Chapter 17
Tyler
The Emerald Lantern was filled with locals.
People who didn’t have family to celebrate with, who just wanted a good meal, who just wanted some company on Christmas day.
The mood was lively, though not as energetic as it got on a regular night.
While celebration was in the air, more than that, this gathering was about belonging.
We’d been there for a couple of hours already, sharing a table with Barrett and Morgan, our meals already done. Conversation swirled around us, and people I’d never met stopped to talk to Morgan, Barrett, and Harris. They were good about including me as well, and I felt welcomed.
I was having a great time. Harris was not.
I was adept enough at reading his body language by now that it was clear to me, if no one else, that he wasn’t unhappy.
But he was done. Interacting constantly took a lot out of him.
I wondered if that was because he’d been on the outskirts growing up and he just didn’t have much practice or if he was an introvert whose social battery drained quickly.
Honestly, it was probably a bit of both.
But I needed him to last just a little bit longer. I had a surprise for him, but it wasn’t ready yet, so he just had to hang on for me. I already knew he’d stick it out until I was ready to go. I wouldn’t make him wait much longer.
“Who wants pie?” Morgan suddenly asked, standing up. “I brought cookies, too. What do you say? Ready for dessert?”
Barrett nodded, Harris remained silent, but several nearby tables sent up cheers.
The desserts were spread out on the bar, some people bringing them when they showed up, others that Arlo had brought in.
Morgan touched Barrett’s shoulder, squeezing past him, and leading a small parade toward the back of the pub. I leaned into Harris’s space.
“Want something sweet?”
Harris rolled his eyes at the purposefully suggestive tone. “Sure, I guess.”
I kissed his cheek before I stood. “We’ll leave soon.”
Harris waved a hand. “Whenever you’re ready.”
Confirmation of what I already knew. I headed to the bar and squeezed in next to Morgan, taking the plate he handed me. There was a great selection of pies, cakes, and cookies, and I picked the best-looking ones. I filled the plate so Harris and I could share.
Morgan pointed to one of the apple pies that was barely touched and whispered, “Steer clear of that one. Miriam always undercooks her pies.”
“Okay,” I said with a chuckle.
“Here. Take some Linzers before they disappear. They’re to die for. Lisa made them.” He didn’t wait for my response, just set four on my plate.
“Jeez, Morgan. Are you trying to send me into a diabetic coma?” I joked, but when Morgan didn’t laugh, I glanced at him. He looked stricken and I burst out laughing. His expression immediately darkened and he punched me in the arm then shook his hand. It hurt him more than it hurt me.
“That was mean. I was scared for a second because I forgot.”
I was still laughing, but I did my best to calm down. “Sorry. Like I told you, I’m good as long as I dose. And yeah, it’s gonna be a big correction for this, but man. So worth it.” I stuffed a cookie in my mouth to prove it.
“You’re lucky you’re cute,” he threatened. But it was like being chastised by a Christmas elf and carried no weight.
I followed him back to the table just in time to hear what Harris was saying to an older man who’d stopped to chat.
“Nah, George. Why would I hear anything about him? He doesn’t work for me anymore.”
This had to be about fuckhead. I sat and placed the plate of desserts closer to Harris. “What’s this now?”
“I was asking Harris if he’d heard what happened to Lenny Croat. Rachel told me that she heard from Eloise that John said that he talked to Juniper who heard it right from his ma,” George explained.
I didn’t know who any of those people were. Harris grunted and reached for a sugar cookie shaped like a reindeer. He bit off its head and didn’t seem inclined to ask what happened to fuckhead, but I was sure interested.
“What happened?”
George’s face lit up, desperate to share the gossip. “Well see, he was down in the Fort, Lenny was. And he decided to pick a fight with a couple of soldiers. Got himself arrested and Sarah can’t pay the bail so he’s stuck in lock up until his trial.”
“Aw, what a shame,” I said, not meaning it at all.
“I always said he was a no good kid,” George opined sagely. His head bobbed as he agreed with himself. “Temper like that, I always knew he was gonna get himself in trouble.”
“And his Ma didn’t help any either. Always making excuses for him,” piped up a lady at the next table. “Sarah’s a good woman but she didn’t do her son any favors.”
“The Croats had a hard life,” another woman chimed in, shooting daggers at George and the first lady. “We shouldn’t judge.”
“Hopefully he’ll learn a lesson and be better moving forward.” Harris’s tone held a note of finality. I didn’t think that would be enough to end it, since in my experience, the older generation loved to gossip and judge. But somehow it did.
George harrumphed and shuffled away. The women started talking about something else. And we were once again in our own little bubble.
“Which Fort?” I asked, like that was the important part.
“Fort Drum. 10th Mountain Division,” Barrett answered. I nodded, slotting the pieces into place. I wasn't as well versed in Army bases as I was Marine camps, but I still had the basics.
“I hope he does learn a lesson. Picking a fight with soldiers? That’s not smart at all,” Morgan mused, then glanced at Harris. “And that’s all we’ll say about that. Merry Christmas!”
The last was said loud enough that the entire pub heard, and most everyone shouted it back. It had been happening on and off since we arrived. Every time, Harris winced a little but honestly, I thought it was fun.
My phone vibrated in my pocket and I pulled it out, seeing the text I’d been waiting for. Harris sat forward, brows quirked. Knowing he was making sure it wasn’t my CGM alerting, I smiled.
“I’m good. Just a text.”
It took a second before I realized what just happened.
If it had been my parents, that action would have gotten under my skin.
Honestly, it would have pissed me right off even if I didn’t let it out.
But with Harris, it was different. He was subtle about it, not pushy, just a check and accepted my word.
That had to mean something right?
Suddenly I was desperate to get him home and since my surprise was all set up, it was time to go.
I stood and Harris’s gaze shot to mine. With a smile, I leaned down and murmured in his ear, “Ready to get out of here?”
Harris got up so fast his chair fell. I laughed, grabbed his hand, and dragged hm to collect our coats.
“What the hell?” Harris murmured as he pulled up next to the house. I grinned, resting my hand on top of his on the gear shift. He turned to me and narrowed his eyes. “Why is Raymond hooked to the sleigh?”
“My turn to surprise you. Come on.”
Without waiting for him, I popped open my door and got out, heading straight for the horse who was waiting patiently. The reins were looped once around the porch railing, and I tugged them off. I’d just got them situated over the horse’s back when Harris caught up.
“How?”
“Ben let me interrupt his Christmas for a bit. He came out and harnessed Raymond and brought the sleigh over here. I thought we could go for a Christmas drive.” I hopped up in the sleigh and sat in the driver’s seat. “I’ll even drive.”
“I’ll drive.” Harris shook his head, nudging me until I moved so he could get in too.
I was just as happy with that so I had no problem moving.
I unfolded the sherpa lined blanket and tucked it around our knees.
Harris palmed the back of my head with one hand, making me look up at him.
His smirk was just a bit wicked. “If you wanted to have sleigh sex again, all you had to do was ask.”
I laughed and cuddled in. “I’m not gonna say no. Because the bells, man. But really, I just wanted this.”
Harris kissed me before he got us moving. It was cold and a very light snow was falling, but it was the most perfect thing I’d ever experienced. Just us, with the fading sunlight and sparkling snow, the hush of the blanketed world around us.
He took us on a path I’d never been before, veering off the usual route the sleigh rides took. It started out the same, but he drove us past the pastures and the party barn instead. The snow was deeper here, but not so much that Raymond had trouble. He just picked his feet up a little higher.
“We can’t go too far this way,” Harris said, voice quiet. “But I thought you’d like to see a little more of the property. I’ll show you where I got our tree.”
Our tree. Those words hit me right in the chest, burrowing in to that place where hope had been growing steadily for the past week and a half. I cleared my throat, no longer content to leave the future talks to the future. I had to know if this was going to last past New Year’s.
“So,” I began softly. I didn’t want to break the mood. “I know I’m supposed to leave next week but—”
“What if you don’t?”
I jerked up, needing to see his face. Harris had to keep his eyes on where we were going. This wasn’t the regular route and Raymond couldn’t be given free rein, but he glanced at me, his smile shaky.
“I know it’s fast,” he rushed out, his words running together.
“Probably too fast. Fuck, we’ve only known each other a few weeks.
But I don’t want you to go. The feelings.
Fuck, baby, I’ve never connected so easily with someone and I just want…
I mean, if you want. If you don’t…no, I get it.
It is too fast. Too much too soon. Ignore me. We can—”
“You’re cute when you babble,” I cut him off. I put a hand on his cheek, turning his face toward me. “Which you only do when you’re nervous.”
He blew out a breath and kissed my palm, then pulled on the reins and Raymond stopped. He kept them in one hand, but the other he slid to the back of my neck, holding on.
“It’s a lot. So yes. Because I’m… Fuck it.
” He kissed me hard, and I would swear that I could feel all his emotions and passion in every second of that kiss.
He pulled back, both of us breathing hard, and stared right into my eyes.
“Baby, I’m falling in love with you. And I never have before so I don’t want this to end.
But if you need to go, then we can make it work, right? Long distance isn’t so bad.”
Hope exploded. It was exactly what I wanted to hear. “And if I stayed?”
Harris’s eyes went wide. His voice was tentative when he asked, “Do you want to?”
“I do. I don’t know what I’m going to do for work—”
“We’ll figure it out.”
“Or where I’m going to live—”
“Like I’d let you sleep anywhere but my bed,” Harris said narrowing his eyes. Then amended, “Our bed.”
Christ I liked the sound of that. I nodded. “And we’d make it work between us, right? It’s fast but it’s real. Right?”
“So real. The most real thing I’ve felt in, well, probably ever. Which is crazy. And scary. But not as scary as you leaving.”
“I love you,” I blurted out, which I hadn’t meant to say.
He’d said he was falling, which was good but meant he wasn’t there yet.
I hadn’t meant to put my heart out there so blatantly.
But if we were going to have a relationship that lasted, we needed to be honest. “And it’s a first for me too.
I just want to spend the rest of my life getting to know you. ”
Harris just stared at me. He barely even breathed.
I broke him with that and as soon as that thought flitted into my brain, I started to panic.
I’d dove head first, said too much, and now he was second guessing everything.
Before I could get myself too worked up, the air gusted out of him and he sucked in a ragged breath.
“Yes. Let’s do that.”
He pulled me in, ready to kiss me, and I wanted that, but I had to say one more thing first. “Living with someone who has a chronic illness that’s constantly trying to kill them isn’t easy.”
At that, Harris scoffed. “I’m more worried about your bratty tendencies than your non-functioning pancreas. I’ve got a lot to learn, but I will. You’ll teach me, right?”
I nodded quickly. “I will.”
A spark of mischief lit his eyes. “Because you love me.”
I heard the teasing in his tone and I groaned out a laugh. “We can just forget that for now and—”
“Nope.” Harris closed the scant distance between us and spoke against my lips. “When we’re old and gray and can hardly move from arthritis, I’ll still be telling the story about how you said it first.”
“I mean, technically, you said you were falling first, which totally counts. So really—mphf.”
I fell into the kiss, pressing against him, wanting to crawl inside him as he owned my mouth. It was everything I wanted. And even better when the horse stomped his foot and the bells jangled. I took it as a sign.
We were both flushed and turned on when Harris finally let us breathe.
He kept ahold of my neck even as he turned and clicked his tongue.
The sleigh lurched then settled out, and I liked that inertia pushed me against Harris as Raymond navigated the turn.
Once we were turned toward home, the path a straight shot, Harris squeeze my neck.
“Gert on your knees for me, baby.”
“Yes, Sir,” I said as I scrambled to obey.
This would forever go down in my history as the best Christmas ever.