Page 33 of Just for the Holidays

“Oh, yes.” Gretchen smiles widely, displaying her pearly white smile. “He made me these babies,” she says happily. “Had the old choppers ripped out and the Doc fixed me up.” Her brow furrows. “Made me promise to quit smoking before he’d do it though.”

“Sounds like Anthony,” Nichol comments with a chuckle.

The developing scent of fully baked bread fills the shop and Teddy draws the oven open, slipping on frilly pink mits, and producing the golden pillows, setting them aside to cool, then sliding the pies into the racks.

“Nichol and I are about to have BLTs, would you like one?” Teddy offers Gretchen.

“Absolutely!” She slips her coat off her shoulders, letting it drape off the stool beneath her, and settles in.

Teddy fires up a burner on the stovetop and sets a cast-iron skillet over the flame, dropping two chunks of butter in to melt. He gathers a package of bacon, from the butcher down the street, a tomato, and lettuce. “Do either of you want cheese?”

“Of course,” Nichol and Gretchen both pause their chatter to reply.

Teddy adds cheddar to the stack in his arms and drops the supply onto the prep table. He lays slabs of bacon into the pan, sizzling and popping on contact, then turns back to slice the tomato and lay out pieces of bread from his own supply.

He twists back to the stove to add a flared sprinkling of salt to the bacon and carries on stacking the bread slices with lettuce, tomato, and cheese.

“Have you had Teddy’s cooking yet, Nichol?” Gretchen asks. Grinning. “I’m sure you’ve had his baking, but his chef skills are out of this world too,” she adds. “He and my Joey team up to cater a spread for our Friendsgiving party every year.”

“Really?” Nichol unfolds his arms and leans one hand on the counter, poking the other in his pocket.

“Mm-hmm,” she winks at Teddy.

His cheeks sizzle like the bacon, as he slathers mayo over the top slices of bread, gathers the crisped strips from the pan, adds them to the sandwiches, and then lays the three stacks into the greasy residue to toast.

“His scrambled eggs and toast were pretty delicious,” Nichol comments.

Gretchen’s smile stretches wide and her brow lifts like she’s unveiled a secret.

Teddy plates the golden sandwiches, and delivers them to the counter.

“Mmm,” Gretchen delights in the delicious sight, before gripping hers in both hands and chomping a near quarter into her mouth, moaning almost inappropriately.

Teddy’s belly flutters as he glances at Nichol, humming in agreement with Gretchen, closing his eyes and savoring his mouthful with a dreamy grin.

Chapter 19

Nichol

Mr. Hunkly Dory

“Ican get Katie to pick me up… or Anthony, he’s probably closing up the practice now.” Nichol attempts to refuse Teddy insisting on giving him a ride home as he locks the shop door.

“I’m heading to the gym, I’ll take you home.” Teddy slugs his duffle bag up on his shoulder and nods for Nichol to follow him into the alley, around the corner.

Teddy’s jeans hug his glutes as he struts toward the little truck, still piled with snow. He sweeps his arm over the hood and then the windshield to push a good portion away.

“Hop in, I’ll clean it off while it warms up.” The sweet baker hauls his squawking door open, tossing his bag behind the driver’s seat and collecting the brush-scraper tool.

“I can help,” Nichol offers.

“There’s only one of these, and it’s freezing, just get in.” Teddy chuckles.

Nichol gratefully obliges, watching comfortably—though not warmly—from inside the cab, as Teddy works at clearing the windshield in front of him, and then presses his whole chest against the window at Nichol’s side, stretching to reach the crusty piles on the roof.

A visual of auburn-haired mounds, with pink nipples, crushed against glass, enters Nichol’s mind. He drops his eyes to the floor and shifts his thighs to cut off the blood supply rushing toward inconvenient places.

By the time Teddy finishes, a hint of warmth is just starting to blast through the vents. He rubs his cold-reddened hands together, huffing breath into his palms and waving them in front of the heater, until they’re pale again, before shifting the truck into gear.

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