Page 71 of One More Yule Log
“What? No. No, I promised Liv I’d be home. I can’t miss the whole night.”
“It’s really bad, baby. I don’t want you on the road.” Gray was starting to sound worried.
“Then I’ll head out as soon as I can. I want to be home.” He would just take it slow.
“You have your chains on, right?” Gray was mother-henning. It was kinda cute.
“I do. I’ll be fine. Don’t worry. Just relax and I’ll be home as soon as I can.”
“Okay. Call if you need me.” Gray wavered. “But if it’s too bad… Hell, the couch is still at my apartment. Go sack out there.” They had a load of stuff to take to charity the week between Christmas and New Year, and that… futon was one of the things to go.
“You rock. I love you. See you later.” He was going home. Now.
“See you soon.” Gray sighed, as if knowing he was coming on. “Love you.”
“Bye.” He hung up. Jack was staring at his phone, and Hannah, the event space manager on duty, was staring at them from about five feet away.
She cleared her throat.
“Yes, ma’am?” He didn’t like that look. Not at all.
“Mr. Nightingale, Mr. Lane, I hate to tell you this, but we’re having a terrible time. The wait staff have all called in but one. The bartenders can’t make it, and we’ve had to plow the parking lot twice and it’s still not safe.”
“I’ve just had eight cancellations. This is a bad one, Ben. It’s time to pull the plug. You want to come to my place?”
He shook his head. “I need to get gas for the generator, just in case. What about the food?”
“I want the Yule log.” Jack raised his eyebrows when Ben scoffed. “What? I said not for the clients, not that I don’t want it. We’ll box up the food and split it? Hannah, would you like to take some home?”
“You wouldn’t mind?” She smiled gratefully, he thought. Maybe because they weren’t mad.
“No. It’s the holidays! Let’s get it put away.”
“We’ll each get a few bottles of wine and bubbly too.” Jack looked surprisingly pleased, really.
“Good deal.” Ben was relieved. Not that he wanted to make that drive again so soon, but he would do it to get home to his lover and his baby girl.
He needed gas, he’d grab some odds and ends to make sure they didn’t need to get back out until Boxing Day, and then he’d go to his family, where he belonged.
Ben headed out after he and Jack split the food, then exchanged, “Drive safe” sentiments.
Right. He texted Gray and then headed out. He had a shit ton to do and a family to get home to.
* * *
Gray paced,because it had been three hours since Ben had said he was coming home.
An hour in, Liv had snuck to the office and called Jack. “Uncle Jack says Daddy left more than an hour ago,” Liv had told him, a little teary-eyed. “Is he okay?”
“I can’t get him on his cell, kiddo. I’m sure he’s fine.”
She’d sniffled but laughed a little. “Uncle Jack took my Yule log home.”
“Did he?”
“Uh-huh. He said him and Aunt Christina didn’t have one, and he begged Daddy for it.”
She came right to him, offering a hug. “Promise me he’s okay.”
