Chapter 9
I ’d never been the type of guy who liked to laze around in bed in the morning. The moment I woke up, I was ready and raring to go. I didn’t even need an alarm. But this morning, I would have been happy to stay right where I was, wrapped around Morgan. He was a cuddler and fit his body into all the hollows of mine. It had been nice.
But unfortunately, it couldn’t happen. Though we did get a few minutes of morning snuggles, we had a busy day ahead of us. The vendors were coming to set up at the Winter Market and Mr. Galloway was showing up with the sleigh around noon. Morgan had to be there a lot earlier than I did, but I was determined to be as much help as I could to him. Even if that meant standing around in the cold waiting for something to crop up that needed my attention.
Morgan rolled over and pushed in closer until his nose was against my sternum. I kissed his hair and he made a sleepy, content noise.
“Wish we could stay in bed a while longer,” he mumbled, then yawned.
“I was just thinking that.”
He snickered, then jumped when his alarm went off. He rolled to the other side to turn it off and groaned. He laid there for another thirty seconds, then threw off the covers and sat up. Rubbing his face hard, he stood and stretched. I hummed appreciatively as though he was showing off for me.
“Don’t make that noise. I have too much responsibility to get back in bed with you.” He gave me a mock glare, but the sparkle in his eyes belied his true feelings.
I held up my hands. “I didn’t do anything.”
“Yeah, right.” He pointed his finger at me, but then dropped all pretenses. “I can make some coffee. And I’m pretty sure I have bagels. We can eat before we go.”
I took that as my cue and got out of bed too, rummaging on the floor till I found all my clothes. “I’ll make the coffee. Meet you in there.”
I pulled the jeans on commando, stuffed my briefs in my pocket, then tugged on my sweater as I left the room. Between the first and second rounds last night, I’d gotten up and made sure the lights were off and the house was locked. It was good that I had, since the stove had still been on. The hot chocolate was ruined, so I had dumped that out and left the pot in the sink. After I got the coffee brewing—the labeled canisters on his counter meant I didn’t need to go searching for the grounds—I scrubbed the pot and set it in the drainer to dry.
Morgan appeared a minute later, and he leaned against the doorjamb, just watching me. I crossed my arms, mimicking his pose, and leaned a hip against the counter. He looked at me. I looked at him. He broke first, snickering as he crossed the floor. When he made it into my space, I pulled him into my arms. He stretched up onto his toes for a kiss, but I kept it brief. He was minty fresh, I was not.
“Last night was so, so good,” he said softly, winding his arms around my neck.
I buried my face against his throat, struck by the weird primal urge to mark him. Instead, I just rested my lips against his skin, breathing him in. I couldn’t help it if my hands wandered downward and cupped his ass.
“Yeah it was,” I said, making him shiver. “We should do it again.”
He pulled back, and I loved seeing his cheeky smile. “That exact thing?”
“Anything you want.”
“Good answer.” Morgan kissed me again, but this time, he was the one to pull away, stepping out of my arms. He pulled the toaster away from the wall and plugged it in, then opened a cupboard to retrieve a bag of commercially made bagels. He busied himself with splitting and toasting them, very intent on his task. “Will I see you today?”
I cocked my head, trying to figure out what he was really asking. He knew when the Galloways were arriving, I’d told him about the text confirming the plans. But then I recalled the pillow talk in the dead of the night, when he’d sleepily told me about how the day would go and the implication that he was just directing chaos, so he wouldn’t actually need me to do anything. I hadn’t commented on it then, too wiped out from round two, but now I realized what he’d been trying to do.
“Unless you tell me not to be there, I’m gonna be there. Hey.” I leaned over the counter separating us so I could catch his eye. “Let me help you, all right?”
He nodded, and relief flooded his face. “I’m just worried I’m monopolizing your time. I’ve commandeered you every day this week. This is supposed to be your vacation.”
“Monopolize me. Please. I wasn’t kidding when I said I don’t do idle well. I’d much rather be helping you, making your life easier, then sitting in Arlo’s apartment, twiddling my thumbs.” When he still looked unsure, I added, “I promise, if I need a break or I can’t help with something, I’ll tell you. You’ll never have to wonder.”
Morgan blew out a breath and his shoulders relaxed. The bagels popped up. “Okay. Good. Grab the cream cheese from the fridge?”
I had to go back to Arlo’s for a change of clothes. I’d texted him to let him know I wouldn’t be home last night, just so he didn’t worry I ended up in a ditch somewhere. He’d sent back a thumbs up emoji. I half expected him to be waiting for me when I came through the door, but he was still sleeping.
It was colder today than it had been, so I layered a long-sleeved Tee under my sweatshirt when I got dressed after my shower. I hoped that, with my vest, it would be enough. The last two places I’d been stationed had been warm weather states, and I hadn’t needed a true winter coat. I didn’t even own one anymore. If the temps dipped any more before I left, I’d have to see if Arlo had something I could borrow. I still had my Marine issued watch cap so I grabbed that as well, knowing I needed the extra warmth.
My luck ran out at that point though, because Arlo was parked on the couch with a cup of coffee and flipping through TV channels when I emerged from my room. He raised his eyebrows and smirked. I rolled my eyes and sat on one of the kitchen chairs to dress my feet.
“Good night?” He asked.
I glared. “Don’t be weird.”
Arlo cackled, and it made me smile too. Even though I referred to him as my uncle, I’d never called him Uncle Arlo. He’d only been twenty-five when he took me in, and after I got through the first stages of being mad at the world, he’d always felt more like an older brother than what I assumed having an uncle felt like.
Arlo sobered up some and leveled me with a serious stare. “Just tell me that you are communicating and being honest and up front. Morgan’s a good man. And even though I will always take your side, I’d hate to see him hurt.”
And that, right there, was Arlo in a nutshell. And why, when I’d put Hickory Hollow in my rearview at eighteen, I’d never shut him out. Of course, this conversation was weird as fuck. The only other time when we talked about this kind of shit was when I’d been thirteen and trying to figure out what my dick was for.
“Yeah. We both know the score. Don’t worry.”
“Sadly, worrying comes with the territory of being a parent.” As though realizing what he said, his eyes went wide. “I just mean—”
“You were,” I cut him off. Then tried for a smile though it felt a little shaky. We didn’t talk about this stuff, never had. But maybe we should have. I amended my statement. “You are.”
Arlo pressed his lips together and nodded, but didn’t say anything else. That was probably for the best. For now, we’d said all we needed to say. I stood, shrugged into my vest, and zipped it up.
“I’ll let you know if I’ll be home later,” I said, giving him a salute as I opened the door.
“See you.”
T he field was hopping by the time I made it over there. Cars, trucks, and vans were backed up to the temporary buildings and people were hustling in and out, carrying their goods to their stalls. I spotted Morgan easily enough, bundled up—and wearing his gloves, thank fuck—near the center and directing people. I parked on the far side of the lot so as not to be in anyone’s way and jogged to where he was.
His face lit up when he saw me, but a second later, that smile dimmed, and he glanced around. And I got it, I did. But still, I hated to see it. Someone came up and asked a question, Morgan pointed them in the right direction, and then I crowded into his space.
“I want you to know,” I murmured, keeping my voice low, “that it wasn’t for the rumor mill, I’d kiss you right now. PDA is usually okay in my books. But I really don’t want to feed the gossip trolls.”
He laughed loud enough to garner glances, and I stepped back to a more respectable distance. He shook his head.
“Honestly, I’m right there with you. We’ll have to save it for later.”
I really liked the promise of later.
But I couldn’t think about that now. I was wearing jeans, but they only did so much to hide things, and I couldn’t get worked up. And really, when was the last time a pretty face and a promise had my blood flowing south? I couldn’t remember. It was the magic that was Morgan.
“All right, where do you need me?” I asked. Morgan’s gaze heated and I tsked. “None of that now.”
“Fine,” he said, drawing the word out. But then he put on his professional face. “Will you wander through the tents and see if anyone needs anything? Most everyone is old hat at this, but we have a few new vendors.”
I nodded. “Can do.”
“And if you see anyone not wearing their lanyard, kindly remind them they have to keep them on. It’s the only way security knows they belong here. Oh! Here’s yours.” He pulled it out of his pocket, but when I reached for it he tutted, tucked his clipboard under his arm, and held it open for me to slip my head through. I obeyed instantly and held still while he smoothed it down. I was pretty sure he just wanted to cop a feel.
“I’ll find you when the Galloways arrive. Now scoot, before I do something that will really set tongues to wagging.”
I laughed and hustled, mostly because I really wanted to push him up against one of those temporary walls and kiss his face off. Besides, he’d given me a mission to execute, and I was nothing if not a good Marine.
Mostly, it seemed Morgan was right. Everyone appeared to know what they were doing. Each vendor spot had three long folding tables to use how they would like. As I wandered through, I took in all the different artisans. One table held burned wooden signs and ornaments, customizable on demand, another handcrafted rhinestone ornaments, tree toppers, and other decorations. There was a table filled with crocheted stuffies with big plastic eyes and stitched mouths. Halloway Glassworks had a prime spot right inside the door, and though no one was there at the moment, blown glass ornaments already graced one table. Artisan cheeses, hand dyed yarn, jerky made from moose, elk, deer, or turkey, trinkets, baubles, tchotchkes, and knickknacks; there was something for everyone.
But only a few questions. No, you couldn’t bring a generator inside, unless you wanted to kill everyone. Yes, the buildings would be secure at night as they locked and Morgan had hired a security company. No, you shouldn’t leave your cash overnight. Yes, the bathrooms in the outbuilding would be cleaned regularly.
I was making yet another pass through—and making a mental note to stop at Ella’s Confections booth to get fudge once it opened—when I heard my name. I spun around. Morgan had poked his head through the door and was waving frantically. I jogged right over.
“I think the Galloways are here!” The excitement in his tone made me smile, and I followed him out. We’d been in the third tent, so we were exactly in the right place for the sleigh to go. I immediately saw what he did, a dually pulling into the lot with a very large, tarp wrapped something in the bed.
Ezra Galloway pulled to a stop near where we were. I’d only met the man once, but it was clear where Tyler got his smile and eyes from. Mr. Galloway hopped down, ignored the hand I was holding out, and hugged me instead. It was quick, and completely with the manly back slap, but his grin was huge.
“Barrett. It’s great to see you again. How you doing, son?”
“Good, good. How was the drive?”
“Easy as pie,” he said. The petite Mrs. Galloway joined him, and he draped an arm around her shoulders. “You remember my wife?”
“Of course. How are you, Mrs. Galloway?”
“Pish. I told you to call me Marie.” She went in for a hug, and I gave it to her, trying not to crush her. She was five foot if she was an inch and looked very breakable. At least physically. Mentally, I knew she was strong as steel.
I laughed. “I don’t think I can do that, ma’am. Please let me introduce you to Morgan Hawley. He’s in charge here.”
Morgan rushed forward, shaking both of their hands. “Thank you so much for this. It means the world to me.”
“Happy to help,” Mr. Galloway said. Then he waggled his eyebrows. “Wanna see it?”
“Yes, please.” Morgan was practically salivating.
It took Mr. Galloway a minute to drop the tailgate, then climb into the bed. He loosened the ratchet straps keeping everything secure, and then whipped off the tarp as theatrically as he could. It was clear where Tyler got his style from as well.
“Oh.” Morgan placed a hand to his mouth, eyes wide as he took it in. The sleigh looked to be made of metal, but it was painted a deep, pine green. It had two bench seats upholstered in a red velvet type fabric, tufted with velvet covered buttons. “It’s beautiful.”
“Thank you. We’re proud of it. I never did ask, what do you need it for?”
I let Morgan explain about Toys for Tots which led into talking about the Winter Market and how the Galloways were lucky because they could stop in on the first day before they left town. Suddenly, Morgan gasped and turned wide eyes to me.
“What’s the matter?”
“In the past, we had the sleigh in the last tent, next to Santa. But we booked that with a vendor this year because we had so many applications. We can’t just leave this sitting outside to get weathered on!”
I squinted at him. “I’m pretty sure that’s not a verb.”
“I’m serious!”
I held in my chuckle because I was pretty sure he wouldn’t appreciate it. “I’ll figure something out.”
Mr. Galloway didn’t bother to hide his laughter. “First, you have to figure out how to get this off the truck. She’s not exactly a lightweight.” He knocked against the side of the sleigh, and it certainly did sound solid.
Morgan patted my shoulder. “You’re up, operations chief.”
In the end, I rustled up some very strong people, several pieces of plywood, and borrowed six flat, wheeled dollies from three different vendors. It took a lot of muscle to slowly slide the sleigh down the ramp, and even more to get the wheels underneath and balanced. But we managed, and got it pushed into place. The next part was easy enough. The tarp Mr. Galloway had brought was big enough that I could attach it to the top of the temporary buildings with rope. Morgan held the ladder this time.
When I was done, the four of us stepped back and admired our work. Mr. Galloway clapped me on the shoulder. I turned him.
“The question is, how did you get it onto the truck in the first place?”
Mr. Galloway let out that booming laugh of his. “I parked the truck in the ditch and tied the sleigh to the skidsteer.” He made a lowering motion with his hand, followed by a “ta da” motion.
We all laughed at that. Then Morgan turned to Mr. Galloway and shook his hand again.
“Again, thank you so much. Your room at Lowry’s B and B is ready whenever you are. Sophie said you could check in early if you’d like. And she has a voucher for a meal at Mirabelle’s as well. Let me give you directions.”
Mrs. Galloway was the one who listened as Morgan explained where they were going. Mr. Galloway touched my arm and gestured with his head. We stepped a few feet away.
“Let us know when you’re done with it, and we’ll come back and get it.” Mr. Galloway said, and when I opened his mouth to offer an alternative, he cut me off. “I insist. If it weren’t for you, I would no longer have a son. For that, I’ll be forever grateful. You saved his life that day.”
“That’s not entirely true.”
“It’s true enough.” Mr. Galloway cleared his throat. “You are a good man and a good Marine. I’ll always help you if I can.”
He patted my cheek, then walked away before I could say anything. My actions had helped that day, but I hadn’t done it alone, and I didn’t like taking full credit when it wasn’t mine to take. The only ones who knew the full truth were the Marines that were present that day, and that’s how it would stay.
Morgan sidled up to me a moment later. He seemed to realize I was lost in thought, because he just leaned against me, offering silent support. It took another minute for me to shake off the feelings. I looked down to thank him, but then I noticed he was holding something.
“What’s that?”
He handed me the bundle. “Lights! The sleigh needs some illumination, don’t you think? I got them out of my car. And look. They’re solar powered.”
The bundle was…incredibly large. I narrowed my gaze. “How long, exactly, is this string of lights?”
He shrugged. “One hundred meters. I got them on sale.”
“A hundred…Morgan, you realize that’s three hundred and twenty-eight feet, right?”
He blinked at me. “Is that a lot?”
All I could do was laugh.