Page 44 of My Christmas Alien Mate

"Galexor?" Kzod sidled up next to me. "What in the four universes are you doing in there? What is this?"

"Remember the Grinch yesterday?" I asked, "How he got into people's houses?"

"You said that was a cartoon." Adred joined Kzod and me.

"A little help?" Galexor pleaded.

"We should leave him up there," Adred grumbled.

"How do we get him out?" Kzod asked with a smile around his usually tightly pressed together lips.

"He probably has a ladder already out there," I planned out loud. "But we'll need a rope."

"I know how to get him out," Adred suggested. "Let's light a fire, that'll get him out of there quickly."

"Adred," Kzod chided, but with laughter in his voice.

"Are you getting enough air up there?" I tried to ignore the two alien men who were beginning to laugh in earnest.

"I'm okay. I just need to get down or up," Galexor replied and sneezed, bringing down more soot.

"Alright, let's do this," Kzod decided and stomped outside, followed by Adred and me after I assured Galexor that we were on our way to get him out.

In my grandfather's shed, I found a rope and met the two alien men on the other side of my house. Kzod was already on top of the roof and Adred about midway up the ladder when I called out to him.

"You'll need this, but please try not to hang him." I threw the rope up.

He caught it with one hand and nodded before he joined Kzod on top of the roof.

"Thank the gods he had enough sense to lead with his feet," Kzod yelled down to me and released one end of the rope, while both he and Adred held on to the other.

"You got it, Galexor?" Kzod called.

"Ready," Galexor yelled up, but it sounded muffled.

I nervously stepped from one foot to the other, pressing my hands against my chest and praying that Galexor would be okay. Now and then, a small giggle escaped me at the thought that my boyfriend had tried to play Santa. But when I realized he had done so for me, my love for him nearly choked me.

It took a few minutes, but finally I saw a hand grabbing hold of the top of the chimney from inside, and I breathed out a loud exhale of relief.

Soon a very blackened blue alien appeared, and I squealed. "Galexor!"

He waved at me from the top of the roof, while clapping his dad and brother on the shoulders. All three men were laughing so hard that they began to slip. First Kzod, then Adred, who tried to hold on to him, and then Galexor as he tried to stop the other two from falling.

My heart nearly stopped as all three rolled off the roof.

My hand automatically grabbed for my phone to call nine-one-one as my eyes followed the three men sliding and rolling down. Thankfully, into the pile of snow Galexor had accumulated from clearing our driveway over the course of the last few days.

"Galexor! Kzod! Adred! Are you alright?" I hastened to the pile just as three heads came sputtering out of the small snow mountain.

I held my hand out for Galexor to pull him out, but instead he pulled me into the snow pile. Grinning from ear to ear, he gave me a big kiss. "Merry Christmas, sweetheart."

"Oh, you…" I slapped his arm, but I was too happy he was unhurt to reprimand him.

"Let's get out of here, and I'll make some coffee to warm us up," I said before I remembered that the cold didn't affect my three aliens at all. "At least I need some hot coffee."

"Come on Grinch," Kzod pulled Galexor out and pounded on his back. "You need a shower."

Galexor looked a bit peevish, but no worse for the wear, as did his father and brother.

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