Page 19 of Mistletoe and Mayhem
Taron shook his head. “I thought of that already. The day of his accident was two months ago. His healing sessions with Doctor Chapman have all been going good, too. He doesn’t seem like he’s in any pain. Not physically, at least.”
Avery cocked his head, eyes narrowed thoughtfully. “You said he’s been checking his phone. Is he hoping to hear from someone?”
“Like who? Me and Zeph are always around, and he has lunch with you and Isaac twice a week. Any of his other friends he talked to here at the office.”
He slumped a little in his seat. If his friends couldn’t figure it out, he wasn’t sure what he’d do. Something was wrong with Tony. He had to fix it.
“What about family? It’s getting close to Christmas.”
Taron shook his head. “He doesn’t talk to his family.” Or more specifically, they didn’t talk to him. He straightened suddenly. Tony hadn’t been the one who put the space between himself and his family. Could he be missing them? But why?They were jerks. Taron hadn’t even met them, because when Tony called to tell them he’d found his mates, they hung up on him. Why would he want to talk to people like that?
He wrinkled his nose distastefully as he suggested, “I could try to call them… It didn’t go well the last time, though. I’m not sure it would make him feel any better to get rejected again.”
“No, that wouldn’t be helpful,” Ozen agreed. “Perhaps it's less about the people and more about the traditions? Avery has been teaching me about human holiday traditions. There are a lot of them. He could miss that aspect of it.”
Now that was an idea he could get on board with. He turned to Avery, eyes wide and eager. “What kind of traditions?”
“Well, each family is different, but the main things are a big meal together, decorating the house, a gift exchange–”
Taron’s head whipped to Ozen’s desk, then back to Avery. “Is that what you were doing? I saw presents. Who are they for?”
Avery sighed heavily. “I’m not answering that. You can wait until Christmas.”
A slow grin spread across his face. “Does that mean one of them is for me? Now you have to tell me.” When Avery shook his head in adamant refusal, Taron pouted. “Why not? How am I supposed to know what to get Tony if I don’t have an example?”
“Nope. You’re not talking me into telling you anything. Besides, you can’t copy what I got you. It has to be specific to the person you’re buying for.”
He frowned, shooting a questioning look at Ozen, who was kind enough to give an example without giving anything away. “Like birthday presents. Last year you bought Dorian a puzzle, but you wouldn’t get the same thing for Maverick, would you?”
“Of course not. Maverick would be more likely to burn a puzzle to bitty pieces if he got frustrated than finish it himself.” He understood what his friend was getting at, though. He had to get presents for Tony that were what Tony liked, not a specifictraditional gift. He could do that. He loved buying presents for his mates.
“You’ll have to talk to Tony about this, too. Like I said, each family is different, and if you want to hit all his traditions, you’ll need to find out what his family did that he misses the most,” Avery added.
“But that would ruin the surprise,” he whined. Then turned that pout up a notch and locked eyes with Avery.
Avery sighed. “Fine. I’ll talk to him. I’ve gotta give him his present anyway. But in exchange, you can’t bug me about your present until Christmas. Deal?”
“Deal!”
He even shook on it, sealing his fate. He could keep his curiosity at bay if it meant finding out how to make Tony feel better.
Probably.
He’d try his best anyway.
Chapter Two
Tony felt stupid every time he checked his phone, but he still couldn’t help himself. It was like this every year since his parents disowned him. He kept hoping this year would be the year they’d call. He was mated now, with a good respectable job, and a nice house right on the ocean. By all accounts, he had a good life. A life parents would be proud of. Well, parents that weren’t his.
Setting his phone down on his desk, he let out another sigh. He kept telling himself to stop checking. It only made the ache in his chest worse when he did and nothing new appeared on the screen.
“Knock, knock,” a familiar friendly voice spoke, pulling his attention away from his phone and toward the open doorway. He always left it open now unless they were out of the office. People liked to come visit him, and he never said no to a visit.
Avery was followed immediately by Isaac, who looked disheveled like he’d just flown in with his dragon mate. His cheeks were a little pink, too. Maybe from the cold?
“Do you want coffee? You look cold,” he offered.
Isaac’s cheeks darkened, and Avery snickered, shaking his head.
