more cups of coffee before holding out a hand to Brooks. “Get up here and help.”
He tightened the last bolt, securing the new disposal in place. After climbing from beneath the sink, he gave it a quick test to make sure it worked correctly.
“I know, I know,” Vaughn groaned when Brooks shot him a look. “No more celery down the disposal. In my defense, Sam bent over and—”
“Please, Goddess, stop him from finishing that sentence,” Ollie begged.
Vaughn huffed. “Okay, Operation Tumble Toby.”
“Ew, Dad. We’re not perverts here.”
Brooks wished he could climb back under the sink.
“Operation Trick Tob—never mind. That one’s worse than Brooks’s suggestion. Um. Operation Turn Toby Around?”
Brooks started to protest, but Ollie gasped and began to hum. Moments later, he burst into song. “Turn around, bright eyes!”
“Operation Total Eclipse!” Vaughn’s shout was entirely too loud and nowhere near as dignified as a powerful, successful alpha should sound.
“Alpha—”
“Shh,” Ollie said, patting Brooks’s arm like he was a child. “You suggested Toby Pack. You gave up your right to name the operation.”
“But—”
“He’s not wrong, Brooks.”
“You aren’t helping,” Brooks said, glaring at his alpha for encouraging Ollie further.
“Sure I am. I’m the alpha. Now, how can we convince Toby that being part of a pack is the best thing to ever happen to him?”
“I’m thinking we have a giant pack dinner. Let him see us all in action,” Ollie suggested.
“No.” Brooks crossed his arms over his chest, daring Ollie to argue with him.
“Why?”
Brooks paused for a moment, wondering once more if he would regret enlisting their help, before explaining, “He wouldn’t like that many people. He’d get overwhelmed.”
“Good point. I had lunch with him today. He did okay, but yeah. It was with the kids, and he likes the kids. So a small group.”
“I told him we would date. Why can’t I just plan a great date?”
“Or a double date?” Vaughn suggested, the gleam back in his eye.
“No.” Ollie spun in a circle and flung his arms up. Brooks was pretty sure the flourish he added at the end was called jazz hands in certain circles. “A quadruple date.”
“I—”
“Explain.” Vaughn rudely cut Brooks off, shooting him a glare in the process.
Brooks threw up his hands in surrender.
“You and Papa, Nick and Jedrek, Victor and Riggs, Brooks and Toby. Leaders of both packs, plus Victor because he needs to get out more, and Riggs will owe me one. We’ll have to think of something really fun to do.”
“Something date-like,” Vaughn added.
Brooks wasn’t going to tell them that he’d suggested bowling to Toby as a date idea.
Nope.
He was going to keep his mouth shut so one more idea didn’t get shot down. “Bowling?”
“We haven’t been bowling in… forever,” Vaughn said. “Could be fun.”
“How exactly is bowling going to convince Toby that he wants to be part of our pack? Also, how the hell is Nick going to react to bowling?”
“It’ll be fine,” Ollie said. “We’ll have to bring in extra security and extra babysitters. I’ll call Henry.”
“Call Augustus too,” Vaughn added. “I have it on good authority he wants to spend more time with his grandchildren.”
“Oh, good one, Dad. I’ll even make him promise not to send a personal shopper first to assess what the boys need.”
Brooks snorted.
None of the kids needed a thing, especially not Victor and Riggs’s boys. Of course, the last time Augustus sent someone ahead of him, a semi truck had arrived a few days later filled with a delivery of a “few essentials.” The griffins were nothing if not over-the-top with their gift giving.
“This could work,” Vaughn said. “Tomorrow night. Let me call and reserve some lanes.”
Both Vaughn and Ollie whipped out their phones. Vaughn made the call to the bowling alley while Ollie began furiously texting.
“Are you sure this is a good idea?”
Something in his tone made both of his packmates pause. “We don’t have to do this,” Ollie said softly.
“Ollie’s right. It’s your call.”
Brooks desperately wanted to impress Toby. He wanted him to see all the perks of being in their pack. “Okay.”
“Besides,” Ollie said with a grin, “don’t you really want to know what Nick will be like as a bowler? I expect video proof of his ridiculousness.”
“I’m more curious about Victor,” Brooks added. “I mean, the rented shoes alone will set him off.”
“Oh crap,” Ollie yelped. He whipped out his phone again. “No way will he use rented shoes. I need to find some to get here right away. Oh,