Page 117 of The Leaving Kind
Cam bumped their noses together. “I think your mind is going, old man. It’s only been six weeks since the last time you asked.”
Victor chuckled. “Just taking an opportunity where I see it.”
Hands closed about his waist. “Speaking of opportunity—”
Victor’s phone buzzed in his pocket. Sighing regretfully, he pulled it out. “In answer to your earlier question about how long we have until people start arriving?”
“Sage is in the driveway?”
“Yep.”
“If he didn’t text, he’d catch us in bed nine out of ten visits.”
Victor smirked. “True.” He pocketed his phone and held out a hand. “Shall we?”
Sage wasn’t alone in the driveway. He had Ashni and Billy with him, of course, but Cori’s car was parked close behind, and she had Tez with her. No Raya today, apparently. As though half the party had coordinated a simultaneous arrival, Grayson’s Mustang crested the hill of the drive and pulled into the circle behind Cori’s car. His car carried two additional passengers, Aaron and Oliver.
“Where’s Nick?” Cam asked.
“He was picking up your gift.” Tugging his phone out, Victor checked the time. He grinned as he tucked the phone away again and his heart squeezed in a few extra beats. He and Nick had worked hard to find the perfect gift for Cameron, with Jorge and Oliver helping when they had time. Victor hoped it seemed as perfect today as it had last week when he and Nick had filed the paperwork.
Cam frowned. “He needed a whole extra car for it?”
“Mm-hmm.”
Hugs and kisses were exchanged, with Billy passing from adult to adult as they all fussed over him. When Victor pulled Ashni in for a quick embrace, he blinked down at her midsection, which felt a little rounder than it had over the summer. “Are you ...?”
She and Sage swapped a knowing smile. “Marjoram will be here in March.”
Slapping his hands over his mouth, Victor worked furiously to prioritize his emotions. “I don’t know if I’m more excited about another baby or that you’ve picked one of my names.”
“Both.” Ashni laughed. “You can be excited about both.”
Tez squealed with delight, and Cam was all smiles. Victor had only introduced Cam to his kids at the end of September. Over the past couple of months, they’d bonded. Cori apparently had his cell phone number. She said they only talked about park dimensions and urban landscapes, but he’d heard Cam’s end of their conversations. They’d become fast friends, and little delighted Victor more than seeing his loved ones together.
Gray was holding Billy upside down, much to the toddler’s delight. Beside him, Oliver flapped his hands. “If he gurgles, pull him up slowly. No one wants to start the day by choking on vomit.”
Aaron was shaking his head at the pair. “And my mom thinks Gray and I should adopt. I think Gray and Oliver should adopt and Nick and I can look on in horror.” Aaron turned to Victor. “So, hey, I loved the fall series you did for the cards. Amazing, truly.”
“Thanks. I liked them a lot, myself. Have you finished going over the latest submissions from the art club?”
“I have, and I wanted to talk to you about that.”
Oh? “As in we should go somewhere private or chat here as we continue watching Gray and Oliver torture my grandson?”
Oliver had Billy by the waist and was attempting to fly him like an airplane.
Tez appeared at Victor’s side. “Is the patio all set up or are we grilling in the driveway today?”
“Why don’t you organize everyone while Aaron and I talk about the cards for a minute?”
“Will do.”
Victor turned to Aaron. “What’s up?”
“Gray and I love what you and the class have been giving us. We only have a few issues, and they’re super minor. Could we maybe visit the class one afternoon to talk to the kids?”
“They’d love that. Let me know your schedule and we’ll keep a day open for you.”