Page 10 of A Swan for Christmas

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Kellan kept twisting and turning his head, trying to see all the sights of the downtown at once. The town was small—Vic had told him that at last count it held about five thousand residents. Apparently, the town was also protected through the magic of a witch who recently died, but her sister—Rosemary Vale, the town’s mayor and a werewolf—was the current keeper of the magic.

Kellan was becoming more and more amazed at the various aspects that made up Vale Valley. He’d never known such a place existed, or that it was even a possibility. But now that he did, he never wanted to leave. He snuck a sideways glance at Vic. Did he mean what he said? That he wants me too?

Kellan tried to sit still, tried not to squirm in his seat so much, but he couldn’t stop. He hadn’t been exaggerating earlier when he’d told Vic he was about to jump out of his skin. Maybe it’s that witch magic. Whatever he was going through might not be evil, but it sure as hell was potent.

“Oh, look. They’re hanging their sign.” Vic pointed to a pretty shop on the right side of the street. “That’s Sweet Bites. It’s a new creperie opening up next week.” Vic squeezed Kellan’s hand before returning it to the wheel. “We should give them a try.”

Kellan bounced twice before he realized what he was doing and immediately made himself stop. The urge to start up again was huge, but he’d do his best not to. “I’d love that. I’ve never had a crepe before.”

“Then I’ll put it at the top of our list.”

Our. It was a great word. “Can we go to the lake before it’s time to head back to the restaurant?”

“Of course we can.”

“Ooh, what’s that?” Kellan pointed to a modern, two story building next to a small market.

“Oh, that’s my friend Grayson’s Creatures of Comfort aromatherapy shop and health center. I do my work outs there.” Vic pulled into an open parking space in the small lot. “Grayson is one of the Vales. Rosemary is his grandmother.”

Something about the shop intrigued Kellan. He pressed his nose against the window of the truck. “Wow. Does everyone here know each other?”

Vic chuckled. “Seems that way, doesn’t it? No, we don’t, but we do have each other’s backs.”

“What’s aromatherapy?” He couldn’t take his eyes off the place.

“Um, I’m not sure I’m the best person to explain this, but people use different scented oils and combinations of oils to help boost their emotions and…”

When Vic didn’t continue, Kellan looked over his shoulder to see why. He was met with Vic’s deep frown as he rubbed his bearded chin.

“What else does it help with, Vic?”

“Like I said, not my thing. My nose is so sensitive, I usually avoid that part of the center. If you want, we can go inside and check it out.”

“Can we? Thanks, Vic. It looks amazing.”

Vic helped him down from the truck and they entered the large establishment. Everything was bright and sleek with an open floor plan. A fireplace was on one side and the second story was where all the gym equipment was. Apparently, rooms were available for massages as well, but what really interested Kellan was the elegant aromatherapy shop in the center of the first floor. Vic gathered up his hand and led him toward it.

A pretty young woman glanced up from behind one of the display cases. “Hello, gentlemen, what can I help you with today?”

Kellan didn’t know how to respond since he didn’t understand about the aromatherapy. Vic spoke up and took Kellan off the hook.

“Hi Flora. I’ve been trying to explain to my friend Kellan here what this aromatherapy business is all about.”

Flora laughed. “That’s okay, Vic. I gotcha covered.” She beckoned Kellan over. “It’s nice to meet you, Kellan.”

She’s very friendly. “It’s nice to meet you, too.”

Flora tapped a finger against her lip. “Let me see. Is there anything that’s been bothering you lately, something you wish you had some help with?”

If she’d asked him the same question the day before, his answers would’ve been a lot different. “Well, I had a big scare yesterday, but everything’s much better now.”

“Oh, I see. I’m sorry about yesterday, but I’m glad things are looking up today.” She reached into a case and pulled out several tiny vials. “I want you to sniff each of these, and tell me whether you’re drawn to them or not.”

Kellan sniffed and picked out a few of the scents that he enjoyed the best, then he watched in fascination as Flora mixed then together in a new bottle. Eventually, they walked out of the shop with a mixture for calming his nerves and a bath bomb for relaxation. Vic had appeared skeptical, however, he’d insisted on purchasing the items for him.

When they got back to the truck again, Kellan clutched the gift from Vic, holding the bag tightly and trying not to get emotional again. Vic was going to think he was weak or goofy in the head, and that’s not what he was like at all. He’d had to be resilient in order to survive the daily bashings he’d endured at the hands of Finn, as well as the other herd members when they were trying to kiss up to his rotten brother.

“Okay, next stop, the lake.” Vic regarded him before putting the truck in reverse. “You must be hungry. I know my stomach’s getting a bit growly.”

Kellan imagined Vic had a big appetite. All those muscles. He bit his lip to temper his arousal. Being held by Vic earlier had been amazing. He’d wanted to climb the man like a tree.

“Whatever you want, Vic. If you’re hungry, then we should eat.”

He smiled. “You’re a sweetheart. How about this? We’ll head back to the restaurant and grab a bite, I’ll show you around there, then we can go to the lake at sunset. Sound good?”

Kellan sighed. “Sounds romantic.”

Vic’s eyes widened a bit and he cleared his throat. “Is that okay?” He pulled out of the space then headed in the direction of the inn.

“It is for me.”

The corner of Vic’s mouth turned up in a smile. “Cool. To the restaurant we go, then lake at sunset.”

Kellan sat back in his seat, still cradling the gift Vic had bought him and trying to relax. Best day ever. He wiggled and clenched his fists. If only I could get rid of this jumpiness.