Page 32 of A Swan for Christmas

Chapter Eleven

Vic paced the kitchen, checking the wall clock then shoving his hands in his pockets as he continued moving from the walk-in cooler to the utility sink then back again.

I promised not to check on him every thirty minutes, to only do it every hour.

Christmas Eve had arrived which was already five days later than when Dr. Arthur had checked Kellan. Five days later than when he’d predicted Kellan would lay the egg at any moment.

Ha! Great doctor he is.

Skip appeared from the dining room. “Last customer’s gone, boss man. Dora’s locking up now. Shouldn’t take too long to finish up in there, the busser has been staying on it and the servers already tipped out.” He crossed his arms. “Why don’t you go be with your little daddy swan for a while. There’s almost three hours to go before the midnight run.”

Vic halted. Shit. Forgot all about that. “Yeah… I dunno if I’ll be going this year.”

“Aw, come on. You said you wouldn’t miss it.”

Vic ran a hand over the top of his head. “I know. But I’ve never been on the verge of becoming a father before either.”

Skip scratched his jaw. “Don’t that part happen later, though? He has to pop out that egg first, right? So what if you ain’t there for that. It’s not like you can help him do it or anything. And you won’t even get to see the kid until who knows when. Come on. Hang out with us.”

Vic clenched his fists. He wasn’t about to treat his mate like that. “Skip, don’t piss me off right now. I’m a very stressed out father-to-be and, while I’m glad I’ll be missed, making sure Kellan isn’t alone or afraid when it’s time for him to lay his egg takes precedence over anything else.”

Skip held up his hands in surrender. “All right, don’t sweat it. I’ll tell the gang.” He untied then yanked his bib apron over his head. “And tell the kid from me that I hope he has a Merry Christmas.” Skip averted his gaze and coughed into his fist. “We’ve missed him around here.”

Vic didn’t shock easily, but Skip had just managed to surprise the hell out of him. He didn’t know the salty old guy had it in him. “I will, Skip. He’ll appreciate it.”

Once Vic had verified that everything was taken care of in the restaurant and had wished everyone a Merry Christmas as they went on their way, he wandered over to the panel to shut off the interior lights. He paused, a smile tugging at his lips as his gaze traveled around the room, warmth filling his heart as he admired the myriad of decorations and ornaments that Kellan was in a large part responsible for. With a sigh, he flipped the switches, and section by section, the room darkened.

Vic grabbed his coat of the stand then made his way through the connecting hallway to check in on the night clerk before heading home to Kellan.

“Merry Christmas, Don. Everything okay out here? Need a break before I take off?”

Don glanced up from the magazine he’d been flipping through and smiled. “Merry Christmas to you too. I’m good, Vic. Thanks.”

Vic responded with a nod and a wave, anxious to get back to the cabin. He rushed through the chilly night air, an unnamable urgency pushing him to move faster. When he reached the cabin, he fumbled with the key. He’d never bothered with one in the past, but once he’d moved Kellan in, he hadn’t been able to stop himself from getting a lock put in.

The moment the door opened, he was surprised by the quiet and that the fire had died down to the point where only embers glowed. His stomach fluttered, his heart seeming to rise into his throat as he quickly shut the door behind him. He didn’t want to call out and wake Kellan if he was resting, so he moved swiftly to the bedroom instead.

When he pushed the door to the darkened bedroom open, a sliver of light from the floor lamp in the living room filtered in, casting a pale glow on Kellan’s face. He was curled up in the middle of the nest, his hands folded under his chin. All he wore was Vic’s robe, the way he’d done all week. He’d refused to put on anything else. Since it appeared as though he was asleep, Vic didn’t want to bother him. Right as he turned to leave, Kellan’s barely audible voice sounded.

“Vic? What time is it?”

Vic approached the bed then gingerly sat on the edge. Ever since Kellan had built the nest in the middle of the mattress, they hadn’t used the large bed to sleep in together. Vic had set up a foam mattress at the other end of the bedroom for them to share. The rest of the time, Kellan would lie in the blanket nest.

“Hi, sweetheart. I just closed the restaurant a little while ago, so it’s almost nine-thirty. How are you feeling?” Vic tried to keep his voice casual, even though Kellan’s hooded eyes and sluggish movements worried him.

“So… tired. Heavy.” He tried to push himself up but fell against the blankets instead.

Vic reached for him, but Kellan pushed his hands away. “My skin is heavy, too. Raw, like my nerves are on fire.” He sighed. “It’s not you, Vic. I love you more than anything. I just don’t want to be touched right now.”

“Of course, sweetheart. Whatever you need.” I feel so useless. “Can I get you some water? Or anything else?”

Kellan licked his lips, his eyelids still drooping. “Yes, thank you. Water would be good.”

Vic rushed to get Kellan a drink, tip-toeing around as if any noise at all might disturb him. Once he’d helped support Kellan so he could take a few swallows of water, he gently lowered him back down.

“I’m going to build up the fire again, but I’ll be right back. I’m not going anywhere.”

“The midnight run…”