Kit squeezed my hand, and when I turned my attention back to him, he was smiling just as softly as I had been.
“Have I asked you two when I get grandchildren yet?” Teddy spoke up as we stepped out of the alcove again. “Kit grew up much too fast. You’ll have to have half a dozen.”
“Father,” Kit said.
Teddy blinked innocently. “I’m only asking. Can’t do any harm asking.”
“Then we can’t do any harm not answering,” I said.
Teddy’s face lit up. “Quite right. I like this one, Kit. You ought to hold onto him.”
I snorted, following Teddy down the street, shoulder brushing against Kit’s. At least one of his parents liked me.
“Established seventeen thirty-two,” I read out, looking at the sign above the door to the pub Teddy paused in front of. “Really?”
“Oh yes,” Teddy responded. “I was only a boy when they opened.”
It took me half a second to realize he was joking. I could see exactly where Kit got his sense of humor from.
As soon as Kit pushed the door open, a wall of warmth and laughter hit me, along with the smell of beer and grease.
This, I could handle.
“I’ll get a round in,” Teddy volunteered while I was looking at the Christmas tree by the door. This one was plastic, and the decorations weren’t coordinated like the ones back at the hall, but everything except the lights looked handmade, some of them obviously by children.
It was nice. I felt a whole lot more at home here, though I’d never seen anything quite like it. There were Christmas decorations everywhere, tinsel blu-tacked to the walls and the backs of chairs and the edges of the bar, the smell of cinnamon and other spices circulating around the grease-and-beer smells.
A real, actual fireplace crackled away off to one side like something out of a Christmas movie.
“We’ll find somewhere to sit,” Kit said, putting his hand on my back to guide me through the crowd. “As near to the fire as we can manage, I think.”
I got two steps inside before the little girl I’d seen laughing with her dads earlier ran into my legs.
“So sorry,” the shorter of the two rushed over, scooping her up and perching her on his hip. “Christmas, you know.”
“It’s no big deal,” I said, offering the girl a wave. “Merry Christmas, sweetheart.”
She looked away shyly, turning her face into her dad’s shoulder. He looked at the two of us, and I saw understanding dawn over his face.
He looked at us like he thought we were a couple, like he really believed it. Like it wasn’t as impossible as it felt right now that maybe I reallywouldbe with the fucking… Earl or the Count or whatever of fucking… wherever the hell Kit had said, one day.
That was kind of nice.
“Happy Christmas,” he responded, smiling, nodding, and then turning his attention back to his daughter as he headed back to his partner.
“Happy Christmas?” I asked as Kit directed me to a booth.
“Hmm?” he asked, frowning distractedly. He was looking over at the other couple, too.
“Happy Christmas,” I repeated. “Not Happy Holidays, or Merry Christmas?”
“Mm,” Kit agreed, still not listening to me.
“Wanna ask them if they’d be into a foursome?” I teased.
Thatgot his attention.
“I think I may have missed part of this conversation,” he said.
