Page 39 of Santa of the Creek
Flushing, I take a deep breath and try to relax. “Can we get out of here?” I beg.
He smirks. “You hate shopping.”
“Almost as much as I hate Santa,” I assure him.
“I love shopping.”
I give him the side-eye. “No, really?”
“Boys, need any help?” Georgia asks as she joins us. She laughs as I turn to her in desperation.
“If it will get me out of here any quicker…”
She winks at Echo. “Next time leave Dean at home.”
Echo grins at her. “Is he always this cranky when he’s in here?”
“Always,” she assures him. “He was the same when he was a kid apparently.”
I think about denying it, but that would just make me sound even crankier.
“You’re in luck,” he tells me. “We need to get over to Will’s to pick up the elf costume before we head to the bar.”
Georgia waves her hand. “Okay, guys, see you at the checkout.”
She leaves us alone and thankfully we take a slow stroll along the aisle.
“How do you know Will has an elf costume?” I ask.
“I asked on the WhatsApp chat. He had an old one from when Mav was younger.”
I’m not on the WhatsApp chat. I know of its existence. Most of the gay guys are on there. No one has ever asked me. I look up to see Echo watching me carefully.
“I can add you to the chat if you want,” he says.
I shake my head. “No, it’s okay.”
“Are you sure?”
“I’d just make people uncomfortable.”
“You or being related to the mayor thing?” Echo asks.
“Both,” I admit. “But they’ve got to get used to me being…” I hesitate, finding it hard to get the word out.
“Gay?”
I nod. “Being gay.”
Someone snorts, and I freeze. I turn to see Burl Montgomery, the cook from Twisted Pine Ranch smirking at me. He’s pushing a trolley full to the brim with what looks like Christmas dinner.
“Son, take a breath,” he says. “It’s a surprise to no one in Collier’s Creek except you.”
It’s the same thing Danny has been telling me for years. Echo keeps trying to fix this in my brain. But it never stays, you know? If I tell myself no one knows I can cope. I start to panic, but Echo steps closer to me and runs soothing circles around my lower back while my brain hops on a hamster wheel with a continual,They know. They know. They know.
“I didn’t mean to upset you, Dean. I just thought…now…” He looks between Echo and me.
I lick my lips. Echo’s lack of response is making it clear he wants me to answer this. I can do this. “Burl, meet my boyfriend, Echo.”
