Page 15 of Salvaging My Heart
“Wait! Before I forget, what are you doing for Christmas?” Leif sounded a bit more awake now.
“Hadn’t thought that far ahead yet. I normally go over a friend’s or just stay home for a quiet day. Sleep late. Eat something. Why? You going to come home for the holiday?” Yeah, Aaron might sound a bit hopeful with that last question. He’d really like to have a conversation with Leif in the same room. And if more happened, he wasn’t going to complain one bit.
“Unfortunately, I’m not coming home for this year. Not with the remainder of the crap that I’ve got to deal with before leaving,” Leif said. Aaron felt his mood shift in the wrong direction. Damn it. “I’m sorry but Kim and Mom would like you to join them and Nick for Christmas Eve and day. Go over there and stay the night to be there for the excitement of a ten-year-old.”
Aaron had been in the middle of taking a sip of coffee and almost choked on it. He wasn’t sure how he felt about that offer. Getting to know Kim and her mother as something other than the parent and grandparent of one of the players was something that needed to happen but he wasn’t sure he was up for doing that solo. What if Nick got attached to him as more than his coach and Leif and him didn’t work out? He didn’t want Kim’s mama bear ripping into him.
“Ummm, can I think on that?” he asked hesitantly. Aaron didn’t want to offend Leif or his family but he just wasn’t sure.
“Scared of Kim and Mom?” Leif teased.
“Maybe? I’m not sure I’m comfortable taking this on by myself.” Aaron held his breath waiting for Leif’s response which was quick coming with him laughing.
“Yeah, I can understand that. They can be a bit overwhelming but think about it. I know that they’d love to have you. Maybe just go for dinner?” Leif suggested.
“Now that might be something I’d be comfortable with. Let me give it a bit more thought but I’m leaning toward saying yes. Okay, I just got to the center. Time to go peel potatoes. Talk to you later,” he said in a rush before ending the call.
Christmas with Leif’s family without him? Aaron wondered if that would be a good or bad thing. Maybe they should figure out if they fit before he got used to spending time with a family again. Aaron shook his head and climbed out of the truck.
Two days before Christmas
Aaron kicked his feet onto the coffee table and clicked the remote to turn on his TV. He’d been binging Holiday Baking Championship for week. He wasn’t sure why it held his attention so strongly. Baking was not his forte. Just as he got to ‘continue watching’, his doorbell rang. Aaron glanced over at his door, puzzled. He wasn’t expecting anyone. He tossed the remote onto the table and moved over to the door before whoever rang the bell again.
He opened the door and was surprised to see Nick, bundled like the kid from A Christmas Story, holding out a package. Aaron looked over Nick’s head and he could see a SUV idling at the curb so he waved to Kim. At least he thought it was her, could be Nick’s mimi.
“Hi Nick, what are you doing here?” Aaron asked, as he tried not to shiver. He’d been out all day in the cold and had just started warming up.
“Mimi said that we should deliver this to you. We baked some cookies and Uncle Leif sent something for you in our box. Just in case you don’t come over on Christmas.” Nick’s voice had gotten softer as he spoke. Aaron didn’t think he’d done anything to scare Nick.
Reaching for the box, Aaron said, “Thank you for coming over here. It’s cold out. As for Christmas, I’ve been thinking about that and if you think it would be okay, I’d like to come over.”
Nick looked up at Aaron and smiled big. He looked over his shoulder then back at him. “Are you Uncle Leif’s boyfriend?”
Aaron almost swallowed his tongue at the question. He wasn’t sure how much Leif or Kim had talked with Nick about being gay or even sex. He’d had a bit of training on the subject when he started coaching but nothing on this level was touched on. How should he answer? Not giving it much more thought, he answered.
“I’m hoping to be when he moves up here. We’re good friends right now.” Aaron leaned closer to Nick and dropped his voice to a whisper, “Sshh, don’t tell your uncle but I like him.” Hopefully his attempt at humor would work.
Nick giggled and shook his head. “Nope. No can do. He already knows.” Nick jumped down the stairs and yelled over his shoulder, “He likes you too. See you on Thursday.”
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Valentine’s Day
Leif stood in front of the mirror on the back of Kim’s bedroom door, checking out his service dress uniform. His ribbons were straight. His master diver badge gleaming with no finger prints. No lint that he could see. He was as ready for this as he could be.
“Will you stop fussing? The man is crazy about you,” Kim said from her perch on the bed.
“You don’t think this is a bit cliché?” Leif asked. Yes, he was second guessing himself. It seemed like a good idea when he came up with it. Be waiting for Aaron when he got to Kim’s house for trash pick up. Stand there in his service dress uniform, cap angled down, with a rose in his hand and ask him to be Leif’s valentine. He didn’t think that Aaron would throw the rose back at him but now doubts were bouncing around his head faster than a pinball.
“Oh it’s totally cliché. Channeling your inner Richard Gere. Are you going to pick him up and walk down the street to where you’ve hidden your car? And remind me again why you hid it? It’s not like Aaron doesn’t know this is my house.” Kim shifted on the bed, pulling her robe around her.
Leif resisted the urge to roll his eyes at his sister. “Aaron doesn’t know that I’m back yet. I told him last night that it would be a few more days before I could drive north. Made up something about Fuzzy throwing me a party. I want to surprise him.”
“Um, he doesn’t know what you drive.” Leif could hear the ‘duh’ in her tone but ignored her. One more glance in the mirror and he decided that this was the best he was going to do.
“Okay, you stay up here in the bedroom,” he demanded as he opened the door.
“A chocolate bar has a better chance of surviving a group of hormonal teen girls than you have of me not watching this play out through the window,” Kim retorted.
