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“You can come over tomorrow before you fly back to Bayfield and I’ll show you the house,” he said eagerly. “Whose coat is that?”
A rueful smile appeared.
Frey appeared behind him looking like he’d been kissed senseless by how his lips were puffy and the smell coming off him. “It’s Rue’s. He didn’t want Monty to forget him,” Frey supplied, wearing a naughty grin.
The giggles were contiguous. When Monty started, Frey, Lennon, and Lane joined in, walking to the car. Lennon opened the trunk and eyed what Lane held, debating whether there would be enough room or if they’d need to use the back seat and squish Monty and Frey. “I’m not sure they’ll fit. Is any of it breakable?”
Lane, who had come to a stop, stared and assessed the trunk. He lifted what he held in the right hand. “I can lie these flat in the trunk and put the others on Frey and Monty’s laps.” He glanced in their direction. “I forgot how small Lennon’s car is. They’re not too heavy, so they shouldn’t cause you a problem.”
“Don’t you start about my car. I’m sure Kodi’s wolf hasn’t forgiven me for squishing it in the front seat.”
There was a startled laugh from Lane who came to a halt at the passenger door. “You had Kodi’s wolf in the car!”
“Yep.” Lennon explained what happened on the drive over to Sorel. He had the men laughing hard enough they were crying by the time they arrived at their destination.
Lane got a message saying that the others had all arrived already. They had gotten a ride share when Ziggy was bringing cocktails for everyone. Lennon, unable to drink, offered to be Lane, Frey, and Monty’s designated driver for the afternoon.
They piled out of the car and there were more hugs for Monty while Lane retrieved the rest of his gifts from the trunk. As a group, they walked around the side of the building, Lennon encouraging them all, shivering with how cold it was. A bell jangled as they walked in and Lennon inhaled delightful scents that thankfully weren’t overpowering to his newly sensitive nose.
In front of them was a wall of glass shelves holding a selection of different sized candles. To their left, where Lane headed with Ziggy, were two women at a dark, cherry wood counter. Behind it were more glass shelves holding diffusers.
“Do you think it’s just us?” Lennon asked, glancing in Isley’s direction, who was shrugging out of his coat.
“They only take groups of ten, and we’re nine.” He turned around at the sound of a female voice and offered a bright smile. “Erin! See, I said I’d be back.”
The woman matched Isley’s smile. “Isley, right?” At his nod, she glanced at Lennon and the others hanging up their coats. “Where’s your boyfriend?”
“Laken wasn’t invited this time. These are my friends, who are also my family.” He beamed at all of them. “There are nine of us, is anyone else coming?”
Her gaze swept the group as Lane and Ziggy joined them. “No, we were told there were ten. Has someone canceled?”
“I booked all the places knowing how rowdy we can get. I didn’t want to frighten some poor, unsuspecting soul,” Lane explained, placing down his bags to take off his coat. The place was warm enough that they could take off their sweaters, too.
“We’ve got a box of cocktails.” Ziggy held up what was in his arms. “Things are gonna get boisterous.”
Erin laughed and shook her head, her ponytail swinging over her shoulders. “Looks like I’m in for a fun afternoon.” She nodded towards the counter. “I can see it’s a waste of time to say we have a selection of teas and coffee, along with water. There are cookies too, though. Please help yourselves.”
“I’m designated drive, I’ll want—”
“I made you a non-alcoholic cocktail mix, Lennon,” Ziggy said, placing what he held on to the counter, moving a few things so he could empty the box. “There was no way I was leaving you out.”
Lennon sniffed at the sudden urge to cry at his friend making sure he wasn’t left out. “Thank you.”
“Aren’t you lot adorable!” Erin stated, then clapped her hands to grab everyone’s attention. “Can I just find out if anyone else has been here before, besides Isley?”
At their head shakes, she went into professional mode. She ran through the safety rules and then pointed out where the bathrooms were, before getting them all to put on aprons.
By the time they started, Lennon, who was standing between Lane and Monty, couldn’t stop smiling at thoughts of making and eating chocolate.
The first hour flew by and when all the hotplates they’d melted the chocolate nubs in had been finished with, Ziggy went to mix and pour out the drinks. He gave Erin one too, when the rest of the store had closed, leaving her alone with them.
“You guys are a bad influence,” Erin giggled, sipping at the pink concoction, releasing a moan of delight. “I’ll need the recipe for this one.”
“I’ll write it down for you,” Ziggy agreed, placing Lennon’s in front of the chocolate mould he was currently pouring his cooled chocolate into. He was cleaner than Isley and Wilder, who looked to have had a fight with the chocolate…and lost!
It didn’t matter, they had all rolled up their sleeves and got down to business. He could see Monty, Bowie, and Hollis, who was glaring at his mould, looked decidedly messy.
“Is it supposed to be this lumpy?” Hollis pushed the glasses up his nose with a chocolate covered finger leaving a big lump on the bridge of his nose and glasses frame.
