Page 60 of A Christmas Mystery

ALMOST A YEAR LATER, I’m pulling my tiny house into the Green Valley campground again.

It’s always a hassle when I first reach a destination. I have to check-in. Maneuver into the designated spot. Secure my house. Unhitch it from my truck. Unfold the deck. Connect power and water. Unshutter the windows and get everything into livable shape inside. Then let Ed and Claude out of the crates they travel in.

It’s not a short process, and today I’m in a rush the whole time.

I haven’t seen Theo in almost a month.

We text throughout the day and talk on the phone at least twice a day. But it’s not the same. I miss him.

I’ve had to adapt my travel routine this year so I’m not away from Green Valley for more than a month at a time. I don’t want to give up that portion of my life completely, and the travel is a significant feature of my identity as an influencer. I don’t want to lose everything I’ve built, even though I’ve started adapting my posts so I can continue with interesting content even when I’m in town.

So this is the second month of travel I’ve spent this year, and this one was harder than the first.

Harder to be separated from Theo.

I’ve arrived this evening two hours earlier than I expected, so I’m hoping to surprise him by showing up at his place. So the normal chores and routines of setting my house up are more frustrating than usual.

I’ve put down water for the cats and am gathering the stuff I need when I hear a car door shut outside.

I peek out the glass pane of my front door to see Theo’s SUV. Then Theo himself, taking both the steps up to the deck at one time.

I swing open the door just before he’s ready to knock on it.

“What are you doing here so early?” I demand, astonished and delighted all at once.

“What kind of greeting is that?” He’s grinning as he steps inside and then grabs me in a tight hug. “Finally,” he mutters. “I’ve been waiting forever to do this.”

I’m smiling sappily with my face pressed against his sweater-clad shoulder. “It’s just been a month.”

“Just a month. It was the longest month in the history of the world.” He pulls back just enough to peer down at my face. His hands have settled on my hips.

“I know. It felt really long for me too. But how did you know to get here so early?”

“I didn’t. I was just impatient, so I figured I’d come over and wait for you here, but then there were you.”

“I wanted to surprise you.”

“And I surprised you instead.”

I beam up at him. “You always do.”

Either the words or the expression earn me a kiss. A good one. Long and slow and deep and delicious.

I get so excited I’m in the process of moving us toward the couch when Claude lets out an indignant, extended yowl at the great offense of being so rudely ignored by his second-favorite human.

We break apart, both laughing, and Theo crouches down to greet both cats and give them their appropriate adoration while I grab the bag he was carrying with him and haul it toward the window seat where he normally puts it.

He grabs it from me before I settle it in place.

“What was that for?” I ask with a frown.

“Maybe there are things in that bag that aren’t for you to see.”

“Ooh.” Intrigued, I try to slip past him so I can investigate this new mystery.

He stops me. Of course he does. He gets his arms back around me and holds me in place, shaking his head in mock disapproval. “No peeking.”

“But I want to peek!” I try and fail to free myself from his grip.

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