to get me to let you have cake first?”

“Nope. That soup smells delicious, and I love potatoes and bread and cheese.”

“I remember you put French fries on your grilled cheese.”

“And you told me I was weird.” He plugged in the Crock-Pot on the island.

“I did, but that’s all right. I forgave you.” Lars unpacked the rest of the goodies, including a heavy blanket. “It’s a weighted blanket. He’ll like it.”

“Oh, he will. Wow. This is amazing.” He chuckled. “I wondered if it was for a floor picnic.”

“No. But that doesn’t mean we can’t do that.” Lars gave him a bright smile, his silvery scales flashing for a moment.

“I would love that. But we might end up eating in the master if Lach is stuck in bed. He would love the company.”

“Fun!” Lars laughed, the sound a little like a cheerful waterfall. Gods, he was pretty.

It was like Lars had invaded his heart again when he’d heard Bryant’s fear about his brother.

Lars had cared more about them than he cared about his own pride. That honored the hell out of him.

They set up the bread, and he found a bottle of wine to open, which Lars actually clapped his hands over. “It’s a New Mexico wine!”

“It is. Lach sent me out to get him a little of everything when we first got here. So I got him chocolates with chiles, some amazing wines, some super cool cheeses. A lot of yummy stuff.”

“I love it.” Lars did the swirl and sniff. “I used a local stout in the cake.”

“That sounds amazing, sweetheart.”

Lars glanced at him. “We need to be gentle with each other. We can hurt each other, so easily.”And I don’t want to hurt you, okay?

I don’t want to hurt you either. I know I did. I have a lot to make up for. But I miss you, and I’ll try to explain where my head has been at, okay?He sipped his wine, needing to take this slow. Lars was right. They could do a lot of damage, and he didn’t want that.

He just didn’t deal with stress about Lachlan well. Lach was the older twin. The platinum guardian. The one who had always protected and taken care.

And now he was needing that from Bryant, who was so willing to give it, but it gave him a churning gut and a tight chest.

“It’s hard, I know. Logan is the boss, but sometimes, I have to pretend to be the big brother.”

“I can see that.” He could. He knew Logan well enough to have seen him fly off the handle. Dakota was good for him, and so were the babies. But Lars…well, Lars was so much more even-keeled. Bryant had thought he was too. “I’d love to blame it all on the magic flux around Lachlan, but I was just an ass.”

“I just wish…” Lars closed his mouth and shook his head. “It doesn’t matter.”

“What, sweet? What do you wish?”

Lars took a sip of his own wine, humming. “I tell you what? Why don’t we sit and chat like friends, and then have supper with Lachlan, and then if we want to have the harder talks, we can. I think you need to calm down, not ramp up, and I just want to help out and be with my friend. Okay?”

He stared at Lars for long seconds, but he couldn’t argue with that, really. Could he? So, he smiled, nodding, and let it go. For now.

Chapter

Nine

Lars sat on the huge sofa, cutting three slabs of cake. “Do you want ice cream or spray cream, Lachlan?”

“Can I have both?” Lachlan was more than willing to laugh and be social, once he relaxed and stopped stressing things like permanent wings and wonky magic.

“Sure. You provided both.” The soup and bread had gone over well, and the heavy weighted blanket seemed to really help, so hopefully the cake would too.

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