63 Days Later: A Holiday Tail

by Adrienne Wilder

“Hi! Did you find everything you needed?” The cashier’s blonde pigtails bobbed with every word.

  “Pretty much.” August lined up the baby bottles.

  The conveyor belt shuffled the mound of supplies closer to the scanner. “Oh, wow. You must have a lot of dogs.”

  “Eight new puppies.”

  “Eight!” Her happy smile flashed neon pink braces. “Oh, I love puppies. I wish I could have eight puppies. Wow. Eight.” She waved at another employee carrying a box of squeaky toys past the register. “Hey Carol, these two pet parents have eight new puppies!”

  “Congratulations!” Carol set the box on top of a stack of similar boxes. “Do you need to schedule a vet appointment? Get them groomed. We have a great groomer.”

  Keegan growled.

  August grinned at him.

  Keegan narrowed his eyes.

  The blonde moved one item after the other each one triggering an electronic beep when the price would flash up on the screen. She packed each item into a plastic bag.

  “Maybe later.” August put the full bags back into the cart.

  “Okay, just call, we’re open extra late all through January.” Carol hurried off.

  The cashier searched for the bar-code on the bag of pee pads. “Have you picked out names yet?”

  “Nope, not yet.” August took out his wallet.

  “We have a great puppy name book right there.” She pointed to the rack of breed specific magazines and books. A shelf underneath had a modest selection of Pet Superstore picks. August snagged the Name Your New Puppy book. “Now we’ll have something to read tonight.” He showed Keegan.

  If looks could kill August would have been skinned. He laid the book on the conveyer belt. Keegan put the last of the bags in the cart while August paid. Keegan followed August as he cleared a path with the buggy. The ocean of happy shoppers spilled out into the parking lot.

  “I think there’re more shoppers in here now than there was earlier.” August glanced back at Keegan.

  He had his hands in his coat pocket. “Everyone has eaten dinner. Kids are bored. Parents are bored.”

  Clouds moved in concealing most of the sky. The wind tossed August’s bangs. He huddled in his coat, but there was no stopping the chill from biting into his leg. The dull ache rode from his ruined shin all the way up to his hip.

  “You should have used the cane.” Keegan offered his arm.

  August slipped his arm around Keegan’s, leaning into him to take the weight off his leg. Keegan held the other side of the buggy handle. The cart rattled and popped over the bumpy parking lot.

  “How far away did you park? Canada?”

  “I think it’s a few more rows up.”

  “You don’t remember?”

  “It’s hard to tell, all these cars look alike after a while.” Keegan scanned the parking lot.

  “You can tell the difference between two identical trees, and you can’t tell cars apart?”

  “Apparently not.” It was the tone of Keegan's voice that made August stop.

  “Look at me.”

  Keegan did.

  “You can't expect everything to just snap back in place overnight.”

  “It's been eighteen months.”

  “Yeah, and you were out there for ten years, over ten years if you count the months I was with you. And if you counted all the years before, most of your life.” Not to mention the years Keegan had spent with Salvatore, forced to do the job his father had done or be killed. “Have you considered going back on medication?”

  Keegan pushed the buggy again. August walked beside him. A lady with a Great Dane strolled past, the dog stuck his nose in the buggy. She pulled him away with an apology.

  “I don't like the way the medication makes me feel.”

  “Is it any worse than how you feel when you're anxious?”

  “No, but it dulls my reflexes, slows down my thinking.”

  “You're not in Alaska anymore, Keegan. There's no reason for you to be on a hair trigger all the time.” The danger of being tracked down and killed by bears was very slim even where they lived. August was willing to bet falling down in the shower and cracking his head was more likely.

  They reached the car. Keegan took out the keys and hit the FOB. The trunk popped open, and August put bags inside.

  Keegan stared into the one he held.

  “What?” August lifted the super-sized bag of dried milk.

  Keegan tugged one of the items out of the bag. A pink knitted sweater.

  “In case they get cold.”

  Keegan exhaled a frustrated breath and added the bag to the others in the trunk. When the buggy was empty August pushed it to the nearest return stall. The train of carts reached to the middle of the aisle between the cars. He found a spot as close as he could and parked it.

  Keegan was already behind the wheel with the engine running when August got into the car.

  “Thanks.” August squeezed Keegan's thigh.

  He furrowed his brow. “For what?”

  “Doing this with me.”

  Keegan lifted August's hand. He ran a thick finger over the ring August wore then kissed it, letting his lips linger until the touch practically burned. “I'd do anything for you August, you know that.”

  August did, but his heart still ached.

  *****

  Keegan opened his eyes to the most beautiful sight in the world. One he woke up to most mornings. August, with his chin, propped on his arm, watching him.

  “Merry Christmas.” August brushed his lips against Keegan's.

  “What time did you come to bed?”

  “Two, maybe three o'clock.” As soon as they'd gotten home, August had spent the evening inventorying all the crap he'd bought at the pet store and making a list to take back when the worst of the crowds died down. Once Keegan had gotten away from the store, exhaustion had sucked the life from his soul. He'd barely made it inside and gotten his clothes off before collapsing on the bed.

  Hard to imagine he could run miles in the woods without breaking a sweat but a couple hours in public and he was beaten into submission. “Sorry, I crashed on you.”

  August smiled. “It's okay.” He trailed a finger through the hairs on Keegan's chest stirring a thrill under his skin. August leaned closer. “You can make it up to me.”

  “I could, huh?”

  “Yep.”

  “And how do you propose I do that?” He pulled August over him. With nothing between them, there was only the smooth warmth of his skin, the curve of muscle, the uninhibited length of his cock rubbing against Keegan's.

  He sat up and cupped the back of August's head. Keegan pressed his mouth over August's, and he opened. Keegan growled and plunged his tongue into the wet warmth. August wrapped his arms around Keegan's neck. He dragged his teeth over August's chin. He moaned, and Keegan sucked up a bruise on August's throat.

  “Mmm—” August rocked against Keegan smearing precum between their bodies.

  “You are so beautiful.” Keegan knew he said it all the time, but he meant it. The fire in August's gaze told him August knew just how much.

  August exhaled against Keegan's ear. “I want you to fuck me.” He pinched Keegan's earlobe between his teeth. “I want you to fuck me hard.”

  Keegan turned putting his legs over the edge of the bed and keeping August in his lap.

  “What are you doing?” August laughed against Keegan's cheek.

  Keegan opened the bedside drawer and took out the bottle of lubricant. August took it from him and opened the cap. Keegan held up his hand and August filled his palm.

  August put the bottle on the nightstand and Keegan traced the line of August's crack to his opening. Lubricant dribbled down Keegan's fingers. He pushed two into August’s ass. He arched his back and closed his eyes for a moment.

  “Oh, god, that's...” August rode Keegan's fingers. “More.” A flush bloomed in August's cheeks.

  Keegan removed his fingers.

  “Don't stop.”
August attacked Keegan's mouth. “Don't...stop...”

  “Hang on to me.”

  August did.

  Keegan supported August's ass and stood, taking August with him. “Legs around my waist.”

  Again, August obeyed.

  Keegan carried August across the room and pinned him to the wall.

  August widened his eyes. Was he thinking about the first time Keegan had done this? The day August proposed to him and Keegan had fucked the man till neither one of them could walk.

  Keegan eased August down until his cock pressed against his opening. One step back let August press his shoulders against the wall creating the leverage Keegan needed to keep him in place while he guided his cock into his ass. With every inch, August gasped.

  “All of you Keegan, I want all of you.”

  Keegan shoved himself deep, and August wailed. Keegan wasted no time thrusting and with every plunge August rippled in his hold. His long torso liquid, the muscle of his body, tensing and relaxing. Keegan pumped his hips, the heat of August's body flowing up his cock, coiling in his stomach. Static crackled down his spine.

  “More, baby, please, more.” August put a hand back against the wall.

  Keegan adjusted his stance angling August's hips down, his own up. August jerked when Keegan sank himself again.

  “Yesss—”

  Keegan kissed August's chest and pinched a nipple between his teeth. August tightened his legs around Keegan's waist.

  “Almost, almost.” August's beautiful gaze met Keegan's, and for a moment he was back in Alaska in the tiny cabin he'd taken August to when Keegan found him alive in the plane wreck. The place Keegan fell in love with August. The place where they'd made love so many times. The place they'd survived the impossible.

  Where Keegan lost his heart.

  Where he'd found a reason to live.

  Not just survive, but take hold of life and never let go.

  August clenched around Keegan's cock, and with a low groan, August shot his load all over his stomach. With every pulse, his greedy ass pulled on Keegan's cock. Pleasure rolled through Keegan, lighting up his nerves, releasing a storm. His thrusts stuttered then his muscles tightened. Keegan rocked into August, riding the waves of ecstasy. August pushed himself up and locked his arms around Keegan's head. Their mouths met, their tongues clashed. August's rich flavor threatened to drown Keegan.

  When August pulled away, they were both panting, and Keegan's cock was already trying to harden.

  “Have I told you I love you today?” August sighed against Keegan's cheek.

  He held August tighter. “Every time you look at me.”

  *****

  August lay on his stomach, his face inches away from Daisy's wet nose. The puppies wiggled and squirmed, pushing each other aside, small legs churning as they fought to keep hold of a nipple.

  Grunts mixed with smacking mouths accentuating the rough coos that were neither a growl or bark but some rare magical sound only very young puppies could sing.

  After a few days, the puppies had gone from thin and dull to plump and shiny. A testament to Daisy’s care.

  A roly-poly puppy lost its hold on a teat and slid down the back of its siblings. August helped it right itself and was promptly rewarded with a stream of urine over his fingers.

  He grimaced. “That was rude.”

  The puppy raised its head and barked. Daisy cocked her head at the pup.

  “Keegan! The puppies are barking.” Everything they did was a first and August made sure Keegan didn’t miss any of it even if he had no interest in laying under the tree.

  The puppy turned and made a clumsy crawl across the Christmas tree skirt all the way up to August. He lowered his face and the puppy mouthed his chin until it found his lip then tried to suck it.

  “Hey, no kissing on the first date.” He put the puppy back with Daisy. She nosed its rear and licked away the waste as it relieved itself.

  August gagged and backed out from under the tree. “Thanks, Daisy. Ruin breakfast, lunch, and dinner for me for the next ten years.”

  Keegan walked through the living room from the garage with a tape measure in his hand. “She cleaning puppy butts again?”

  “Yes.” August's throat threatened to close up. “That's got to be the most disgusting thing I've ever seen.”

  “Wait till she starts puking up food to feed them.”

  August almost covered his mouth with his hand but caught himself. He went into the kitchen and turned on the tap. Keegan came in while August scrubbed his arms up to his elbows.

  “Peed on you again too, huh?” Keegan opened the fridge and took out a bottled water. He opened it and drank.

  “I think they do it on purpose. Especially Tulip.”

  Keegan sputtered, and water dribbled down his bottom lip. He wiped his mouth with the cuff of his flannel shirt.

  “What?” August rinsed his hands.

  “Tulip?”

  “Yeah.”

  “You named a puppy.”

  August turned off the water. “I named all the puppies.”

  Keegan set the water bottle down on the counter hard enough to make it slosh. “Do I even want to ask why?”

  “How else are they going to know when I’m calling them? And since you were being slow about picking names for your half, I went ahead and picked them for you.” August grinned.

  Keegan went to the cupboard and knelt. “Do you remember what box you put the nails in?” He dug through the boxes at the bottom.

  “The same box with the screws.”

  “And which box is that?”

  “Far right corner.” August leaned against the counter.

  Keegan extracted a box of nails.

  “What are you doing?”

  “Building.” He left the kitchen and out the French doors.

  “What are you building?” August followed.

  Fat snowflakes drifted to the ground creating a fine sheen of white over the dark stretch of trees.

  At the corner of the back deck, near the steps leading down to the woods, lay several pieces of plywood, two by fours, and a plastic roll of insulation.

  “What is that?”

  Keegan kept his gaze down while he sorted through the wood.

  “Keegan?”

  He straightened his shoulders but couldn’t seem to look August in the eye. “Supplies for a house.”

  “A house?”

  “Yeah. For Daisy and the puppies.”

  August had to replay his reply over and over in his head. No matter how he ran it, the words just didn’t process. “Say that again?”

  Keegan set the box of nails on the railing. “I’m building a house for Daisy and the puppies so she’ll have a place to keep them warm.”

  “They’re fine under the Christmas tree.”

  “They’ll be walking soon.”

  “Your point?”

  “They’ll be walking and making a mess everywhere.”

  “I don’t care if they eat the walls in the house, Daisy is not…” August stared at the lumber. No. Absolutely, no. “How could you even think of putting her outside, let alone her babies. What if something eats them?”

  “Nothing is going to eat them.”

  “Because there aren’t owls and foxes, and whatever else that could be hungry.”

  Keegan heaved a sigh. “Daisy will take care of them.”

  “And Daisy has never spent a night of her life with us, outside. No Keegan. Absolutely, never, not going to happen.”

  “August…”

  “I said, no.” August went back in the house. Before Keegan could follow he shut the door and locked it.

  Keegan jiggled the doorknob. He frowned at August through the window. “Open the door.”

  He glared at Keegan.

  “I know you love her August but those puppies are going to need room to run around, and she’s not going to clean up after them forever.”

  “Then I’ll clean up after them.”

  �
��Eight puppies. Eight wolf-hybrid puppies.”

  “Your point?” August crossed his arms.

  “That’s a lot of puppy piss and shit. You need to think this through.”

  “I have. Trust me.” August shut the blinds.

  “August?” Keegan knocked on the door.

  His Daisy. In a doghouse. Fuck that.

  August walked into the kitchen to make Daisy something to eat.

  *****

  The ax blade met the stump of wood, and it parted into two pieces before tumbling to the ground. Keegan picked up one half and set it back on the cutting block. He swung the ax striking the half piece in the center. It split becoming two more manageable chunks of wood. He picked them up and tossed them on the growing stack behind him under the overhang.

  They didn’t really need the wood. The cabin August had bought had all the amenities of the modern world, and the central heat did a fine job of keeping out the winter cold. But after a few months, both of them had realized they missed being able to lay by the fire like they had in Alaska. There they’d shared a dinky mattress and thick furs. When the storms raged there had been little else to do but hold each other, sometimes making love, sometimes talking, but it was usually silent, everything they feared, wanted, or how they loved, exchanged in small touches.

  Keegan found a Soap Stone wood stove at a local store and installed it. He was pretty sure it wasn’t until the first time they lit the thing, and the thunder of flames rattled up the pipe, that the cabin in Virginia truly became home.

  Snow crunched, and Keegan looked up.

  August stopped at the edge of the shelter. He’d wrapped himself in a thick fleece coat. Going by how well his jeans fit he wasn’t wearing long underwear like Keegan wanted him to. But at least August had on the boots.

  “Are you still mad at me?” August had asked Keegan that so many times in the last three days he’d lost count.

  Keegan shook his head. “No. I’m not mad. I was never mad.”

  “I locked you out of the house.”

  “Yeah, you did.” Keegan set the other half of the log on the stump and split it with one swing of the ax.

  “And then I fell asleep and forgot to let you back in.”

  “You were busy feeding puppies. How are they?”

  “They seem okay. Glad I bought the milk. They quit fussing when I gave them a bottle.” August furrowed his brow. “Why do you think they’re unhappy?”