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“I’ll clean them up when we get home,” Mr. Ground Squirrel said.

“Like you did last time? I thought I’d broken my tail when that leaf started crunching when I went to sit down.”

“Oops,” Mr. Ground Squirrel said, “I must have forgotten one.”

“I do not believe your oops!” Grumpy Hedgehog declared as he marched towards the edge of the stage. “That is the most insincere oops I’ve ever heard in my life.”

“I’ll try to sound more convincing next time,” Mr. Ground Squirrel said, snickering as he carried the leaves off the stage.

“Why do I put up with you?” Grumpy Hedgehog asked before he disappeared from view.

“Because you love me.”

Roark broke into applause along with everyone else when they finished their skit, a brief intermission following as Charlie and Baz took their places behind the stage. Even Gina and Colin had a piece planned for later in the evening. Emari had joined them, too, and was seated across the den from Flame, while Lysander had opted for wolf form and was sprawled on a cushion near the pups. Ridge and Wild stood perched on the back of the couch in their feathers, while Tate stood on the back of Roark’s chair, watching over his shoulder.

For a bunch of wolves who’d never hosted anything besides a barbeque, they hadn’t done half bad tonight. As the evening went on and the final skit unfolded, most of the tiny pups were blinking as they sucked on their fingers, struggling to stay awake. Wren and their friends were left to enjoy a movie in the den while some of the adults excused themselves to shift and get dressed and the rest headed to the kitchen for a refill of iced tea and snacks.

“This has been so much fun,” Gina said. "Thank you for inviting us.”

“How could we not when you guys have become fixtures in Wren’s life?” Logan said.

“We couldn’t be happier knowing that Bailey has a friend as interested in being on the ice as she is,” Colin said.

“Would anyone like more of this blueberry crumble?” Charlie asked.

“Oh, pass that this way,” Emari said, making grabby hands at it.

“I’m glad you’re here tonight,” Colin told him. “I’ve been meaning to catch up to you. What is this? I heard about a tea and watercolor session on Wednesday mornings."

He wasn’t the only one who dialed in on Emari as the colorful wolf took center stage. Tonight, he was sporting a new color in his hair. The base was lavender, and he’d kept bits of aqua in it too, on the tips, as well as a few streaks that peeked out whenever he moved.

“We’ll be starting in two weeks,” Emari said. “No commitment required, just drop in if you're free. All the supplies will be provided, and we’ll have plenty of tea and pastries on hand for everyone to enjoy too.”

“I’ll be there,” Tate said.

“As will I,” Colin replied. “Wednesday is my day to get out of the office. Gina insists that I don’t spend it running errands.”

“With my oldest, Phillip, spending more time at the market helping run the stalls these days, my Wednesdays are looking kind of empty too,” Stella said.

“Does that mean what I hope it means, sis?” Emari asked.

“I will be there with bells on,” Stella replied.

“Then you’d better come with coffee to go along with them,” Emari said, grinning across the kitchen at her. “I’ll mind your jangling a lot less once I’m caffeinated.”

“Oh, you!” she said, laughing with him.

“What?” Emari asked, eyeing her. “Everyone in this room knows that’s something you’d do, even if you had to put a rush order in for a bell-covered hat so you can come skipping through my door wearing it."

“And if I found one in aqua, you’d wear it too, so quit complaining,” she said, instantly silencing him.

“Benny Granger has made several for the pups since storyteller’s night,” Gina said. “They sure did fall in love with that jester. I bet he’d make a few aqua ones if someone asked him to.”

“Please do,” Emari said. “One in my size and one in Wren’s.”

“They’ll just love it,” Gina said as she made a note in her phone.

“Speaking of colorful things, does anyone know what’s going on in that shop two doors up from the bakery?” Roark asked. “When we rode past it the other day, I tried to see what the sign said, but the only thing I could make out was coming soon."