Page 59 of Bear Creek Christmas
Levi caught up with Eden as they made their way to the staff lounge before classes started. She rolled her eyes and sighed dramatically.
“Can we fast-forward to Thursday, please? I am SO ready for this break!”
Levi grunted.
“You’re preaching to the choir, my friend. This has been the busiest Fall of my life, and I’m about to drop.”
Eden’s head bobbed in agreement.
“You’ve been spinning plates since you got here and haven’t broken one yet. I’m glad you have Knox to help you get through it.”
They entered the lounge to find everyone watching a weather report out of Chicago. It didn’t sound good.
“...left upwards of twelve inches on the ground, and the city is at a standstill. As the worst in over a decade, this storm is packing heavy winds and whiteout conditions, making travel impossible. Extreme caution is advised for those still in its path.”
The staff exchanged worried looks as they headed off to their respective classrooms, wondering if and when the thing would show up in Bear Creek. If the district declared a snow day, they’d be the first to hear about it. Meanwhile, finals loomed, and other tasks waited as they wrapped things up before the winter break.
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After school, Levisqueezed in some much-needed shopping without telling Knox. He’d struggled for some time trying to decide what to get the man, but when the answer came, it turned out he’d known all along. Presenting it, however, would require a bit of creativity. Lucky for Levi, the shops in town sold an enormous array of bear-related items. One could find stuffed bears, T-shirts, keychains, clocks, lamps, bookends, jewelry, ballcaps, refrigerator magnets—a nearly endless list.
Levi wanted something more personal, designed to present his lover with an important message. The third shop he visited turned out to be the perfect place. Levi found two items that would do the job, though both required the free engraving offered by the store. He waited while they did the work, then scooted home and stashed the bag in his closet before Knox arrived for supper. Since both of them chose to remain mum on the topic of gifts, he wouldn’t have to worry about accidentally revealing anything before the big day.
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Tuesday evening
Levi held Knox’s hand as they waited in line. With Christmas only a few days away and the possibility of bad weather, the grocery store was packed with everyone trying to get their holiday meal items. The news reports were conflicting, with some saying the storm would diminish before reaching eastern Pennsylvania, while others claimed the system might actually worsen. No one knew what to believe, and it became something of a joke. After all, Bear Creek already had record levels of snow on the ground, despite being early in the season.
While bears didn’t care one way or another, Knox shared some of Levi’s concern. A white Christmas was certainly festive, but too much of a good thing rarely turned out well. He just didn’t want anything interrupting the quiet, romantic holiday he’d been looking forward to. Knox thrived on hard work, but poor Levi had been swamped with heavy responsibilities and severe demands on his time. He needed rest and some one-on-one attention only Knox could provide.
So while he hated standing in line, if it meant not having to leave the cabin for groceries, then it was worth the trouble. Fortunately, Levi shared his thinking on the matter and agreed to come with him. It seemed nearly everyone in the metro area decided to do the same. Now that the urgency of shopping was behind them, they spent their wait time in conversation, and Knox asked his mate how finals went.
“I got the last of them over with today. I think all the hard work paid off for my music history students. The lowest grade in the class was a “B”, which means they get pizza for lunch.”
“So tomorrow is the last day before the break?”
“Yep. My senior choir is doing a gift exchange, the freshmen are watching a short film, and I have some fun music for my other classes to sing. Nothing heavy and no homework over the break.”
Knox grunted, shaking his head.
“I wish I’d had teachers like you in school. On second thought, I would probably have been trying to get in your pants.”
Horrified, Levi slapped a hand over Knox’s mouth.
“You can’t say things like that! I mean, it’s so wrong... I would have been fired or arrested for getting involved with an underage student!”
Knox gave him a smoldering look and leaned down to whisper in his ear.
“I didn’t say you would have let me, though I bet I could convince you now.”
Levi blushed hotly and jabbed a finger in his chest.
“I’m going to send you to the principal’s office if you keep this up. Now, how are you coming with all your projects?”
Knox accepted the change in topic with a sly wink and answered the question.
“I should be caught up with everything by the time you’re finished tomorrow unless I get more maintenance calls. I still have a couple small repair jobs in the morning, and in the afternoon, there’s a bunch of firewood to deliver. Then, I’m done.”
