Page 48 of Celebrating the Season

Boaz’s hand found mine on the center console, our fingers intertwining. He was quiet for a moment, which was unusual enough that I glanced over. His eyes were shining with unshed tears.

“Ellery,” he said softly, “I love you. So much.”

My heart swelled. “Love you too, sweetheart. More than I thought possible. Let’s go home.”

EPILOGUE

BOAZ

One Year Later

Ellery was my date for my father’s wedding. Oh, we drew some curious stares, but no one dared say anything, probably knowing neither of the grooms would tolerate it.

And when one of Ellery’s buddies from his days as a smokejumper died, I went with him to the funeral. There was some serious ribbing, but no one seemed to have a real issue with us being together.

We’d become a family. Somehow, I’d found what I’d wanted for so long…and I’d found it in the last place I would’ve expected.

I’d grown to love Forestville. Brianna—who ran Brianna’s Bakery and Coffee Shoppe—had the most amazing pastries I had quickly become addicted to. Collins Family Grocer sold everything one could need urgently, like the toilet paper I’d forgotten to buy once. Thank god for small-town grocery stores.

Billy’s General Store also functioned as the post office, and we did a lot of business with them once I’d built Ellery a decent website and had started selling his woodwork there. We’d even personally delivered a few big pieces, making a fun weekend trip out of it when it was out of state.

My own artwork was doing really well too. I’d even had to close commissions a few times because the backlog had become too much—and not because I wasn’t working hard. The structure Ellery provided did miracles for me in every way. I looked better, felt better, slept better, ate better, and got much more work done.

The regular and rather spectacular sex didn’t hurt either. Spankings were still part of the program, and on occasion, Ellery liked to tie me down with some soft ropes and drive me absolutely crazy. He was the perfect level of dominance for me, and I couldn’t love him more.

“You know what day it is today?” Ellery asked as he flipped a pancake.

We’d started the day with a quick, hard fuck—just the way I liked it. I frowned. “It’s a week till Christmas?”

Then it hit me. “Oh… It’s a year ago that we met.”

“It is.”

“Best year ever.”

“Yeah?”

I snorted. “If that’s news to you, you haven’t been paying attention, old man.”

He scratched his chin, grinning broadly. “I mean, the way you screamed my name this morning when I made you come was a good indication you like me.”

“Or that I like your cock.”

“True, but maybe it’s both?”

I waggled my hand. “A little of both?”

He narrowed his eyes. “Does someone need another spanking?”

“Dude, my ass is still red from the last one, so that would be a no.”

He slid the pancake onto a plate, which joined the three perfect others he’d already made, then shot me a concerned look. “Was I too rough?”

I wanted to make another joke, then thought better of it. Ellery’s protectiveness was not something to take lightly. “No, not at all. I loved it.”

“Okay.” He turned his attention back to the stove. “Just wanted to make sure.”

When he’d made six more pancakes—the man ate a lot—he turned off the stove and sat down too.

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