by Sue Brown
“He might poison my Christmas dinner,” Angel muttered glumly.
“I promise to act as your taster,” Noel said. “And that doesn’t mean I’m your white knight.” He added that hastily in case Angel got any ideas.
Angel scowled at him. “That means extra Christmas dinner for you.”
“It’ll be worth it if you live,” Noel assured him.
“Noel! Angel!”
At the sound of their names, they looked in the great room to see Marv, Frankie, and Goldie sitting around the table with a deck of cards.
“Poker?” Marv suggested.
Angel took on the expression of a shark scenting blood in the water. “That sounds like a great idea.”
Noel groaned. “He’s going to take every penny,” he assured them.
Frankie held up a large jar filled with candy. “We’re playing for M&M’s.”
“Even better.” Angel placed his mug on the table and flexed his knuckles.
“I’m going for a shower first,” Noel said. “I’ll be back in twenty minutes.”
“Okay then,” Angel said absently. “Bring it on.”
Noel wasn’t offended that he’d been forgotten for a poker game. Not much, anyway.
Chapter 12—Day 5
Christmas Eve evening
NOEL RETURNED thirty minutes later, showered, shaved, much warmer, and changed into an old sweater and jeans. He wasn’t surprised to find a mountain of candy in front of Angel and substantially smaller piles in front the wise guys, all of whom were wearing sour expressions.
“I warned you,” Noel said mildly as he took a seat by the fire with the gay romance he’d been reading and a whiskey he poured from the bottle he brought with him.
“You’re not playing?” Marv asked.
Noel’s snort seemed to be sufficient answer.
Charlie had warned them there was no entertainment that evening as he was preparing for tomorrow, although he’d leave out the games and they were welcome to watch a movie. Noel didn’t mind, glad to have the time to relax. The book and the whiskey were all he needed.
He looked up when Maria joined him. She too had a book and a drink, although hers was probably sparkling water and her books assuredly contained more deaths and less kissing—and other things.
“I wondered who would read that book,” Maria said.
He looked up, prepared to defend his reading choice, but she had settled into her own book, and he relaxed. She looked exhausted, and he wondered if there was any way he could persuade her to get checked out at the hospital. Probably not as it was Christmas Eve. Maybe Don could run her down tomorrow morning. Noel was sure Angel would go with her.
Occasionally Noel looked over at the table. From the expressions on the four men’s faces, they were all taking the game seriously, but the pile of candy didn’t decrease in front of Angel. His little cherub was a total shark, but he would kill Noel if he ever made the mistake of calling him a cherub out loud.
After a while Marv made a disgusted noise and threw his cards down. “I’m out.”
“Me too,” Goldie said.
Angel looked at Frankie with narrowed eyes. “Another game?”
Frankie shook his head. “No way. You play like a pro.”
Marv and Goldie came over to the fire and slumped on their usual couch.
“Is there more where that came from?” Frankie pointed at Noel’s glass.
“Sure.” Noel was willing to share.
“I’ll get the bottle,” Angel said. “Do you want to get a bowl for the candy?”
“They’re your winnings, man,” Goldie said.
Angel shook his head. “We’ll share them.”
The next thirty minutes were the quietest he’d spent at the chalet. Most people read while Angel and Marv played on their phones, and they finished off Noel’s whiskey. It was cozy, and Noel appreciated the downtime. When Charlie called them to dinner, it was almost a shame.
SEVEN MEN stared at Maria as they ate dinner. It was obvious to everyone she was out of sorts, but no one had the balls to ask her what was wrong. She’d disappeared just before dinner and returned ten minutes later with red eyes and a blotchy face. She stared at her dinner plate, but there was more poking at the baked ham than actual eating. Their Christmas Eve dinner was supposed to be a celebration, but her mood had an effect on the rest of the table, and everyone was quiet. Even the wise guys were mainly silent. Frankie did start a conversation about a business deal he was organizing, but neither Marv or Goldie seemed inclined to run with it, and he subsided with a huff.
Angel spent dinner staring worriedly at Maria, and even when Noel nudged him, Angel gave him a small smile and went back to looking at Maria. Noel loved Angel’s soft heart, so he decided to broach the subject with Angel after dinner—they should take Maria to the ER tomorrow.
Eventually Noel decided to take the bull by the horns and ask, hoping Angel would protect him if Maria exploded.
“Maria?”
“Huh?” She looked at Noel. “Sorry, did you say something?”
“You seem,” Noel chose his words carefully, “distracted.”
She sighed. “I’m just wallowing in my own self-pity. You know Joe can’t join me for Christmas. I spoke to him just before dinner. I’m miles away from home on my own, and much as you guys are great….”
“You’d prefer to be at home,” Angel said softly.
Maria nodded. “On top of that, I don’t feel so good.”
“Do you need to go to the hospital?” Don asked. “We can go now.”
“I don’t think so. I think I’m just pissed off that Joe can’t join me.”
Charlie smiled at her. “What can I make you to eat? Comfort food.”
“Oh no, it’s okay. This is good.” She poked at the ham again.
“It doesn’t matter how many times you poke it, it’s still dead,” Noel quipped and instantly regretted it as everyone glared at him. He sighed. He was still useless at social interaction.
Charlie turned back to Maria. “What would you like to eat? If I’ve got it, I’ll make it for you.”
“Mac and cheese?”
“From the box?” Charlie asked.
From the way her face lit up, he might have offered her a diamond ring. “I love you.”
“Mac and cheese coming up.”
Charlie went into the kitchen.
“Mac and cheese is the best,” Angel said.
The wise guys nodded in agreement, and Don sighed and got to his feet. “Mac and cheese for eight.”
“Can you do that?” Maria asked, looking worried.
“It’s my favorite food,” Don said. “There’s a shelf full of boxes in the pantry.”
“I will replace them,” Maria promised.
Don smiled at her almost tenderly. “You just take care of you and the baby.” For a man built like a brick outhouse, Don was a very gentle man.
Maria touched her stomach in an unconscious action. “I’d do anything for this little one. This is a very special baby.” At the men’s curious look, she said, “We didn’t think we’d be able to have children. Joe was ill when he was a teenager, and he was told he’d probably be infertile. We’ve been married a long time, and I never got pregnant, so we just assumed that was the reality. Then I start throwing up and don’t stop for months, and I discover I’m pregnant.” She snorted as though remembering something. “Joe asked if it was his, and once I slapped him into submission because I am not that sort of girl, we’ve kind of been in delirious happiness ever since.”
“It’s such a shame he can’t be here,” Angel said. “I would have liked to meet the man who’s worthy of Maria.”
Her face softened, and she touched Angel’s cheek with almost the same tender touch she had to her rounded belly. “You’re a good man. Noel is very lucky to have you.”
Taken aback by the open acknowledgment of their relationship, Noel glanced at Angel to see him staring back with a hopefulness that took Noel’s breath away.
He gently tugged on Angel’s sweater and Angel wriggled closer to him, so Noel took a leap of faith, wrapped his arm around Angel, who sighed and leaned into him. Noel looked up to see if anyone disapproved, but all he received was a sea of smiles. Okay then. He relaxed and enjoyed the feel of Angel in his arms. When Angel’s soft hair tickled his nose, he puffed it away before he sneezed.
Maria moaned with happiness when Charlie came out with a tray of mac and cheese. “You are an absolute treasure, Charlie. If you weren’t taken by Don, I’d kidnap you and take you back to mine to look after me forever.”
“That makes me sound like a caveman,” Don grumbled as he went to sit down.
Charlie went over and patted his head. “There’s nothing wrong with being a caveman.” He bent and whispered something in Don’s ear, and to Noel’s amusement, the big man blushed.
“I’m surrounded by adorable couples,” Maria cooed.
Noel wondered if she knew about the wise guys. Then he noticed she grinned at the three men. Of course she knew.
“Will you be able to talk to Joe tomorrow?” Angel asked.
The smile slid away, and she looked resigned. “I don’t know. It depends how busy he is. It’ll be okay. I’ll see him when I get back.”
“He’s a lucky man,” Don rumbled, and everyone nodded.
Maria went pink and covered her embarrassment in typical Maria fashion by launching into a marry-screw-kill game of all the superheroes in the Marvel franchise. That kept them occupied all the way through the mac and cheese. It turned out Angel and Frankie were huge Marvel fans and had some definite opinions about Iron Man vs Thor. After thirty minutes of table thumping, Maria told them they were all wrong and extolled the virtues of Deadpool. Angel and Frankie howled and threw pretzels at her. Then Angel apologized and picked up the pretzels because he was like that. Noel caught Goldie’s gaze, and Goldie rolled his eyes and grinned. After that, Noel leaned back and listened with half an ear and only nodded when Angel turned to him for agreement.
“It’s snowing again. It’s so pretty,” Angel murmured in Noel’s ear when there was a pause in the discussion. Maria needed a pee break for the millionth time that evening, so she bitched and then staggered off in the direction of the bathroom.
Noel looked out the window to see snowflakes swirling past the fairy lights. It looked magical and Christmassy. “I wonder if Santa Claus will stop by tonight?”
“What would he bring?” Angel asked.
He’d been supposed to bring a ring, but Noel pushed that thought away. He was warm and full up with good food and wine. He had a beautiful young man in his arms and maybe the promise of something more.
There were worse ways to spend a Christmas Eve.
IN THEIR bedroom, Angel hummed as he undressed.
Noel lay on his bed staring up at the ceiling as he waited for Angel to use the bathroom. He turned his head when the bed dipped, and he discovered Angel, dressed only in his Christmas tree briefs, sitting next to him. “Hey.” He reached up to caress Angel’s cheek, and Angel leaned into his touch.
Angel’s smile was sweet and unfocused. He’d drunk more than usual. “Hey.”
“Did you have fun?” Noel asked.
“I did, although Frankie was wrong. I mean, can you believe—”
Noel placed a finger over Angel’s mouth, and he obediently went quiet. “I think we had that discussion already.” Angel nodded, and Noel took away his finger.
“Sorry.”
“Come here.” Noel tugged him down and tucked Angel into his side.
“This is nice.” Angel hummed happily and rested his cheek on Noel’s chest. “Your sweater is soft.”
Noel looked down at himself. He wore a dark forest green sweater his grandmother had bought him. It was old, well-washed, and much loved by Noel. “It was a Christmas present years ago from Maw-Maw.”
“I would have like to have met your Maw-Maw.”
“She would have liked you.” Noel had loved his grandmother fiercely, maybe more than his own mother. Maw-Maw had shown him the unconditional love his mom could never manage.
Angel hummed again, and Noel really wanted to give Angel that kiss they’d been hovering on the brink of for the last few days. He ran his hand through Angel’s curls. His hair was so soft compared to Noel’s own. “Angel?”
“Yeah?” Angel sounded sleepy.
“Can I kiss you?”
Angel raised his head and looked down at him. “Yeah, I’d like that.”
Noel rolled them over onto their sides to face each other. Angel gave him a slow, sleepy smile, and Noel knew that tonight would be only a kiss. That was okay. He leaned forward and pressed his lips against Angel’s. They were soft. Angel’s chin was slightly raspy because he hadn’t shaved before dinner, and his lips tasted of the brandy he’d had after dinner. Angel cupped Noel’s head with one hand and wriggled closer and slipped one knee between Noel’s legs. Angel just wore briefs, but Noel was still fully dressed. And Noel purposely kept the kisses light and his mouth closed. He rested his hand on the creamy skin just above the briefs. As they traded kisses for long moments, Noel wondered if Angel had dreamed about this as he had. When Angel’s lips parted under his, Noel ran his tongue along them, still gentle and not making any move to deepen the kiss.
“This is nice,” Angel murmured.
“Yeah,” Noel agreed. It was gentle and loving, and there was no pressure. Angel sighed against his mouth, and Noel gave him one last kiss and then pulled away. “Go to sleep.”
Angel wriggled under the covers and closed his eyes.
“Sleep with me?” he asked without opening his eyes.
“Of course,” Noel said, but he wasn’t sure Angel heard it before he was asleep.
Chapter 13—Day 6
Christmas Day
morning
NOEL WAS startled awake by the sound of banging doors and shouting. He struggled to his elbows, an action made difficult by the fact that Angel was still wrapped around him. It was still dark, and when Noel squinted at his phone, he saw it was just after six. The shouting intensified. Concerned the chalet was on fire or something, Noel unraveled Angel’s limbs from his and slid out of bed, trying not to disturb the sleeping man.
He went to the door and opened it to see Charlie hurrying away from him, his arms full of sheets.
“What’s the matter?” he asked.
“Maria’s gone into labor, and the roads are blocked to the hospital. Breakfast’s on the table. Help yourself,” Charlie said without pausing as he vanished around the corner.
“What’s wrong?” Angel mumbled.
Noel looked over his shoulder to see him sitting up in bed, sheets pooled to his waist, looking adorably sleepy and confused.
“Maria’s gone into labor.”
“Is she going to the hospital?”
“Charlie says the roads are blocked. She can’t have the baby now. Can’t it wait?” Noel didn’t know much about delivering babies, but didn’t they need nurses and machines and lots of good drugs?
“Babies don’t work like that, sweetheart. Go see if she needs help while I use the bathroom,” Angel ordered. “I’ve delivered babies.”
“You have?” Noel stared at him.
“I’m an EMT. Of course I have. Go on now.”
Noel grabbed a sweater from the chest and pulled it over his head. Then he headed down the corridor, following Charlie’s path. From the amount of noise coming from Maria’s room, he assumed everyone was in there. He knocked on the door, and it went silent inside the room.
“Who is it?” Charlie asked.
“It’s Noel.”
“What do you need, Noel? It’s kinda busy in here.” That was Maria, sounding puffed out and breathless.
“Angel wants to know if you want any help.”
“Unless he’s delivered babies, I think we’ve got it.”
Noel grinned. “He has. He’s an EMT.”
There was what Maw-Maw would have called a pregnant pause.
“Get him in here,” Maria ordered.
“I’m here,” Angel said behind him.
He knocked on the door and opened it. “Hey, Mama, how are you doing?”
Maria managed a wan smile for him as she lay in the mess of the bed. She wore an old voluminous nightgown with buttons down the front, and her hair was sweaty and tangled. Her stomach looked huge, and she rubbed it constantly. “Ask me when it’s all over.”
“You’ll feel better if we remake the bed,” Angel said. “Charlie, we’ll need something to protect the mattress.”
“I’ll get fresh bedding,” Charlie said and hurried out again. He vanished at lightning speed, and Maria giggled.
“Charlie nearly passed out when he thought he was going to have to deliver the baby by himself.”
Angel smirked at her. “Poor dude.” He helped Maria out of the bed and into a chair.
Noel hovered in the doorway, not sure whether to offer his help or get out of their hair. As he decided to do the latter, Maria caught sight of him and waved him in.
“You may as well join us, big guy. I might need an extra hand to squeeze now Don’s outta here.”
“Don and the wise guys are helping to get the roads clear to the hospital. They’ve been notified about Maria, but there was a sudden snowfall overnight and the roads are blocked.”
“You can help make the bed,” Angel ordered.
Noel nodded, noting the way Angel had taken charge. He liked this confident Angel very much.
Charlie came back in, and they stripped the bed. They put a plastic mattress protector on and then remade it.
“I’ll buy you a new mattress,” Maria gasped, and her face contorted as another contraction wracked her.
“You just focus on the baby,” Charlie said. Then he disappeared again with the dirty sheets.
Noel looked at Angel. “What do you want me to do?”
“You get up the top with Maria and hold her hand,” Angel said. “You don’t need to be down the business end unless I need you.”
