Naughty Elf: Humbug (Santa’s Naughty Elf Mates)

Chapter 8

Chapter

Eight

T his sickness thing wasn’t going away.

And Gavin understood why now. He had his own money these days, and he had, very stealthily, not only ordered a pregnancy test, but he had used it.

Kringle help him, how was he going to explain this to the big lug who still thought he was a giant lying liar, even after living together for five months?

He sighed, glancing down at Guffy, who had been glued to his side ever since that first day he’d been sick. “Well, I guess I should bake something, huh?” The morning saltines had helped the last week or so, so maybe the morning sickness was easing up.

“Yeah. We’ll bake something to make it easier to take.” He wandered out to the kitchen, still in the amazing soft jammies Bax had gotten him, though now that it was May, it was getting a little warm for them by midmorning.

He’d just ordered summer clothes, which sucked, because now he was going to have to get more pants with looser waists.

He grabbed his little vintage recipe box, opening it to look at the keeper recipes he’d created since he’d started his cookie and pastry business. He had plenty of orders, but not nearly many local ones since the ski lodges had closed for the season.

Mostly he had online orders for flooded cookies.

“Maybe I’ll just make bread.” He had a yummy buttery bread recipe where the smell didn’t make him hurl, and Bax loved it with honey butter. Or as a component of mushroom toast. The man really was a cave elf.

He glanced out the kitchen window at the shed where Bax had his studio. The giant metal black bear that stood outside the forge made him smile every time he saw it, and he had taken to dressing it for the season.

Right now, it wore a lei of silk flowers and a crown of green vines. Bax just rolled his eyes every time it changed.

The forge was working hard, smoke rising, the clang of hammer on steel telling him Bax was still working on a sword commission for a local collector.

He grinned, loving his life.

Even if he did have to explain to Bax that he was preggers and that he was still a guy…

He grabbed the yeast out of the fridge, then the milk and eggs. This was an enriched dough, so he would need to warm up both.

The dough was rising and he was settling down in front of his laptop to look at his orders when he heard a car pull up out front.

He frowned, because Bax hadn’t mentioned anyone coming to pick up a commission today. And Bax had a lot of clients, but not real friends to speak of, so…

Guffy woofed, then headed to the front door, wagging. Okay, so maybe it was someone Guffy knew.

The doorbell rang, and he called on the doorbell cam to show him who it was. A leggy older lady stood there, her purse slung over one shoulder.

Gavin went to the door, opening it just enough to look out. “Hi. Can I help you?”

She frowned at him, her gray gaze taking him in. “I’m looking for Baxter. Is he—” She sniffed. “Is he out back working?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“I’m his mother. Who are you?”

Oh, sparkle. He hadn’t heard Bax talk to his mom since Christmas, but maybe he did it when he was out in the studio.

“Oh. Um, come on in.” He opened the door, and she stepped inside, studying his pajamas. Guffy licked her hand, and she chuckled.

“Hello, you great mutt.”

“Guffy, go get daddy.”

Guffy trotted off, and he stepped back to let Bax’s mom into the house. “Let me just go get changed.”

“Of course.” She watched him like a hawk, and Gavin fled. Oh, Santa’s boxer shorts, this was unexpected.

He pulled on the one decent pair of pants he had that were not jeans or sweats, then a nice pullover. He also pulled on socks, because it seemed weird to have naked toes in front of his lover’s mom.

He hung out in the hall until he heard Bax coming in the back door.

“Mom? What are you doing here? I thought you were in Aruba.”

“I was, but it was dreadfully boring. Do you have a new roommate? Is your little art hobby not paying the bills anymore?”

Oh, that was super high-elf mean. He headed into the living room at a march, his hands clenched.

He had wanted to hear what Bax called him, but he was in high dudgeon now.

“This is my boyfriend, Mom. Mom, meet Gavin. Gavin, my mom, Barbara Killian.”

“Oh. Well, it’s nice to meet you, Gavin. Bax has never mentioned you.”

He bared his teeth. “You’ve been out of the country, I hear.”

“I have.” She stared at him like a snake she expected to strike. “And where are you from, Gavin?”

“Up north,” he said, going for vague.

“Oh.” She blinked.

“Mom, you know I love you. But why didn’t you call?”

“I’m just stopping through on my way to Jackson Hole. Can I borrow your guest room tonight?”

“Of course you can. And I can take you out to supper.” Bax gave him a raised eyebrow.

He waggled his own.

“We. We’ll take you to supper.”

“Can we go to Allreds?”

That was a swanky place out at the ski mountain. “Sure,” Bax said.

“Excellent. I’ll take a shower now. I’ve been traveling forever!”

“I’ll get your bag,” Bax murmured.

Sympathy filled Humbug’s heart, and he went to hug Bax. “Hey. You okay?”

“Yeah.” Bax rolled his eyes. “We just don’t click, me and Mom. You all right?”

“I had my crackers.”

“Good.” Bax dropped a kiss on his head. “Let me get her bag. She’ll want all her shit.”

“I’ll make some finger sandwiches.” She seemed like that kind of a lady.

“Thanks, honey.” Bax stomped outside, and he glanced at Guffy. “This is sad, buddy.”

That was so often the case with changelings. A mother knew when a kid wasn’t hers. The fae moms did the change out of love, but the human ones usually didn’t even get to know. They just knew something wasn’t right.

But that was okay. Bax wasn’t just Humbug’s lover. He was his mate, or he wouldn’t have been able to get pregnant. He would love Bax for the rest of his life.

“Really, I never understood where his need for fire and land of his own came from,” his mom was saying at dinner over her filet and lobster. “His father is so…urban. And I’m just a jet-setter.” She whacked Gavin’s arm.

“I can see that.” Gavin picked at his jumbo berry salad. “My pop always says kids surprise a guy.”

“Your father sounds very smart.”

“Oh, no, Dad is stubborn and swears he knows all.”

Mom frowned. “Pop is your grandfather?”

“No, I have two dads.”

Bax took a sip of his drink to hide his surprised expression. That sounded…progressive for the North Pole.

“O-oh.” His mom’s hitch was telling. She was shocked. Which was weird, because she knew he was gay…

“Yeah. They’re both good elves.” Gavin winked.

His mom giggled. “I’m sure.” She drank some more wine, which Gavin hadn’t indulged in. Honestly, Bax was worried about his stomach. Maybe he should take Gavin to urgent care.

“So, you’re leaving tomorrow, Mom?” He didn’t mean to be ugly, but he wanted to be able to talk to Gavin, to make sure he was okay, and he had a huge commission for one of the parks in town. He was on deadline.

Her lower lip quivered for a moment. Then she buttered some lobster. “I am. My friend Lottie is in Jackson.”

“Well, you always have fun with her.”

“I do.” His mom chuckled. “I won’t cramp your style, son.”

“I’m on deadline, is all.” Now he felt bad. “I mean, if you want to stay.”

“No, no. I’ll call when I’m on my way back and then I can spend a few days.”

Relieved, Bax nodded. “That’s perfect. Right, Gavin?”

“I would love that.” Gavin still had bruised shadows under his eyes, but he smiled gamely.

His mom tucked away at the last of her lobster. “I’ll take the rest of the steak home to Guffy.”

“Good idea. Gavin made turtle cheesecake.” His mom loved caramel. “He bakes for all the coffee shops locally.”

“Would anyone care for dessert?”

He grinned at the waiter. “What’s the prix fixe dessert?” They could always take it home.

“Pecan pie torte.”

“Is it terribly unclassy to take it with us?” his mom asked. “This young man has made me cheesecake.”

“Not a problem.” The server smiled. “I’ll bring that right out in a box.”

“Thanks.” They all sort of sat there as dishes were whisked away, until his mom smiled brightly.

“So, Baxter says you bake, Gavin?”

“I do.” She’d sat with Bax while he’d made the cheesecake, letting them have time alone. Bax had also shown her his studio and his latest works.

“And you make money that way?”

Gavin pursed his lips. “Yes, ma’am.”

“How entertaining!”

“Mom.” Bax was starting to feel a little hunted.

“Well, it is. What’s your bestseller?”

“Um, to the local places, chocolate croissant and oatmeal scotchies. Online, flooded cinnamon sugar cookies.”

“I watch a cookie show on the Food Channel. They call themselves cookiers.”

“I’ll have to order some from you for Christmas.”

Gavin wrinkled his nose, and Bax kind of expected him to say?—

“Humbug.”

“What?” Mom blinked.

“What I mean to say is get your order in early, ma’am. I’ll be swamped.”

“Oh, absolutely.”

Thank God the dessert came then, so he paid the enormous bill and they headed out.

His mom was nodding off in the truck, but they had cheesecake and decaf when they got home, and then she kissed his cheek, gave Gavin a wee hug, and rubbed Guffy’s ear.

“Well, I’m exhausted, you two. I’m going to go on to bed. Night!” She waggled her fingers, her QVC rings glinting in the light.

“Night, Mom.” Bax bit back his sigh. She was a wonderful woman, and she had been very nice to Gavin.

But he knew she would be gone when he woke up in the morning.