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

Chapter 13

Chapter

Thirteen

B ax paced, Guffy right behind him, matching him step for step.

His mom had produced a ball of yarn and a crochet hook, and was making booties. Where the hell had she pulled that out of?

“It’s been dark for an hour,” Bax said, and his back teeth hurt from grinding them.

“Doc will be here as soon as he can. Hopper isn’t supernova speed, you know. He’s just a magical reindeer.” Gavin was starting to sound strained.

“I know, baby. I just want Doc to get here and tell me everything is okay.” He couldn’t do this by himself. His mom had dealt well with Gavin’s water breaking, but she freaked out anytime anything went wrong with someone physically. If Gavin had a problem, she would fall apart on him.

“We all do,” Mom said. “Can’t we just go to the—no.” She pursed her lips. “I guess we can’t, can we?”

“Nope. They would take one look at me and call the government, I bet.” Gavin grinned, but he was grimacing through a contraction, Bax thought.

“Yeah. I need you to be safe, though.”

“I will be. I feel fine, if tired and sore. But it hasn’t been that long, even.” Gavin held up his hands. “Come help me up. I want to walk.”

“Okay.” He rushed over to help Gavin ease up to standing. Gravity would help. Right? He thought that was what Doc said. Or it was wishful thinking?

They walked for what seemed like forever, Gavin stopping to breathe every so often, bending half over as he moaned.

“Baby—”

“Nope. I’m fine. Just a contraction.” Gavin patted his chest, and they started walking again.

He’d never been so relieved in his life as when he heard the clatter of hooves and the whoosh of the sleigh sliding in. There was snow on the ground now, so it was far less alarming than it had been in the summer.

Guffy let out a single bark, then headed to the back door, wagging.

“I’ll get it. Mom, can you come help Gavin?”

“Of course.” Mom hopped up, coming to put an arm around Gavin. “What’s going on?”

“Doc is here.”

“Walk me to the kitchen window so you can see,” Gavin said.

Bax moved to the back door, but Gavin and Mom got to the window about the same time, and there was the big four-seater sleigh. Doc was coming to the back door, but his pop was unhitching the guys so they could come inside where it was warm too.

“Oh my goodness.” Mom stared, her face slack. “Those are reindeer.”

“Yes, ma’am. Hopper and…” Gavin squinted. “Dodger.”

“I can’t believe it, and I’m seeing it.” She shook her head.

“Hey, Doc,” Bax said when he answered the door. “Man, am I glad to see you.”

Doc snorted, the sound kind and not derisive. “I bet. Bug, come let me look at you.”

Gavin laughed. “Hi, Doc. Good to see you too.”

“Yeah, yeah, get your ass over here, McPherson.” Doc waved a hand at Gavin, so Bax stepped out into the frigid night air to call to Pop. “Do I need clothes for the guys?”

“Nah, they brought their own this time.” Pop held up a backpack.

“Good deal.” He waited at the door so he didn’t have to put on boots, and he handed out towels as the guys came in. The snow was pretty fierce.

Mom’s eyes went wide when Hopper and Dodger stepped out of their lines and headed for the house, shifting as they came up to the back door.

“Whew! It is cold enough to shrivel the jingle bells, man.”

“Your bag. You know where the bathroom is.”

“Uh-huh.” The two of them headed into the hallway, Mom watching them go, her head tilted to one side.

He chuckled. Those were some great reindeer cinnamon buns.

“No ogling the cervidae, babe,” Gavin said, huffing out a laugh.

“Not dead.” He closed up the back door after them, then returned to Gavin’s side, warming his hands before reaching for his mate.

Doc hmmmmed and listened and touched with his magic hands, and then he nodded. “I’ll have some tea. Who is this lovely lady?”

“My mom.” Bax grinned, because his mom was blushing like a schoolgirl.

“Ahem.” Doc glared at him.

“Mom, this is Doc Andersen. Doc, my mom, Barbara Killian.”

“Doctor. How is my grandchild?”

“Just where they’re supposed to be. All is going well. Do you like tea?”

“I—”

“How long, Doc?” Bax asked, trying not to snarl.

“Could be an hour, could be thirty. Try singing to her.”

“Her…” Gavin had said that more than once.

“Yep.” Doc took Mom’s arm to steer her to the kitchen. “Have you ever been to the North Pole?”

“Doc is macking on my mom.”

Gavin laughed, then wheezed. “Oh, ugh. It might be time for the bedroom.”

“Come on, then.” He let Gavin take his arm, then led him to the bedroom, and they passed the reindeer guys in the hall, fully dressed. “Hey. There are tons of leftovers,” Bax told them. “Help yourself to anything in the fridge.”

Their eyes lit up. “Thanks, man,” Hopper said. “You can do this, Bug.”

“I know.” Gavin gave them a thumbs-up.

He hoped they had it right. That everything would go smoothly.

Because Bax was damn well terrified that something awful might just happen.