Page 10 of Abundant Moon
Robert groaned.
“Honey, at my age, flies are about all Icanattract! Don’t go trying to set me up, Sis, or it’ll be the shortest visit ever. Listen, I gotta go. I’ll call you when I have more details and we can plan, OK?”
“Looking forward to it. Have a great holiday! Love you!”
Donna ended the call, putting the phone back in her purse with a grimace. Gladstone had faced and survived more trials than any pack she’d ever known, but a visit from her big brother could upset the balance in unpredictable ways. There remained only one thing to do; warn Ben ahead of time and hope for the best.
Chapter 5
WILLIAM GATHERED THEdirty dishes and other remnants of their lunch from the table, leaving plenty of space for his special holiday dessert. Robyn silently quirked an eyebrow at Jack when the happily humming man returned to the kitchen to dish up the secret recipe he’d been hinting at all month. Jack answered with a smile and a shrug, unwilling to upstage his mate after all this effort.
Robyn shook her head, placing an open palm on her growing belly. Only halfway through her six-month pregnancy, she looked much further along than a human would. The gesture got Jack’s attention, prompting a possessive growl. Robyn blushed, swatting his forearm playfully.
“Yes, O Mighty Wolf, these are your pups and everyone knows it! Now stop growling at the table – it’s rude.”
William piped up from the kitchen.
“Correction my beautiful mate, those are OUR pups, and he can growl anytime he sees fit.”
They all laughed at the shared joke, knowing full well any male shifter worth his salt remained both protective and possessive of his pregnant mate. Their temporary triad relationship didn’t change that particular fact in any way, and Robyn found she didn’t mind at all. For a couple of old guys, they were attentive, accommodating, and tended to spoil her rotten. She wasn’t about to complain, and they knew it.
William finished his preparations, waltzing back to the table with an odd-looking pie, dessert plates, and a server. It appeared far from fancy, rather humble in fact, and smelled sickly sweet with sugar. William dished it up, handing out forks and fresh napkins all around before re-taking his seat. Robyn leaned down to scent the concoction in more detail, surprised by its simplicity.
There wasn’t a separate crust underneath the filling of eggs whites, chopped walnuts, white sugar, and something else she couldn’t identify. The topping consisted of a thick layer of real whipping cream, and Robyn’s “I don’t know about this” expression clearly showed on her face. In her book, any unknown food item required an explanation.
“As much as I appreciate the effort, I want to know what it is first.”
Both her mates laughed, and William eagerly told her.
“Mary, my sister, used to make this every year for the holidays. I found the recipe she sent me years ago tucked away in a box and decided to resurrect the tradition. It’s called Blitzen Torte. Try it!”
Jack led the way, knowing it was the better part of wisdom to do as instructed. Robyn copied him, as they parsed out the flavors and texture with their sensitive tongues. William’s expression lit up with long forgotten memories, a tear trickling down his happy face. In minutes, the three of them started in on second helpings, demolishing the hapless dessert as only hungry shifters could. Robyn pushed back from the table with a groan, this time holding her stomach for a different reason.
“My poor wolf is running around in circles from all the sugar! Delicious, William, and you’ve got to make some for the pack party. Maybe Perdy and Michelle can help you, but youhaveto share! By the way, what’s the secret ingredient?”
William grinned, delighted to have stumped her.
“Crackers! Those round buttery crackers everyone knows, all crushed up into crumbs. Mary never told me where the recipe came from, but the crackers have been around since 1934.”
Jack licked the last remaining evidence from his fork, only to lean over and kiss his mate.
“Thank you, William. You’ve outdone yourself this time, and Mary would be proud. I think our Robyn is correct – the rest of the pack will enjoy it.”
With the meal over, they got up from the table. William set about cleaning up the kitchen while Robyn returned to her office in a corner of the bedroom. Jack settled in the living room to work on Hezekiah’s journals, spread out on a folding table near one of the large windows to take advantage of the natural light.
