Page 65 of Christmas for Keeps

“Doyou think Jackie will be okay while we’re gone?”

“I believe so.” Con dropped the empty cat food can into the garbage bag and tied it closed. “Liz said she’d come by every day to check on the place and leave food for him. He’s an outdoor cat, and that’s all we could do if we were here.”

Memories swirled of the first day the skinny little cat meowed at my door. I fed him, and despite my allergies, hoped he’d come back. I remembered that Connor liked cats, and Jackie somehow made me feel connected to him. Sure enough, the two had formed a bond, and I even learned that my black-and-white friend was called a tuxedo cat.

“Don’t worry about him,” Con said. “Jackie’s young and strong, and we’ll be back here regularly. He’ll miss you, but it’s only for a few months.”

“You’re right.” I stepped behind Connor and hugged him. He relaxed, and I couldn’t miss the way he moved his butt against my dick. “Shit! If you don’t stop that, we’ll be fucking on the floor when Liz gets here.”

“We don’t have anything she hasn’t seen before on somebody.”

“W-what?”

Con twisted around in my arms, wearing a silly grin. “Don’t worry. You’ve had all you’re getting until we’re in bed tonight in Boston.”

I put on my best pouty face. “Except maybe at a nice rest area? They usually have private stalls.”

“You!” He nipped my nose. “One-track mind.”

“We’re still making up for lost time.” I stole a kiss. “You wouldn’t deny your fiancé a desperately needed blow job along the highway, would you?”

“Depends on how desperate he is, and whether he plans to reciprocate.” He paused and rolled his eyes. “We might get arrested, though.”

“Details, details. And there’s no doubt he’ll reciprocate. He’ll reciprocate until you’re blasting a huge load down his throat.”

“Fuck.” The word was barely more than breath against my cheek. “We’d better get on our way then.”

We were still locked in a kiss when there was a knock on the door and Liz’s voice called out, “Are you about ready? Where are you?”

“In the kitchen. We’ll be right out.”

After the garbage was in the bin, all the luggage was packed in our two cars—Con only had to pay the dealership his deductible—and we’d scoured the place one last time for anything we were forgetting, I locked the door and handed Liz the spare key. “Thanks for watching things and taking care of Jackie. Remember, we’ll be home three weekends from now.”

“Don’t give it thought.” She paused while she tucked the key into her purse, then looked up. “Let me know whenever you’re here, and I’ll give you your privacy. Otherwise, I’ll stop by every day on my way home.”

“That’s so nice of you,” Con said. “Once we get back, we’ll return the favor anytime.”

“I know you will, hon,” she said. “But you’ll be living in a small town now. You need to learn that neighbors watch out for each other. It’s not about owing.”

His beautiful smile made me regret we had to wait for a rest area. “I’m looking forward to being your neighbor,” he told her. “We’ll have a lot of good times.”

“Yes, we will,” I said, putting a hand on the small of his back. “But for now, we need to get on the road so we’ll have time to go grocery shopping in Boston.”

“Don’t worry about a thing,” Liz said, then kissed us both on the cheek. “Take care of each other, and text me when you think about it.”

Something moved beside my foot, and I looked down to see Jackie had sneaked up on us. “Hey, little guy,” I said, kneeling to scratch between his ears.

“Easy,” Con said. “You don’t want to have an allergy attack and feel miserable all the way to Boston.”

“No worries. Jackie and I have done this a lot. I just need to wash my hands before we leave.”

Con stroked the cat’s back and smiled at me. “You big old softie. You love Jackie.”

“Yes, I do. I guess you’re not the only guy in my life, after all.”

After going back inside to wash my hands, I locked up the house again. Con and I were kissing for at least the hundredth time that day when Liz cleared her throat. “That’s enough, lovebirds. Get on the road, and don’t forget to call when you get there. I’ll be worried.”

“You’ve got it,” I said, and then walked Con to his car. “Drive carefully, babe. I’ll be right behind you.”

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