Page 23 of A Swan for Christmas

Kellan grinned up at him as he shoved a plastic container of tiny ornaments into his craft tote. He’d been using them to decorate the mini trees he’d placed on the ledges connecting the backs of the booths. The dining room had never been so festive.

Or sparkly.

“Yeah. Two minutes, tops.”

Vic helped gather up the rest of Kellan’s things and soon they were off. They snuck through the hallway connecting the restaurant to the lobby and approached the front desk. Mark glanced up from the computer screen.

“Are you guys headed to the market?”

“We sure are.” Vic rubbed his hands together. “I can’t wait to get my hands on some of that peppermint fudge I’ve heard everyone talking about.”

Mark smiled. “Oh yeah. That’s from Sweet Bites’ booth, isn’t it? I haven’t been there since they opened, have you?”

Vic wrapped an arm around Kellan’s shoulders. “I took Kellan there the day they opened. You should give them a try. They have sweet and savory crepes. But the fudge is a special deal for the market only.”

“Cool. Then I’d better get a night off, so I can go there and get some before it’s all gone.”

Vic smirked. “Funny. Next week, you have the whole weekend off. Then you can indulge all you want.”

Kellan cleared his throat and moved out of Vic’s embrace. “Um, Mark, is it okay if I put my bag behind the desk for now?”

“Sure, Kel. You don’t have to ask.”

“Thank you.” Kellan ducked his head then gingerly moved behind the counter, placing his bag next to the cabinet that held all the lobby brochures and office supplies.

Vic exchanged a glance with Mark, jerking his chin one time. Kellan had come a long way when it came to being less nervous around Mark, but they weren’t best buddies quite yet, either.

“Okay, let’s go. I need a sugar fix.”

Kellan’s bright smile returned, and Vic extended his hand. After saying goodnight to Mark, they headed to the truck, the excitement over their holiday outing palpable. They were fortunate the night was clear and that it hadn’t snowed in almost a week. The roads were plowed, the town square where the market was held would be bustling, and nothing would prevent the live musicians from playing Christmas Carols as a backdrop to the evening.

As they drove toward the center of town, the multitude of Christmas lights made Kellan ‘ooh’ and ‘ah’ the same as it had the night of the tree lighting ceremony. Vic tried not to let his thoughts drift to the possibility of them being childless, but all he could think of in the moment was what a wonderful parent Kellan would make, that he’d be the type of dad who would share in all sorts of fun activities with their kids.

Vic forced his thoughts back to the present. The night was about him and Kellan, about them being together and enjoying the fun and excitement of the season.

“Oh look, we’re in luck.”

Vic steered the truck into a parking spot right as another vehicle pulled out. The passenger side would be next to the snow berm, but if the door didn’t clear it, Kellan could climb out the driver’s side. Vic shut off the engine and angled his body toward him.

“Can you get the door open?”

Kellan tugged on the handle and the door made it halfway before meeting the resistance of the solid, packed snow. “I can squeeze out.”

“Hold on. Let me help you.”

After Vic dropped out of the truck, he came around to lift Kellan over the berm before placing him on the cleared street. He gave him a kiss then gathered up his gloved hand into his as they strolled toward the market. Vic had managed to get a spot only about a block away, so already they could hear the music floating on the air.

Once they set foot on the square lined with booths on all sides, Kellan stopped, causing Vic to come to a halt as well. Kellan gazed around the opulent displays while Vic enjoyed watching the excitement in his eyes. Every booth was lit up and decorated with their own theme—some with boughs of pine that sported red and gold bows, others with wreaths of holly accented with miniature white twinkling lights and one booth was even encased entirely in red and white striped ribbon as if it were a giant candy cane. The festive stalls offered up a myriad of items. Handcrafted wooden toys in one, silver and gold jewelry in another, one with quilts and handmade baby clothes along with a booth of outfits for pets—something for everyone

Kellan pointed. “Oh look! Creatures of Comfort is here, there’s Flora. It looks like they have some candles too.” He peered up at him. “I bet they’re scented.” Kellan tugged on Vic’s hand. “We should also check to see if they have any special bath bombs for the holidays.”

Vic laughed as Kellan eagerly pulled his hand and dragged him toward Grayson’s booth. While Kellan perused the offerings, Vic glanced around the bustling and happy crowd. Then someone caught his eye. He furrowed his brow, stretching his neck as he tried to peek through the clusters of shoppers to get a better look at the familiar face.

Wait. Is that Mateo? He squinted his eyes then widened them again in surprise. With Father Lance? No way. Not that a priest couldn’t enjoy the Christmas market along with everyone else, but they seemed awfully cozy together. I need to drop by the tattoo shop this week. He planned on hunting for some details.

Kellan grabbing his sleeve knocked him out of his reverie. “Which one do you think we should get? There’s mocha latte fusion and strawberry crème surprise.”

Kellan held up two large bath bombs—one a light brown with cream-colored swirls and a pale pink one with similar swirls. Vic took a tentative sniff of them both, his mouth watering at how delicious they smelled.