“I knew it!” Fitz let out a dreamy sigh. “Honey, you two were meant to be. I know these things.” He motioned behind him, and Joker spotted the result of Fitz’s meddling matchmaking on the other side of the room. Merry and Noel were ridiculously sweet. Noel held out a plate of treats, and when Merry reached for them, Noel stole a kiss. Joker could see Merry’s blush from here.
“Merry is like the exact opposite of me,” Joker said. The young man was so damned cheerful and excitable.
“You’re not that different.” Mischief filled Fitz’s eyes, and Joker braced himself. “You’re both adorable and fun-sized.”
“I will beat you with my crutch,” Joker growled.
Fitz laughed. He threw his arms around Joker’s neck. “You’re a grump, and I love you.”
“Yeah, yeah. I love you too. Even if you are a pain in my ass.”
A kiss to his cheek, and Fitz stood. “I need to go. My boyfriend is arguing with our diva again, and you know what happens when she doesn’t get her way.”
Joker snickered. He did know. She stomped her furry paws and threw a temper tantrum that included howling, barking, singing the song of her people, and then running off with something.
“If you’re worried, tell him,” Fitz said gently. “This is Gio we’re talking about.”
Fitz was right. Joker was probably reading too much into it anyway. He was feeling grumpy and crappy from his cast, which was heavy, uncomfortable, and had entered the itching-the-shit-out-of-him phase. He knew better than to stick anything in there, but fuck, it was driving him nuts, and he couldn’t exactly walk around with a hair dryer to blow cold air into it. Yep, he was just being a miserable fuck.
Maybe he could bribe one of the Boyfriends into bringing him some spiked eggnog or cider, or hell, he’d even take an Irish coffee. Laz and Red had stayed home with Cocoa and Chip. Red hadn’t been feeling a crowded ballroom tonight, and Laz was always happy to hang back with his boyfriend. Not that Red would have let Joker drink, and seeing as how Laz was Gio’s brother, he’d have been out of the question anyway. Leo was with King, so he was out. Colton was Gio’s best friend, so that was a bust. Damn it. Oh! Mason!
Joker shot Mason a text, and a heartbeat later, the cowboy strolled over to the table.
“Hey, everything okay?”
“My cast is itching like fuck. I need you to do me a favor.”
Mason peered at him. “If it’s booze, you can forget about it. We’ve all been warned. I love you, man, but I ain’t about to piss off Red.”
Joker scowled at him. “Since when are you scared of Red, Cowboy?”
Mason snorted. “Oh, I ain’t scared of Red, but I sure am scared of losing out on his Christmas dinner. No one’s coming between me and Red’s onion casserole.”
“You’re putting onion casserole over my needs?”
Mason blinked at him. “Why yes, yes I am. Now, is there anything I can get you that is not alcohol?”
“No,” Joker grumbled. He waved Mason off. “Go back to sucking face with your annoying boyfriend who also won’t get me alcohol.”
Mason chuckled and walked away. Joker was about to search out his own booze again when someone sat beside him.
Mariam.
“Hi! Sacha, right?” Her red-lipped smile was wide as she put her hair up in a messy bun, her cropped, slinky red sweater rising to reveal her bronzed skin and flat stomach.
Joker managed to paste on a smile. “Everyone calls me Joker.”
“Except Gio,” she chirped.
“Except Gio.”
“This place is amazing. I’m so glad I got back in time to be here. I almost missed spending Christmas with Gio in this beautiful town.”
Joker straightened. “Spending Christmas with Gio?”
Mariam waved a hand. “You know what I mean. Spending Christmas in Winterhaven.”
Why would Joker know what she meant? He didn’t knowher.
