Deck the Fire Halls

Chapter Twelve

CHAPTER TWELVE

SOREN

I normally didn’t mind the graveyard shift. I’d done it so many times, I was used to it. In fact, I didn’t mind quiet hours of uninterrupted reading time. When and if there was any emergency, I liked being right freaking there to put out the call.

I’d originally thought a few days apart would do Rob and me some good, but no. I was miserable.

These last three nights were long, lonely, and I kept thinking of Rob being asleep alone in his bed.

Well, the first two weren’t so bad, but the last night had damn near killed me.

I missed Rob.

It was pitiful, but I didn’t care.

Instead of going home, I walked up and knocked on Rob’s door. He opened it, still half-asleep, tying the belt to his robe, and clearly annoyed at being woken up.

Until he saw it was me.

“Everything okay?” he asked .

I stepped inside and collected him in a bear hug, holding him so tight I almost lifted him off his feet. “It is now,” I mumbled into his neck.

And we just hugged. It wasn’t sexual, never even looked that way. It was just... soul-fixing good.

But the next day, after I’d spent the day sleeping, I found a note had been slid under my front door.

Just a folded piece of note paper. I opened it.

I miss you.

Rob xx

My heart almost burst and I laughed out loud. Then before I left for my shift, I knocked on his door again. It really was so much easier when I finished at midnight and he’d leave the door unlocked...

This time he’d opened the door, maybe expecting it to be me, and he laughed when I collected him in a hug and spun him around. I was dressed for work, but I was early.

“Have you eaten?” he asked. “Can I get you any dinner?”

“No,” I said, taking hold of his face and kissing him. “I have two hours before Doug comes looking for me.”

He grinned. “Two hours, huh?” He pulled me into his room. “We won’t need that long.”

Oh boy, it was sexual that time.

The next day there was another note .

Text me if you want me to leave my door unlocked.

Rob xx

Oh, hell yes I did.

Leaving early again, I knocked on the door and he called out, “It’s open.”

He was sitting at his dining table, still in his work clothes, even this late. He smiled at me, but something didn’t quite sit right. “Hey,” I said gently, closing the door behind me. “Wassup? Everything okay?”

He sighed and held up a large wooden fork. “I’m a reasonably intelligent person, right?”

“Smartest man I know.”

“Then perhaps you could explain to me why I cannot, for the life of me, figure this out.”

I chuckled, sitting in the seat next to him. “It’s a fork. I mean, it’s a giant wooden fork, but I’m not sure what you need help with.”

Then I noticed the items on the table. Blue painter’s tape, three tubes of paint, a paper plate, and some foam brushes. And a giant matching wooden spoon, only this one was painted.

“Did you do that?” I asked.

He pouted. “That one was easy.” Then he tapped his phone screen. “This one is not.”

On screen was an image of the Union Jack.

“I cannot mark it out with the tape,” he said.

“Rob, this is a great idea. For Colson and Braithe, right? ”

He nodded again. “Well, at this point, the only good thing their salad servers are good for tossing is into the trash.”

I laughed, then abruptly stopped when Rob cut me a glare. “It’s not funny.”

It kinda was.

“Rob, this idea is amazing. This one is amazing.” I pointed to the spoon. One third of the long handle was blue, and two thirds of it were very neatly painted red and white lines.

“I still need to paint the stars on it,” he said, pouting.

He was so stinking cute.

He let out a frustrated snarl. “But this fucking Union Jack!”

“Okay,” I said, taking the offending fork from him before he tossed it across the room. There was also a pile of crumpled up blue painter’s tape, evidence of his previous failed attempts. He clearly hadn’t any practice in wrapping hockey sticks, but I wasn’t about to bring that up. “How about I take it with me to work tonight and get it taped up, at least.”

“And painted,” he added, sulking.

“And painted,” I agreed, smiling at him.

He nodded. “I would appreciate that. Actually, Braithe would appreciate it too, I’m sure, given I would mangle his country’s flag.”

The American flag for Colson and a Union Jack for Braithe. It was so perfect.

“I love this idea,” I said, pulling his seat closer to mine so I could kiss him. “I’m sorry I wasn’t here to help earlier. ”

His pout became a smile, and then he blushed, his cheeks a dark pink. God, it did things to me. I ran the back of my fingers across his jaw. “What are you blushing for?”

He chuckled and ducked his head. “I, uh, I...” Then his eyes met mine. “I’ve missed you. Not just in the bedroom.” His blush deepened but he never took his eyes from mine. “I’ve missed you. I want to hear about your week, about your work. If you ordered your parent’s gifts yet. If you’ve been sleeping okay. I want to hear about everything.”

Oh, this man . . .

I took his face in my hands and kissed him, chaste and sweet. “I’ve missed you too. Work’s been fine; busy as always but no emergency calls, thankfully. I ordered my folks’ present at three a.m. two nights ago. It’ll get there next week, just in time for Christmas. And I’ve been getting some sleep. Nothing like when I sleep next to you though.”

“Come here when you finish your shift tomorrow. Sleep in my bed. I’ll look after you.”

Warmth flooded through me. “Okay. And what about you? What’s been going on in your world this week?”

“Work is great.” He held up two fingers. “Two people said ‘hello, Doctor Rob’ to me in the store. Gunter’s been making some progress with the café training idea, with permits and whatever, and I think it’s turning into a whole thing; the kids love the idea. We have to bring scalloped potatoes and the cranberry sauce for the potluck dinner next week.” He made a face. “I had to google the recipe, and I was thinking I’d make a practice one tonight.”

I was smiling so hard at him. He looked so happy and it made my heart clench.

“Oh, and I bought Katie’s gift,” he added. There were three beautifully wrapped boxes under his tree. “I got her a musical snow globe. It’s a whole Christmas scene from Frozen , the Disney movie. She has a lunch box with that on it and a sticker on her phone, so I figured it was a safe bet.”

“Sounds perfect,” I replied. “You are an awesome gift giver. The hand-painted salad servers and a snow globe. It really shows that you put thought into who the gift is for.”

He shrugged the compliment off. “Ideas, yes. Actioning, not so much.” He frowned again at the salad fork, as if it was its fault.

I squeezed his hand. “It’s okay. I’ll make it happen.” I looked back to the gifts under the tree. “There’s two other boxes...”

He huffed and rattled my hand a little. “No peeking, mister.”

I laughed. “Are they for me?”

“Of course they are.” He tried not to smile. “You’re gonna love it.”

My heart was hammering, my belly all knots and nerves. Even hearing him say the word love gave me a thrill and it wasn’t even aimed at me.

I was so close to saying something, telling him how I felt, but I didn’t want to scare him off or ruin what we had going on. This thing between us was a very good thing, and I’d always been the type to jump in with both feet, falling hard and fast and loving with my whole heart.

That could be too much for some guys, and I didn’t want Rob to feel overwhelmed and need to step back.

So I didn’t say anything.

Instead, I pulled his legs around so he faced me better, went to my knees right there at the dining table, undid his fly, and brought him undone.

Afterwards, when he was a sated and smiling lump in his seat, I packed up the craft gear and went to the door. “Oh, and yes, leave your door unlocked,” I said, then went to work.

I helped the night crew finish up their chores, said goodbye to them, and locked up the fire hall behind them. I did my checklists and reports, then set about taping the salad fork. Sure, the Union Jack was tricky, but I’d had plenty of practice in taping hockey sticks.

It was never going to be perfect, given the handle was cylindrical, but as long as it was recognizable...

And I had hours to get it done.

I didn’t want to jinx myself, but it’d been a quiet winter so far. Which was a good thing. Quiet meant safe, and I’d be a happy firefighter if I never had to battle a blaze.

Sure, we’d had a barn fire, a car wreck clean-up, and a false fire alarm, but getting through a winter without fires risking person or property was a good thing.

It just meant for long quiet hours.

Gave me time to get the first coat of red paint on the Union Jack, and it gave me a lot of time to think about Rob. How he’d be sound asleep in his bed.

How I’d be sleeping in his bed at the end of this shift. Counting down the hours, counting down the minutes...

And yes, my dick was very eager for me to crawl into his bed. But my heart was even more so.

I was pretty sure I was going to tell him how I felt. It felt inevitable at this point. As if it would explode out of me if I didn’t tell him.

The rational part of my brain told me I should wait until after Christmas. In case he didn’t reciprocate or if he freaked out, then it wouldn’t ruin the holidays. Maybe I could tell him when we counted down to midnight on New Year’s Eve...

I could tell him I loved him and wanted him to be my boyfriend as the clock ticked down to midnight. At least then I’d know if I was heading into the new year with or without him.

By the time I heard Doug’s truck pull up out back, I’d added the blue and the white to the salad server—grateful acrylic paints dried so fast—and I was desperate to leave.

“Morning,” Doug said, his usual no-nonsense voice gruff.

“Morning,” I replied. “Coffee machine’s on for you.”

He stopped. “Why can I smell paint?”

I held up my masterpiece. “It’s a long story.”

He nodded, as if me holding an oversized wooden fork with a Union Jack handle was exactly what he expected me to have, and went to the coffee machine. “Busy night, I see.”

“Just how I like it.” I picked up the bag of craft supplies. “I know I normally stick around for the boys to get in, but I’d really appreciate it if I could clock out now.” They were only five minutes away...

Doug’s eyes met mine as he stirred his coffee. “Hm-mm. Somewhere more important to be, I take it?”

I grinned at him. “Absolutely.” I pulled on my coat and nodded to the whiteboard. “Everything’s done. Reports are on your desk. I even filled in the snow report.”

He almost smiled, until he remembered to be mad. “Mm,” he grunted at me. Then the big teddy bear softened. “Tell your doctor boyfriend I said hi.”

I laughed on my way out the door.

Boyfriend.

Damn, that sounded good.

I couldn’t get to Rob’s place fast enough. I bounded up the patio steps and, before knocking, thought I’d try the door handle.

It was unlocked.

I let myself in, shed off my coat, toque, and boots, left my clothes on the floor in his bedroom and slid into bed. Quick to sidle up to him, the first thing I noticed was how hot he was, and then... “Uh, why is your hair wet?”

He chuckled, stretched his back, and stuck his ass out. “I just had a steaming hot shower.”

Oh damn.

“I set my alarm,” he murmured. “Was about to start lubing myself but you’re early.”

Jesus Christ.

All the blood left my brain and filled my dick.

“Oh Rob,” I breathed, kissing his spine. “You’ll be the death of me.”

He hummed when I used my knee to spread his legs. “Good morning, by the way.”

I pressed my weight down on him, letting him feel how hard I was already. “This is a great morning.”

I was inside him five minutes later. Slow and deep, holding him so tight as I climaxed. I never wanted to leave his body. I never wanted to let him go.

I held him afterwards, our bodies tangled, his heartbeat lulling me to sleep.

I woke to the smell of food, smiling when I remembered I was in Rob’s bed. I saw his robe hanging on the back of his bedroom door, so I pulled it on and found him in the kitchen at the sink.

I walked straight up to him, wrapped my arms around him, pressed my face into his back, closed my eyes, and sighed.

“Did I wake you? I’m sorry,” he said.

“Time is it?” I asked.

“A little after one in the afternoon. You haven’t slept enough.”

“Nah, s’okay. If I stay up now, I’ll sleep tonight.”

“Are you hungry? I made that potato thing. It’s really good. It’s hard for something with potatoes, cream, and cheese to be anything but good, but the carb count is astronomical.”

I chuckled. “Sounds good to me. ”

He dished up some grilled chicken, scalloped potatoes, and steamed green beans, and it was possibly the best thing I’d ever eaten. Granted, I was starving, but wow. “This is so good,” I said, trying to refrain from vacuuming it in like a heathen.

And then we spent the entire afternoon on his couch, snuggling under a blanket, watching the Christmas movie channel. It was sappy and sweet, and I dozed off a few times with him tracing patterns on my back and pressing kisses on the top of my head.

The next day he put the clear coat on the salad servers while I shoveled his driveway and mine. Then I helped Chuck do his. I found myself back in my own house, trying to distract myself, wishing like hell I was with Rob, until I couldn’t fucking stand it and went and knocked on his door.

He laughed when he saw me, held the door open for me and closed it behind me. I wasn’t even pretending to be anything other than pitiful. “I think my furnace is acting up again—” There was nothing wrong with my furnace, I just needed an excuse. “—and the house is cold, and my bed is lonely. Everything is gray and gloomy over there, and everything here is warm and yellow.”

He chuckled. “Thank you for describing my house like a urine sample.”

I laughed. “Sorry. That’s not what I meant.”

He stepped in and kissed me. “What are you like at gift wrapping?”

“Terrible.”

“Then you can keep me company while I do it.”

Of course he wrapped presents with surgical precision. Even tied a bow like I’d seen in movies or magazines. “You’re so good at this,” I murmured.

“You totally saved the entire gift with your Union Jack painting skills.”

I chuckled, dropping my forehead to his shoulder, my fingers playing with his. God, I wanted to tell him so bad. I wanted him to know?—

“Did you get Chuck’s driveway cleared?”

I looked up at him then. “Yeah. His place is out near Vern’s Bar. He has a few acres, and he has a mini snowplow he can hook up on his riding lawn mower. But it’s still a lot of work. He appreciates the help though.”

“I’ll have to meet him properly,” Rob murmured. “I met him briefly when I delivered the pizza to you at work.”

My heart rate kicked up a gear. “Really? I mean, yeah, sure. I’d love that. We could do a dinner or something. His girlfriend, Delaney, is great. Has the patience of a saint, that woman, to put up with him. And I say that with nothing but affection for Chuck. Don’t get me wrong. I love the guy...”

And there it was. The word love. Even saying it in his presence made my belly knot up. Nerves strung tight, making it hard to breathe...

“Maybe after Christmas,” Rob said. “We can organize something.”

And then he talked about the Kris Kringle dinner tomorrow night. He was excited to see Jayden and Cass’s bed and breakfast, excited for a dinner party with new friends.

And my chance to tell him was over .

I mean, I could have blurted it out at any time but I wanted it to be perfect. And he was excited for these social gatherings with friends, something he hadn’t experienced in far too long. It felt wrong to diminish his excitement.

I could have told him when we showered together, when we fell into bed together. I could have told him at breakfast the next day or when he was making the potato dish to take for the potluck. I could have told him when he was getting ready, gorgeous and nervous, excited.

But it didn’t feel like the perfect time.

Maybe there wasn’t a perfect time. Maybe when he was brushing his teeth and I’d made him laugh was the perfect time. Or when he carried the food and wrapped gift out to his car and almost slipped on the path. I’d caught his arm and saved him from falling; our noses were barely an inch apart. Maybe that was the perfect time.

Maybe I’d missed it.

“You okay?” he asked as he drove out along Ponderosa Road. “You’re a bit quiet.”

“Nah, I’m great,” I replied. “Just thinking . . .”

“About?”

While he was driving was hardly the perfect time.

“Just how happy I am,” I said. It wasn’t what I wanted to say, but it certainly wasn’t a lie. “This is gonna be a great Christmas.”

He grinned at me, his cheeks darkening by the dashboard light. “I think so too. It’s already been the best Christmas I’ve had in a long time, and we’re still a week out. God, can you believe I’ve only been here for three weeks? Feels like I’ve been here for years.”

Three weeks . . .

Yeah. Now was not the right time. It made me feel a little sweaty, actually. “Crazy, huh?”

“Oh my god,” he breathed. “Look at their house.”

As we drove up to the house, the grand old manor looked stunning perched up on the hill. Fairy lights lit up the sweeping veranda and stairs, illuminating the size of the place in a muted yellow glow. It was spectacular.

“Wow.”

Rob drove around back, parking by the other familiar vehicles. Ren’s truck, Gunter’s car, Colson’s sheriff vehicle. “Are we late?” Rob asked.

“No, right on time.”

Before we even had the goods out of his car, the back door opened and Hamish appeared. “Need a hand?”

“No, we’re good,” I replied.

He was wearing a sweater with a reindeer on it. “Come through here,” he said, holding the door for us. “We just got here.”

“This place,” Rob whispered.

“Gorgeous,” Hamish whispered right back.

We walked through to the kitchen where everyone was standing around. The wood fires were burning, something smelled amazing, Christmas lights adorned the most gorgeous tree. It was utterly perfect.

We said hellos and made small talk. Colson gave me a smile and a pointed nod toward Rob. “Things are going well, I see. ”

“Ah, yeah,” I said, trying to play it cool. “He’s... great.”

He laughed. “And the Kris Kringle thing was your idea, I heard.”

I groaned. “Okay, so the gift idea, yes. The homemade idea was all Hamish.”

He spoke out of the corner of his mouth. “I let Braithe take care of that. He’s better at that stuff than me.”

I laughed just as two kids ran in from the door we’d come through. “Daddy,” the girl cried, running up to Cass. He scooped her up and flattened down her dress.

Daddy?

Cass had kids?

I was racking my brain to remember if I knew that, when Jayden picked the boy up and whispered something in his ear, making the kid giggle and nod.

Then another couple came in. Trey, from a horse ranch out on Red Cedar Road, and a woman. “Sorry we’re a little late,” she said, giving Jayden a kiss on the cheek, then Cass.

I wasn’t aware there’d be kids coming for dinner, not that it bothered me in the slightest—this was clearly Cass’s ex-wife and her new man—they were obviously a close family and could invite whoever they wanted for Christmas dinner.

I was just glad we hadn’t made the Kris Kringle gift R-rated...

Then Cass’s parents came in, waving shy hellos, and when another older couple came in from somewhere down the hall, I could see the surprise on Hamish’s face .

But then another woman followed them in. She was mid-fifties, at a glance. Wearing a nice navy outfit, her hair done perfectly, and I assumed it must have been another family member.

But Hamish gasped and he spun to face Jayden. “Nooo... You didn’t. You did not. Jayden Turner, you...”

Jayden nodded, and Hamish burst into tears, pointed to his ugly Christmas sweater, and cried. “Look at what I’m wearing!”

I had no clue what was going on, and from the few other blank looks, I wasn’t the only one.

Cass cleared his throat and put his arm around Jayden, then gestured to the swinging door. “Uh, if you’d care to join us, this way,” he said.

The little boy asked, very loudly, “Uncle Hamish, why are you crying?”

But as we walked into the next room, it was pretty clear why.

This wasn’t a Kris Kringle potluck dinner. This was a wedding.

White chairs with ribbons made a short aisle, and the lady in the navy suit stood at the front. “Please take a seat,” she said.

Holy shit.

This was crazy. And awesome.

Rob pulled me into a seat next to his. “Oh my god,” he whispered. “Did you know?”

I shook my head. “Hamish didn’t even know.”

Cass and Jayden stood at the front, their kids standing beside them. And there, in a room lit by a wood fire, Christmas tree lights, and candles, they were married.

Short, sweet, and absolutely perfect.

Hamish wiped away tears the whole time and he strangle-hugged him when the formalities were over. Everyone congratulated them, hugged them, the kids danced with the grandparents, and it was all such a privilege to witness.

I didn’t know either Cass or Jayden overly well, but it was impossible not to feel the love in that room. To see everyone talking and laughing, to catch Rob smiling at me from across the room, I felt the need to tell him how I felt more than ever.

My heart decided that tonight would be the night. When we went home, when we were alone, I’d take my heart off my sleeve and give it to Rob.

He made his way over to me, leaning into my side, his eyes shining. “What a beautiful night, huh?”

Okay, so maybe I could tell him now...

But then Colson’s phone rang. He went to the end of the room to take the call, but his gaze shot to mine at the same time my pager buzzed.

I checked the screen and my stomach dropped.

House fire.

I could feel Rob’s eyes on me, but I couldn’t take my eyes off Colson. He was staring at me, walking over as he ended his call.

“We need to leave,” he said. “House fire. Off Old Gully Road.”

My blood ran cold, my feet stuck to the floor. Colson nodded. “It’s Chucky’s house. Let’s go. I’ll drive.”

Chucky’s house.

Rob grabbed Colson’s arm. “Is anyone injured? Should I come?”

I met his eyes, struggling to move, to think... Rob gave me a nod. “Go,” he urged me. “I’ll follow. You need to go. Now.”

Colson all but dragged me to the door and I saw Rob standing next to Braithe, both of them and everyone watching us leave.

Then reality kicked in, and I was running.