Chapter 12 JAMIE
Christmas dinner was a success, and we managed to get through the entire thing without anyone bringing up the fact that Logan worked for an NHL team.
Well, we almost got through the entire thing since we were still sitting around the table when we started talking about those tickets Logan was giving my folks—and me.
I took Logan away from all the chaos, to my bedroom, but we couldn’t do anything in here, especially not with my family being around.
Logan lay back on the bed, rubbing his tummy over his T-shirt. It was fairly tight from all the food he’d managed to devour at the table, and I didn’t blame him, he was trying to make a good impression on my mom who was constantly asking how things were, so his mouth had stayed full constantly.
“This is your childhood room?” he asked as I joined him on the bed, staring up at the stars on the ceiling.
“Kinda. It was my sister’s room, but when she moved out, I got it,” I told him.
“So, technically, it was mine throughout my early teens and stuff. My old room is smaller. We use it for storage now, and my mom’s sewing machine, because it’s so loud my dad wouldn’t let her keep in the dining room where it originally was. ”
He laughed a little. I placed my hand over his on his belly and felt it shake. “Your bed is comfy,” he said. “I was thinking it would’ve been all lumpy with teddies.”
I scoffed, almost directly into his ear. “Not all littles are the same, you know.”
“I know, I know, but I just—” He picked his head up and guided my view to look at the pile of teddies on my bedroom floor spilling from the closet.
There was definitely some form of truth to what he said, especially about the littles who were collectors—and yes, I was a collector. “Tell me I’m wrong, baby.”
My entire body tingled with it. His sweet words. “Baby,” I repeated. “I like it when you call me that.”
“You gotta be good to get one of those,” he said.
“I’m always good.”
“Of course you are.” He turned around on my bed and started to tickle me. “At least fifty percent of the time you’re good.”
“I’ll take that.”
“Jamie.” My mom’s voice came from behind the closed door. “Are you two coming out?”
Logan snorted. “I guess I am,” he said. “At least, I’m going to.”
“You don’t have to on account of me,” I said. “And you know she means out of the room.”
“I know, I just—” He pushed a kiss onto my forehead and then tipped my chin and kissed me on the lips. “We’re boyfriends now, according to that tick I left on the card.”
“It’s legally binding,” I told him.
“Mayor Rina is going to make a speech,” my mom continued. “You’ve never missed it before, Jamie.”
“We’re coming, Mom,” I said as Logan continued to tickle me until I was sitting upright.
My parents were arguing outside the bedroom door, my father encouraging her to leave us here alone. It wasn’t like they had to keep an eye on me, I wasn’t a teen, and I certainly wasn’t at risk of getting pregnant.
Each year, everyone—well, almost everyone in Snowflake Springs gathered around the middle of town where the Christmas tree was sparkling.
It was usually surrounded by snowmen that had been built during some of the town’s events over the last couple of weeks.
I never got involved in any of that. I was stuck behind the cash register or in the kitchen getting that well-needed practice with chocolate.
I’d never been with anyone at the event before, except family, but not someone I could hold hands with or cuddle up to for warmth. It was a new type of butterfly in my stomach, probably a rare one, like grabbing a Sublime teddy to unbox and finding the mystery one. I was lucky.
It was our version of what they did in the UK with their speech from the Queen—now the King.
It was something we did every year, and I had fond memories about it.
Each year the mayor would stand in front of the tree, and they would give these small presents out to the younger children.
They weren’t expensive things, just small trinkets or toys.
I always got the boy toy, which was a racecar usually or a figure on a skateboard you could push around. Again, only small things.
Standing a little further back because we’d been late, my mother was forgiving of us, but my father continued with his quiet, hostile staring and somewhat glared as he looked around and his eyes lingered on Logan.
I wished I could’ve told him Dad was sweet, but he was strict, and my mother always said it came from the times he’d worked in kitchens as a pastry chef where they ran it liked he was in the armed forces.
None of that even mattered as I cuddled up beside Logan in our now matching Maple Kings beanies and scarves. We looked like the biggest fans and cutest couple, hands down, but they weren’t handing out awards for that.
Mayor Rina was already talking into a microphone about how rewarding this Christmas had been with all the events they’d successfully run, even though there’d been one hiccup.
I’d heard about some guy accidentally breaking one of the glass trophies—my father wouldn’t shut up about it, talking about how it was a disgrace to the town that someone would do that.
I spotted the guy in the crowd, he was cuddled up with .
. . my brain tried to match his face to a name .
. . Doctor Penn from the resort. And they were beside Kal and Noor.
I avoided Kal wherever possible. We’d been together once upon a time, but two bottoms don’t make a top, nor do two littles make a Daddy—as much as we wished that was true.
“You should come back to Burlington with me,” Daddy Logan whispered into my ear. “For a couple of nights, maybe.”
“Really?”
“If you have free time.”
It didn’t matter, my dad would complain, my mom would approve, and I’d get what I wanted. It was the natural order of things, especially as the youngest sibling. “Okay, sure,” I told him. “Only for a couple of nights.”
“Yeah, or longer, I don’t—”
“Let’s stick to a couple of nights first,” I giggled. “I’ve got to boost my resume for culinary school.”
“I thought you’d already been,” he said.
I shook my head, feeling the snowflake that had wet my curls spit little droplets out.
“Nope. I graduated high school, immediately became an apprentice, and in the fall I’m hoping to get into culinary school—probably the CIA.
” I always giggled when it was abbreviated like that. “The Culinary Institute of America.”
He chuckled. “That makes sense. I didn’t think you were going into government work—although I would absolutely bet you’d be great at whatever you wanted to do.
” He gave me a kiss, and the sound of his smooch against my skin was so squelchy, it gave me those special butterflies once again. I kissed him back harder.
“I want this thing between us to last,” I admitted.
He was the first man I’d found who actually met every expectation I had—and he played well with me.
That was all I’d ever wanted, and plus, he’d helped me figure out a couple of things as well.
That candy cane trick . . . we did it again and again. I was obsessed.
The feedback on the microphone pulled me from responding to him. “Merry Christmas, Snowflake Springs,” Rina said. “This is the part where I announce the fireworks, so if you’re not into loud bangs, please go indoors. Thank you.”
A lot of people cleared out at the announcement of the fireworks, but we stayed and we watched as the bright colors exploded in the darkening winter evening sky. We kissed beneath it, the colors splashing on our faces.
“I wanna picture,” I told him, taking my phone out and turning the camera on us both. “It’s just for us.”
He smiled. “I’ve got nothing to hide anymore,” he said as I snapped a burst of selfies with him, followed by him kissing me and then more pictures of us kissing. I didn’t want to stop capturing the memories of the two of us embracing. I didn’t want it to end.
“Okay, one more,” I said before sliding my phone into my pocket.
“I really like you,” he said. “Jamie. I’ve—”
Staring into his eyes, the glow of the light made them look moist, as if he was about to cry, and I couldn’t have that. “Yeah?”
“I’ve never felt this way,” he said.
“You’ve never had a boyfriend before,” I reminded him. “Of course you’ve never felt this way.” Although I didn’t want to think of myself as his first boyfriend. I wanted to be his only.
“I’ve also never been a Daddy,” he said. “But I am now.”
“Yes, you are. Forever.”
“Forever.”
I sank into his arms, inhaling the cologne I’d got him on his clothes and skin. I’d need him to spray my pillows—but that would be a waste since I was going home with him. And I needed to think about which teddies to pack.
“It might be a little intense coming into my world,” Daddy whispered and kissed my forehead. “But I won’t let anything bad happen.”
“I’m sure it’ll be fine,” I said. “There are out gay players in the league.”
He chuckled. “You’re right, it probably won’t even be big news. But at least I won’t have this thing hanging around my neck, and maybe I’ll be a better coach because of it.”
“Because of me,” I giggled.
“You might be right,” he said, his lips now squished to my face. “My sweet, perfect, bratty boy.”
I could’ve stayed tucked into his arms all night, feeling this nervous excitement about the future. Our future.
The End . . . or continue for the future.