Christmas Delights 3 (26 page)

“Sorry,” I said, pulling his body tight against mine. “The
timer on the boiler is broken. You have to turn it on manually.”

“Oh,” he mumbled. “Can we get that fixed?”

At hearing his request, I instantly felt warmth inside me
that no boiler, radiator, or indeed fire could generate. Jack was here, alive,
and as far as I could tell, he wanted to stay.

“I am already on it,” I said. I kissed the back of his head
and walked over to turn the boiler on. “Why are you up and about anyway?” The
heating clicked on and the pipes around the flat ticked and groaned.

“There was a noise so I got up to see what it was,” he said,
turning to me and holding out his arms.

I walked up to him and pulled him in close. “Did you find
out what it was?” I asked, resting my head against his.

He nodded and pointed out the window. Across the road and
sitting amongst the snow-covered branches of the same oak tree as yesterday was
the owl with the burnt orange feathers.

“You,” I whispered more to myself than to Jack, but he
picked up on it.

“You know each other?” he asked inquisitively.

“Not exactly,” I said. “But he seems to like you.”

“I don’t understand,” Jack said with a frown.

“I've seen the owls in Ivy Park many times, just like
everyone else who lives around here. But this one. This one is different.”

“How so? Jack asked.

“Well, I have seen this one three times in the last
twenty-four hours. The first time was when I watched the ambulance take you
away from the river yesterday morning. The second time was when we got home
from the hospital yesterday evening." I smiled. "And the third time
is now.”

“Why would he keep turning up?" Jack asked, looking
back out the window.

“Maybe he's your guardian.” I said, resting my head against
his again.

“Do you believe in that kind of thing?"

“Well, you’re here aren’t you?” I said. “And it is Christmas
time, after all. If you can’t believe in magic and miracles at Christmas time,
then when can you?”

Jack seemed to consider my words as we both gazed at the
owl. The bird seemed perfectly content enough to sit on his branch and observe
us right on back. I held Jack as the sky turned grey and snow started to fall.

“If he's my guardian, what does that make you?” Jack asked.

I lowered my mouth to his ear and whispered, “Anything you
want me to be.”

THE END

Tom Alexander

By day Tom fits library shelving,
lockers and storage equipment. But by night he swaps his drill and screwdriver
for his laptop and lets his imagination run wild.

Tom is a southerner that has been
living in the north east of England for the past four years, but still has
trouble understanding the locals.

Tom is a great believer in the power
that books and stories hold and their ability to change, influence and inspire
peoples lives.

His greatest wish is to be able to
do the same with one of his stories.

Email
[email protected]

Facebook
https://www
.facebook.com/tom.alexander.718689

Kevin Grant checked that the door of the café was secure
before leaving work for the night. There was a slight breeze that ruffled his
shaggy blond hair. The breeze carried the scent of rain or snow on it and he
hoped he would get home before either started. Silently he wished this wasn’t
one of his husband’s late nights at work. Having Jackson here with the car
would have saved him having to walk home in the snow.

Still, Grandville was not a large town, more of a village
and the downtown was only three blocks long. His cafe was towards the middle
between the post office and police station so he should suck it up and keep
walking. He had just gotten to the corner of Main and Louis when it started
spitting rain. Quickening his pace he headed up Louis towards his house. On the
way the rain fell harder and mixed with snow. By the time he actually arrived
at home, it was all damp and cold snow. He pulled off his coat and left it to
drip outside on the covered porch, then went inside and took off his shoes. He
headed into the kitchen to put the kettle on then hurried off to the bedroom to
change.

After changing into warm sweats and a thick T-shirt, he
retrieved his coat from the porch and hung it up. He then settled down by the
fire with hot tea and his nook, which had the latest RJ Scott book download and
he became totally lost in the world created by the author.

* * * * *

Jackson Walker drove through the quiet downtown on his way
home from St. Anne’s Hospital. He had been working in the E.R. that night and
it had been a long day made even longer by Josh, his brother. From Jackson’s
perspective, Josh seemed to feel his younger brother was simply there to do
everything he couldn’t be bothered with. The dashboard clock showed midnight as
he turned the corner onto Louis. It was still warm enough for the falling snow
not to stick to the roadway. He sighed thinking that nothing would change at
the hospital as long as his father was in charge. The board always did as his
dad wished. There was a time when Jackson used to get along with his father,
that was until he started seeing Kevin three years ago. Then things started to
change, his father became more distant. Then last year when he found out they
got married his father had no use for Jackson, and his brother was even more
hostile than before.

As he came in through the front door, he switched off the
outside light as he kicked off his shoes. The fireplace drew his focus to the
chair where Kevin was curled up sleeping. After hanging up his coat, he reached
down and switched the gas fireplace off. He then picked up Kevin’s nook put it
on the table, pulled the throw off Kevin.

“Hey Kev come on let's go to bed,” he said reaching out and
giving him a light shake to wake him up. When this didn’t work, he grabbed hold
of Kevin under his arms and pulled him up. Kevin let out a soft grunt as he was
lifted up.

“Come on,” Jackson said. He led a half sleeping Kevin into
their room stripped off his clothes and tucked him in to bed. Jackson sat down
on the edge of the bed and watched Kevin sleep. He reached out and brushed the hair
away from Kevin’s face. Jackson leaned down and kissed him on the forehead then
on the cheek. He remembered the first time he’d seen those big brown eyes,
laying on an E.R. gurney, the victim of a hate crime. Jackson thought about how
full of pain and hurt they had been and how hard Kevin had worked not to show
how scared he was or how vulnerable he’d felt. Fortunately for him his
attackers were startled and ran off before they could do much physical damage.

It would not be the first time they would meet, but it was
the day he fell in love with the five foot nine twenty year old. Finally
stripped of his own clothes, Jackson climbed into bed next to Kevin and pulled
the blankets and quilt over them. Jackson fell asleep right away.

* * * * *

Kevin woke to the snug feeling of Jackson sleeping next to
him. Kevin felt safe and warm, laying there with Jackson’s arm over him. He was
content to lay there until the need to get up forced him to carefully slip out
from under Jackson’s arm. He sat up and stretched to get the stiff kinks out.
He couldn’t remember coming to bed. He looked over at the still sleeping
Jackson and decided it had been Jackson who got him there. He smiled as he
watched the slight rise and fall of Jackson’s chest. It was lightly covered in
a dark brown hair that matched the hair on his head not to mention that bit of
scruff on his chin, because he hadn’t shaved yesterday. He lent down and gently
kissed him on his cheek before kissing his lips.

Afraid he’d wake Jackson up, Kevin gently got off of the bed
and pulled on the same sweats and T shirt he wore last night. He made a quick
stop in the bathroom to wash his face and brush his teeth before heading out to
the kitchen to brew tea for himself, and coffee for Jackson. Kevin thought
about getting out the decorations and putting some up, maybe even getting a
tree later. He decided against it. He remembered what happened last year and
chose not to bother. Besides, getting out the decorations would make noise.

With water boiled and tea steeped he sat down to a little
more reading and became totally lost inside the story of
Sanctuary Book Six
.
A pair of arms wrapped around him from behind, and a gentle nibbling on his
left ear lobe signaled that Jackson was up.

“What are you doing up so soon?” Kevin asked.

“Josh called,” Jackson said, letting his fingers work their
way under the collar of Kevin’s T-shirt to caress Kevin’s warm skin. “Fool
thought I was working today.”

“I’m sorry; I should have taken your cell off your night
stand.” Kevin said as he enjoyed the gentle caressing and let out a soft sigh. 

“It’s okay. I needed to get up,” Jackson said giving a final
kiss and heading into the kitchen, “Coffee, shower then a trip to my uncle’s
tree farm.”

“What?” Kevin said getting up to follow him into the
kitchen.

“Are you sure you want to, this is your day off, I mean we
don’t have to_”

“Kev, I’m sorry about last year,” Jackson said putting down
his coffee and pulling him in close and looking into Kevin’s eyes. “I let my
dad and brother’s anger over our marriage get to me. Their hatred spilled over
onto me and made it very unpleasant for you. I’m not going to let that happen
again this year. I’m not going to let them get to me. And I so want to make it
up to you this year. I know you’ll want to spend Christmas Day with your sister
and her family so let’s invite them here. You can do the party on Christmas Eve
at the café for staff and anyone else you want to invite, but Christmas Day
will be about family, our family.” Jackson bent down and kissed him quickly.

“I think I’d like that,” was just about all Kevin could get
out, he was trying hard not to start tearing up. “We can have a great party.”
He added his face lighting up with a big smile.

“A little more coffee then I’ll grab a shower,” Jackson said
filling his mug up and heading back towards the bathroom.

* * * * *

The tree farm owned by Jackson’s Uncle Riley, his mother’s
brother, was a mile outside of town and was the best garden center around for
miles. Unlike his brother-in-law Riley had no problem with them being a couple,
and he truly liked Kevin. 

Jackson couldn’t help noticing that Kevin was like a small
child in a candy shop as he moved about the tree selection. Jackson could tell
by the look on Kevin’s face that this was a good start on making up for ruining
Christmas last year, and he also knew he had to stop dwelling on it, move on,
and make it happen. That was the whole purpose of today.

“Kev, remember nothing over eight foot.” He chuckled a bit
when he saw the look he was being given.

“It’s only a nine foot ceiling.”

“Well good to see someone in your family is in a good mood,
not to mention having any kind of Christmas spirit.” Riley said walking over to
where his nephew stood and gave him a quick hug. Jackson put up his hand as he
looked at his uncle.

“Don’t even mention them; I’m not having anything to do with
them this Christmas.” He looked to where Kevin was pulling a tree out in to the
isle and was looking it over.

“I think we have a winner.”

“Looks that way.” Riley said following Jackson.

“Hang on Kevin I’ll get it.” Riley called out. “So this is
the one?” he added grabbing a hold of the tree before it fell on Kevin, and
taking down Jackson as well. “I’ve got it. Is there anything else you need?”

“Well some cedar roping for the porch would be nice,” Kevin
said. Batting his big brown doe like eyes at Jackson for permission trying his
best to look all innocent like.

“Go pick some out,” Jackson said with just a hint of a
laugh. There was no way he’d refuse Kevin anything with that look.

“I see he’s got you wrapped around his finger good and
tight,” Riley said with a bit of a smile as they both started for Jackson’s
pick-up with the tree.

“Because of my dad and brother, and their attitude. I messed
up Christmas last year for him. It made him afraid to show any interest in
Christmas. I’m not doing it again,” Jackson said as they put the tree in the
bed of the truck.

“I understand that, but don’t go overboard and spoil him.”
Riley said. That was all he had to say on that subject. “You owe me for the
tree, the roping is on me.” Jackson wanted to pay for all, but Riley wasn’t
having that. 

* * * * *

Kevin stepped out on the porch and walked over to look at
the window that framed the tree like a postcard. He stepped down into the yard
and looking at the roping on the porch railing which had been wrapped with
colored lights. He knew his neighbor across the street, who always insisted
clear lights, would have a comment or two. But Kevin didn’t care. It was his
house and he liked colored lights so she was just going to have to deal with
it. 

Jackson came out to where Kevin stood and hugged him close.
It was something else their neighbor didn’t approve of, public display of
affection.