[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
. Okay. He stretched far enough to find his boxers, and decided he was not putting those on againwithout a wash.Fortunately he had more. Let go of me so I can get dressed then.Jesse stepped back. Thanks. Love you so much, he said, in deliberate echo.Jesse's smile was sweet, although it twisted ruefullywhen he added,  Even when you're being a bit of a brat. Get your clothes on, old man.We have fifty-two minutes.Sure enough, it was colder than ever when they got out to the car.A light frosting of something thatwasn't quite snow dusted the ground, crunching underfoot.The inside of the car was only marginallywarmer and he cranked the heater as Jesse pulled out into the street.It was pretty quiet, this late in theevening, but there were more cars than he expected.They passed a church with the parking lot half-full,and he realized there would be a midnight service. It's a good thing your Mom isn't big on church. Yeah, in a lot of ways.They skidded a bit on the next turn, and Jesse slowed down. Getting a little slippery. When is it supposed to snow? Any time now, I think.Devin thought about suggesting they head back to the hotel, but the jut of Jesse's chin suggested he'd beshot down if he tried.And really, they were almost there.The house was dark when they pulled into the drive.Jesse locked the car and headed around to the sidedoor. Let's go this way. He unlocked the door and went into the kitchen.There was a low light on under one of the counters.Devin guessed that would be enough for a strangerlike Sam to find the refrigerator in the night if he wanted to.The room smelled of pie spices and coffee.Jesse whispered,  I skipped desert.Want some pie?Devin smiled helplessly. Sure.Why not.Jesse found the pumpkin pie under cover on the counter, and served them both healthy slices.He slidthe silverware drawer open, slowly and silently, and passed Devin a fork.They both dug in happily.Devin mumbled around a big mouthful,  If your Mom ever wanted to open a bakery, she'd make afortune on just this. Good, huh? D'you think she baked those cinnamon cookies too, like last year? I think she baked everything that would fit in the oven, once she heard Sam was coming. Jessepaused, glanced at him, then took another big, deliberate bite. Our loss is our gain, then. I guess.Devin finished his pie and set the plate in the dishwasher.The silverware clinked a little as he shut it,and he winced, listening.But there was no sound from above.Jesse said softly,  Come on.Tree and kisses. He led the way into the living room.Devin had loved this room from the first time Jesse had brought him home.It was open, with a vaultedceiling, and yet the polished wood and the soft rugs and big overstuffed furniture made it feel warm.And of course there was the tree.Devin had had a love affair with Christmas trees ever since he was aboy.They'd rarely had one, growing up.Dad said their rooms were usually too small and they movedtoo often to keep ornaments around and pines made him sneeze, well, so the story went.Devin had toget his tree fix elsewhere.So he'd hung out in a lot of malls and libraries and other public spaces, justsoaking in the essence of the holiday.He really loved this tree.Lloyd always took advantage of the high ceiling to buy a big one, to the pointwhere decorating had to be done with a step-stool in hand.It was a balsam this year, fragrant andclassic in shape.The ornaments glittered, blue and silver balls almost obscured by the wild andwonderful mismatched results of two decades of Jesse and Emily.Homemade glitter and country kitschblended with silver ice-skates and beaded snowflakes.And amidst it all, hundreds of colored lightsshone steadily in blue and green and red and gold.If Devin squinted, they dissolved into starbursts ofshimmer, coating the tree in light.Jesse went over and touched things, a bell here, a wooden star painted gold there.Devin watched him,against the backdrop of his childhood, and felt a touch of envy. Come on, let's sit down.They sat side by side on the big couch, looking at the tree.Jesse said,  Do you remember? That firsttime? Oh yeah.I was bored and lonely, wandering through Brian's house.Everyone else had gone outside towatch holiday fireworks, but my ex was out there with his new guy and I didn't want to see them.Andthen there by the tree in the empty living room was the hottest guy I'd seen in months. Just months? Who's telling this story? If it was me, I'd say, 'Hottest guy ever.' Hottest guy I'd seen in years.Jesse snuggled closer. Go on. So I was trying to figure out an approach, a good line to use.And then that hot guy sighed, and I couldtell he'd been crying. Yeah, all emo because it was the first year I hadn't made it home for the holidays. And I just had to go up and say, um, say. God, he'd managed to be brave.Somehow he'd knownwith Jesse it would be all right. You said, 'You look like a guy who could use a hug.' Well, you did. Yeah.And then you hugged me, and I fit in against your shoulder.And I could hear your heart beatingslowly.Devin had to smile, remembering. You said, 'Do I also look like a guy who could use a kiss?' Well, it couldn't hurt to ask, right? And you were the hottest guy I'd seen, ever. Flattery. Will it get me a kiss? It did then. Yes.They had turned enough to look at each other.He'd stared into Jesse's sky-blue eyes, shiny and bright,lashes still damp and clumped.And he'd kissed him.It hadn't been the hottest kiss ever, or the softest.But he'd felt like they fit, better than any man he'd ever kissed before. And now? Jesse asked, turning toward him.Devin leaned in and kissed him gently.The lights glinted in the glass of the pictures on the mantelpiecebehind him [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]