Chapter 9 #2
The first thing I noticed was the sleigh, now surrounded by Christmas lights.
They were the multi-colored kind, so even though it wasn’t dark, they stood out.
I also noticed that a few gifts had already been tossed in the sleigh.
I grinned, making a mental note to find something to add to the collection.
Toys for Tots was a worthy endeavor, one near and dear to my heart since it was run by the Corps, and I wanted to contribute.
I dodged a stressed looking woman pulling a wagon and weaved around a man carrying a huge box.
It was on the tip of my tongue to offer to help, but I thought I should find Morgan first and check in.
He might need something else from me. Besides, I knew he had several volunteers and I didn’t want to step on anyone’s toes. Best to let Morgan direct me too.
The volunteers, I knew, were also Barrett’s doing.
I’d heard the frustration in my friend’s voice as he explained that Morgan hadn’t wanted to impose on anyone too much, that Morgan felt everyone had busy enough lives, and that, before Barrett, Morgan had handled too much on his own.
The logistics of volunteers had been one of the first things Barrett sorted out.
Hickory Hollow belonged to all the residents, and these events benefited them all as well.
Barrett thought townsfolk should be more involved and he made that happen.
It was loud, with so many voices talking, and holiday music playing through speakers.
The music wasn’t so loud that people couldn’t be heard but it made for a nice background.
I smiled as I stepped into the building, then unzipped my vest. It was warmer inside than I expected, even with all the people.
I spotted a vent high on the wall and realized Morgan must have also installed HVAC. That was smart.
I didn’t have to look hard for Morgan. He was sitting on a barstool in the corner, just inside the door, clipboard in hand. It was only a meter away so when Barrett cupped Morgan’s face in his hands and spoke, I heard them clearly enough.
“My love, how do you think you’ll have time to do that?”
Morgan let out a sigh. “I know. I know. But it’s exclusive! And they asked me! How could I say no?”
Barrett’s smile was indulgent. “You say ‘I’m honored to be asked and I’d love to participate, but I unfortunately don’t have the time with everything else going on.’ Easy.”
“I did say that!” Morgan gave a cheeky grin. “Well, the first part.”
“Morgan.”
“What’s this now?” I sidled closer and put myself between Barrett and the wall so that I was no longer obstructing the walkway. “I was totally eavesdropping.”
Barrett kissed Morgan softly then stepped to the side so he could look at us both. “My boyfriend is overscheduling himself. Again. Which he promised not to do.”
Morgan ignored Barrett entirely. “The Auxiliary ladies do a cookie swap every year. And it’s a big deal. They don’t just invite anyone to participate. But this year, they asked me to join them, so of course I said yes.”
Barrett opened his mouth but I spoke before he could. “How many cookies are we talking?”
Morgan bit his lip and very purposefully kept his gaze on me. “Well, there are twenty ladies. Twenty-one with me.”
I closed one eye. “And if I remember correctly, a swap is when you make a dozen cookies for each person attending, so that everyone takes home all the different kinds?” I did the math really quickly. “Two-hundred and fifty-two cookies.”
“For fuck’s sake,” Barrett muttered. He cleared his throat. “Morgan, baby, I know you want to—”
“What kind of cookies do you want to make?”
“Galloway,” Barrett ground out, chastisement in his tone. I winked at the Gunny and blew him a kiss. Which just made him growl, but at least the tightness in his eyes lessened.
Morgan whipped out his phone, tapped a few times, and held it out to me. “This is the list so far.”
I scanned it quickly, then whistled. “This is an excellent selection. But surprisingly, I don’t see gingersnaps. In my opinion, gingersnaps are the best holiday cookie around. Easy to make too.”
Morgan nodded. “I’ve never made them, but how hard can it be?”
“It’s not about difficulty, baby. It’s about time. Twenty-one dozen cookies will take hours.”
We both ignored him, gaze fixed on each other. Morgan liked that I was all in and supportive of his idea.
“I can make ‘em for you,” I offered.
Morgan’s whole face lit up. “You bake?”
“Oh hell yeah.” I waggled my eyebrows to make Morgan laugh, which he did. “I was Mom’s number one assistant for Christmas cookies until I shipped out. When do you need them by?”
“The swap is on Tuesday.” Morgan’s face fell. “It’s too last minute, I know. The ladies always bake this weekend, so the swap is shortly after so everything is fresh. I appreciate the offer but—"
“Pfft. That’s no problem at all. What else am I gonna do? Let me bake for you.”
Morgan sprang off the stool and threw his arms around me.
I hugged him back and glanced at Barrett.
His smile was soft and affectionate, gaze on his boyfriend.
Then he lifted his eyes to mine and he gave a single nod.
He was grateful that I was stepping up to help and give Morgan something he wanted.
I hadn’t been lying though. I liked baking but more than that, I was good at it. I was more than happy to not only help Morgan out, because he was a sweet man who deserved happiness, because I was glad to be able to repay the kindness that he showed me.
Morgan pulled back and left his hands on my shoulders.
His eyes were alight and he couldn’t stop smiling.
“I’ll pay for all the supplies, of course.
Just give me the receipt. You can use our kitchen too.
And if you do it this evening, or at least start, then I can help after we get this locked up for the night. ”
I shook my head. “I’ll take you up on the rest, but I can’t tonight. Harris and I are doing the House Lights Tour and then I’m heading back to his. But for sure tomorrow. Baking all day. I’m sure I’ll still be at it when the Market closes so you can help then. If you’re not too tired.”
“You and Harris?” Morgan asked with glee. He actually clapped his hands. “Oh I love that for you. He’s a good man, and so are you and—”
“Baby, slow down.” Barrett grabbed Morgan’s hips and pulled him backward into his arms. Morgan went easily and willingly, instantly settling back against Barrett’s chest. “Ty’s only here for a couple of more weeks. Don’t go planning a future just yet.”
Something panged in my chest and that was fucking weird.
What was that about? The talk of the future?
Leaving? Harris himself? I shook my head, shoving those thoughts away.
No point on focusing on any of it right now.
I was just relaxing and enjoying myself right now.
I didn’t have to think about any type of future.
“You’re right. I’m sorry.” Morgan let out a little sigh. He gathered himself and stood straight, pushing away from Barrett. “Thank you so much for helping. I want to be apart of it and I thought I was going to have to give up sleep.”
Which I was sure Barrett would not allow and if Morgan thought about it, he would have realized that too. I waved a hand, glad to be focused back on the cookies. “You’re welcome. Now, how can I help right now with all this?”
Morgan dropped his gaze to his clipboard, but Barrett clapped me on the shoulder. “You can help me with Santa’s area. Come on.”
I followed Barrett, happy to be useful, so I didn’t have to think about anything important. Best to keep my mind focused on other things.