#Chapter 266 – Early Morning Wake-Up Call

“Daddddd!” Alvin shouts the next morning, bursting in through the door to our bedroom banging a toy drum as hard as he can. “Come on! It’s time for our concert!”

Ian comes marching behind him, playing the kazoo as loud as his little boy lungs will let him, and I follow up the rear, banging two plastic cups together and keeping time to my sons’ miniature marching band. The cups aren’t an ideal instrument – but they’re the best I could find in my sons’ room on short notice.

Victor sits up stark in bed, his eyes wide, but then seeing that it’s no real threat, he groans and falls back against the pillows. Laughing, Alvin and Ian jump onto the bed, Archie following them, barking. I dance towards Victor’s side of the bed, still playing the cups.

“Come on, baby!” I laugh. “Time to get up and start your day!”

“Death,” he mutters, glaring up at me, his word muffled by his pillow. “I promise death to you for this – and vengeance on your progeny –“

I swoop down and give him a kiss on his cheek. “Luckily,” I say, a big grin on my face, though I stop banging the cups together. “My progeny is your progeny. So, you’ll have to take us all out for full vengeance, and we are a fearsome crew. I don’t know if you have it in you.”

“I will do it, and then I will have silence,” he growls, though I can see the start of a smile on his face as he swipes an arm out, trying to knock his sons over so they’ll stop with the infernal noise –

I laugh, deciding to give him a break, and whistle to my boys. “Come on!” I call, marching out of the room, two boys and a dog following me like the pied piper. “Let’s go wake up uncle Rafe next!”

But to my surprise (and, I admit, disappointment), when we go downstairs, Rafe is already up, standing fully dressed at the sink, doing the dishes of all things. I can’t help it when my mouth falls open a little bit as he opens his arms, going to one knee to give his nephews a warm hug.

Then, he grins up at me. “Morning, Evelyn,” he says, a wicked gleam in his eye. “How’s Victor?”

“Traitor!” I say, laughing and pointing at him as I come into the kitchen. “You got him drunk! Not the other way around!”

He laughs, admitting it with a shrug and running a hand through his hair. “I took it easy, but yeah, I may have encouraged him a little bit. Though honestly,” he looks at me and raises an eyebrow, “it didn’t take much to convince him. Is he stressed out about something?”

and looking up the stairs. “He’s been…busy, lately.

think that he’s used to me being hard on him – and rightly so. But…damn it, he’s growing on me. And

really is turning

it any further, though, the front door swings open and Bridgette sweeps in, a big smile on her face. “I brought donuts!” she sings, happy, smiling around at all of us. Rafe goes still in the kitchen, staring at

say, perhaps over-cheerful, giving her a wink. She’s in on the plan, of course, though

it perhaps was just

eagerly taking the box of donuts from her hand, rushing to the table. I move past them, keeping half a meddlesome eye on Rafe and

to myself then,

I hear footsteps

then stoops to glare

him a cheeky smirk and he narrows his eyes at me, his glare promising punishment later. But I just give him a wink, letting him know through the bond in our minds that he can give me

greet Bridgette before coming to me, wrapping a warm

turn my head to him and playfully snap my teeth.

and turns to survey our happy family. “Who wants

in the air. “But, um,” he hesitates. “Can Burton

says, standing straight up, offended. “What’s wrong

have egg shells,” Ian replies,

face in disappointment. “Pancakes are not

Burton has the day off,” I say, clapping my hands and giving Victor a little nudge.

__________________

the burned-out wreckage of where the big house was. Alvin and Ian give Victor and I twin scowls

about it,

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