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“Huhall you want. I only called to keep you up-to-date.”
“I hate to admit it, but you sound happy.”
“I am happy,” Martin assured him. Even if he was plagued by unasked-for erections and the damn dreams that put his and Joe’s sex life to shame. Nothing he needed to share with Simon.
“I suppose that’s something.”
Martin heard a noise in the background, maybe a door opening and closing.
“Charley’s home,” Simon informed him. He heard some hushed muttering and a sigh. “I have to go. Apparently, we’re going tree shopping, or some such nonsense.”
Simon might complain, but Martin knew he loved Charley and would go tree shopping for days if that’s what Charley wanted to do. Martin wasn’t exactly jealous, but sometimes he had little twinges that he might be missing out on something.His newly awakened cock was not helping.
“Have fun. I’ll keep you in my thoughts,” Martin promised. “Glad I’m not being dragged all over the city looking for the perfect tree.”
“There will be drinking afterward, so there’s that.”
“I’ll raise a pint for you, then.”
Since he’d basically promised Simon he’d have a drink in his honor, Martin decided to head over to the Steam Donkey. The pub was technically in walking distance, but he drove anyway. Rain was pelting down without any sign of it letting up soon or even in the next week, and he really didn’t feel like putting on his rain gear yet again.
It was one of those December days when the sun never seemed to fully rise. These short winter days had never been Martin’s favorites no matter where he lived, and he was looking forward to them getting longer again.
While he’d been unpacking, organizing, and working on the cabins, Cooper Springs had festooned itself in holiday decorations. And, like a very prickly personal TV newscaster, Nick kept him up-to-date with a nightly report about each new hideous display as it went up.
“It’s like there’s a competition to be awful,” Nick had said one evening as he stood at the front window. “I do not remember this about Cooper Springs. Did I miss it when I was a kid? Was I just that oblivious?”
Martin silently agreed the decorations were awful, but he also felt guilty having disparaging thoughts about his new town.
“Kids growing up here are going to have PTSD from seeing Santa falling off roofs and hanging onto gutters by his fingertips. And what’s with the one with Lady Claus and, like, seven Santas? Is that a harem?” Nick had turned to Martin, who stood next to him nursing a mug of orange spice tea. “Itis,isn’t it? A reverse harem withSantas.”
“I think….” Martin managed after he stopped coughing, “they’re supposed to be elves.”
“Still could be a harem,” Nick pointed out.
When Martin pushed inside the pub, the first thing he heard was Magnus’s booming laugh. This was followed by the realization thatShe’s Like the WindfromDirty Dancingwas playing overhead. The fact that Martin recognized the song was personally embarrassing. He’d gone through a Patrick Swayze stage when he’d been a teen. He’d had the movie poster and the movie’s soundtrack, which his dad had finally banned him from playing when his parents were home.
Realizing he was gay—by Martin, his parents, and even his Aunt Heidi—had quickly followed. Tragically, Patrick had never responded to any of Martin’s fan letters.
Critter was sitting next to Rufus, Magnus stood behind the bar, and they were all looking at something on Critter’s phone. Martin took the empty spot on the other side of Critter and peered over to see what they were looking at.
“They letyoube in charge?” Magnus wheezed. “Who the hell came up with that idea?”
“I kinda took it upon myself since no one else was doing it,” Critter responded. “Mags has been helping.”
“Of course she has,” Magnus said. “She’s probably the brains behind all of it. Although I have my doubts about this one.”
Nick was nowhere in sight. Martin hadn’t expected to see him but still wondered what he was up to. With no car, he couldn’t have gone far.
“What’s going on?” Martin asked.
“Critter’s put himself in charge of social media for the forest,” Rufus said. “Go on, show him.”
Critter turned his phone around so Martin could see the screen.
“I’m just promoting our part of the park, of course. I came up with this one myself.”
One of these cougars is dangerous—know your wildlife.
