Page 54 of Just for the Holidays

“Where have you been?” Max noseys, while impatiently prancing around the table, hungrily eyeing the holiday spread.

“Playing hide and seek,” Nichol replies. “You lost.”

Katie laughs.

“You didn’t tell me we were playing.” Max folds his arm and grimaces.

“Maybe next time.” Nichol offers with a shrug and a smile.

Raps on the front door announce it swinging open.

“Hello everybody.” Rebecca bellows.

She and Carl climb the stairs with arms full of brightly wrapped gifts.

“Look who we ran into outside.” Rebecca is smiling and twists back, peering around her husband.

Principal Butler steps up on the landing, smiling proudly and ushering his guest to follow. A tall slender man, chiseled from head to toe, with wire-rim glasses and a smoothly sculpted dark pompadour, joins the party.

“This is my partner, Brett.”

Nichol’s eyes widen and he turns to Teddy.

“Hey Mr. Hinkly,” Max cheers, delighted.

The baker shrugs with a smirk. He leans into Nichol’s ear. “This place is a lot queerer than you think.”

Nichol nudges him with an elbow, chuckling, and wraps his arm over Teddy’s shoulders.

“Can we eat now?” Max’s googly eyes are fixed on the food.

“Yes Max, dig in.” Katie taps the boy on top of his head.

Stuart spins at Max’s feet with his goofy tongue dangling out of a wide smile.

“So, Mr. B, how long have you and Mr. Hunkly . . .” Nichol’s eyes flare and a warm blush rises from his chest. “Hinkly… been dating?” He navigates through his own shameful blunder.

Principal Butler chuckles. “That’s what I call him at home too. He claims to hate it.” He playfully nudges Brett’s elbow but winks at the rest of the table. “But . . .”

Thehunklyteacher flashes his partner a coy smirk and chews tight-lipped, then swallows with a sip of wine, before answering the question. “Nearly a year.”

“We had no idea.” Rebecca chimes in.

“It’s probably for the best, that people don’t know.” Gary sips his glass of pinot. “There aren’t any rules against co-workers dating at the school, but we don’t want any potential negative attention on either of us.”

“And I was trying to set you up with my Nichol here.” Rebecca gleams at Nichol—chomping down on his butter roll.

“We did have a little giggle at that.” Gary chuckles.

Rebecca’s cheeks blush.

“Your mother came on strong.” Brett adds, turning to Nichol. “Practically bullied me for my number.”

“Mm-hmm… She does that.” Nichol flashes his mother a jovially scolding side-eyed glance.

“And what about you and Theodore?” Gary asks.

Nichol swallows hard, quickly chasing the lodged bite with a swig of wine to push it down.

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