Page 22 of She Came Upon A Midnight Clear
“Sulu and Seven? Yeah. I wish they could come home with me, but they’ll be a lot of dog for my little one bedroom apartment, and I’m gone at work all day.”
“Sulu and Seven? What?”
Her cheeks go a pretty shade of pink, making her freckles stand out. “Um…you know, from Star Trek? I mean, two different generations of Star Trek, but…” She stops, looking flustered.
I grin at her. “You named them.”
“I… I guess I did. I mean, they’re siblings, so themed names felt right.”
“You always were a huge Star Trek geek. I can’t blame you; it’s so much better than Star Wars.”
“Right?” A smile spreads across her lovely face, and I lean over to kiss her.
“You are fucking adorable.”
“So are you, Dru. Seriously. I love watching you work with the dogs. You’re so sweet to them. You’re so sweet to me.”
Why do I feel my cheeks going warm? I like to think I’m made of tougher stuff than that, butch that I am. Well, soft butch. Which this just goes to prove, I guess.
“Are you blushing?” she asks incredulously.
I hold one finger up just as the kettle begins to whistle. “Do not tell anyone about this.”
“Your secret is safe with me,” she says with a giggle, and I’m so pleased to see she’s feeling better. “Except I think pretty much everyone else already knows,” she whispers.
I roll my eyes, then turn back to preparing our tea. Once it’s steeped I add milk and honey to hers and hand her the big, steaming mug, then sit down next to her with mine.
“So, Sulu and Seven is it?”
“Hmm? Yes. I mean, you don’t have to call them that; it’s just who they are in my head.”
“But you’ve fallen in love with them.”
She sighs. “Yeah. I sort of can’t help myself.”
“I totally get it,” I tell her, understanding how you just can’t help falling in love with a dog. Or a person. I clear my throat. “So. I have an idea, and feel free to shoot it down if you’re not into it.”
“Okayyyy,” she says, drawing the last syllable out warily before taking a tentative sip of the tea.
“I really wanted to get a Christmas tree for my place. I know we have them all over the adoption center and the office, but I kind of wanted one for in here. It’d look so great by those two windows in the corner, wouldn’t it? Nothing too big, but do you think you’d be willing to go with me? I know the weather is shit, but it’s just stopped raining, and I think if we get there before the sun sets… Okay. You’re not saying anything, so bad idea?”
She takes another sip of her tea. “I think… I think that’s not a terrible idea.”
“Really? Really, baby? Because if you don’t want to it’s perfectly okay. I will skip it if it’s too triggering for you.”
She reaches her hand out to stroke my cheek, and my heart just fucking flutters in my chest.
“You are such a golden retriever butch,” she tells me, grinning. “But I love that about you.”
Jesus fucking Christ. I’m blushing again. I pick up my mug and sip my tea, trying to convince us both that it’s just the steam from the mug heating my cheeks.
“Okay, great. Should we go right after we finish our tea? There’s a cute tree farm just down the road, so we won’t have to drive too far.”
“Sounds like a plan.”
I sort of can’t believe she agreed to help me pick out a tree, but here we are, pulling up to Navarro’s Christmas Trees. The lot is right in front of their farm, and there’s a huge selection of trees, plus a small petting zoo under a tent with goats and piglets and a sheep, and a small bizarre full of ornaments and holiday gifts in the big barn.
I go around to Evie’s side and open the door for her. She shakes her head, but she knows me. I take her hand and help her out, and we walk toward the entrance.
