The Map Home (Collier’s Creek Christmas)

Chapter 14

FOURTEEN

Tad

“Can we still go get a tree tonight?”

Orgasm or not, there was a tree out there that needed to be in his apartment and gloriously decorated.

“Seriously? Can’t I get out of it with a blow job?” Dakota waggled his eyebrows suggestively.

“As tempting as that is, no. You can save that for later,” Tad said with a laugh.

“Fine. Right now? Tonight?”

As if Tad would delay the tree expedition once Kota had agreed to go.

“Yes. Right now, tonight. Most of the tree places are open late, so that won’t be a problem. And it’s not even eight yet.”

“What if the place with the perfect tree is closed?” Kota asked with a chuckle that made his chest rumble under Tad’s cheek.

It was tempting to stay inside, all warm and comfortable with Kota’s arms wrapped around him. But the tree called, and who knew when they’d have another night off together.

“Then I won’t know the perfect tree is there and will find the perfect tree somewhere else.”

“Ugh.” But Kota scooted out from under Tad and rolled off the couch to stand up.

Tad smirked. “We should probably get dressed again first.”

“I’m gonna have to do laundry sooner rather than later if we keep this up.”

“We have the technology. Washer and dryer at your disposal.”

Kota didn’t reply. Instead, he dug around in the duffle bag he’d brought over the night before, finding a clean pair of cotton boxers and pulling them on while Tad watched him.

“Are you just going to lie there? The damn tree isn’t going to pick out itself.”

Smiling, Tad forced himself up and headed for his bedroom.

“I forgot to tell you,” Kota called after him, “we found the bears today. They’d been torn apart and tossed into a field.”

“What? No way.” He grabbed random clothes and hurriedly put them on before heading back to the living room to stare at Kota. “Seriously? That’s so shitty. Why? Mom is going to be pissed.”

“Yeah,” Kota agreed. “We didn’t find anything helpful, like a note saying, ‘so and so did this,’ and it’s not like we’re going to send the remains out for fingerprint analysis.”

“Would’ve been way too handy. Let’s go find ourselves a tree.” He ignored the put-upon expression Kota assumed and grabbed his wallet and keys.

“This is a nice one.” Kota pointed at a skinny, short tree that was missing several limbs and had a big hole in the middle.

Tad squinted at him. “Are you out of your mind? That tree looks like it fought a battle and lost.”

“We’ve looked at every tree on the lot,” Kota pointed out.

“And we will look at every tree on the next lot too.”

That statement was followed by a big sigh, so Tad took pity on him. “Let’s head over to Newman’s lot. They sell hot chocolate, and I have a couple of airplane bottles of cognac to add to it.”

“Why didn’t we start there?”

“Because—”

“You have to look at every tree. Yes, I know.” Dakota motioned for Tad to go in front of him as they headed to the exit. “Wondering—is Newman’s where you were planning to end up all along?”

“Maybe. I refuse to confirm on the grounds I may incriminate myself.”

Tad couldn’t see Kota now but had the feeling he was smiling and shaking his head, much as he always had when Tad talked him into doing something outrageous when they were kids.

Newman’s was on the opposite side of the park from where’d they found the melted Santa. They could’ve walked, but there was going to be a tree to transport home, and it was just a three-minute drive.

The Gillespie family tradition was to hike up into the woods and argue about which tree was the right one while their feet got colder and colder until Penny put her foot down and pointed her finger at The One and Waylon cut it down for her and then they took it back to the house. It was a good time and they always made new memories, but Tad loved Newman’s Christmas Trees. It was the cherry on top of the sundae to finally be getting his first tree there—with Kota.

The fenced-in lot was almost the size of a city block. Near the entrance was a large wooden shed, where the owners and employees not only took money for the trees but also sold hot cider, hot chocolate, wreaths, and garland, and had an open space with a selection of handmade ornaments made by local artists for purchase.

“Do you want hot chocolate now or later?” Tad asked, heading for the counter. Andy Williams was singing about the most wonderful time of the year, and Tad couldn’t help but hum along. He did his best not to listen to holiday music before November so he could enjoy it while it played 24/7.

“I think I deserve it now,” Kota said dryly.

“Good, me too.” He patted his pocket where the cognac was tucked safely away.

“Hi, what can I get you?” asked an older person behind the counter. Tad thought he recognized her from last year but wasn’t sure.

“Two large hot chocolates, please.”

“Sure, honey, coming right up.”

With hot chocolates in each hand, Tad led them down the nearest tree aisle. At the end, he stopped and looked around, but the other customers were busy with trees.

“Hold this.” He held out one of the cups. “And open up the lid.”

After his instructions were followed, Tad quickly poured the additional ingredient into each cup. “There, now it’s perfect. Try it.”

Dakota pressed the lid back on and raised the hot chocolate to his lips. “Delicious,” he said, meeting Tad’s gaze.

Tad’s cock twitched. Silently, he thanked his mother for the long winter jacket she’d given him and then fervently wished he hadn’t brought his mother into the conversation, even if it was just all in his head.

“You okay?” Dakota asked.

“Er, yes, just went offline for a second.” He almost offered his hand to Kota but thought better of it. There was such a thing as too much too fast. And as long as it had taken for them to get to this point, Tad didn’t want Kota feeling awkward or changing his mind. He settled for wrapping both hands around the warm cup and taking his own sip.

Kota was eyeing him. “Huh.” Then as if he was reading Tad’s mind, Kota held out his free hand. “Let’s go pick out a fucking tree.”

Tad grabbed the string Kota tossed across the bed of the truck and put the finishing knot on the plastic twine holding the gorgeous, perfect, possibly too tall noble fir tree in place.

“Hey, Tad.”

Looking over his shoulder, Tad saw Boone’s almost-fiancée, Amanda.

“Hey, Amanda, what’s up?”

Kota came around to stand beside him.

“Hi, Dakota,” she said.

“Amanda.”

“Looks like you found a nice tree.”

“Yep, it’s perfect.” Tad looked around and didn’t see Boone. “Are you on the tree hunt?”

“Ah, no. I just had dinner with some friends and saw you over here. Look, can I ask you something?”

“Sure?”

“Is something going on with Boone?”

Tad rolled his inner eyes. Damn Boone.

“Not that I know of. I saw him yesterday, and he was his normal annoying self.”

“It’s just that—” She stopped, took a breath, and started up again. “We had a night out planned. Like a fancy one, and he canceled at the last minute. Which—I know you and Boone don’t see eye to eye, but crazy as it is, I love him, warts and all. And I kind of thought he was going to pop the question because we’ve talked about maybe getting married next winter. Ugh, this is so awkward.” She huddled into her thick puffy down jacket and looked sad, which was not like Amanda at all. “But now it seems like he’s avoiding me.”

“Have you talked to him?” Tad asked. The idea of being caught between Boone and Amanda was—well, Tad would pick Amanda.

“No, because he’s avoiding me. I ran into Penny and kind of hinted around, but she didn’t say anything. Not that she would.”

Tad wasn’t going to say it, but he was pretty sure that Penny and Waylon would pick Amanda too. His mom sometimes joked that she’d hoped to have a daughter but ended up with two grubby boys. When she did, Waylon would always point out that she had sisters and her nieces were just as grubby as Boone and Tad.

“I don’t think he has cold feet,” Tad said, “because at the bonfire he told all of us he was planning to ask you. We all assumed he meant right away.”

Beside him, Dakota shifted his stance, moving closer to Tad’s side. Amanda’s gaze darted between them as if she only just clued into the fact that they’d been loading a Christmas tree into Tad’s truck together .

Friends could buy trees together, couldn’t they?

“Are you guys…” Amanda shot a brilliant grin Dakota’s direction. “Dakota Green, did you finally figure it out?”

“Amanda—” Tad said warningly. It was a Christmas miracle that he’d talked Kota into helping him find a tree, he didn’t need her enthusiasm scaring him off. Not that he didn’t want to shout from the treetops that they were—what were they? Boyfriends? Crap. He had no idea.

“Yes, thanks,” Kota replied in a wry tone. “I have, indeed, finally pulled my head out of my ass.”

Boone’s almost-fiancée let out a quiet shriek of joy, then rushed to wrap her arms as far as she could around them both and hug them tightly. Tad caught the bemused expression on Kota’s face. He really had no idea how many people loved him and would be happy that he was happy.

“I’m so happy for you. Now if I could just figure out what’s up with Boone.”

An unfamiliar chime sounded, and Amanda stuck her hand in her pocket and pulled out her cell phone. She glanced at the screen. “I’ve got to go. Smooches, you two.”

“Um, good luck with Boone,” Tad called after her.

He and Kota piled into the front of Tad’s pickup. Turning the engine on, Tad carefully pulled out of the parking lot. He didn’t want to damage his precious load.

“What do you think’s up with Boone?” Kota asked over the rumble of the engine.

“I have no idea. He loves Amanda, so that’s not the issue, for sure.”

They were driving down Main Street, and Tad’s apartment was just a few blocks away now. The white glow of the lights draped around the town tree cloaked everything close by with a cheerful glow—or, it could just be the intense happiness Tad was trying to keep somewhat contained. About half of the shops they passed were still open, presumably trying to lure those shoppers who didn’t have time to browse during the day. Tad planned to remember this moment forever.

Ahead, the traffic light turned red, and Tad slowed to a stop behind an SUV. He glanced over at Kota, who was looking out the side window.

“What are you looking at?”

Kota turned toward him, and Tad was surprised by the incredulous expression on his face. “Shit. I think I just saw Boone in Village Jewelers.”

Tad frowned. “Why would he be at the jeweler’s? He has our grandma’s ring, and his idea of jewelry for men is a fancy bolo tie.”

“Fuck, of course . It makes total sense.” Dakota was still staring at him, his eyebrows raised. “What if Boone doesn’t have the ring?”

The light turned green. Tad gently pressed down on the gas pedal and crossed through the intersection. The implication was almost more than he could wrap his head around. What if the problem was not cold feet but that Big Boone had managed to “misplace” their grandmother’s ring?

“Dude,” Tad whispered.

“Definitely, dude.”

“Okay, so if he doesn’t have Grandma’s ring, where is it?” Their mom was going to be so pissed.

“That I shouldn’t speculate on, but I’m going to anyway.”

Tad kept his foot on the gas pedal and kept driving down the salted street. His apartment was right there, and he wanted to get the tree up. But right now, right this minute, he wanted to hear what Kota had to say even more.

“Spit it out. I wanna hear it.”

“You’re going to think I’m crazy.”

“Kota,” Tad said warningly, “tell me.”

“I think I know where it was . I think it was tucked inside one of the bears Penny donated to the community kids’ program. I think Boone put the ring in one of the bears to give Amanda when he asked her to marry him—it’s something cheesy he would do, probably saw it in a Hallmark film—and then, like the Boone he is, he left it with the other bears. Then your folks took them all into town and donated them.”

There was a spot open just down from the front of his building, and Tad eased into it. “Keep talking.”

“When he realized what he’d done, instead of telling anyone and maybe asking for help, he broke in and took the bears, but for whatever reason, he didn’t find the ring.”

“Duuuude.” Tad knew Kota was right. Even with the lack of concrete evidence, it was obvious to anyone who knew his older brother and Boone’s decided lack of common sense sometimes. After setting the parking brake, he turned the engine off again, but he didn’t climb out right away. He was too stunned. “Boone lost his sunglasses last summer and they were on the top of his head.”

“So, either the ring is still in one of the bears in the evidence room at the station”—Kota shrugged—“or it’s in the field. Or it never left your folks’ house and we’re totally wrong.”

“He is never, ever going to live this down.”

“Nope. You know,” Dakota said after second or so, “a Santa Claus flipped me off at the tree lighting.”

“You think it was Boone?”

“Looking back, it’s possible. It’s not a crime to flip somebody off, but I did think it was odd. Something niggled at me, but I can’t say I recognized him. Maybe he was doing recon, trying to figure out how to get his hands on the bears?”

“Why didn’t he just ask someone? What is wrong with him? How come he and I are related?” Tad whined. “I mean, usually, even if I hate, hate to admit it, Boone is the focused one in an emergency. Remember when Lance Gergesen cut his finger off? Not only did Boone not freak out at all the blood, but he also put it on ice and drove him to the hospital to have it sewn back on.”

“Just keep reminding yourself that, if we can help him sort this out, he’ll be Amanda’s to deal with, and you can enjoy the chaos from afar.”

Tad wasn’t going to question why Kota would be willing to help out Boone, but it probably wasn’t for altruistic reasons. If they got Boone out of this mess, he would owe both of them forever .

“We do have to help him.” Tad elbowed the driver’s side door open. “But we’re getting this dang tree up first. Boone is just going to have to suffer until we save the day tomorrow .”

“It’s not like putting the tree up will take all that long,” Dakota said, the space between his eyebrows wrinkling as he frowned.

Tad moved to the back and started to untie the tree. “Maybe in your world. But I have plans, and not all of them involve the tree.”

Kota paused, still frowning. Tad smirked when he saw realization dawn.

“Oh, you do, do you?” Dakota teased as he started to help with the plastic twine. “Like what? Are you going to woo me with more spiked hot chocolate?”

“Maybe,” Tad replied, focusing on the knots. His stomach was tied up in knots too, a mix of euphoria and fear that he was somehow doing this all wrong. Finally, the twine loosened, and they were able to slide the tree out of the truck bed. With one of them on either end, they headed toward the front door.

Tad forgot to worry about the boyfriend question while they muscled the tree into the lobby, up three flights of stairs, down the hallway, and, finally, into his apartment. He was dripping with sweat and his fingers were covered with sticky sap from the branches and truck.

“I can’t believe I got all sappy without tromping out into the woods,” he whined.

“I don’t think we lost any big limbs.” Kota stepped back from the tree and gave it a good up-and-down look. “And it still has most of its needles.”

“Alright, who’s going to hold the tree up and who’s going to tighten the base?” Tad asked.

“I’ll hold it up. My arms are longer.”

Tad stared at Kota, at the love of his life. Sure, he was only twenty-six, but he’d known who he loved almost since the moment they’d met. And his feelings had only grown stronger.

“You do it this year, and I’ll do it next year,” offered Tad. “Seems only fair.”

Kota gazed back, his expression irritatingly unreadable. Tad’s stomach, already twisty and anxious, started to feel like it was trying out for the US gymnastics team. Then a rare—but sighted more often recently—smile curved Dakota’s lips.

A light dawned. “Huh. You just want to look at my ass, don’t you?”

Dakota repeated Tad’s earlier words. “Seems only fair.” Then he added, “But we are never going to get this tree up if the real reason for getting it is so we can mutually ogle ass.”

“I did not—” Tad sputtered.

Grinning, Kota released his grip on the tree’s trunk and stepped over to Tad. Reaching out, he raised Tad’s chin to press his lips against Tad’s. Tad wanted to embrace the kiss, accept it and forget everything else, but his mind was spinning and worrying. Reluctantly pulling away, he looked up at Kota.

“Is this for real? Are we for real? Will you be here next year so I can have my turn ogling your ass?”

“There are no guarantees in life. I guess that’s one thing I understand,” Kota said. “But I will do everything in my power to be here next year and for many years after so I can look at your butt.”

“It’s just that, after all this time of me pining, PINING, after you and you being a stubborn mule about it, about us being together, you seem, I don’t know, remarkably calm. Isn’t there supposed to be angst and”—he waved a hand—“all that? I’ve been here all along and now you’re just seeing me? Is that what this is?”

Before answering, Dakota kissed him again.

“Nope. I’ve known where you were, but I guess I needed a little help getting there. A map home.”

“I’m home?” Tad voice squeaked on the word home.

“You, Tad Gillespie, are home.” Dakota swiped the traitorous tear away with his thumb. “Fuck, are you crying?”

“I think,” he sniffled, “that I’m having a hard time believing this is real.”

“I guess that means I’m going to have to spend a lot of time convincing you.”

Tad wiggled his eyebrows. “We could start tonight, you know. Right now.” The words just sounded a tiny bit watery.

“What about the tree?” Dakota asked.

The tree—Christmas, everything—had been forgotten.

“Dammit!” Tad exclaimed. “Fine, I’ll crawl under the tree this year, but you, Dakota Green, are on for next year.”