Chapter 5 #2
Instead of trying to guess what was in all the boxes, Caleb watched the man who’d changed his life. It hadn’t even been a full year that he and Grant had been together, but Caleb couldn’t imagine his life without the older man. Grant wasn’t only Caleb’s Daddy. He was Caleb’s whole world.
Squirming out of the chair, Caleb rose just as Grant reached him.
“What’s the matter, baby?” Grant asked with concern.
He felt foolish, but Caleb knew Grant would want him to be honest. “Nothing. Can I just…I just want to hug you.”
Grant carefully put down the boxes before holding his arms out wide.
Caleb walked into Grant’s chest, and wrapped his arms around his waist, squeezing as tight as he could.
“Sometimes I still can’t believe that this is real. That you are real,” Caleb confessed.
“I’m real. And I love you more than anything in the world,” Grant told him.
Caleb closed his eyes as warmth filled him. “Merry Christmas, Daddy.”
“Merry Christmas, my pretty baby,” Grant responded quietly. His hold became tighter as well.
* * *
Hayley
Hayley groaned as he rolled on the floor under the tree. He was so full of pancakes and worn out from all the gifts he’d opened that all he wanted was a nice long nap.
“I told you not to eat those last three pancakes,” Jayme said from the couch.
Hayley flipped his brother off but didn’t have the energy to do more.
He was glad that they’d talked Jayme into staying the night with them.
Hayley didn’t want his brother waking up on Christmas morning all alone.
Hayley hadn’t even had to ask either. It had been Mac who’d demanded Jayme stay in the guest room so the two brothers could be together on Christmas morning.
And the number of gifts that had been for Jayme showed that Mac really did consider him family.
He groaned while rubbing his stomach.
“What’s going on in here?” Mac asked as he entered the room.
Hayley turned his head so he could see his Daddy. He couldn’t believe that Mac was wearing the Hallmark Christmas movie pajama pants Hayley had gotten him.
Mac had laughed out loud when he saw them before immediately excusing himself to go put them on. Jayme had looked at them like they were nuts, but Hayley was happy that Mac liked them.
No one else knew the geeky and sweet side of his Daddy. Although now that the other boys were getting to spend time around Mac, they’d confessed they found his devotion to Hayley to be wonderful. Hayley agreed. Mac was the best. He was the luckiest boy in the whole world.
“That was Grant on the phone. He and Caleb are about to head to Avery’s to drop off the secret present. They wanted to know if we wanted to go as well.”
“Yes!” Hayley scrambled out from under the tree and to his feet.
“I thought your stomach hurt,” Jayme said with a laugh.
Hayley glared at his brother.
“What’s wrong with your stomach?” Mac demanded, as he crossed the room in long strides.
“Nothing!” Hayley squeaked. He was going to kill his brother.
“We’re not going anywhere if you aren’t feeling well,” Mac said. “Why didn’t you say anything sooner? Should I take you to the hospital? I’m calling Mitch. He’ll know—”
Hayley grabbed Mac’s face and palmed his cheeks. “Daddy! I’m fine. I ate too many pancakes and was whining. That’s all. I feel fine.”
“Oh.” Mac huffed out a breath.
“Sorry I scared you,” Hayley said quietly.
“No, no, sweet boy. I overreacted,” Mac said, pulling Hayley closer. “I just can’t have anything happen to you.”
“I’m the safest, healthiest, and happiest boy in the whole world,” Hayley promised.
“You swear you’d tell me if you needed anything I wasn’t providing?” Mac pressed.
“You know what I need before I do,” Hayley responded. “But yes, I swear I would tell you. I want us to last forever. I know you can’t read my mind. And I’m your bossy baby, remember.”
“Yes, I remember.” Mac leaned down and kissed him gently but deeply.
Hayley clung to his man. He wasn’t lying. Mac often knew what he needed before Hayley did. That was how precious Mac treated him.
Hayley looked over Mac’s shoulder to the couch, expecting to see his brother with a smirk on his face. Instead, the couch was empty.
“He left a couple of minutes ago,” Mac whispered. “I think he was giving us a few minutes alone.”
Hayley nodded. His brother was a good man. He hoped Jayme found his own happily ever after.
“So, kiss me like you mean it,” Hayley ordered. “Before he comes back in here.”
Mac smiled wide then lowered his head.
Hayley pushed up onto his tiptoes and took Mac’s mouth instead of waiting on Mac.
Mac swept him up and did indeed kiss him like he meant it. Between his thrusting tongue and the passion that flared between them, Hayley was as hard as a rock by the time their lips parted.
“Daddy,” Hayley whined. He pressed his erection against Mac’s leg. “Now you made me all hard.”
“Well, if you want to get to Avery’s in time for the surprise, we better hurry up and take care of you,” Mac suggested.
“Yes! Hurry!” Hayley demanded.
Mac carried him out of the room toward the stairs.
“Get dressed, Jayme!” Hayley yelled. “We’re going out!”
* * *
Avery
In his brand-new reindeer onesie, with his new reindeer binkie, and a couch full of stuffies, Avery played on the floor, enjoying all the toys he’d gotten for Christmas. The morning had been so perfect that Avery wished he could wake up and experience it all over again.
He knew he would have many more Christmases with Jace, but this one would always be special, because it was their first.
The doorbell rang, but Avery ignored it. He was too busy feeding the horses of his playset their Christmas breakfast to worry about who would come over on Christmas morning.
Jace walked out of the kitchen, drying his hands on a towel. “Was that the door?”
Sucking on his binkie, Avery nodded without looking up.
“Guess I’ll get it.”
“K,” Avery mumbled around his binkie. His goats needed breakfast too.
“Merry Christmas!”
Avery perked up at Hayley’s voice. His friends were here? Scrambling up to his knees, Avery peered over the couch as his friends walked in.
“Merry Christmas, Avery!”
Avery waved wildly. What an awesome Christmas surprise. He didn’t think he’d see his friends until New Year’s Eve.
Hayley, Caleb, and Jayme came into the room and gave him hugs. Avery pulled them down onto his play mat and pointed to his animal set. He wouldn’t mind sharing his new toys.
“Look at your farm,” Caleb exclaimed. “It’s so big now.”
Avery beamed. He had the biggest farm ever.
“Hey, baby boy.” Jace came back into the living room. “There’s one more present you haven’t opened.”
Glancing around the room, Avery was confused. Jace had already cleaned up the mess from when they’d opened gifts earlier. There was nothing under the tree.
Avery stood up before he removed his binkie. “Are you sure?”
“Very.”
Grant walked in with a huge wrapped box and handed it to Jace.
Jace brought it over to him and gently set it down in front of him. “This one is very delicate. Don’t shake the box, okay?”
What in the world could it be? “Okay, Daddy.”
Avery tiptoed to the box. It was really big. And it was wrapped differently. The lid wasn’t tied down or anything.