Chapter 4
Four
AIDYN
Twenty Days until Christmas
I give in and text Garrett around ten. Surely his parents are gone.
Everything okay?
Define okay.
Give me five minutes.
His minutes usually take hours, so I’m surprised to get a call after only a few minutes.
“Hey, love. How did things go with your parents?”
“Not great,” he says with a sigh. “They’re still here.”
“Why?”
“I’m not sure. They say they’re here for the holidays, but I’m not buying it.”
“That’s fair. How’re you holding up?”
“My parents are staying with me. In my house.” The panic in Garrett’s voice spikes. “My mother wants to rearrange my office to make it more efficient.”
I laugh.
“My sanctuary, Aidyn.”
“I get it, love. I didn’t mean to laugh.”
He takes a few breaths, and I lean against the headboard and close my eyes, just listening to his breathing. “I don’t think I can take three weeks of my parents being in my space.”
“That’s a long time.”
“I’m sorry about tonight—about leaving. I miss you.”
My relief that he doesn’t bring up Christmas feels disingenuous. “I miss you too—”
“It’s been too damn long,” Garrett says with a growl that my body enjoys quite a bit.
“Practically hours,” I agree with a chuckle.
“I mean since your cock has been in my ass.”
I groan. “Garrett—”
“Hold on,” he whispers. Then silence.
His room is upstairs. Is that not where he is? “Garrett?”
“Yeah. Just checking that Mother and Father are in the downstairs guest room.”
“Where are you?”
“My office. The couch is comfortable, and I can keep an eye on them.”
“Uh-huh. You’re there so your mother doesn’t snoop and move things around?”
He laughs, and I get lost in the sound of it. “There’s that. And it has alcohol.”
“Do you want to fool around?” Being several states apart gave us lots of practice. “I could boss you around.”
“I wish. But my parents are here, and I don’t have near enough alcohol.”
I push away my disappointment. Instead, I focus on my boyfriend. “I’m sorry, love.”
“My mother asked…” He lets out a frustrated scream. Half-scream. “She asked if I’d met a nice girl.”
“What did you tell her?”
“I reminded her I was gay. And there would never be a nice girl for me.”
“Did she ask about nice boys?”
“No. Just ‘That’s right. I forgot.’ You forgot your son’s sexuality?” His scream is muffled this time. Pillow, maybe? “This isn’t new. They were always more interested in whatever the girls were doing— Oh God. I’m sorry, Aidyn.”
The wave of sadness that hits me has nothing to do with Emily. I love Garrett. I want him to share stories of his life growing up. Stories about his parents. His sisters. Without the ghost of my wife between us. And that thought brings even more guilt.
Emily died too young. And being happy now feels almost like cheating. But she knew about Garrett’s feelings. She’d want us to be happy.
“Aidyn—”
“I’m fine, love. Go on.”
There’s a moment of silence, and I worry he’s going to drop it. “I’m just frustrated. They’ve taken over my house. My life. It’s driving me to drink, alone in my office, and worse than that…”
He hesitates, and I want to mention he’s not alone. But instead, I ask, “What’s worse than drinking alone in your office?”
“I might have to take time off work.”
Sixteen Days until Christmas
“Are you sick?” I ask Garrett as I hand him a menu. He scowls, and I hide my grin. His grumpiness doesn’t bother me. In fact, it has the opposite effect.
I was worried he wouldn’t appreciate the Advent calendar, and to be fair, he didn’t.
But it’s turned into so much more. Getting to kiss him every day.
Making time for each other. Saturday was a challenge.
It’s the diner’s busiest day. And that’s when most weddings are held.
So the kiss happened right before midnight.
We met halfway and kissed under the cold December moon.
Sunday, Garrett showed up at the diner just as I was taking my break.
And Mondays are the easiest because the diner is closed.
The eighth Advent kiss led to making out in the pantry until Ramon arrived to help with prep.
And now it’s Tuesday. We took advantage of our slow day with Advent kiss number nine in the hall by the back stairs. That was less than ten minutes ago, and I already miss kissing him.
It’s the lull between the lunch and dinner crowd, so the diner is mostly empty. Garrett and his parents are seated at a large table by the door. Are they expecting more?
“No. I’m not sick.”
I raise my brows. “You’re here early on a Tuesday.
“It’s three-thirty in the afternoon.”
“On a Tuesday.”
“You and Nat are both a riot. I left work early.”
I stop, still holding the last menu in my hand. “Are you okay?” This time, my question is serious.
“I told you I was taking time off work.” He darts a glance at his parents.
“You said you might.”
“Is Lanie here?” Ellen Bishop asks, pursing her lips like she’s just sucked on a lemon. There was a time when I got along with Emily’s parents. But that was before…everything.
“She’s putting away her school things. She’ll be right down.”
While his parents look over the menu, I pull Garrett aside. “Is everything okay?”
“What part of my parents are here don’t you understand?” he asks in a harsh whisper.
“Hold on.” I pause and glance at his parents. They’re dissecting the menu, discussing what should and shouldn’t be there. I ignore them and focus on Garrett. “I’ve never seen you like this. What’s going on?”
He shakes his head. “Nothing. It’s fine.”
“Are you sure?”
His hand brushes mine, and he smiles. My insides light up like a damn sparkler at New Year’s. “They wanted to see Lanie.” He lowers his voice—not that his parents are paying attention—some things never change. “And I wanted to see you. I’m sorry about last night.”
“Nothing to worry about, darlin’. After our call, I took care of things.”
Heat flashes in his eyes. “I deserve that.”
“What?” I ask innocently.
“Getting blue balls from imagining you taking care of things.”
“Come over tonight. I’ll treat your balls real nice.”
“Aidyn.” He groans. “Stop teasing me.”
A customer slaps me on the back as they walk by, and I flinch. What am I doing? I can’t openly flirt with Garrett in the middle of the diner. “So, um…why are your parents staying with you?”
“Fuck if I know. To torture me?”
I laugh. “Probably.”
“What’s so funny, Da?” Lanie asks as she dutifully kisses each of her grandparents on their cheeks.
“I dropped by Zye’s shop yesterday, and Simon told me my head was too big,” Garrett says, and I’m thankful he’s quick on his feet because I had no idea what to say. At Lanie’s confused look, he adds, “None of his tiaras fit me.”
“Simon has tiaras?” Mrs. Bishop sniffs in disapproval.
“Zye has tiaras,” Garrett says, correcting her. “For the brides to wear.”
I should be used to the Bishops by now. They’re my in-laws. They doted on Emily. And I know they love Lanie. Me? They tolerated.
Until I made the decision to take Emily off life support. After that, barely tolerated is more accurate.
But I had to do it. Emily was gone. And she wouldn’t have wanted Lanie to see her like that.
And we needed closure to grieve.
I push away my anger at these people. They were around for the good times, but when things got difficult, they disappeared— No, they disappeared when they didn’t get their way.
First with Emily. And then later with Isaac.
They thought everything was fine with Jane.
Even after she took off with all the money Isaac had in the bank, aside from his emergency stash.
She even borrowed money from Lanie to get Simon a birthday gift.
And then left town without showing up for the party.
Lanie had worked all summer to buy herself a horse.
That’s all in the past now.
But is it? Would they ever accept Garrett and me being together?
“Stop scowling, Aidyn, and sit down.”
I shake my head. “I need to get back—”
“Ramon has everything under control, and it’s not exactly busy.” In a lower voice, Garrett says, “If I have to play nice, so do you.”
“They aren’t my parents.” But it’s a lame excuse, and we both know it.
“Please?” he asks, with big sorrowful eyes. “For me?”
Jesus, Joseph, and Mary. But I sit down. I can’t resist him. “For Lanie.”
Once everyone orders, Mrs. Bishop smiles. “We’re glad everyone’s here. Well, except for Jane.”
“What’s this about, Mother?”
“We want to get everything settled for Christmas.”
Garrett rolls his eyes, and it reminds me so much of Lanie and her teenage moments that I have to bite back a laugh.
“This is so exciting,” she continues. “We’ll all be together this year on Christmas. Our children and grandchildren. Except for dear Emily, of course.”
Do they think they can take over everyone’s lives without a thought? Maybe we had plans. And then a thought hits me. Am I being included because of Lanie? Or the diner? Might as well rip off that Band-Aid. “Where’s this grand party going to be?”
Mrs. Bishop looks startled by my question. “At Garrett’s, of course.”
Garrett chokes on his drink. Obviously, he didn’t know.
“You’re having your family Christmas at Garrett’s house?” I ask again because it’s still so hard to believe.
But his mom doesn’t miss a beat. “Of course,” she says, looking at me like I’m the slowest person ever, and maybe I am. “Garrett is hosting Christmas this year.”