Twenty
“Holy Christmas bells,” Micah exclaimed when he entered the Mandrake’s living room and found Nick decked out in his newholidaysweater. “From the looks of that, Wendy is punishing you for something. Have you been a naughty boy this year?”
The 3D reindeer head covered most of the sweater, with a large red nose that blinked. The rest of the garment was an eyesore of color conglomeration that sparkled and glittered with each move Nick made, and the collar a mock turtleneck that looked like it was constructed of comically thick yarn.
“You haven’t seen the rest of it.” Mark chuckled and motioned for Nick to turn around.
Nick groaned and rolled his eyes as he turned his back to Micah, who started laughing.
“Wow.” Micah grinned and shook his head. “You must have beenreallybad.” The back of the sweater sported the rear end of the reindeer—also in stuffed 3D—whose tail blinked red and green.
“Forget about me.” Nick faced him again, eyes narrowing, smirk forming. “Let’s talk about how naughtyyou’vebeen today.”
Micah looked at the two men, both eager to know what he’d been up to with Graham O’Brien. “I was a perfect gentleman.”
“And what about him?” Mark arched an eyebrow, lips pursed.
“He was…very accommodating.”
Nick chuckled. “Uh-huh. And what does that mean exactly?”
A powerful heat lingered in Micah’s loins and justtalkingabout Graham and what they did together was beginning to spark the embers into flames.
“Uncle Micah!” Eli blew into the room and sailed into Micah’s arms. “You’re home!” he twisted his head toward the kitchen. “Mom! Uncle Micah’s home! Can we open the presents?”
“Oh, well.” Micah smiled at the two men with mock apology. “Guess the questions will have to wait. Darn.”
“Hey, buddy.” Nick lifted Eli from Micah’s arms and set him down. “Why don’t you run on in there and get your mom in gear.”
“Okay!” Eli zipped away.
Nick straightened and smiled smartly at Micah. “Spill it.”
Coming closer, Mark rested his arm on Nick’s shoulder. “Yeah. Tell us what agentlemanyou were to the man.”
“Micah. You’re Back.” Wendy appeared, and the other men groaned as Micah grinned and shrugged. “How was your day?” Her eyes twinkled.
“Yeah, buddy,” Nick cooed. “Howwasyour day?”
“Oh, Nick.” Wendy swiped at him with a dishtowel. “Don’t be so intrusive. Some things are private.”
“So…” Nick grinned at his wife. “You think stuff happened, too. If not, there would be nothing to keep private, would there?”
Wendy looked at Micah and slowly shook her head. “These two have been unbearable since you left.” She glanced at the nylon cooler sitting on the floor at Micah’s feet. “How was lunch? Did he enjoy the food?”
“Very much.” Micah picked up the cooler, smirked at the men, and followed Wendy into the kitchen. Eli stood on a chair at the counter, munching on a Christmas cookie, then grew excited again when he saw Micah and his mom.
“Can we open them now?”
“In a few minutes,” Wendy promised.
“Yay!” Eli hopped down and raced back into the other room.
Micah stared after him, a dreamy smile on his face. “For the first time in…probablyever…I’m feeling his level of excitement for Christmas.”
Wendy hugged him and kissed his cheek. “That’s the best Christmas gift I could receive,” she said softly. “To see you this happy.”
“I never fully comprehended what it is you and Nick share…until now.”
