Page 61 of Must Love Christmas

“No worries,” Simon said, though his tone probably implied the opposite.

“Well, good luck,” she said awkwardly, looking straight through him.

“Ta,” he muttered.This truly is an enchanted forest,because it’s turned me invisible.

He wasn’t sure which was worse: being looked at too much or not enough. Apart from the elderly couple on the bus—and Garen, of course—no one tonight had treated him like a real person.

He caught up to Garen beside a sign markedSerbian Spruces.

“I’ve just stumbled on these. What do you think?” he asked Simon. “Lush but with a nice slim profile.”

“Might be good for our limited space.” Remembering Garen’s love of serendipity, he added, “What if you spin round with your eyes closed and I tell you when to stop? Whichever tree you’re looking at when you open your eyes, that’s the one.”

Garen nodded pensively. “I like it. But we each get one free veto.”

“Deal,” Simon said, though he had no intention of using that veto. He just wanted Garen to settle on a fucking tree so they could go home.

Garen covered his eyes with his left hand, extended his right arm, then began to spin. Feeling a tiny bit fiendish, Simon let him rotate six times before saying, “Stop.”

“Hiya, tree.” Garen staggered toward a taller-than-average spruce. “You’re coming home with us, once I inspect you.” He stroked one of the branches as though the tree was a skittish horse. “Not technically coming homewithus. We’re having you delivered.” He gave the trunk a good shake, then examined the ground—for fallen needles, Simon supposed—and walked a complete clockwise circle around the candidate, his steps still wobbly from the spinning.

Finally Garen raised his arms to the sky. “Huzzah!”

Thank God.

As they went to the till to pay for the tree, Garen came to a sudden stop beside a display of assorted greenery.

Simon looked up to see what he was staring at. In the corner of the display, beside a column of holly wreaths, hung several sprigs of mistletoe.

“Shall we get some of that?” Garen asked.

Simon cleared his throat. “It might add a touch of…”Extreme awkwardness.“Fun?”

“Definitely.” Garen grabbed the biggest mistletoe garland, bunched with painted-snow pine needles and cones. “Something for guests to kiss under at our party.”

Simon took the mistletoe so Garen could push his wheelchair over the dirt path toward the till. He ran his fingers over the white berries, his mind blending memories and fantasies of their mouths melding in passion. He was strong enough now to stand on his own beneath this mistletoe, strong enough to hold Garen in his arms while they kissed.

He was strong enough now to do a lot of things.

Simon gave a sigh of relief. Despite their outing’s inauspicious beginnings, at least it had ended on a harmonious note. Maybe tonight they could hang this mistletoe together and—

The thought screeched to a halt as he rewound Garen’s last words in his head. “Wait, what party?”

Chapter 13

17 Days UntilChristmas

“Hold that side tight so it stays level.” Garen stuck a drawing pin into the top left corner of the six-foot-wide strip of wallpaper, then two more along the top edge.

“Are we done decorating after this?” Simon asked, resting his shoulder against the living room wall.

“Almost.” Garen decided not to mention that Christmas decorations were usually an ongoing project that didn’t stop until midnight on Christmas Eve.

He had to keep Simon busy somehow. The doctors had given him a final recommendation against flying to Greece, and Simon had convinced his family to go without him. So it was up to Garen to make sure his friend had a happy holiday and even happier birthday.

Fortunately, making merry was pretty much Garen’s reason for living.

He finished fastening the paper to the wall, then stepped down off the stepladder to admire his work.

---