Page 22 of A Surprise for the Holidays
“Then I’ll change the sheets.” Bailey shrugged like it wasn’t any inconvenience, and they made their way into Ava’s room.
As AJ calmed his distressed daughter, he couldn’t help but watch Bailey serenely stripping the sheets and heading back out of the room, presumably towards the laundry. The idea of letting go of the sweet, selfless man was becoming unbearable. His heart thumped madly in his chest, and a lump formed in his throat as a dawning realisation crept over him.
He loved Bailey.
But did he love him enough to choose him over his career?
Chapter 14
August
“Daddy! Daddy, wake up! It’s Christmas!”
AJ groaned and buried his face in his pillow. “Poppet, it’searly,” he complained. “Go back to bed for a bit longer.”
“No! I want to see what Santa brought me.”
AJ was torn between attempting to discipline her for the moment of bratty defiance, or letting it go because it was Christmas.
In the end, he gently chided, “You sound a little like the naughty girl from the chocolate factory movie.”
Ava gasped. “I don’t! She was a bad egg!”
“That she was.” AJ nodded, making a mental note to thank his sister for suggestingWilly Wonka & the Chocolate Factoryas a movie Ava might enjoy. It had become her new favourite, which had blessedly meant there were no more Christmas movies on repeat in his house. It did have the side-effect of him humming the oompa loompa song day in and day out, though. Bailey had caught him humming it on the pitch and had thought it was hilarious. AJ had made him run extra laps for the cheek.
They hadn’t seen each other outside of work since their interrupted night, and AJ missed Bailey. But a week apart had given AJ a lot of time to think about how he felt and what he wanted from life, and he knew he needed to have a serious conversation with the younger man. He just couldn’t bring himself to do it at Christmas.
“Can wepleasego look at the presents, Daddy? I won’t open them. Not until Bailey’s here.” Ava had climbed onto the bed and was bouncing on her knees. “Can you call him and tell him to come over now?”
“Bailey will be here at lunch time.” AJ reminded her, grouchily adding, “He’s probably enjoying a sleep-in like most normal people.”
“Sleeping is boring. We are more fun than sleeping.”
Speak for yourself,he thought, then sighed. Giving up on the dream of sleeping, he rolled over and tickled Ava’s sides, making her squeal and giggle.
“You’re right,” he declared, giving her a moment to catch her breath, “we are more fun than sleeping.”
And if he sent Bailey a text telling him he was welcome to arrive anytime…well, what was the harm in that?
Chapter 15
Bailey
Bailey hoped AJ wasn’t going to kill him. He knew he should have asked before doing what he’d done, but they hadn’t had a chance to talk privately in a week and he’d always felt like it was better to seek forgiveness than ask permission.
(He’d gotten into a lot of trouble as a kid, come to think of it…but he had always been forgiven for his crimes in the end.)
Letting himself into the Jacobs home, he followed the sound of Christmas carols and laughter. Every step closer relieved tension in his shoulders. As unthinkable as it would have beeneven six weeks earlier, August Jacobs had become his person, and he couldn’t imagine having to give him or his kid up.
So what he had done was either going to come off as a wonderful grand gesture, or piss AJ right off.
¿por qué no los dos?He thought to himself drily, snickering at his own thoughts. He snickered a little harder when he realised that, if he had to explain the Old El Paso reference to AJ, the older man might not even get it. Did the Brits get the same TV ads that Aussies did? Probably not. Then AJ would be‘Not happy, Jan’.
Ah, he cracked himself up.
“Well, you look like you’re havin’ a Merry little Christmas all on your own,” AJ’s voice was full of amusement, and Bailey looked up from the pile of gifts he was carefully carrying to catch the older man’s sexy smirk. “Can I help you with any of that?”
“My own Merry Christmas?” Bailey played dumb, hopping to keep AJ from looking too closely at the presents. He walked over and placed them strategically around the tree, putting the largest box —the one with the air holes— to the back. When he was done, he stood up and checked the coast was clear before wrapping his arms around AJ’s waist and lowering his voice suggestively, “Maybe tonight?”
