Tastes Like Sugar (Collier’s Creek Christmas)

Chapter 12

CHAPTER TWELVE

HAYES

One second I’m surprised as hell and so damn happy seeing Rhys, the next I’m eating Sully up from across the room, wishing we were alone, and then I’m wondering what the fuck is happening.

How Rhys knows is beyond me, but more to the point, what the hell do I say or do?

It’s taking every ounce of control not to stare at Sully in panic or a plea for help.

But it’s no good. I have no idea what to do.

My gaze snaps Sully’s way the moment he moves, and he eats up the distance between us. There’s a look in his eyes that… okay, is sexy as hell, and I swear, the determination in his face is something I’ve never seen before, but fuck if I don’t want to see it all the damn time.

Is he…?

My eyes widen, my eyebrows practically touching my messy hair.

Holy shit, he’s definitely going to.

He’s less than two feet away, and I have no idea where everyone else is looking or what they could possibly be thinking, as it’s impossible to look away from the intensity in Sully’s gaze. It’s possessive and directed entirely on me.

I smile so wide that my cheeks ache, but finally, he’s doing this.

“That’d be me. Hayes’s secret boyfriend.” He reaches for my hand and squeezes, wraps his arm around my waist, and finally glances at his family.

I follow his gaze with what I’m sure is a sappy smile. Larry’s brows are high, and Rhys looks hella confused, his attention darting between me and his uncle. It’s Abigail’s expression that makes me pause. Her brows are dipped low, a look on her face I can’t read.

My friend is the first to properly respond. When he says, “Holy shit…. Okay, a surprise, but I get it. I can see how you two could work so well,” my shoulders sag. This is what I hoped for. Rhys has my back. He always has.

“Thanks, man.” I lean in and hug him. “To be honest, when we first met, we didn’t realize the connection, you know?”

Rhys pulls away and shrugs. “However it happened, as long as you’re both happy, I’ll be cheering you on.”

At my side, Sully releases me so he can hug his nephew. He mumbles something close to his ear before patting his back and stepping away.

And then I realize the room has become tense as hell as Abigail is standing there with that same odd look on her face. It’s not exactly disapproving, but she doesn’t appear especially happy either.

“Abigail?” Sully says.

Her attention travels to him, and her skin turns pink. “I forgot I’m expecting a call.” A tight smile is sent our way before she turns and leaves the room.

We watch her go, and lead forms in my stomach.

“Right, well,” Larry says, clapping his hands together. While he’s smiling, it’s obvious he’s uncomfortable. Whether that’s because of us or Abigail, I have no idea. “Let’s go drink these beers and catch up. There should be a game just started.”

He heads back to the sitting room and switches on the TV. We sit down a little awkwardly, me next to Sully with Rhys perched on the arm of the chair and wearing an expression I recognize all too well.

Before I can say anything, he stands. “I’ll be back in a few.” He leaves, and I absolutely know he’s following Abigail.

Fuck. “Maybe I should go?” This feels super awkward.

Sully puts his warm hand on my knee, steadying it. That it was bouncing without me realizing isn’t a great sign. I don’t do well with confrontation, especially not when it really matters and with people I love and respect.

“If you want to leave, we can go.”

I breathe a little easier at his words, at his inclusive “we.”

“Nonsense,” Larry says. He glances toward the archway his wife left through. “Abigail just needs a moment to process. She’ll be okay.”

A humorless laugh escapes Sully, drawing my attention. “Honestly, there’ve been a couple of times that I thought Abigail suspected and was even pushing us together.” He shakes his head, and I hate it. Hate his uncertainty. His sadness. “I feel like an idiot for being so wrong.”

Sully’s sadness tightens something inside my chest. I squeeze his knee, offering what little comfort I can. “You’re not an idiot,” I murmur, but the tension around us is still thick, and no matter how much Larry tries to keep things light, Abigail’s absence weighs on everything.

Our drinks are barely touched, and the basketball game on TV is nothing but background noise, especially after Rhys returns pissed off. Sully’s normally relaxed posture is stiff, his hand resting on my leg more out of reflex than anything else. Larry keeps talking about work, about sports, and tries to involve me and Sully, but his words just float around without really landing.

I glance at the clock and realize it’s probably best if we head out. We won’t make this situation any better by staying longer, and Abigail clearly needs some space to process things.

“I think we’re gonna get going,” I say, standing up and patting Sully’s knee gently.

Larry looks at me, his smile fading a little. “Are you sure? You don’t have to rush off, really. Abigail just—well, she just needs time.”

Sully stands beside me, his hand immediately finding mine. “Yeah, I think it’s best. We’ll give her some space.”

Larry hesitates but eventually nods. “All right, but don’t overthink this, okay? This is still your home for as long as you need,” he says to Sully. “Let’s have dinner tomorrow, okay? You know how Abigail is—she’ll come around.”

I nod, trying to believe him.

Sully and I make our way toward the door, and as we step out into the cool evening air, the tension starts to lift from my shoulders. Just as we’re about to reach the car, I hear her voice behind us.

“Wait.”

We both turn around to see Abigail walking briskly toward us, her face flushed and her arms crossed tightly over her chest. For a moment, I brace myself for the worst.

“Abigail,” Sully starts, but she shakes her head.

“Just—let me talk, okay?”

Sully falls silent, and I squeeze his hand. Abigail looks between us, her gaze lingering on where our fingers are intertwined before she sighs heavily.

“I’m sorry,” she says, her voice quieter now, almost strained. “I didn’t handle that well at all. It’s just… it was a lot to take in, and I wasn’t expecting it. You have to understand, Tom—you may be my little brother, but you’re Rhys’s uncle. It’s hard to wrap my head around.”

Sully’s brow furrows, but he stays quiet, letting her continue.

“And Michael, I’ve practically raised you as my own,” she goes on, her voice softening. “And now, to see you with—” She glances at me, her expression unreadable for a second. “Well, to see you together? Michael, you’re like family to me too. So this is… complicated.”

I swallow, my throat suddenly dry. “I get that, Abigail. I really do. But we’re both adults now, and there’s nothing complicated about that.”

“I know you are.” She cuts in quickly, almost as if to reassure herself. “I know. It’s just… there’s a lot of history here. I’ve seen you grow up, Michael. I’ve seen Tom grow up, be an uncle to Rhys. And suddenly, this?” She gestures between us. “It’s hard for me to process.”

Sully steps forward, his voice firm but gentle. “We didn’t expect this to be easy for anyone, Abigail. But it’s real. Hayes is not a kid anymore, and thankfully, I didn’t really know him when he was. This is what we want. What I want.”

Abigail sighs again, looking at the ground for a moment before meeting our eyes. “I know, Tom. And I’ll get over myself, I will. I just… I need time, okay? This is going to take some getting used to. But you two—” She pauses, her lips twitching into a small, reluctant smile. “You seem happy. And I guess that’s what matters.”

I let out a breath, my shoulders sagging in relief.

“We are,” I say quietly.

Abigail nods, her arms still crossed, but there’s a warmth in her eyes now, something soft and familiar. “Okay. Well, I’ll see you both tomorrow for dinner. Just… I’ll try.”

“That’s all we’re asking,” Sully says, his voice lighter now.

Abigail takes a step back, rubbing her arms against the evening chill. “Drive safe.”

“We will,” I say.

With that, we watch her turn and head back toward the house. I glance at Sully, and he’s watching her, too, a mixture of emotions crossing his face—relief, frustration, and maybe even a little sadness.

“She’ll come around,” I say softly.

Sully looks at me, his expression softening. “Yeah. She will.”

We get into the car, and as we pull away from the house, I feel lighter than I have all night. There’s still a long way to go, but at least we’re moving forward. Together.

Rhys stays for the town’s tree-lighting festivities. It’s fun that he’s still around. We don’t get to see each other all that often, so that he’s here now is awesome.

“Do you remember the one year when the sheriff caught us stealing all the mistletoe?”

I snort as I put the finishing touches on the display stand. “I totally blame you for that one.” It’s a little wonky, so I try to rearrange it again. It’s no use. It looks like it’ll have to stay this way.

Rhys laughs and adjusts the display stand so it’s no longer sloping. Then he clicks in the last clasp on the sign that indicates the firefighter calendars are for sale. He steps back and nods. “Perfect.” He glances at the boxes of calendars I’m hoping to sell. “How many do you have?”

“Not sure. These just appeared at the firehouse last week. I think the organizer was feeling overenthusiastic.” There’s a lot of boxes.

He chuckles. “Nah. More like confident that they know you’re going to sell them all.”

I roll my eyes, trying to keep my need to peacock on the down-low, but Rhys knows me too well and simply shakes his head at me.

The actual tree lighting isn’t for a little while, but it’s already getting busy. Practically all the town has shown up, including… “Holy shit, check out Geraldine.”

Rhys peers in her direction, taking in her multicolored poncho, and grins. “Is that Barkasaurus Rex? Damn, the mutt’s still alive?”

I snort and look past Geraldine, my eyes widening further when I take in Mr. DuPont. Where’s Sully when I need him? He needs to see this. Mr. D. wearing a Santa’s hat is something to behold. Sure, it’s not the elf’s hat I teased him about, but I can barely recognize him or his wide smile.

Among the laughter and chatter, the bright, shining Christmas lights, and the holiday music playing through the speakers that the organizers have dotted around town, it’s impossible not to feel the magic of Collier’s Creek, especially during the annual Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony.

“I’m glad I made it home for this,” Rhys says from my side. “I’ve missed this place.”

Picking up on the longing in his voice, I turn to glance at him, my brow furrowed. Rhys has an epic career in music management. Hell, the two-month work trip he tried to casually mention a few days ago is with one of the biggest-selling bands around. They’re doing a tour of Australia and Malaysia.

“Hey.” The familiar voice of my boyfriend captures my full attention. I practically melt when I hear it, my focus turning fully on him.

“You made it.” My grin stretches wide. Sure, he’s officially here to man the charity booth for the fire department with me, so of course he was going to show, but since the awkwardness with his sister a few days ago, things have been a little tense. Not between us. When we’re alone, it’s easy for the rest of the world to disappear. It’s just events like this that we’re still navigating.

We have made some progress, though. We told Zoey and filled out some paperwork for HR disclosing our relationship. Cap was pretty cool about the whole thing and didn’t even do a double take or question Sully’s sanity.

“Of course.” He lifts the two steaming takeout cups in his hands. “I even come bearing hot chocolate for you both.” He passes one over to Rhys, who accepts it gratefully, and steps close to pass me mine. As he does, he says, “Extra marshmallows and a double shot of caramel syrup.”

“Heck yes.” I immediately hold on to the cup, lean into Sully, and press my lips to his.

A startled huff escapes him before he sighs into the touch. The kiss is brief, but it’s enough for me to capture his flavor and know he’s already drunk something syrupy.

I pull away, a throb of satisfaction pulsing through me when I take in his blissed-out smile. “You taste like sugar.”

“Hot chocolate,” he murmurs.

I chuckle, ignoring Rhys’s “Honestly, I’m really happy for you both, but this level of sweetness is making me want to gag.”

I flip him off and take a sip of my own hot chocolate, my eyelids falling closed as I savor the taste.

“Oh, and now my uncle’s giving my best friend an orgasm. Brilliant.”

I flip Rhys and his sass off again, only to snap my eyelids open at the sound of someone clearing their throat, and pretty pointedly from the sound of it.

Unlike me, Remy and Alice are dressed in their civilian clothes. What they are doing is staring at me and Sully like we’ve sprouted extra heads and…. Oh.

“Oh shit. I kissed you,” I say not so quietly to Sully.

He meets my gaze and smiles. “You did. I think the promise of extra caramel syrup kind of got to your head a little.”

I nod. His words make sense. “The marshmallows helped seal the deal.”

“Uhm… while this is all super enlightening?—”

“And ridiculously sweet and gag-worthy, right?” Rhys cuts in unhelpfully.

“Yes, that too,” Alice says. “How long have you guys been holding out on us?”

I twist my lips while studying Alice and trying to get a read on her reaction. “Which answer will make you less mad?”

Alice’s expression softens, and she tilts her head as a “you’re such a doofus” smile forms. I know it well. “No being mad, more like settling a bet.”

As I say, “Oh, in that case…,” Sully says, “A what now?” sounding mildly alarmed, and I continue, “a few days before Sully started work at the firehouse.”

Both Remy’s and Alice’s eyebrows shoot high at that.

“For real?” Remy shakes his head but doesn’t look pissed off. “So, who won?” He turns to Alice.

“Uhm… I have a question.” Sully looks around at us all. I helpfully just grin, leaving Alice and Remy to answer this one.

I’ve participated in more than a handful of wagers over the years—all in good fun, of course. Plus, there’s usually enough cash involved to pay for a decent meal.

Alice sensibly doesn’t make Sully clarify himself any further. Sully may not have been our office manager for long, but he’s already made his mark with his “take no shit” attitude. And yes, that means he’s threatened us all with a safety talk at the local kindergarten already.

Give him six months and his threats will become even more hardcore.

“You and Hayes getting together.” Alice shrugs. When Sully looks at her with surprise and maybe a little admiration, she continues, “Day one when someone joins the team, there are usually one or two—sometimes more—wagers started. One of yours just happens to be about getting hot and heavy with Mr. December here.”

“ One of mine?”

Alice squints, completely stepping in it. She glances at Remy.

He snorts before answering, “When would be the first time you called out for help after you got stuck in the snow.”

Sully’s “Fair” makes me chuckle. As does his “Honestly, I’m surprised it hasn’t happened already.”

I arch a brow at him, and he looks a little shifty when he throws me a grin and shrugs. Yeah, I’ve driven him to work and managed to get him home every damn time there’s been snow on the ground. Next week, though, we have a date for his first snow-driving lesson.

“So, who’s the winner?” Rhys asks.

Admittedly, I’m just as curious.

Alice pulls out her phone, and I snicker when I take in Sully’s expression.

“Jesus, how many people were in on this?” he asks.

Alice shrugs despite having the list on her phone. “We had an increase after the monthly session with the volunteers. But the winner was Marge.”

“Aw, look, Uncle Tom,” Rhys says super sweetly and with an emphasis on “uncle,” which is something he’s been doing a lot of despite not having called Sully “uncle” since he was seventeen, the asshole. “This is like your initiation into Collier’s Creek. A rite of passage.”

Remy chuckles. “Yep, it means you’ve been officially accepted. Another ten years and you’ll be about ready to be considered a local.”

I wrap my arm around Sully and dot a kiss to his cheek. “You hear that, Sully? There’s no escaping me now.”

He’s rolling his eyes, but I know his pink cheeks are not from the cold. “In that case, it’s about time I saw what the fuss over these calendars is about,” he says, pulling away and eyeing the stall.

“Hold on.” Rhys tugs out one of the calendars. “We haven’t put one on display yet. Though, honestly, I think it needs to be coated or something. The number of sticky fingers it’s going to get on it is going to be kinda gross.”

I wrinkle my nose at the thought, but I stop short at Sully’s “What the ever-loving fuck? You’re on the cover?” He spins to face me, calendar in hand, the whites of his eyes clearly on display.

I glance at the calendar, nod, and shrug. “Yeah. It’s not the same photograph as inside. In D?—”

“December,” Remy and Alice say in unison. “Yes, we all know you’re Mr. December .”

The urge to flip them off is right there, but there are more kids around, so I rein myself in. “Anyway, that image is a little more serious.”

Sully looks at the front, his eyes still wide. I grin when he swallows. Yeah, it’s a pretty awesome photograph.

He starts flipping through the calendar. “Just skip ahead of the others,” I say quickly, much to the amusement of my friends.

Sully smirks, his gaze meeting mine. “I don’t know. It looks like you have some pretty stiff competition.”

Sure, he’s bouncing his brows and teasing, but I think the fuck not. “December,” I say pointedly.

He chuckles and skips ahead. How it’s possible that his eyes grow rounder is beyond me, but it’s pretty great for my ego when my boyfriend is staring at a photo of me and looks like he wants to gobble me up.

His laughter fades, and he looks at me with heated eyes. “And how many of these do you have for sale?”

I shrug while Rhys, wearing a shit-eating grin, says, “I’ve counted fifteen boxes. Each box has a hundred, I think.”

“Fucking hell.”

A huff of laughter escapes me. I rarely hear Sully swear.

“Are you looking to purchase fifteen hundred copies, Uncle Tom?”

Sully cuts Rhys some side-eye before looking back at the open calendar, then at me. Amusement bubbles in my chest as I wait for his response, my brows high in anticipation.

“I’m considering it.”

I snort, place my hot chocolate down, and tug Sully into my arms. “How about save your money and you can stick with the real thing?”

He angles his head, lips twitching. “But suspenders….”

I bark out a laugh. “They’re mine. I keep them in the closet at home.”

A mischievous smirk takes over as he says, “In that case, let’s get all of these sold, except for this one”—he waves the calendar in his hand—“and then we can get out of here.”

We ignore Rhys’s over-the-top complaint and shudder. I’m fully invested in slanting my mouth against Sully’s and capturing a kiss from him. While we don’t deepen the kiss, it’s not quite PG-rated, so far too soon for my liking, we pull apart.

“Deal,” I say, a little breathless, and I’m sure my sappy smile matches Sully’s. “How about you keep the hot chocolate coming and add an espresso shot in the next one to keep my energy levels up?”

We step apart as the first customer approaches, Sully shaking his head in amusement at me. “How about wait till we get back to yours and you’ll have all the sugar you need?”

A little lightheaded and eager for the night to be over, I set about getting every single calendar sold. The promise of any amount of time with Sully, naked or not, is all the incentive I need.