Jack snickered and returned to the main panel. “We’ll be finished by tonight.”
“We will?” Fitz asked, sounding surprised.
“Yep,” Jack replied, filled with renewed determination. “I’m feeling inspired.”
“Ah, the magic peen. Does it every time,” Ace said with a sigh.
Fitz turned, and Ace bolted, calling out over his shoulder. “I regret nothing!”
“He’s your friend,” Fitz grumbled.
“Oh, so when he’s being an ass, he’smyfriend, but when he’s holding a cute puppy, he’syourfriend.”
Fitz snickered. “Well, obviously. I mean, puppy.”
They got back to work, and this time, Jack didn’t let himself get distracted, no matter how tempting Fitz was. Jack was ready to get this damned job done so he could spend time with his boyfriend and his family. As the afternoon went on, Jack showed Fitz what to do, and Fitz did it. They took a quick lunch break after Laz dropped off some lunch for them, then got back to work.
Jack double- and triple-checked everything, then stood back, stunned. “I think we’re finished.”
“Really?”
“It all looks good.”
“Don’t tease me, Jack. Are we really done?” Fitz asked hopefully.
“Only one way to find out.” Jack sent a message out to Lucky to let him know he was going to turn the power on. When he received confirmation from Lucky that there was no one in the Ice Castle working on anything that might get them hurt by everything coming online, Jack stopped in front of the safety switch panel and took hold of the red lever. “First, we turn on the main power.” Jack pushed the lever up, restoring power to the main and sub-panels. He returned to the main panel andtheswitch. “Ready?”
Fitz nodded and crossed the fingers on both hands. Taking a deep breath, Jack flipped the switch, and the lights turned on. Fitz ran over to Jack with a squeal and threw himself into Jack’s arms.
“You did it!” Fitz kissed Jack soundly. “My hero.”
Jack shook his head. “Wedid, and if anyone’s the hero, it’s you. You helped me get it done and without me being a miserable asshole about it.” He hummed against Fitz’s lips. “Maybeyoubring out the best inme.”
“Come on. Let’s get some dinner, then go meet everyone in the town square.”
They bundled up and headed outside, only to find a big crowd gathered. Everyone cheered and congratulated Jack. He held a hand up.
“I couldn’t have done it without the help of this amazing, beautiful man.” Jack kissed Fitz’s cheek, and everyone erupted into more cheers. Clara came up to them and gave them each a big hug.
“Thank you both so much.” Tears welled in her eyes. “I don’t know how to thank you.”
“You already did,” Jack promised. “The main street looks fantastic.”
It was like Christmas had exploded all over town, but in a tasteful, small-town way. All the storefronts and lampposts were decorated with garland, wreaths, and twinkling lights. It looked like something out of one of Colton’s favorite holiday movies. According to Colton, the finishing touches had been added to the market stalls throughout the day, so all that was left was decorating the Ice Castle both inside and out.
After a quick call to Laz to check on Duchess and ask if he wouldn’t mind bringing her tonight, Fitz took Jack to The Jolly Stag pub, where he’d had dinner the night before, and Fitz was right. The place was impressive.
“You know,” Jack said. “I’ve been thinking about Winterhaven and how it looks just like it did in the pictures from previous years, but what good will that do if there are no guests besides us? And it’s only two weeks until Christmas.”
Guests had canceled after being informed of the Ice Castle’s closure due to electrical issues. Even if the town had managed to get some decor, it wouldn’t have helped without their main attraction. No decorations and no Ice Castle meant no Christmas in Winterhaven. Thanks to Colton, they’d managed to get everything they needed.
Except for the guests.
“I’ve been thinking about that, too,” Fitz replied. He took a sip of his wine and hummed. “I have an idea.”
“Oh?”
“It involves a certain billionaire.”
