I waitedfor Deacon’s text at eight o’clock.
8:01
8:02
“It’s Christmas morning,” Ro said. “Give him some grace. He’s probably having breakfast.”
“No, he would’ve had breakfast at like six or something. They’re morning people. He was going to check the overnight patients at the vet clinic?—”
“Well, there’s your answer. He’s busy. Maybe one of the sick little animals needed him.”
I sighed and held Bright a little tighter. They’d already been up, had breakfast, played, and were about to have their first nap of the day. He was just so cute when he was all cuddly and sleepy.
Twenty minutes ago he was doing burnouts in the hall and using the sofa as a parkour launching pad.
I had to take the cuteness whenever I could get it. My sweet little Merry was playing with a toy mouse he got for Christmas.
As cute as they were, I just couldn’t stop thinking aboutDeacon. “I know, I just...” I sighed and pouted like a child. “We had such a good night last night. I told him I was falling in love with him and?—”
Ro gasped. “You did?”
I nodded, smiling as I remembered his face. “He was so excited. He hugged me. Like an actual hug. And he’d hugged his dad earlier yesterday.”
“He did? Wow. I thought he didn’t like physical touch.”
“He doesn’t. That’s why it’s a big deal. Maybe it was all too much. Maybe he?—”
Ro cocked her head. “Is that a car?”
I got up and Bright and I peeked out through the curtains. A truck with Hartbridge Veterinary Clinic written on the door was coming down the drive.
“Eeep. Look who it is, Bright. Can you see?”
Bright let out a tiny meow, which I was fairly sure meantplease put me to bed.
“Glad you didn’t overthink anything and assume the worst or anything,” Ro deadpanned.
“Oh, shush. And you still have details to spill about a certain reindeer-owning postal carrier. Don’t think I’ve forgotten.”
Then I stopped and looked down at myself.
“I’m wearing my pajamas. Dear god. Why?”
“Because it’s Christmas morning,” Ro said. “Give me the child and go and put your robe on.”
I handed Bright over and raced to my room and was pulling on a hoodie when there was a knock at the door. A hoodie was better than a robe, right?
I opened the door with a little more gusto than was probably necessary. “Deacon, this is a lovely surprise. Come in.”
“I’m sorry for stopping by unannounced,” he said.
“I’m getting used to it,” I said, but I think he missed thejoke. He looked kinda stressed. “What happened? Is everything okay?”
“Yes, it’s just . . .”
“Come in and sit with me,” I said. Having a conversation inside the front door wasn’t a great idea.
Ro was putting the boys in their crate. “I’ll just go take a shower,” she said. “Let you boys talk. Merry Christmas, Deacon.”
