by Toni Aleo
The sound of the front door opening jumped his heartbeat into overdrive.
"Vince?"
He scrambled from behind the tree. Something caught his leg like a trip wire. He pitched forward. And grabbed hold of the tree.
Instead of stopping his fall, it went along for the ride.
The floor rushed up to meet him. He slammed onto the unforgiving hardwood and got a face full of pine needles. Ornaments crashed and shattered and rolled. The bottom of his pant leg grew damp, no doubt from the water in the stand.
"Holy shit." Joseph's voice, along with the pounding of sneakers, grew closer.
Vince lifted his head. Everything hurt like he'd been checked into the boards sans helmet and pads by the biggest guy in the league.
Face creased in concern, Joseph eased gentle hands under Vince's shoulders and lifted him to his knees. "Are you okay?"
"I… think so." Aside from his face stinging and his knees and hands throbbing. And the tree branch jabbing him in the gut.
Joseph's hands brushed over Vince's face and hair, and then in sweeping motions across his chest and stomach. "You're covered in ornament fragments. What were you doing?"
"I was trying to hide the tree's bare spot." The shock wore off enough for him to fully see the mess he'd made. "Wow."
"That's one word for it." With a teasing smile, Joseph stood and held out his hands. "Come on, let's get you up."
Standing hurt. He tested his range of motion, wincing at the pain in his shoulder. If that stayed for more than a day, he'd need to talk to the team's medical staff. "It looks like the Grinch got loose in here."
He and Joseph set the tree upright. The floor was littered with shards of glass, silver and white.
At his feet lay the shattered remains of the Our first Christmas ornament. He crouched and carefully picked up a piece. There wasn't enough glue in the world to put it back together.
Joseph put a hand on his shoulder. "It's okay. We can get another."
"Sure." But it wouldn't be the same.
"I'll get the broom and dustpan. You get the vacuum." Joseph's dark gaze traveled from Vince's head to his feet. "Get changed too, in case you have tiny pieces of glass clinging to you."
"Good idea." As he stood, he spied the wire for the strand of tree lights laying unplugged on the floor. Pointing to it, he rubbed a hand over his jaw. "I know what I tripped over."
Joseph didn't answer him. He'd moved to a spot on the other side of the tree and knelt on the floor.
"Joseph?" Vince cautiously rounded the tree, and his stomach tightened at Joseph's stricken expression.
His lover held a battered photograph and several shattered pieces of an ornament shaped like a gingerbread man. And his throat worked like he was trying to keep a tight lid on his emotions.
Vince's heart sank. "Oh, shit. I'm so sorry."
Joseph's sad smile nearly broke him. "My parents split up after that Christmas. We went to a holiday craft fair that year and made this together. They fought all the time, but that day, everything was nice and peaceful."
"I know. I'll fix it."
"It's in too many pieces, and they're too small to put back together." Clearing his throat, Joseph stood. He left the ornament on the floor. "I'll get the broom."
Desperate to help Joseph shed the shadow of sadness, Vince gathered the pieces, using one of the wrapped presents as a tray, and carried them into the den. Awful didn't begin to cover how bad he felt. He had to fix this.
By the time he returned with the vacuum, Joseph was halfway finished sweeping the floor. They worked in silence to clear the remaining debris.
Joseph left the room while Vince did a few extra passes over the floor for insurance. In the corner of his vision Vince watched him go, his stomach like a lead weight. He knew how much the ornament meant, and what it represented.
Disgusted with himself, he turned off the vacuum.
"Hey." Joseph stood in the room's entrance, dressed in new running gear. He tugged on his hat and gloves and held up a water bottle. "I'm going out for a run."
"But you already did that today."
"I'm going for another." He raised his chin, and his expression and rigid stance warned Vince off arguing with him.
"Okay. Want some company? I can be ready in five minutes."
With a shake of his head, Joseph backed into the hall. "I need to be alone for a while."
The weight in Vince's gut doubled. "All right. Be safe."
Wearing a stiff smile, and giving an even stiffer wave, Joseph left. The tension in the room didn't dissipate with his exit. And the tree, with its staggering lack of ornaments, stood as a reminder of Vince's carelessness.
He was almost happy that his shoulder still hurt. He deserved to feel pain.
How was he going to fix this?
Finding the super glue was the first step. Maybe fixing the ornament wasn't as hopeless as it seemed. He had to try.
As he climbed the stairs, the rings jostled in his pocket.
The rings.
Guilt flashed again, as bright as a siren's light.
The proposal would have to wait. After all that had happened, today most definitely wasn't the right time.
Chapter Three
The cold air stung his face and tingled his fingertips and turned his breaths into little cloud-like puffs. Joseph ran until his lungs hurt and his limbs felt like rubber. It was too bad the cold couldn't also numb his emotions.
He hadn't expected to react so strongly to the broken ornament. It wasn't like the photograph had been ruined. And even if it had, so what? Both of his parents were still alive. They'd both gone on to remarry after the divorce and had children with their new spouses, and he'd grown up feeling forgotten and cast aside. Except for Nonna. Her house had been a refuge, where he'd been seen and loved.
Besides, he wasn't a kid anymore. Being upset about the shattered gingerbread man was silly.
Maybe it was simply that compared to last Christmas, too many things had changed. The city. The job. The friends. The apartment. Everything. Losing that ornament was just one more thing taken away. One less thing comfortable and familiar.
But you chose this.
He had. And he would again. He loved Vince. He just hadn't expected the adjustment to be so hard.
The wind picked up speed, rustling the treetops. It stole his breath and knocked down holiday decorations like a bowling ball scattering pins. He couldn't shake the image of Vince standing in the living room as he'd left… Vince clearly felt terrible. And Joseph's need to get away to process everything might have made him feel even worse.
The stab of guilt throbbing in his chest was as sharp as a double-edged sword.
He changed direction and headed toward home.
Twenty minutes later, he turned onto their street and slowed his pace. One block wasn't nearly enough time for a proper cool down, but it was better than none at all.
Leo's car sat in their driveway. Joseph hadn't been sure what to expect when he'd first met Vince's best friend, but in the months since, he'd learned that the Bedlam's resident tough guy and alternate captain was as kind as he was protective. He knew Leo liked him. But there was no doubt in his mind that if he hurt Vince, he'd be answering to Leo.
He unlocked the front door and pulled off his hat and gloves as he entered. "Vince?"
"In the kitchen."
After kicking off his sneakers, he headed in, downing the remaining contents of his water bottle.
The pungent odor of alcohol assaulted his nose and made him gag. Vince sat at the table with his hand in a bowl. Leo stood beside him, pouring in clear liquid from a white bottle.
"Hey." Joseph pulled out the chair on Vince's other side. "What's going on? And what's that smell?"
"Nail polish remover." Twin spots of pink bloomed on Vince's cheeks. "I was trying to fix the ornament and ended up gluing my fingers together."
On the other side of the table, the chards and fragments of the gingerbread man lay on top of a sheet of foil,
next to a small bottle of super glue. Joseph's heart swelled. "Vince…"
"I didn't get very far. I'm sorry, Joey, I don't think I can save it." Dismay clouded Vince's features, and the slump of his shoulders was decidedly defeated.
He'd caused this. Guilt rolled in again, along with the urgent need to soothe. Joseph took Vince's other hand between both of his and gently squeezed. "Hey, it's okay. I appreciate the thought."
Leo recapped the bottle and then patted Vince on the shoulder. His presence prevented Joseph from saying all he wanted to say, and he stood almost like a bodyguard over Vince. Considering he spent a lot of his time on the ice doling out punishing hits, bodyguard wasn't too far off. "You gave a good effort. Try rubbing your thumb and fingers together. The acetone in the remover will break down the bond."
Grimacing, Vince wiggled his fingers. "It's starting to work. My hand is going to smell like this for days, isn't it?"
"Kelsey said it'll fade as you wash your hands, but if it bugs you too much to wait, lemon juice helps."
After another minute, Vince was able to freely move his fingers. Smiling, he held up his hand. "Success."
"Glad to hear it." Leo angled his phone out of his pocket and reached for his coat. "I need to get home."
Vince stood, drying his hand with a paper towel. "I'll walk you out. Thanks for coming over. And thank Kelsey for the polish remover."
Joseph waved goodbye as the men left the room. With one last look at the broken gingerbread man, he folded in the sides of the foil and swept the bundle into the trash, then set about cleaning up the rest of the mess. He took out the trash, so the offending odors wouldn't have a chance to linger.
Vince came in as he was washing his hands and joined him at the sink. Joseph shifted to the left to allow Vince more room under the hot spray. As Vince soaped up, he leaned into Joseph's side. "I'm so sorry."
"Stop." He captured Vince's chin in his hand and looked deep into his eyes. "It was an accident. You don't have to keep apologizing. It's okay. I promise. I'm sorry I walked out. I thought a run would help clear my head."
"Did it help?"
"Mostly." He dried his hands and waited to hand over the towel. "And it made me realize that I wanted to be back here with you."
The lines of worry on Vince's face vanished under the strength of his smile. "That makes me happy."
"You make me happy." Joseph wrapped his arms around Vince, holding him tight. Just being together made the world seem more settled.
Vince stroked his hand over Joseph's cheek and brushed their lips together. At the featherlight touch, Joseph craved more.
But that awful combination of glue and nail polish fumes permeated the rooms. "Breathing this in can't be good for our lungs. Let's crack open a few windows and get out of here. We can grab a coffee at Jolt and give this place time to air out."
"Good idea. I could use a coffee. And cookies. I think we've earned some cookies."
The coffee shop was packed. Red and white poinsettias decorated the counter and tables, and shiny red garland hung from the ceiling. The line to order was lengthy, but moving fast. The Bedlam players often frequented the shop after practice, due to the owner being good friends with a few members of the team. Joseph figured that fact alone accounted for a good number of the patrons. The city loved and fully supported their hockey team.
As the line advanced another few steps, the display of mugs and coffee-themed gifts and ornaments caught his attention. One of the ornaments, shaped like two coffee cups joined by a heart in the center, had Our first Christmas written under the heart.
Perfect.
He reached for it the same time as Vince. Smiling, he motioned for Vince to pull it off the shelf. "We have to get it."
"You can be the one to put it on the tree. I did enough damage today."
"Hey. Stop that. Accidents happen. The important thing is no one got hurt." He wrapped his arm around Vince's shoulders. "We're going to put it on together. And it will be perfect."
When they reached the counter, the man working the register greeted them with a wide smile. "Hey, Vince. What can I get for you?"
Vince nudged Joseph to the side and set the ornament on the counter. "Ben, this is all on me. I'll take a large coffee and two sugar cookies, and my boyfriend here will have…" He raised his brows at Joseph.
"The same. Plus, a turkey wrap." Two long runs and not enough fuel didn't make for a good combination.
Ben poured the coffees while Vince swiped his credit card through the reader. "It's nice to meet you, Vince's boyfriend. I'm Ben."
"Joseph." Grinning, he extended his hand.
Ben returned the firm handshake. "I've heard a lot of good things about you. If you guys need a seat, a table just opened up in the back corner. I'll bring the food over to you as soon as it's ready."
"Sounds good." Vince slipped the ornament box into his coat pocket and murmured his thanks when Joseph picked up both coffees.
Joseph followed Vince to the table, conscious of the heads that turned and the fans calling out to Vince. Pride in his boyfriend made him walk a little taller. Again, he thought about how lucky he was to have Vince in his life.
They sat across from each other. The overhead lights reflected off Vince's blond hair like a halo. His own Christmas angel. Joseph reached across the table and linked their fingers together. "You look good sitting there."
Blue eyes twinkled with Vince's smile. "Holding onto you, I feel amazing."
Pleasure bloomed at the words, and Joseph couldn't have stopped his smile for anything. He rubbed his thumb over the back of Vince's hand, wanting to be so much closer than the table allowed.
Sipping their coffees, they chatted and flirted, and the earlier stress drained away.
Before long, Ben set down a tray. "Here you are."
"Thanks." Joseph helped him divide up the items. "This place is packed."
"It's been this way for a while now." Ben's tone was a mixture of surprise and pride. "I have Rod and the rest of the Bedlam to thank for that."
Vince nudged his arm. "But it's the coffee and the atmosphere that keeps us coming back."
"Glad to hear it." Ben glanced at the counter. Two baristas had the now short line under control. "I'm opening a second location soon. Near the hockey arena."
"Hey, that's great. So we'll have that one for before or after games, and this one for after practice."
"I appreciate the support. It's a little scary, but I've been thinking about it for a while. The new location has a second level too, and I want to use that space to showcase local musicians. I'm hoping to partner with one of the breweries so we can offer alcohol up there."
Joseph's interest piqued. "That's a great idea. I can't wait to check it out."
Vince met his gaze. Expression brightening like he'd been struck by a bit of genius, he twisted toward Ben. "Have you hired your staff yet?"
"We'll start doing that in January. If you know of someone reliable, send them my way."
Vince lightly kicked Joseph and subtly tilted his head in Ben's direction. Joseph didn't react. He wasn't a barista. Vince nudged his leg again and then smiled sweetly. "Actually, Joe here is looking for a job."
Heat flared into his cheeks and crept up his neck. He kicked Vince back but plastered on a smile for Ben. "I haven't worked at a coffee shop since college. For the last several years, I was a nightclub manager, and a bartender before that."
"I'll need a manager. Someone I can trust with my baby." Ben scanned the shop one more time and leaned down. "I have a few minutes now if you don't mind me joining you. I can tell you about the job."
Trying to ignore the tingle of excitement, Joseph gestured to the open chair. "Please."
For the next ten minutes, he and Ben chatted about the job and about Joseph's experience. He found Ben to be a warm and comfortable man who really seemed to care about his employees.
Finally, Ben leaned back in his chair. "So, you might need a coffee refresher, but for everything else,
I think you'd be perfect for the job."
Surprise and happiness tangled together, the best possible buzz. But a thread of cynicism worked its way in like a weed, reminding him not to get his hopes too high. "Thank you. I'm definitely interested."
"Then I'd like to go ahead and offer it to you."
"Really?" Joseph blinked, and his gaze shot to Vince who gave him a thumbs up. Ben didn't need to see the resume, or call his references?
"Rod, Slater, Vince and the other guys speak highly of you. From what you've told me, your experience definitely qualifies you. I think you'd make a good addition to the team."
Shock momentarily stole his voice. He cleared his throat and tried again. This time, words came, professional, confident, and strong. "Well, thank you. Count me in."
"I need to get back to the counter. I'll email you a formal offer with salary and the benefits packages within the next few days, hopefully, by Christmas. We can take care of paperwork next week, and after the new year, you can start shadowing me here until the second location opens."
Head spinning, Joseph stood with him and shook his hand. "Thank you. I can't wait to get started."
"Have a happy holiday, guys. I'll be in touch." With a wave, Ben snaked his way back to the counter.
Vince grabbed both of Joseph's hands in his. "That's great. Congratulations, babe."
"I don't have it yet." Happy, but cautious, he sank onto his seat. Until that offer actually came through, and he'd signed it, he wouldn't assume the job was his.
"Don't be negative. He just said he'd send you the offer."
"The last place I interviewed did the same thing, but when I opened their email, instead of an offer, it was we've decided to go in a different direction after all."
But Vince was shaking his head. "Ben wouldn't do that."
He recognized that stubborn set to Vince's jaw, but he could be just as bullheaded. Usually, going head to head was invigorating, but he couldn't let himself get his hopes up about this, not again. "We'll see what happens. Let's finish eating. We have an ornament to hang."
Chapter Four