Coming Home for Christmas

by Max Hudson

  “Coming Home for Christmas”

  An M/M Gay Romance

  Max Hudson

  © 2020

  Max Hudson

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other non-commercial uses permitted by copyright law.

  This book is intended for Adults (ages 18+) only. The contents may be offensive to some readers. It may contain graphic language, explicit sexual content, and adult situations. May contain scenes of unprotected sex. Please do not read this book if you are offended by content as mentioned above or if you are under the age of 18.

  Please educate yourself on safe sex practices before making potentially life-changing decisions about sex in real life. If you’re not sure where to start, see here: http://www.jerrycoleauthor.com/safe-sex-resources/ (courtesy of Jerry Cole).

  This story is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner & are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental. Products or brand names mentioned are trademarks of their respective holders or companies. The cover uses licensed images & are shown for illustrative purposes only. Any person(s) that may be depicted on the cover are simply models.

  Edition v1.00 (2020.12.11)

  http://www.maxhudsonauthor.com

  Special thanks to the following volunteer readers who helped with proofreading: Bob, E.W. Gregg, RB, Big Kidd, and those who assisted but wished to be anonymous. Thank you so much for your support.

  Table of Contents

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter One

  The Christmas holidays. Stewart had to roll his eyes at the sight of all the Christmas trees, the sparkling lights and the many irritating songs that just would not stop going over and over the same theme: Christmas. They drove him mad just as much as the traffic with everyone heading home to celebrate the annual holiday with their loved ones.

  It wasn’t that Stewart was a Scrooge. He did enjoy Christmas. But he could do without all the holiday movies, the Christmas songs and the glitter everywhere. They didn’t give him Christmas cheer at all; they just gave him a headache.

  And he was celebrating Christmas alone this year. His mother had come down with pneumonia only the week before and she still wasn’t well, so Stewart had advised her and his dad to stay home. It was better for her health, and they certainly couldn’t fly. Stewart missed his parents, and he enjoyed spending the holidays with them, but there was always a later date.

  Besides, he did have a lot of work to finish off. Quite a few of his clients wanted him to find out as much as possible about their relatives’ wills before the end of the year, since most of the office wasn’t back until January. Stewart had pointed out to his clients and his boss that what they were asking for was a hard task when the office was open, but his clients had insisted on it. They wanted to know about the estates as soon as possible, claiming it would be a perfect Christmas gift for them. His boss had simply sighed and told Stewart to do as they demanded and then he would sign off on Stewart having a vacation afterwards.

  Stewart had been looking forward to resting over Christmas and New Year before going back. No such luck. At least he wasn’t going to be sitting on the couch staring at awful movies.

  The snow from the day before had mostly melted, leaving a disgusting muddy sludge on the ground. It was easier to grip the road, making a squelching noise as Stewart turned his car into his street. That was another thing. A white Christmas was perfect, according to his neighbors. Stewart had an aversion to the cold; it didn’t settle well with him. His limbs ended up stiff and sore, his skin became chapped and he struggled to keep himself warm.

  Maybe he should have gone to live in Hawaii instead of his parents.

  Quite a few of his neighbors had relatives over, various cars outside. It was Christmas Eve, and everyone was congregating to enjoy the next day together. Stewart’s street certainly seemed to be the go-to place for everyone. Stewart gritted his teeth as he carefully made his way through the parked cars, some of them looking not even parked, and turned into his driveway.

  That was another thing about Christmas. Damn relatives who couldn’t park.

  Maybe he was more of a Scrooge than he realized.

  Another car pulled up on the kern outside his house as Stewart climbed out. Stewart gave the car a cursory glance, and then kept staring. The driver had stepped out from behind the wheel, stretching his arms above his head before rolling his neck and shoulders, rubbing his hands over his face. He looked exhausted.

  It had been several months since Stewart had seen him. He looked a little thinner than before, even bundled up in his coat and scarf. His hair was longer than the last time they met, dark hair brushing against his collar. His rugged features were sharper as well, his complexion pale. The man had been sitting behind a desk for far too long.

  And he still had the ability to make Stewart’s heart skip a beat, lust tightening in his stomach. Stewart pushed that aside and put on a smile, heading down the drive.

  “Jonathan!”

  Jonathan looked up. His eyes widened when his gaze landed on Stewart. Then he broke into a broad smile and walked to join him. The exhaustion faded a little, Stewart feeling genuine warmth in his gaze.

  “Hey, Stewart.”

  Stewart was used to Jonathan embracing him - they did it, a lot - but it still made his pulse stumble whenever they hugged. That was all they did. Hug. Nothing more. And that drove Stewart mad. He was an assertive man, but he always found himself hesitating with Jonathan Rodney. The man had put him in knots for the last fifteen years, and the guy didn’t seem to notice.

  “It’s been a while.” Jonathan said as he drew back, the hug lasting a little longer than normal. His eyes drifted over Stewart’s face. “How long has it been this time?”

  “Eight months.” Stewart shivered. Jonathan had the ability to make him feel thirteen years old again. “You’re still working behind a desk.”

  “You know I am.” Jonathan made a face. “I’ve done three tours at sea, but with the promotion came a change of pace through force rather than by choice.”

  Stewart could understand. After serving in the navy for over a decade, Jonathan had been injured in his final tour. While it wasn’t bad enough to end his career, it did mean that his bum knee couldn’t hold up to being at sea anymore. Now he was on land, working at NSA Mid-South, a six-hour drive away from Knoxville. Stewart knew that Jonathan didn’t like a desk job, but the navy was his life and he would make the most of it while he could.

  Even then, he knew Jonathan would jump at the chance to go to sea again.

  Stewart looked over Jonathan’s shoulder at the Rodney family home, diagonally opposite from his house. His neighbors of twenty-five years.

  “You managed to get Christmas off, then?”

  “Just barely. Everyone wanted to get the holiday off before I requested it.” Jonathan made a face. “Then one of my buddies got some bad news and he figured going to Christmas with his family would be awkward, so we swapped.”

  “Bad news with his family?”

&nbs
p; “Let’s put it this way: it’s not easy to be in the holiday spirit when your fiancée of five years has been sleeping with your brother and broke up with you the week before.”

  Stewart stared.

  “Seriously?” He whistled. “Shit.”

  And he thought Jonathan’s problems were bad enough. It wasn’t easy being part of a family where they were dominated by the man of the house, Miles Rodney. Everything had to be just so with him. His wife, Lynn, was of the same mind and allowed Miles free rein. Stewart had witnessed six of their seven children leave home and very rarely come back.

  If it hadn’t been for the youngest, Megan, still in the house, he was sure none of them would return.

  “You not celebrating with your parents?” Jonathan asked.

  “Hmm?”

  Jonathan nodded at the drive.

  “I’ve just noticed your parents’ car isn’t here. Are they held up?”

  Stewart sighed.

  “Not this year. Mom’s got pneumonia. I told them to let Mom rest and we could celebrate later on.”

  “Oh.” Jonathan winced. “Sorry. Is she getting any better?”

  “A little, but not enough for me to be comfortable letting her fly.” Stewart shrugged. “I’m fine with it. I’ve got a lot of work to do, so I’m not really in the Christmas spirit.”

  “You’re working instead of having a day off?”

  “Haven’t got a choice with the greedy clients wanting a bit of extra money they’re more than likely not going to get.” Stewart chuckled. “More often than not, when someone’s asking me to have a look into an estate to find relatives, they want to make sure they don’t have a relative with a better claim. It’s all about the money.”

  “Rather you than me.” Jonathan grunted. “I prefer to deal with wayward naval personnel than the people you have to keep happy.”

  “Genealogy is fun. But people tend to abuse it.”

  “Sounds about right.”

  Speaking of abuse...Stewart was aware of Lynn Rodney standing on the porch of the house, wrapped up with a shawl around her shoulders, huddled against the chilly wind. She was openly staring at them. From the array of cars around the house, Jonathan was the last one to arrive. Lynn had a habit of standing on the porch watching her children arrive and leave. And she was glaring at them. Stewart sighed. He wasn’t in the mood for the woman.

  “How are things with your family right now?”

  “Well…” Jonathan rubbed the back of his neck. “It’s going to be...interesting this year.”

  “Miles and Lynn still being nightmares?”

  “You know they are. You’ve witnessed their antics over the years.” Jonathan sighed. Now he was shuffling from foot to foot. “You probably think I’m an idiot for going back so much after they kicked me out. Why do I have anything to do with them at all?”

  “I have wondered.” Stewart touched Jonathan’s arm. “But I understand why.”

  If anyone had a good reason to cut off their parents, Jonathan and his siblings certainly did. Stewart had heard of the expression helicopter parenting, but Miles and Lynn Rodney took it to a whole new level. They practically smothered the children, made them do classes they didn’t want to do. Their whole lives were mapped out, but none of the children wanted to go that way. So, Miles threw a fit and threw his children out. His way or no way, and he ruled with an iron hand. Nobody liked it, everyone protested, and nothing happened.

  Twenty years had passed since Jonathan had been thrown out after saying he wasn’t going to medical school. And he still came back for holidays in spite of his distaste for his parents. Stewart knew why. His youngest sister, Megan, was still there. She had been born two years after Jonathan left, but he made a point of being there whenever she needed him. Their bond, in spite of everything, was close. As it was with his other siblings. They went to make sure Megan didn’t go crazy alone.

  Now she had celebrated her eighteenth birthday two weeks before. Once school was over, she was gone. And then none of them would have a reason to come back.

  The big shame of it all was that neither Miles nor Lynn had noticed that they were the cause of limited contact with their children, that this might be the last Christmas where they were all in the same room.

  Stewart knew Jonathan was not looking forward to it. Three tours against people who could kill him and dealing with dangerous pirates smuggling anything from drugs to people, and yet Jonathan was still scared of his parents. That was not right. He squeezed Jonathan’s arm.

  “It’s just for a few days. Grit your teeth and go with it. You and your siblings are good at sticking together. And if anyone of you need a break from it, you know where to find me.”

  “I know.” Jonathan’s expression softened as he smiled. “You’ve always been around when one of us has needed help, Stewart.”

  “I like to be a good friend.”

  That was the problem. He was just a friend. And Stewart wanted more. Especially from Jonathan. Even touching him now was making Stewart’s fingers itch to tug him into his house and pull his coat off to touch him properly. But then Lynn was still watching them; she might end up having a heart attack.

  Jonathan glanced over his shoulder and sighed, turning away with a shake of his head.

  “I’d better get going. Mom’s going to give me the evil eye until I get inside.”

  “It’s not you she’s glaring at, it’s me.”

  “Why would it be you?”

  Stewart chuckled.

  “Your mom made a comment to mine when they were over in the summer about how nice it would be to see me bring a girl home. That I’m constantly working and my love life is non-existent. Mom simply said I haven’t had a boyfriend in a while due to work commitments, and guys aren’t the more understanding sex. It took a moment for the penny to drop.”

  “They seriously didn’t know?” Jonathan raised his eyebrows. “All of us know you’re gay. How could they not know?”

  “I have no idea.” Stewart spread his hands. “Now they see me as something close to the devil.”

  Which he was fine with; Stewart didn’t really want anything to do with Miles and Lynn Rodney. They liked to cause drama and be the ones in charge. The whole street knew that Stewart was gay, so there was no surprise when the Rodneys tried to spread gossip, which fell flat. Now they avoided him like the plague. Stewart preferred that to Lynn coming over, dropping heavy hints that Stewart was approaching thirty soon and he needed to think about having a wife.

  Stewart always felt like he was taken back in time to the 1950s whenever those two were around. It was a strange moment.

  “And you wonder why I haven’t told them about me.” Jonathan muttered.

  “Well, if your parents haven’t clicked by now, they’re really stupid.”

  “Or in denial.” Jonathan added. “But none of us have brought partners home in years. Mom and Dad are starting to tell everyone that we need to settle down. They want grandchildren and we’re supposed to supply them with kids.”

  That wasn’t how things worked. Stewart knew his parents wanted grandchildren, but they would be more than happy if Stewart adopted. That was on his horizon, and Stewart would happily look into it at some point. Jonathan’s siblings, however, kept their private lives very private to their parents. As far as Stewart was aware, two of Jonathan’s brothers were engaged and one of his sisters had been with her boyfriend for over ten years, but they had never been brought home.

  With parents like Miles and Lynn, who did background checks on the new postman, Stewart could understand why.

  “I think I’d better go.” Jonathan gave Stewart a smile, hesitating before he turned away. “Catch you later. Merry Christmas.”

  “Merry Christmas.” Stewart gave him a wave, trying not to let the heavy weight settling in his stomach get to him. “Have fun.”

  Jonathan groaned.

  “You’re joking, of course.”

  He opened the back door of his car and reached in for his
bag. His jacket rode up, along with his sweater, and Stewart got a glimpse of the tattoos dancing over Jonathan’s bare flesh, right above the band of his boxers. Jonathan had been collecting tattoos over the years, and Stewart had wished he could explore them in more detail. As if Jonathan would let him get that close.

  Knowing that he was still being watched, Stewart turned and hurried to his car to get his backpack. This was going to be a long evening. Not a lot of work was going to get done, but a lot of imagination was going to be used.

  Just not productively.

  ***

  Jonathan wished he didn’t have to dread going home. He was thirty-seven years old. This shouldn’t be happening now.

  Then again, if he didn’t want to be here, he shouldn’t have turned up in the first place. However, knowing that Megan wanted them there was enough for Jonathan to drive six hours to join his parents for Christmas. His little sister was the driving force behind it all. She didn’t want to be alone, and none of them could deny that.

  Even if it was uncomfortable. Miles was constantly asking them about their jobs, the details of which all of them kept vague. If they started complaining about their jobs in jest, their father would start talking about how they should have done as he said and gone to medical school or got themselves a professorship. Nobody wanted to go through why none of them wanted to go into medical school or teach. It wasn’t for them.

  Jonathan couldn’t understand it. All six of them were successful and had jobs they loved. But Miles was never happy. If they weren’t doing what he had planned out for them, he didn’t want anything to do with it. His way or no way.

  Jonathan was sick of that.

  But he was glad about seeing his siblings for a few days. Especially, his twin Emily. His sister lived in Pittsburgh, so they didn’t get to see each other often. And Emily had confided in him that she was pregnant, that she wanted to wait until the first trimester was over before telling everyone. Jonathan knew why she was nervous; the moment her parents found out, they would want to micro-manage everything. Especially Lynn. Emily had no intention of letting her parents be involved in any part of her baby planning, although she did feel guilty about not saying a word to her parents about it all.