“Just make sure it isn’t lopsided,” Jen said, looking up from the array of ornaments spread across the big table.
“And make sure it’s tall enough,” Maggie added. “Otherwise all these ornaments will never fit!”
“And bushy enough.” Ellie shook her head. “That’s important if it’s going to look good.”
“Don’t take too long, boys,” Katherine chimed in. “I have a big roast in. It’ll be ready at five on the dot. Don’t either of you dare come to the table with tree sap all over you!”
“We won’t, Mom,” Zach replied, reaching for Asher’s hand. “Let’s go before they decide to draw me a picture of exactly the tree they want.”
“Tall, bushy, no sap. Got it.” Asher clasped Zach’s hand, feeling a surge of unexpected excitement. He’d never even bought a Christmas tree before, much less cut one down. In his experience, Christmas trees just appeared, fully decorated, in the living room one day, and they were always artificial.
Zach took him through the kitchen and mud room, which exited onto the back porch. This one was even wider than the front porch, and there were numerous rocking chairs and a big glider, suggesting the family spent a lot of time out there. Asher could see why; the backyard contained a picturesque pond and even more flower beds before giving way to thick woods. Even though the oaks and maples were bare of leaves, there were plenty of evergreens, their thick boughs dusted with snow like frosting on a cake.
“We’ll get a sled out of the shed and a couple of axes,” Zach told him, descending the stairs and turning toward a small building off to one side of the yard. It had a big set of double doors, and inside were a big lawn tractor and other yard tools, while a half dozen bicycles were neatly stored on hooks from the ceiling. Against one wall were two small sleds and one large one, and Zach pulled the large one down the ramp onto the snowy ground. He placed a coil of rope, a tarp, and two axes on the sled. “That should do it. Are you ready?”
“As long as you’re prepared to walk me through this.” Asher smiled sheepishly and spread his hands. “I’ve never used an ax before, and I don’t know the first thing about cutting down trees. You’ve got a complete novice on your hands.”
Zach grinned. “Nice to see there’s something I know more about than you do for once,” he said. “Don’t worry, I won’t let you hurt yourself, and by the time we’re finished, you’ll know a lot about the woods.”
They walked down a cleared path that led away from the house and back into the woods.
“I used to spend every moment I could running around back here when I was a kid,” Zach said. “After they releasedThe Lord of the Ringsmovies, this was Fangorn Forest and my friends and I were all looking for the Ents.” He pointed toward a big oak, which supported a substantial-looking tree house. “Dad built the frame of that back when I was Mikey’s age. I added on to it, and the girls did too. When I was a teenager, I even slept up there sometimes. It’s very peaceful.”
“You’re lucky,” Asher said, gazing up at the tree house and imagining what young Zach must have looked like—all big brown eyes and tousled hair, maybe a tear in the knee of his jeans—as he climbed the tree. “I grew up in the city, and then I was sent to boarding school. No tree houses or looking for Ents.”
“I’m sorry.” Zach’s voice was soft. “You know, when you’re a kid, you think it must be so cool to be from a rich family that can afford anything they want. Did you even get to be a kid? Jumping on furniture and playing in the mud, skinning your knees after falling off a skateboard?”
“God, no.” Asher shook his head, smiling mirthlessly. “My father subscribed to the ‘children should be seen and not heard’ theory of parenting, and he certainly didn’t want me to have any kind of impact on the house outside of my rooms. I played soccer at school, but a skateboard? No, too undignified for Ted Caldwell’s son.”
“I could teach you to skateboard now,” Zach replied, giving him a wicked smile. “What would the old man think about that? We could skateboard down Wall Street and maybe get on the news. ‘Asher Caldwell breaks arm in freak skateboarding accident.’”
Asher laughed, delighted by the image Zach’s words evoked and the thought of his father’s face if something like that happened. “He’d be furious with me, which is nothing new, and he wouldn’t be able to do a damned thing about it. For one thing, I haven’t cared what he thought in years, and for another, he’s not speaking to me. So yes, I’m up for a skateboarding lesson.”
“Good!” Zach seemed pleased. “I can get you into all kinds of trouble, and you’re a brilliant enough attorney to get out of it. It might be fun to make up for all the things you didn’t get to experience as a kid.”
“I’m all for having my second childhood early, especially since I didn’t get a first one,” Asher said.
No longer caring about his father’s opinion was one of the most liberating things Asher had ever experienced, and now he found himself ready to take that liberation a step further. There was nothing his father could do to him, except perhaps try to take back the apartment. Even cutting Asher out of his will wasn’t a threat with any weight to it, since the bulk of Asher’s money came from a trust left to him by his grandparents and the rest from his earnings from Caldwell and Monroe.
If Ted Caldwell tried to get him out of the firm, it wouldn’t work; Asher had established his reputation and earned the loyalty of those who worked there, and besides, as little as Ted Caldwell liked having a gay son, he knew Asher would get bombarded with offers from rival firms if he was forced out. So Asher could do whatever he wanted, and there wasn’t a damned thing Ted Caldwell could do about it.
“Perfect!” Zach laughed. “We’ll get right on it. In fact, if you want a little naughty adventure, I came prepared.”
“I’m always up for a naughty adventure with you.” Asher leered playfully at Zach and reached out to grope his ass. “What did you have in mind?”
“Oh, once we get a little farther into the woods, I can show you,” Zach murmured, then gave Asher a coy smile. “Did you know I was a Boy Scout? And that the motto of the scouts is ‘Be Prepared’?”
“I think I know where this is going, and I like it already.” Asher felt a little flare of desire at all the possibilities, but he didn’t care what Zach had planned. He was going to go along with it happily, whatever it was.
Zach guided them farther into the woods, until they were well away from the house. Around them stood a thick stand of evergreens surrounding a huge oak tree. Dropping the rope of the sled, Zach reached into the pocket of his coat and pulled out a small bottle of lube and a couple of condoms.
“If you’re in the mood for a little outdoor fun, I have everything we need. Well, everything except your cock inside me.”
The little flare erupted into a full-grown bonfire of need, and Asher’s breathing hitched as he stared at Zach. “Can we? Right here?”
“Oh, yes.” Zach’s smile was wicked. “We don’t even have to get all the way undressed in the cold, and I took a bit of time before I picked you up from your apartment to prepare myself.” He stepped closer and slid his arms around Asher’s shoulders, rocking his hips so Asher could feel how aroused he was. “I’ve been thinking about this for hours, and I’m about ready to explode from the wanting.”
Asher didn’t bother holding back the low moan that rose in his throat, and he wound his arms around Zach’s waist, pulling him close. “All this time, and I had no idea… It’s probably for the best. If I’d known, I never could have sat there and eaten cookies with your family.”
