Meeting Mr. Christmas (Collier’s Creek Christmas)

Chapter 12

CHAPTER TWELVE

“I was speaking to your mom only yesterday. We had a video call. My, but she’s looking well. All that sun, I guess. But she worries about you sooo much, that you’re not eating enough. Mary , I said, I will personally ensure Noel is getting enough good, home cooked food. ” Francine plated up a slice of apple pie, before she added some more, and slathered it in whipped cream. “Eat up, Noel dear, because there’s more where that came from.”

Noel stifled his groan as he stared in dismay at the piled up food. Another mouthful, and he’d burst. He’d already got through a whole cow and a field’s worth of potatoes, and all he wanted was to lie down and groan. Very, very loudly.

“Leave the boy alone, Francie,” Hank said, as he attacked his own huge portion of pie.

“Perhaps I can take it home later? I’m too full to enjoy it at the moment, and it’d be a crying shame because your apple pie is an award winner.”

Francine preened, and Noel knew he’d won this round of the let ’ s feed Noel until he bursts game Francine always insisted on playing when he went round to eat with them.

“Well, I did win Best Apple Pie in the Creek’s Fall Fair, just a few weeks back. Again.”

Noel refused to acknowledge Jed’s knee knocking into his beneath the table.

“Okay, dear, let me put it into a container. I’ve got a whole stack in the utility. I’ve also got some homemade cookies…” Francine’s voice faded as she went in search of Tupperware.

“Nice one, Christmas. Excellently deflected,” Jed whispered.

“Now, boys,” Hank murmured as he carried on digging into his food, but it was hard to miss the amusement in his scant words.

“Coffee! I’ll get a pot on,” Francine announced, rushing back in and brandishing a plastic box for Noel’s pie and another larger one containing the cookies, which she plated up before placing them in the middle of the table. “You’ll manage one, won’t you, Noel?”

Noel’s stomach groaned in protest, but the rich aroma of caramel and chocolate filled the room…. Chocolate and caramel cookies. Maybe he could manage one. Just to be polite.

“Jed, I forgot to tell you,” Francine said a few minutes later as she poured out coffee for three, Hank having excused himself to seek refuge in the living room. “I bumped into Cora today. She was surprised that I didn’t know that you’d split up. It was a little embarrassing to be caught by surprise like that.” A frown brought her brows into a heavy V. Noel, nibbling on a cookie, stole a glance at Jed. Jed appeared as relaxed as he ever did, but there was a watchfulness in his eyes.

“She’s a great girl, but she wasn’t really my type. Better to find that out early.”

“Not your type?” Francine’s cup stilled just a moment from her mouth. “Cute, petite, and dark-haired is so much your type, mister.” Francine started laughing. Jed shrugged and carried on with his coffee.

Jed was being Jed, only he wasn’t. Noel nibbled some more cookie, no longer tasting the sweet richness. Francine was right. Cora was so much Jed’s type. So why were waves of awkwardness rolling off Jed, one after the other? Guess he doesn ’ t want to discuss his love life with his mom... But at least Jed had a love life to discuss, or not, which was more than what he had. A sour taste filled his mouth and he put down the cookie, unable to eat so much as one more crumb.

“You met Cora, didn’t you Noel? You double dated, right? Don’t you think Jed should try again with her?”

Noel’s spluttering cough made his eyes water.

“You okay, bud?” A warm hand rested between Noel’s shoulder blades, making slow circular movements; Noel resisted the urge to purr.

“I—I think Jed should do what he feels is best for him.” He met Jed’s eye, and Jed’s lips quirked into a smile. Not bad, Christmas, they said, not bad…

“… seeing anybody?”

“Mom! Stop prying, okay? Not everybody wants their business to find its way onto the front page of The Chronicle, or pinned to the church noticeboard.”

“I was only?—”

“It’s okay,” Noel said quickly. Mother and son were glaring at each other; he had no problem telling Francine about who he wasn’t seeing.

“No, not seeing anybody at the moment. I had a couple of dates recently, but they kinda didn’t work out.” Noel squirmed under two pairs of eyes.

“But somebody will work out for you, Noel.” Francine rested a hand on his and gave him an encouraging squeeze. “It will, too. I can feel it in here.” Francine pressed her other hand to her chest. “You’re a good, sweet, kind boy and anybody would be honored to call you his. You never know, the young man you’ve been looking for all your life might just be around the corner, ready and waiting with the key to your heart.”

Noel smiled, the sudden wet burn behind his eyes taking him by surprise. He didn’t dare speak or move, too afraid his voice would crack and betray him, too afraid he’d turn to Jed and offer up his heart, which Jed, although he didn’t know it, had always held the key to.

“I’m going to join your dad.” Francine looked at Jed as she got up. “That new fake dating game show starts tonight, and he’s dying to watch it with me. He just doesn’t know it yet.” Francine laughed. “Don’t forget to take home your pie, Noel, because you really do need feeding up.”

“Why didn’t you tell me your date ended badly?” Jed said as soon as the door closed.

“Because it didn’t. Or not exactly. It just kind of fizzled out.” Noel turned away and took a sip of coffee. It was tepid, but he carried on sipping because that was way better than withering under Jed’s burning gaze.

“So what do you mean, not exactly?”

A flare of irritation ignited in Noel’s chest. “Isn’t it clear what fizzled out means? There was no spark, no connection, no anything. We talked but I have no idea what about because we had nothing in common, both of us too polite to call it quits after ten minutes. It — fizzled out, like a cheap firecracker.”

“So you didn’t meet ‘the one’?”

“No.” Noel’s shoulders, along with his heart, slumped. His breath caught when Jed rested his big, warm hand on the back of his neck and gently kneaded at his tight muscles. Noel groaned and let his head drop forward. Because how could he not, when Jed touched him, even if it was only the touch of a friend offering comfort?

“But the guy you’re looking for, he might be close by. Closer than you think. Just waiting for you to realize it.”

“That you talking, or your mom?”

“Doesn’t matter, not if it’s true.”

Jed’s hand stilled, but he didn’t take it away.

The room was quiet and still and Jed’s hand on his neck was warmer and heavier than it had any right to be. And Jed’s eyes, when Noel lifted his head and turned towards his friend, were darker, way, way darker than they ever had any damn right to be. Noel swallowed, as his heart beat faster and harder than it had any fucking right to as Jed leaned forward?—

Francine crashed through the door, bringing with her all the noise Noel didn’t want to hear. “Boys, come watch the show. It’s so funny, you’ll love it.” pushed himself up on wobbly legs; he looked away, not meeting Jed’s eyes. “I’d better get back. Need to see to Peter.”

“Oh, Noel, dear. You should have brought the cute little boy with you. Gomer’s always so happy to see him. I really think he’s rather taken with your sweet mini weiner.”

“I’ll walk back with you. I could kind of do with the air.” Jed jumped up so fast the chair rocked on its back legs before settling down again.

“No, it’s fine, really. No point you coming out and getting cold.”

“Noel?” Two voices, Jed and Francine, called him back as he raced along the hallway towards the door, pulling it open with one hand as he wrapped his scarf around his neck with the other, his skin tingling and his heart racing as he fled into the wintery night.