Just For The Holidays (Home for the Holidays)

8. Teddy

Chapter 8

Teddy

Midnight Run

T he parched winter air slurped up soggy slush through the day, leaving crackled vein apparitions of rock-salt dusting the paved streets after dark.

Teddy pulled on a fleece hoodie to guard the upper half of his body from the cold, exposing his bare legs—poking out of flimsy running shorts—to pin-prickling tugs at the frost-crisp hairs on his sweat-slick skin. His sneakers touch down and push off, catapulting him through a humid fog formed by his own heaving breaths, warming his cheeks as he barrels along. He desperately needed this evening run to close out the trying day.

The shop had stayed too quiet after the morning chaos, so he went overboard, stress-baking enough sweet treats to supply pantry patrons for weeks—because he’ll never sell them all himself. Wasting all those ingredients is haunting but the release he got from feigning a busy day helped in some strangely satisfying way. Hopefully, he can interest Principal Butler in a few dozen assorted cookies, instead of donuts, tomorrow morning.

The desolate roads, paired with turn-of-the-millennium alt-rock playing in his earbuds, are comfortably keeping him company.

The first two miles down, has him feeling better about the days ahead. Loren was more of a dark hindrance than she was helpful. He’s sure he can manage the bakery on his own. Gram did it for years before he came back to help her. He prefers to hide in the back, where he’s most comfortable, but he can suck it up and run the front counter too.

The impact of his feet clomping along the paved roads surges through his body with a jarring rush, shaking away the last remnants of pent-up anxiety, when he realizes he’s turned down a familiar street he’d visited earlier today.

He slows to a halt at the edge of the property line to Katie, and now Nichol’s house. Gasping, he paces with hands on his hips—to fill his heaving chest and relax the blood bounding through his arteries, pulsing in his temples.

The beats in his earbuds pause to transition songs and a distant voice calls from the dark…

“What are you doing out here?” Nichol steps out of the shadows from the side of the house with a goofy little pug tearing through the snow in Teddy’s direction.

He tugs the buds from his ears, tucking them into his pocket, and greets the chunky little gremlin, hopping up on his shins, snorting and buzzing with excitement.

“Hey you,” Teddy chuckles, petting the pug’s bouncing head.

“That’s Stuart.” Nichol stomps through the snow in flannel sleep pants tucked into untied boot flaps, hugging his pea coat tight around his torso.

“I’m just out for a run.” Teddy’s cheeks flush warm.

“It’s freezing.” Nichol’s eyes drink in Teddy’s thick gym-sculpted legs.

“It’s not too bad.” He pokes his hands in his pockets and wrenches the thin hoodie tighter around his belly, hiding the shiver rising from his feet.

The tip of Nichol’s tongue sweeps across his lips and he bends to pet Stuart, who’s hopping in circles, demanding attention.

“What are you doing up?” Teddy bites back the chilled quiver trying to rattle his jaw.

“I just woke up a few hours ago.” Nichol’s gaze climbs Teddy’s body until their eyes meet again.

Teddy chews his quivering smile and rubs the backs of his legs with the opposite foot, switching sides to stoke warmth on his prickled skin.

“Would you like a ride home?” Nichol is sympathetic to Teddy’s shivering suffrage. “My rental has been charging here for a while now. My father had it towed by some Chuck guy.” He twists to point at the silver spaceship parked around the side of the house.

“I’ll be okay.” Teddy’s teeth chatter as he tries to speak.

Nichol quirks his brows. “Come inside, I’ll get the key,” he instructs.

Teddy doesn’t argue and follows the broad-shouldered blond’s familiar lanky stride across the snowy yard, and through the front door.

“Wait here, warm up,” Nichol whispers, trotting down the stairs and disappearing around a dark corner.

He returns, changed into jeans and carrying a bundle of sweatpants, offering them to Teddy. “Put these on,” he says, pulling a coat off the rack, next to the door. “Anthony won’t mind.” He smirks.

“I’ll be okay.” Teddy moves to return the coat.

“Just put it on.” Nichol sweeps past Teddy’s shoulder and swings the door open.

A burst of winter air rushes in and settles Teddy’s decision to borrow the coat for the ride home. “Thanks.” He slips his arms in the sleeves and pulls the gray sweatpants over his sneakers, covering his legs.

The car has only reached a twenty-two percent charge when it magically blips on as Nichol drops into the seat with its key fob in his pocket.

“This thing is so futuristic.” Teddy’s eyes float about the cab as he buckles his seatbelt.

“It’s wildly overrated.” Nichol huffs bitterly, tapping the computer screen, reversing the car out of the driveway, and swinging smoothly into the street.

“Do you usually torture yourself with arctic late-night runs?” Nichol asks.

“I usually hit the gym, but they close at seven here, so I opted for the jog,” Teddy quips with a slight chuckle. “It was a rough day.”

“What happened?”

“Loren quit this morning.” Teddy shrugs.

“She seemed like a gem,” Nichol smirks.

“Black coal, more like it.”

They both chuckle and fall silent under the low hum of tires on parched pavement, for the rest of the short ride to Main Street.

Nichol glides the spacecraft into a parking spot directly in front of the gaudy pink bakery.

“Here we are,” he announces.

“Would you like some cookies or cupcakes?” Teddy offers. “I went a bit overboard today, and I’d hate for them to go to waste.”

“Shouldn't you sell them?” Nichol queries.

Teddy chuffs, “I should…” he admits.

“My nephew would probably love some.” Nichol shoves his door open and slips out of the car.

Teddy’s keys jingle as he fumbles to unlock the door.

Holiday lights reflect in window panes, twinkling a proud kaleidoscope of red, blue, green, and yellow on the low snowbanks edging the sidewalk.

The door jingles open and Teddy flicks the retail lights on, waving an arm to welcome Nichol inside, and closing the door behind them with another jingle.