Cloud Riders(72)

Once the others behaved, he put her back down so she could flip the pancakes still in the pan. ‘Cassie, you know that even though Aldebaran is your father and may not harm you, we have to be mindful he is capable of these types of dirty tricks aimed at breaking us up.’

Cassie flipped the pancakes out onto the dish. ‘We were all pretty gullible, Woodsta, allowing Pops to have his way with us, me included. But we shouldn’t let our work and the magic world up there interfere with our private time together down here. We have to become stronger than this and trust it will be okay the morning after each mission or the wizard has won.’

Woody agreed, brushing a little bit of flour gently off Cassie’s cheek and smiling. She turned and pulled the last batch of scones out of the oven, asking Jason and Ethan if they wanted to start organising the coffees while she set the table. Kayden and Woody helped her while Conor poured out juices for everyone. At the table, Cassie watched the guys eating and chatting and as the food hit their empty stomachs she could see them not only sounding happier but looking so much better too. She grinned inwardly, knowing she had stronger magic than her father did. She had the most powerful weapon in the universe. It was called love, and she baked it into all the food that was enjoyed, right down to the last crumb.

It was late in the afternoon when Cassie finally asked some of the bigger questions they had all kept ducking like the plague. Did they have girlfriends or wives waiting at home for them, or maybe kids?

Jason was making them a coffee. ‘Hell no. And hell no, definitely no kids. You have to be kidding. When we’re not here annoying Kayden, the rest of us live on the farm next door. That’s how we get here so quick. To ensure we had plenty of room to play with our boys’ toys, we brought adjacent properties. We were all going to live here with the boss, build onto this house. Only Kayden was always so damned grumpy with us living under his feet that we decided to expand the house next door. Give him space and give us sanity.’

‘My Kayden.’ Cassie nudged him and made him grin. ‘He’s a pussy cat.’

Jason eyed her. ‘Do you recall the first day we met you? Well, that was him twenty-four, seven. You have worked a miracle, girl.’

Kayden threw a towel at him. ‘And you can’t tell me she hasn’t changed you guys?’ he stirred him back. ‘I can’t remember you guys ever wanting to spend this much time around any woman.’

Conor nearly choked on his drink. ‘Yeah true, but tell me how many of them will get out of the bathroom long enough to let us enjoy them. Makeup, hair, clothes, salons and dreary shopping drive me nuts. Cassie gets up and cooks us the best breakfast ever, never fusses over her appearance and yet scrubs up a treat and knows how to enjoy the day. She’s just like one of the boys.’

‘Not to me,’ Kayden said, running his hand down her arm and putting goose bumps over her.

Woody laughed. ‘Come on, mate, quit that or you’ll have us all looking up an old flame for the night.’

Cassie sat up straight, an idea popping into her thoughts. ‘Great idea! Let’s have a party at your house. Invite your girls, your friends and have a bit of fun. I reckon we deserve it. Music, dancing and alcohol. Plus, I’d love to see where you live.’

The men looked at each other with the cheekiest grins.

‘Hell yes, we’re all in. What do you say, K?’ Woody threw an arm around Jason, waiting for his answer.

‘I know where I’d sooner be.’ Kayden pulled Cassie closer to him. ‘Nevertheless, if it’s fun you need, sweetheart then let’s go have some.’

The guys scrambled for the car. Jason turned before he jumped in. ‘We’ll organise everything, boss. Be at our house around six, okay?’

Kayden nodded.

Woody eyed him suspiciously. ‘We can pick her up if you change your mind and don’t feel like coming.’

‘I said I’d be there, now nick off.’

Woody laughed loudly as he sat in the driver’s seat and kicking the engine into life, he skidded off along the dirt driveway.

‘At last, we’re alone.’

‘See? That was my plan,’ Cassie giggled.

‘Is that right? You’re just lucky they didn’t drag us over there to help.’ Kayden watched Cassie quietly for a moment with an inquisitive expression. ‘Okay, spit it out. What are you thinking?’

‘What they said before about me not fussing.’ She angled her head slightly.

‘You seemed confused. Didn’t your mother or a minder tell you what was going to happen to someone with powers like yours when you come of age?’