by Mari Carr
The aunts and his mom were busy in the kitchen, mashing the potatoes and preparing the food. The table was always overflowing with platters of turkey and ham, stuffing, at least ten different vegetables, steaming hot rolls with real butter. The aunts would set all the food out so they could help themselves buffet style.
The weather was actually mild enough that they could congregate outside as well as in, this year, despite how cold it had been earlier in the month. Looking through the front window, he saw Aaron chatting with Justin, Killian, and Will on the front porch.
Tomorrow, he, Gavin, and Erin would travel to Philadelphia for another “Christmas” with the Morettis. They also intended to tell her parents about their relationship. Gavin was a little nervous about it, though Erin assured them Layla had paved the way for them in her family as far as committed throuples went. Erin seemed confident her folks would be as understanding as Gavin and Oliver’s had been when they’d told them about their changed relationship status last night. They’d gone to his parents’ house for Christmas Eve dinner and to open gifts.
“What are you doing standing over here alone?” Gavin said, stepping next to him.
Oliver glanced toward the TV and saw it was halftime. “Just soaking it all in.”
Gavin nodded, smiling, then looked around himself. “It is pretty awesome.”
The family had finished opening their gifts about half an hour earlier, keeping up the tradition of drawing names. This year, the order for opening the gifts had been youngest to oldest—something they’d probably have to continue as more and more of his cousins were having children. By letting the little ones open first, the kids weren’t forced to be patient and could play with their new toys while the adults took their time opening gifts.
Plus, Riley had cleverly crafted it so that Pop Pop would be the last to open. Ewan had drawn Pop Pop’s name and already given him a brand-new suitcase. They’d been amused to watch Pop Pop ooh and ahh over the thing, even though it was clear he didn’t expect to ever really use it.
Little did Pop Pop know…
This year, they’d planned something special, and when he spotted Sunnie pulling all the aunts out of the kitchen, and Colm asking everyone outside to come in, he knew they were about to present it.
Padraig turned off the TV as Tris and Colm joined him in front of it. Everyone had been anticipating this moment, and Oliver watched as the entire family gathered around, jostling for a good spot. When Tris raised his hand, the room fell silent quickly, something Oliver didn’t think possible in the Collins family.
Pop Pop looked around the room, his forehead creased in confusion. “What’s going on, son?” he asked Tris.
“Pop, would you mind joining us?”
Pop Pop stood up, stepping next to Colm, Tris, and Padraig in front of the big-screen TV. “Should I be worried?” he asked.
Tris chuckled as he shook his head. “No.” Then Tris addressed the entire room. “I think we can all agree the last month has been pretty rough for all of us. Losing the pub…and Sunday’s Side, as well as our home above…”
Pop Pop nodded as he placed his hand on Tris’s shoulder. “It’s been a very difficult time indeed.”
“So we got together and decided we wanted this year to end on a happy note. There’s one last gift for you, Pop. And it’s from all of us.”
Pop Pop looked around the room. “All of you?”
Padraig pulled an envelope out from behind his back and handed it to their grandfather.
Pop Pop’s hands trembled slightly as he opened the envelope. It took a moment before he realized exactly what it was he was holding in his hands. “Plane tickets?”
“Read them,” Tris prodded.
Pop Pop’s eyes widened. “No. I…” He looked at his son. “Ireland? I’m going to Ireland?”
“We’re going to Ireland,” Tris responded. “You, me, Paddy, and Colm. A guys’ trip.”
“Just make sure you take in some of the sights, along with your ventures in and out of the pubs,” Riley teased. “We want pictures and stories, so take a break from the Guinness every now and then.”
“Party pooper,” Colm said as everyone laughed.
“You’ve always wanted to go back, Pop,” Teagan said. “But between running the pub and having seven kids, and Mom getting sick, then weddings and grandkids…”
“There was never time or money,” Pop Pop said. “But it’s too much.”
“No, Pop. It’s not,” Keira said, stepping forward and hugging her dad. “You’ve given us so much. Please let us give this to you.”
“And when you get back…the pub will be ready to reopen,” Killian called out.
“It’ll all be ready,” Sean added. “Sunday’s Side. The dorm. We’re getting our home back.”
Pop Pop gestured toward the suitcase he’d received, sitting next to the couch. “Well, Ewan. I have to admit I wasn’t sure I’d ever have a reason to use your fine gift, but it looks like I’ll be using it sooner than I expected.”
Everyone cheered as Riley and Teagan hugged their dad.
“Wow. What a great gift.”
Oliver glanced next to him, smiling at Emmy’s observation. “It really is. Look how happy he is.”
Emmy watched as Pop Pop slapped Padraig on the back, the two of them laughing. She had first joined them for Christmas last year, when Padraig discovered she’d spent the previous one alone. Emmy’s parents were gone and the only other family she had was a brother. But according to Emmy, they’d been estranged for years.
“How long are they going to be in Ireland?” Emmy asked.
“Six weeks,” Oliver responded.
“Six weeks,” she repeated, still looking at Padraig. “Okay,” she murmured sadly.
Oliver wasn’t sure what to make of her comment, but as Emmy walked away, joining Sunnie and Yvonne, he worried about the heaviness surrounding the typically cheerful woman.
“What was that about?” Gavin asked quietly.
Oliver shrugged. “No idea.”
“Think Padraig will ever figure out how she feels about him?”
Oliver considered that. “I think he knows already, but he won’t let himself acknowledge it.”
“Yeah. You’re probably right. It’s a shame because Emmy is perfect for him.”
Oliver grinned. “I seem to recall a couple people being perfect for you too, but you took your damn time figuring it out.”
Gavin chuckled. “Touché.”
Oliver turned around when he felt someone tapping his shoulder. Erin was smiling at him and Gavin as she crooked her finger at them.
They followed her down the hallway, laughing when she pulled them both into the bathroom with her.
The second Gavin closed and locked the door behind them, she was in Oliver’s arms, kissing him as if she hadn’t seen him in years.
“What’s that for?” Oliver asked as they parted.
“Who cares what it’s for?” Gavin asked. “Where’s mine?”
He tugged Erin away, stealing his own kisses.
“I missed you,” she said in between kisses. “And eggnog makes me horny.”
“Good information to have,” Oliver joked. “That’s going to become a weekly staple on our grocery list, right next to butter and milk.”
“This is the best Christmas I’ve ever had,” she said.
Gavin nodded. “Same for me.”
Oliver shifted closer, the three of them wrapping their arms around each other. “I love you,” he murmured, kissing Gavin, then Erin again.
“Think we have time for a quickie?” Gavin asked.
Oliver laughed. Since walking away from his mother at dinner a few nights earlier, Gavin suddenly seemed like a different man, and Oliver realized he’d never understood just how much the past weighed his boyfriend down until Gavin finally shook it off, once and for all.
Gavin was happier, freer, laughing often, finding joy in the little things. Erin had noticed the same thing, remarking on it this
morning after breakfast.
“I think Caitlyn would kill us if we had sex in her bathroom,” Oliver said.
Erin shrugged. “I bet she and Lucas have already christened this room. And every other one in the house. That man is determined to get his wife pregnant again.”
They heard voices down the hall, and Gavin sighed. “Okay. No quickie. But I want a reward for showing so much restraint.”
“What did you have in mind?” Oliver asked.
“Holiday role-playing when we get home tonight. I’m going to be Santa, and Erin is going to sit on my lap, whispering all the things she wants for Christmas, even though she’s been a naughty girl.”
“Sounds pretty PG,” Erin said.
“Oh, did I forget to say we’re going to be naked and I’m going to be inside you?”
“Do I get a role?” Oliver asked.
Gavin grinned. “You’re going to be my elf, feeding me your candy cane.”
“Shit.” Oliver adjusted his jeans, trying to relieve the pressure on his sudden erection. “How am I supposed to go back out there with a hard-on?”
Gavin ran his hand over the front of Oliver’s pants, applying pressure. Then he grasped Oliver’s hand and pushed it against his own erection, letting him know he wasn’t alone.
“Think anyone would miss us if we snuck out the back door right now?” Erin asked, her flushed cheeks proving she was in a similar state.
Oliver shook his head. “We only get the reward if we show restraint. Besides, I like the idea of spending the next few hours fantasizing about ways to spice up that role-play.”
“As long as my reward for restraint is restraint, I’ll be good,” Erin joked. “Merry Kinkmas to us.”
Epilogue
“There are my boys,” Mom said, inserting herself between Oliver and Gavin shortly before Christmas dinner, wrapping her arms around them. “We’re going to eat soon.” She gave them both a squeeze. “I’m so darn happy for the two of you.”
Oliver laughed, since Mom had said the same thing at least twenty times today.
“Did you tell Pop yet?” she asked.
“Not yet, but we will.” He glanced at Erin and realized they’d better do it soon, or she’d be too deep in the eggnog to remember the conversation. After the three of them snuck out of the bathroom, Layla had dragged her off to hear some crazy story Bubbles was telling about her new boyfriend that had most of his cousins in stitches.
“I suspect he won’t be surprised. I swear that man has a sixth sense when it comes to romance,” Mom said, turning to Gavin, her expression shifting to one of concern.
When they told their parents about their relationship with Erin, they’d also shared the details of their dinner with Gavin’s mom.
“You sure you’re doing okay?” she asked Gavin.
Gavin leaned down and gave her an affectionate kiss on the cheek. “I’m doing just fine…Mom.”
Mom froze, and Oliver got a sense she was trying to figure out if she’d heard Gavin correctly. Then she smiled. “Wow, I love the sound of that.”
“Sound of what?”
Oliver saw that both his dads had made their way over to them.
“Gavin just called me mom.”
Dad—Chad—laughed as he hugged Mom, who wiped away the happy tears in her eyes. “Jesus. There will be no living with her now.”
His other dad, Sean, slapped Gavin on the back. “It’s about damn time. Now where’s my new name?”
Gavin rolled his eyes. “Do we seriously have to make a big deal about this…Dad?”
“Of course we do. It’s the Collins’ way. And considering you’ve been one of us for nine years, I think it’s time you start to conform to the craziness,” Dad—Sean—joked.
Gavin gave him a salute. “So noted.”
“This looks like a fun conversation,” Pop Pop said. “Mind if I join in?”
“The boys have some news, Pop,” Mom said. She gave him and Gavin both a kiss on the cheek. “I’m going to go help in the kitchen.”
She and their dads moved away, giving them privacy to talk to Pop Pop, who was still beaming over his gift from the family. He showed them both the tickets.
“You think Ireland is ready for four Collins men?” Oliver asked.
“Well, ready or not, we’re going. I can’t wait to show the boys where I grew up, my old stomping grounds.” Pop Pop shook his head as if he simply couldn’t believe it. “I never thought…well…it will be a wonderful adventure.”
Oliver looked for Erin, who was doing some sort of shimmy dance move with Colm’s wife, Kelli, even though there was no music playing.
Yep. It was already too late to include her in this.
“So. You have news?” Pop Pop asked, all ears. The old guy was a sucker for gossip.
Oliver moved closer to Gavin and wrapped his arm around his waist. “Gavin, Erin, and I are dating. We were hoping…well, we’d like to move into the apartment above the pub once it’s rebuilt. Feels like a good place to raise a family someday.”
Pop Pop’s eyes lit up, and Oliver could see the sheen of happy tears. “Well, that is good news indeed. I’ve always hoped someone would want to live in the apartment, raise their family there, like Sunday and I, but then…after the fire…”
“We’re going to rebuild it all, remember?” Gavin reassured him.
Pop Pop placed his hand on Gavin’s shoulder. “I know you are, lad. And I can’t wait to see it.” Then he turned and spotted Erin across the room. She, Bubbles, and Kelli had shanghaied Riley from the kitchen, the four of them playing with the Hula-Hoop Lochlan’s adopted daughter, Chloe, had gotten for Christmas. Erin was surprisingly good.
Pop Pop chuckled. “Looks like your girl fits in with the family just fine. And I’m pleased you found yourselves an Irish lass.”
“She’s only half Irish. And sometimes I think the Italian side is more dominant,” Oliver joked.
“Och. Irish will always win out,” Pop Pop insisted. “Did I ever tell you what the name Erin means, Ollie?”
Oliver shook his head, grinning. “Nope.”
“It means peace.”
Oliver’s eyes widened. “Same as my name.”
Pop Pop nodded. “I think it’s safe to say you’ve both brought peace to each other. And to this fine young man,” he added, looking at Gavin.
“They have,” Gavin agreed. “Not sure where I’d be right now without either one of them.”
“What’s Gavin’s name mean?” Oliver asked.
“Oh well, his is a fine name. Did you know it comes from the name Gawain?”
Gavin tilted his head. “I didn’t know that. Wasn’t he a Knight of the Round Table?”
“Yes, he was. Gawain was known to be a fierce and courageous warrior but also compassionate.”
Oliver grinned. “That sounds about right.”
Gavin rolled his eyes, but it was obvious he was pleased by the description.
“However, there’s another meaning that I think I might like better,” Pop Pop said.
“Better than elf army?” Oliver joked. “Because I think that one’s pretty hard to beat.”
He and Pop Pop had been building on their elf army stories since Oliver was just a kid, their made-up tales epic. Erin had once suggested they write them down, claiming they’d make great children’s stories.
“Well, I’ll let you decide that,” Pop Pop said. “Gavin also means white hawk.”
“No. No way!” Gavin said, shocked. “There’s no way my mom knew that.”
Oliver agreed. “That’s a crazy coincidence.” Then he laughed. “So basically your name is White Hawk Hawke.”
“Why do I get the feeling you’re going to have a lot of fun with that fact?” Gavin asked.
Oliver wiggled his eyebrows. “Because you know me well. And it’s perfect timing, because I’d just reached the tail end of the butt jokes.”
“Asshole,” Gavin muttered good-naturedly.
“Or maybe not,” Oliver tease
d.
“Boys,” Pop Pop said, amused by their interplay. “You know, the Native Americans believed that seeing a white hawk meant a miracle was on the way.”
“Now that’s more like it.” Gavin shoulder-bumped Oliver. “Hear that, Ollie? I’m a miracle. Pretty sure that trumps your silly little elves.”
“Damn,” Oliver was forced to admit. “I think it does.”
“Hey,” Erin said as she approached them. “Your mom sent me over. Said we’re about to start eating.”
Pop Pop reached out and took Erin’s hands, giving her a kiss on the cheek. “The boys just told me your good news.”
“What? Without me?” she asked.
“Didn’t want to interrupt your Hula-Hooping,” Oliver joked.
Erin laughed. “Did you see my mad skills?”
Gavin wrapped his arm around her waist. “We saw.”
“Very impressive,” Oliver said, playfully tugging on her hair.
Pop Pop grinned at the three of them. “Well, I’ll leave you three alone. I see Will, Lochlan, and Lucas hovering near the table. If I get in line behind those three vultures, there won’t be any of Riley’s crab dip left for me.”
They laughed as Pop Pop crossed the room and pointedly cut in front of the other men, who all loudly protested. Riley’s crab dip was always the most sought-after, and had been the root of more than a few good-natured Christmas arguments whenever someone missed out on getting some.
“I love your family,” Erin said, smiling widely.
“And they love you.” Oliver gave her a kiss.
“And we love you,” Gavin added, stealing his own kiss from Erin before giving Oliver one as well.
Oliver caught sight of more than a few family members glancing in their direction, with Finn and Miguel high-fiving as Padraig gave him a thumbs-up.
He chuckled. “Well, that’s one way to tell our entire family about us.”
Gavin looked around and realized what they’d just revealed. “Oops,” he joked, though he obviously didn’t mind who knew about them. Hell, Oliver would be surprised if Gavin didn’t put a billboard up announcing it soon.
