Chapter Seven
GEOFF
Geoff stood in the kitchen, staring at Teddy.
Teddy hung up the phone and turned around.
“Did you just invite Ciaran to stay with us?” Geoff asked.
“I’m sorry.” Teddy walked over and kissed Geoff. “I felt bad. He didn’t have anywhere to stay. We don’t have guests or anything else happening. I wanted to be nice.”
Geoff let out a sigh. “I don’t know. It was going to be the two of us for the first time in eight years. What are we going to do with a guest?”
“I should have talked to you first, but he seemed desperate. Nobody had an opening. It didn’t feel right leaving him out there alone, with nowhere to go.”
“You still should have asked me before agreeing to have him over.”
Teddy placed his head in his hands, and his breathing sped up. “I’m sorry.”
“Babe.” Geoff wrapped his arms around him. “Breathe slowly. It’s okay.”
Teddy backed away and looked into Geoff’s eyes. “I’ll call him back and let him know we can’t host him. I’ll come up with something.”
“You can’t do that now.” Geoff let out a breath. “You said he could stay. If you back out now, we’ll look like assholes.”
“I wish I hadn’t acted so rashly.”
“Your rash behavior got us this bed-and-breakfast, and look how it turned out.” Geoff kissed him. “You’re also right to ask him to stay. It wouldn’t be right to leave him out there.”
“Thank you.” Teddy smiled.
“I’ll set up the guest room and then head over to shut off the power to the lodge.”
“I’m going to get the decorations from the attic for the tree,” Teddy said. “Then I’ll get lunch started.”
Geoff walked down the hall and entered their spare room. They’d shoved everything they didn’t use in here. Boxes were strewn about. It’d been over a year since they’d had Teddy’s parents for a visit.
“This is going to take some time,” Geoff said.
He carried boxes out of the room and put them in Teddy’s office closet. “He invited him, so now he gets to deal with the mess,” he said to himself, laughing.
After putting new sheets, pillowcases, and a warm blanket on the bed, he looked around. It’d taken him two hours, but the room was ready.
“It looks wonderful,” Teddy said from the door.
“Thank you.” Geoff turned to him and smiled.
“Lunch will be ready soon, then we can decorate the tree.”
“I’m gonna grab a shower before lunch,” Geoff said. “This room was pretty messy.”
“Sorry.” Teddy blushed.
“It was both of us.” Geoff kissed him on the way to his shower.
Geoff was drying off when Teddy popped his head in.
“He’s here.”
“I’ll get dressed and be there in a minute.”
Geoff sighed when he was out of earshot of Teddy. They didn’t know Ciaran well, and now he’d be staying with them for who knows how long. Teddy was too kind sometimes.
“Hello again.” Geoff smiled as he entered the living room.
Ciaran was pounding the snow off his feet and smiled up at him.
“Thank you so much for letting me stay.” Ciaran’s voice was breathless. “I didn’t know what I would’ve done if you hadn’t had an opening.”
“It’s no trouble. We couldn’t let you freeze out in the cold.”
Ciaran smiled again. His face was reddening, nearly matching his hair.
“I’ll show you to our spare room. You can drop off your bags, and then we can have lunch.”
Geoff led him to a door at the end of the hall. “Here’s where you’re staying.”
“This looks gorgeous,” Ciaran said.
“Thank you,” Geoff said. “I set it up the best I could on short notice. I’m glad you like it.”
“It’s more than enough,” he said.
Ciaran placed his bags in the closet and followed Geoff back to the dining room. Teddy had prepared roast beef sandwiches, chips, potato salad, and various drinks. The spices Teddy used permeated the room. He was a master in the kitchen.
“This looks amazing,” Ciaran said. “Thank you again.”
“My pleasure,” Teddy said. “Help yourself to the food.”
They each filled their plates, Teddy pouring everyone a glass of soda before they dug in.
“I’m sorry you won’t make it to your family’s home for the holidays,” Teddy said. “It has to be hard to be away.”
“It is,” Ciaran said. “I haven’t seen them in five years. This was the first time I’d taken a break from work.”
“Hopefully, you’ll have an enjoyable holiday here with us. We’re homebodies most of the time, but if there’s something you’d like to do, just let us know,” Teddy said.
“You live on a beautiful property. Would it be okay if I went for a walk sometime?”
“Of course,” Geoff said. “I take walks a few times a week. There is a beautiful trail out of our backyard. I’d be happy to show you.”
“That’d be nice.”
“You guys can go for a walk after lunch,” Teddy suggested.
“What about the tree?” Geoff asked. They’d planned to decorate together after lunch. He didn’t want Ciaran to disrupt their plans.
“We can decorate after you get back. I’m just heating leftovers for dinner, so that won’t take long,” Teddy said.
“Don’t let me interrupt your plans,” Ciaran said. “I’m tired anyway. We can go tomorrow.”
Geoff smiled at Ciaran. He’d picked up on the cue. Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad after all.
“Tomorrow after breakfast, then,” Geoff said.
After lunch, Ciaran went to wash up while Teddy and Geoff cleared up the dishes.
“What do you think of him?” Geoff asked.
Teddy always put effort into their guests’ comfort, but he’d gone beyond what Geoff had seen him do before.
“He seems like a genuinely sweet guy. I just want him to enjoy his time here. He’s away from his family.”
“He really is,” Geoff agreed. “He deserves a fun holiday.”
Geoff walked over and kissed the back of Teddy’s neck.
“You are such a kind and giving person,” Geoff said. “I still don’t know what I did to deserve someone as wonderful as you.”
“Don’t sell yourself short,” Teddy said, turning around. “Your exterior isn’t all of you. You’re a loving and wonderful person, too. You don’t see what I see.”
“What if we wait until after his nap and invite him to decorate with us?”
“I thought you wanted it to be just us.”
“Like you said, he’s far away from home. I don’t see any harm in having him help in our tradition.”
“See,” Teddy said, smiling. “You’re sweeter than you let on.”
Geoff kissed Teddy deeply and passionately. He loved this man. Together since high school, never wavering.