Page 25 of Season of Gifts

Something was hardening, but it wasn’t the chocolate.“Think you missed a spot.Henry, what do you think?”

On the opposite side of the kitchen island, Henry watched them with indulgent eyes.“I expect the two of you will need to shower before dinner.And we may run out of chocolate.”

Behind him, the last of the light had run out of the sky, even though it was barely five o’clock.Winter always made five feel like nine.Summer days were a long ways away yet.

“Nope.”Alice cleaned Jay’s arm with a series of smacking kisses.“I’ll be good, I promise.”

Their aprons saidIt’s nice to be naughty, so Henry was probably grading “good” on a sliding scale.They’d also each gotten undershorts as part of today’s gift calendar package—pine green, but with white snowflakes for Alice and lighter green trees for Jay.Alice’s had come with a matching strappy tank top.The note said to keep the aprons handy, because they’d need them again.Food games might be the best.After sex games.He should make a list in his wish book: Top Ten Henry Gifts.Except everything so far would tie for first place.

Jay swirled the pretzel in the chocolate and settled on the green sprinkles.A whole forest of coated rods stood in their makeshift drying racks—a pair of cereal boxes they’d modified to work like pegboard.Three more and his would be filled.Alice still had five on her side, but she was way neater with hers.They took longer.Plus he might have already eaten one.

He’d never spent a day at the farm making treats like these, and the kitchen there was always noisier and more crowded, at least until Peggy shouted at everyone to go outside, but this wasn’t a half-bad way to spend a Sunday afternoon.Sometimes they sang along to carols from the stereo, and sometimes Henry pulled out his sketchbook, and sometimes they talked, and sometimes they were quiet.But all of it was good.

His phone chirped from the table.Alice had taunted Nat and Ollie with a photo of the first finished sticks; safe bet some pouty faces were showing up.He’d have to send them a picture of himself biting into one.

Henry’s phone started ringing.He laid his sketchbook aside and strode down the hallway.Jay dropped his besprinkled pretzel in an empty slot and snatched his own phone.

Huh.Not the sister brigade.Skimming the message, he drummed his feet against the tile.Wedding photos!Avery had sent him a link to the whole gallery of shots she’d taken for them.He’d have to ask Henry if they’d have time to look at them together after dinner.Depended on what else Henry might have planned.Cast the photos to the TV, maybe, so they could choose ones for a printed album.That top one she’d featured looked damn good.“Hey, H—”

“Szzt.” Alice hissed at him and held up a finger.Eyes wide, she tipped her head toward the front hall.

“—did they take her?”Henry had shifted from lazy, loving tones to a tight, clipped one.“Any indications of—”

Jay sidled over to Alice, his phone dangling from his hand.She took his other hand in hers, gripping him tightly.Down the hall, Henry paced in the entryway.

“No, I understand.Thank you.”Face raised toward the ceiling, Henry swallowed twice.“I’ll be there in a few hours.Please call if anything changes in the meantime.”

A chill spread in Jay’s chest.Bending his head, he whispered in Alice’s ear.“What’s going on?”

“I think—”

Henry sped toward them, stopping in the doorframe.“I need to leave for Maine.You’ll be all right for dinner?”

“We’ll figure it out.”Alice stepped forward, her hand still linked to Jay’s, squeezing for all she was worth.“Should we pack you a bag?Enough for a few days?”

A few days?She was miles ahead of him, for sure.“Should we go with you?”

“A bag, yes, of course.”Henry rubbed his temples.“I’ll go and do that.”He smiled gently at Jay, but the corners frayed and slipped.“No, I can’t be certain how long—and the visitation rules—we’ll see how things look in the morning.”

Nodding, Henry spun and left the room.

“Pack layers,” Alice called.“Hospitals are either freezers or saunas, and you never know which you’re going to get.”

Henry took the stairs two at a time, disappearing around the curve.

Jay slid his phone onto the counter and pressed into Alice’s side.“Hospitals?”

She wrapped him in her arms and held on tight.“I know what that call sounds like.Mother must be…” She shrugged, shaking her head against his chin.“Hurt, sick, I don’t know.But something.”

Hurt.Sick.Peggy telling him about Mom’s dementia.Mrs.Eickhoff lying on the floor, her foot bare.Henry’s mom dancing with him at their reception, telling him how much she was looking forward to hosting them for Christmas.

“Jay?”Alice rubbed his chest through the apron, rough and fast.“He’s not going to want to wait long enough to eat.Can you grab some car-friendly snacks while I make tea for a travel mug?”

“Yeah.Yes.”He shook the memories out of his head.Henry never let Jay leave the house without a solid meal; he’d have to snag good fuel to keep Henry’s energy up for whatever waited in Maine.“Car snacks.On it.”

His phone screen dimmed.Their happy wedding photo winked into blackness.

Chapter fourteen

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