Page 17 of Her Paramedic
“It’s good. I have more parts I need before it’s finished.”
His hobby of restoring and selling old vehicles came from his father. They worked on cars together when he was growing up, and he learned everything he knew from him. His interests lay in classic restorations. Getting them back to their former glory andselling them to collectors who would appreciate them and the work he put into them the way he did.
“How was the wedding?” his mom asked, passing him another ornament.
“It was nice. For something planned in a week, you couldn’t tell. Journee put a lot of work into it to make it perfect for them.”
“Journee?” his mom asked.
“She’s Kaydence’s best friend and Killian’s girlfriend.”
He wasn’t sure if they’d put a label on their relationship, but they were dating, and he knew his cousin.
“Killian’s dating?” his dad asked. Slate nodded. “Good for him.”
“And when do you plan on settling down?” his mom asked.
“Corrin, the boy has only been here a few hours, and you’re already starting in.”
“Do you not want your son to settle down and be happy, Solomon?” she challenged, and Slate chuckled as his dad began sputtering. His mother took great joy in catching his father off guard with what she said. Slate was sure that was where he got it from.
“I’m dating,” he supplied. “We’ve only been out a couple of times, and we’re taking it slow, but I’m committed to us building something.”
“Oh! Tell us about her,” his mom requested.
“He just said they’ve only been out a couple of times and are going slow. What do you want him to tell you?”
“That doesn’t mean he can’t tell us,” his mom countered.
Slate gave them a few details. Enough to satisfy his mom as they finished the tree. He yawned as he stacked the empty boxes.
“Why don’t you take a nap?” his mom suggested.
He nodded. After his shift, he’d gone straight to the airport and hadn’t slept on the plane. A short nap sounded like a good idea.
Slate went into the guest room, closing the door behind him. He checked his phone on the nightstand and saw a text from Talia.
Talia:I wanted to make sure your flight landed safely.
Slate:It did. I made it to my parents’ house, and my mother put me straight to work on decorations.
Talia:As she should have. Did you sleep on the plane?
Slate:I did not.
Talia:You should rest. I’ll text you later.
Slate chuckled at the text before setting an alarm and putting his phone aside. When he woke up, he’d put his parents’ presents under the tree.
The next morning, he sat drinking coffee while his mother finished the large breakfast she was making. Their Christmas meal had always depended on how long he could stay. Their choices were between breakfast and dinner since they always helped at a soup kitchen around lunchtime.
Holidays were usually rotated. If they worked one, they got the other off, and it swapped the following year. He had to work tomorrow night since he’d switched shifts to be off for Maximus’ party. It would give the unit he swapped with a three-day holiday.
“Are you sure you don’t need any help?”
“I’m sure, son,” his mother responded. “Did you get your girlfriend a gift?”
“There you go again, remembering what you want to,” his dad said, walking into the kitchen. “How did taking things slow turn into her being his girlfriend?”
