by A. M. Arthur
“I’ve missed doing that,” Levi said after they pulled apart.
“Me too. Missed you. Merry Christmas.” They’d spoken earlier that morning after Levi’s run, but George needed to say it in person.
“Merry Christmas, George.”
They shared another quick kiss. George waited until they were on the interstate before asking, “How did your tribute go this afternoon?” He’d been so moved when Levi told him that he and Robin had stood in the corral at the exact time of Xander’s death and remembered him. Shared stories. Last year, it had been the moment Robin reconnected with his former father-in-law, who still considered Robin his son.
“It was lovely. We talked about Xander again. Then Dad called and we all spoke together on speaker. Remembered him as a family.”
“Cool. I’m glad you had that.”
“Thank you.” They were on a smooth stretch of highway so Levi reached over and held George’s hand. “How was your visit with your grandparents?”
“All four of us cried.” George chuckled, unashamed of himself or his emotions. “It was beyond amazing to see them again. To hug them. Even Orry cried a little. We brought them a miniature Christmas tree, and we sang a few carols. Orry told them about Zoey.” He bit his lip, uncertain how Levi would react to this. “I didn’t tell them about you or that I’m gay. I was scared they’d react badly and I didn’t want to ruin our first visit in three years.”
Levi squeezed his hand and tossed him a warm smile. “I’m not upset or offended. This is your family, and you need to do this at your pace. Rebuild your relationship with them. Let them get to know you better. If they took you and Orry in for years, they must love you very much. Believe in that love, all right?”
“I’ll try. Thank you.”
“Of course.”
He loved Levi’s positive attitude about life the most, and George basked in it for the rest of the trip to Garrett. The road to the ranch and ghost town were becoming familiar to him now. The beauty of the land soaked into his bones, and that deep-down anxiety calmed a little bit more.
Other vehicles were already parked in front of the cabin when they arrived for the three o’clock dinner, maybe ten minutes early. Less time for George to have to make small talk before the meal began. George’s hands twitched with nerves as he climbed out of the truck, but he steeled himself with a few deep, calming breaths. Four-second inhale, four-second hold, six-second exhale. Repeat. He knew these people. And he had Levi as a touchstone.
I can do this. I want to do this for me, for Orry, and for Levi. Come on, Thompson. Focus. You know what you’re doing, so do it.
The last three lines were a familiar pep talk from his competition days, words he told himself over and over as he warmed up and waited for his turn. Words he’d come up with himself, not words given to him by Adrian. Adrian’s pep talks often went along the lines of “Don’t let me down, kid.”
No. No Adrian thoughts on Christmas Day.
Levi didn’t have to knock. Robin opened the door wearing a bright smile and a Santa hat. He also had more similar things in his hands. “No admittance without a Santa hat, elf hat, or reindeer antlers,” he said. “Wes’s orders and it’s his house.”
George started laughing at the hilarious absurdity of it and asked for the antlers. Levi plopped an elf hat on his head, and it definitely didn’t look as good as his cowboy hat. Robin let them inside and, sure enough, everyone had something on their head. George recognized a lot of the guests, but a few were only vaguely familiar from Thanksgiving and he couldn’t remember their names. Two very unexpected faces approached, and maybe he shouldn’t have been surprised, but George warmly greeted Derrick and Slater.
And of course they’d be here, since Derrick was Wes’s brother-in-law, and the rest of the family was lingering near the kitchen. Neither man made a big deal out of George showing up with Levi beyond an obvious wink from Derrick. George would get questions from his neighbors this weekend, for sure.
Wes, on the other hand, had no such tact. As soon as he realized George was there—and not with Slater and Derrick—he bounced over with a smear of flour on one cheek and asked, “Oh my God, are you two dating? How cute are you both?”
“Down boy,” Derrick said. “Forgive my brother-in-law his rudeness but he’s got a never-ending romantic streak, and he’s constantly trying to couple people up.”
“Hey, I totally called Miles and Reyes before they happened.”
A little overwhelmed by the attention, George blurted out, “Yes, Levi and I are dating. Okay?”
Wes squealed. “I knew it! Congrats, honey, Levi is a keeper. This one.” He poked Derrick in the chest. “Meh.”
Derrick tried to pinch him and Wes darted back to the kitchen. George glanced at Levi, whose gentle smile told him he’d done and said the right thing. Revealing their relationship at George’s pace. George stuck close to Levi during the big sit-down meal, more intimate than the huge shindig of Thanksgiving. Shawn sat on George’s other side and the familiar face helped keep him relaxed as he ate the amazing food. He usually chose small portions of the healthiest, least fatty foods, but it was Christmas and George was here. Happy.
He took a scoop of macaroni and cheese for the first time in years, as well as a thick, buttery biscuit. Delicious.
Conversations happened mostly around him, and George replied to the occasional question thrown his way. Mostly, he concentrated on eating and observing the other faces at the table. And trying to remember all their names. He recognized everyone from the ranch or ghost town, as well as Wes’s parents, Wes’s sister and her husband, and their adorable little girl. But there were too many, and he was out of practice.
Thankfully, no one seemed to hold it against him or ask direct questions about his relationship with Levi. He allowed himself to enjoy these moments with a family created by blood and friendship and marriage. Nothing in his life had ever been as boisterous or genuine, and he ached to be part of this. A true part of it.
He caught Slater watching him a few times from the far end of the table, a knowing half smile on his face. Slater had resisted being folded into the Clean Slate family for a long time, preferring to remain at arm’s length until he’d realized how many people cared about him.
George half smiled back at his neighbor.
Various desserts accompanied the meal but George was full of food and curious about a different sort of dessert. A private one with Levi. He refused offers of different cakes and pies. When Levi cast him a curious look, George held his gaze and tried to put his thoughts into his eyes.
This isn’t about food. This is about privacy. Please.
Levi’s expression shifted into understanding, and he also passed on dessert. It was rude to leave right away, though, so they sat through several minutes of the others eating, George’s pulse racing with anticipation.
“I hate to be the early party pooper,” Levi said, “but George and I need to be heading out. Wes and Mrs. Bentley, the meal was amazing. Thank you for your hard work.”
Thankfully, no one questioned why they had to leave, whether because George needed to get back to the city, or for other personal reasons. George shook a few hands, and accepted hugs from both Shawn and Robin on his way to the door. He’d genuinely enjoyed the meal and the companionship, and he adored Levi for getting them out of there before he could possibly become overwhelmed.
“You did great,” Levi said on the walk to the truck. “You were ready to leave, right? I didn’t read you wrong.”
“I was ready.” George grabbed Levi’s arm by the fender of the truck to stop him. Met his gaze. “I wasn’t overwhelmed by the company, not exactly. They’re all lovely people. More like ready to spend some time alone. It’s been a while.”
Levi’s expression went predatory for a flash before settling into a sexy smirk. “Alone, huh? Just you, me and my three cats?”
“Exactly. All five of us in your bed?”
“That might be a little crowded.”
George’s belly flipped with want. “Then we’ll kick the cats out and barricade the cat door.”
Levi quirked an eyebrow. “It actually has a lock for when we’re traveling. The last thing I need is for one of them to try and get out when I hit a red light.”
“Good thinking.” As much as George wanted to lean in and do something sexy, he was very aware of their open surroundings. And that anyone could be watching them from a window or the front door, and anything beyond quick kisses were still private for him. For now. “Can we go?”
“Definitely.”
Even though it was a one-minute drive up to Levi’s place, it seemed to take forever. Probably because George was eager to spend time with his boyfriend. His first-ever boyfriend, who was kind, patient, spiritual, and who seemed to always want to see the best in people. So different from George, who was skeptical of everyone at first meeting. It’s why he’d shied away from all his neighbors until the night Slater and Derrick came to his rescue.
The simple fact that they’d cared enough to check on a stranger had told him a lot about their character. And it had helped him build trust with them.
The strong trust he had with Levi stemmed from the fact that the man had allowed a near-stranger to care for his beloved cat for a week, without knowing more than surface facts about him. If George hadn’t taken a walk that day, he wouldn’t be here now. Socializing with new friends.
Happy.
Levi carried his bag into the familiar little house, and they both left their shoes by the front door. It didn’t take long for the cats to swarm inside. George bent to lift Ginger into his arms and she head-bumped his chin, already purring up a storm. “Did you miss me, sweetheart?”
“We both did,” Levi said. “Do you want your bag in the loft or bathroom?”
“Down here for now, actually. I have something for you.” His cheeks heated, and he tried to hide his face in Ginger’s fur.
“Oh? I have something for you, too. Your present.”
“Yeah?” George had hoped for a gift but hadn’t expected one. “Can I be super-duper cheesy and say being with you today is already a great present?”
Levi carded his fingers through George’s hair in a tender, affectionate gesture. “I feel the same way.” He put the gym bag on the sofa and approached the bookshelf stairs. A paper Christmas tree was taped to it and a rectangular, wrapped box leaned against the shelf beneath it. It jangled a bit when Levi picked it up.
They were doing this now. Stomach tightening, George retrieved his own gift from his bag and dug out a small, square box he’d wrapped in the candy cane paper Orry had left over from last year. They sat close together on the sofa. It wasn’t the same as waking up together on Christmas morning, but George couldn’t complain. Or think too far ahead about doing that next year.
“I wanted to do—” they both said in stereo. Levi laughed and deferred to George. “I wanted to do something meaningful,” George continued and handed over the small box. “Merry Christmas.”
Levi put George’s gift aside and accepted the box. He examined it slowly, as if trying to solve the puzzle of what was inside, instead of simply tearing into it and finding out. “Thank you for this gift, George.”
“You haven’t even seen it yet.”
“Doesn’t matter. It will have a great deal of meaning, because you mean a great deal to me.” With an adorable bite to his lower lip, Levi carefully unwrapped the paper and put it on the sofa, showing off a white jewelry-style box. The sides weren’t taped so he pulled the lid off. George held his breath as Levi folded a piece of red tissue paper to the side.
Levi’s breath caught, his blue eyes widening in wonder. “Oh wow.” He lifted a metal keychain from the tissue and held it up.
“I found an artist online who does commissions. I was the last person she could fit in before Christmas, and I really hope you like it.”
“It’s amazing.” Levi looked as if he wanted to cry. “Oh, George, thank you.”
George let out a relieved breath. He’d sent pictures of all three of Levi’s cats to an artist who specialized in metal jewelry engraving, and she had cut each cat’s face out of the same piece of metal in a circle, kind of like a wreath. Then she had lightly painted each cat to the correct colors. “You’re welcome. You can actually use it if you want, because she has a guarantee on the work, instead of just keeping it around as a trinket. Unless, uh, you don’t want to run around with three cats on your keys.”
Levi answered that question by dragging him into a long, possessive kiss that seemed to say thank you and many other things at once. “I’ll definitely use it. I want to show it off. This is a lovely gift, thank you so much. Gosh, it makes my gift seem kind of ordinary.”
“Nah. To paraphrase your own words, it’s special because it’s from you. Now gimme.”
“You’re adorable.” Levi handed him the bigger, somewhat noisy box.
George resisted the urge to shake it and simply unwrapped it. His breath caught. It was a Scrabble Onyx Limited Edition board game. The box itself was jet-black with white lettering and it just looked expensive. “Holy shit. Wow.”
“Is it okay?”
“Are you kidding? It’s amazing. I’ve never seen this version in stores.”
“It came out ages ago. I went looking online for fun, interesting Scrabble boards, so I didn’t have to settle for the basic big-box-store sets, and I really liked the look of this one.”
“I think it’s beautiful.” George laughed and kissed Levi’s cheek. “Now I can keep beating your ass at Scrabble.”
“You wish.”
“I don’t wish, I know.” He put the game aside and snuggled in closer for a proper hug. Levi held him close, and George tucked his head under his chin, loving the feel of the man beside him. He’d loved everything about today, and he hoped they kept enjoying themselves right upstairs.
Sporty jumped onto the couch and began to battle the wrapping paper, paws lashing out, teeth gnashing like an animal possessed. She fought it right into George’s lap, where her claws pierced through his jeans. George’s yelp was high pitched enough that it startled a hissing Sporty to the floor.
Levi chuckled. “That’s what you get for clawing him, girl.”
Sporty gave him a betrayed look before flouncing out the cat door.
“You never lack for entertainment with them around, do you?” George asked.
“Never. You should see the epic fights they get into when they’re stuck inside the home during traveling time.”
You should see was a turn of phrase that everyone used when they thought a person should witness an event, so George tried not to read too much into the comment. Into the idea of traveling in this tiny house with Levi and the cats. The idea intrigued him. Seeing the country like he had when he was younger. But this thing between them was still too new to dream that far ahead. “I can’t imagine how crazy it gets,” George said.
“Crap, I’m being rude. Are you thirsty?”
He surprised himself by blurting out, “Not for a drink.”
Levi quirked an eyebrow, his eyes flittering briefly down to George’s lips. “Thirsty for something else?”
“Yes.” George had watched what probably amounted to a full year’s worth of porn, and he’d heard every possible way of someone asking for what he wanted. But for some reason, words failed him. He felt like a foolish kid, which only made his face flame.
“Hey.” Levi squeezed his wrist. “How about we go upstairs and relax on the bed? We can just chill, kiss, whatever, until you’re sure it’s what you want.”
He wanted to say, “I am sure,” but what came out instead was, “Okay.” Maybe initiating it would be easier than asking for it. He did want it but...ugh, why did sex have to be so
complicated? “Let’s go upstairs.”
Levi led the way, and George eagerly followed, taking a moment to ogle Levi’s ass during the ascent. He had a perfect ass that bunched and swayed beneath tight denim, and not for the first time, George wondered what it would feel like to be inside Levi. To experience that unique pleasure with someone he truly cared about and trusted.
The familiar, low-ceiling loft quickly filled with all three cats, and George couldn’t help laughing at the way the three furballs started wrestling all over the mattress. “Am I going to have to lock you three out?” Levi asked as he shooed them away. They didn’t go farther than the top of the stairs, as if unsure of what was happening.
“Your cats are voyeurs.”
“They’re clingy.” He pulled his cell out of his pocket. “It’s getting late and too chilly to lock them out, especially if I get distracted and forget to unlock the cat door later.”
George shrugged as he stretched out on the bed. “I don’t mind. I love Ginger, and the trio keeps things interesting.”
Levi’s eyebrows twitched. “They really do. May I join you down there?”
“You better.” He rolled to his right side as Levi slid on the bed facing him. Each of them had a different pillow, and it felt like too far away. But also just right for now. Levi inched closer, and George did the same, hoping Levi made the first move. Except Levi seemed content to wait for George’s signals. Giving George all the power when he was used to having none.
“I’ve never had a Christmas like this,” George whispered.
Levi brushed a knuckle down George’s cheek. “Like what, sweetheart?”
Sweetheart.
“Full of joy and love. Between this morning with Orry and our grandparents, and then dinner at the cabin. Being here with you.” George didn’t want to delve too deeply into the past, but... “Growing up, Christmas was stiff. We had a tree. Stockings. One present each because, as our parents said, they were spending so much money between my skating and Orry’s musical interests. There was just no real joy. Not like today.”
