Gingerbread Mistletoe by Amy Aislin

Author:Amy Aislin
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Lighthouse Bay, Book Two
Publisher: Amy Aislin
Published: 2020-10-15T00:00:00+00:00

MIKA WAS RUNNING LATE THE next morning, as he tended to. Insomnia was a bitch and he’d fallen asleep sometime after three, the television murmuring in the background. Netflix was asking him if he was still watching when his bladder woke him after ten.

Headquarters would already be full of activity when he arrived, and most of the breakfast sandwiches and pastries Zach would’ve brought over had no doubt been devoured by now. So Mika took his time getting ready and made himself a hearty breakfast that he ate with his parents.

Afterward, Mom waved goodbye and left to volunteer at the food bank. Once she’d cleared the tiny foyer, Mika put on his own outerwear and gave his upside-down gingerbread man a little flick to get it swaying.

“Dad, I’m leaving for headquarters.”

Dad yelled back from the basement, where he was determined to sort their junk and empty boxes into some semblance of organization. Retirement at its best. “Are you home for dinner tonight?”

Ah, living with parents. Even at forty years old, Mika was expected to inform them about his whereabouts and keep them apprised of unexpected changes in his schedule. It had nothing to do with the cancer and everything to do with a need to know that their only child was safe and accounted for.

It was cute, but he was looking forward to not having to report back to anyone.

“Should be,” Mika said, pulling on his gloves. “I’ll let you know if that changes.” With another flick to the gingerbread man, he stepped outside.

Fuck, it was cold today. Sunny, not a cloud in the sky, but it was deceiving as hell. The air nearly froze his lungs, so frigid it stung his cheeks. Pulling a knit hat out of his pocket, he slipped it on and went down the porch steps.

“What the . . . ?”

Jeff stood on his snowy front lawn next to a twelve-foot tall inflatable snowman wearing a jaunty holiday top hat, a red scarf, and green mittens. The snowman, that was, not Jeff. Jeff was outfitted nearly identically to Mika: dark coat, gloves, hat, and warm boots. Jeff’s scarf was green-and-blue plaid to Mika’s red.

“Hey,” Jeff said, a smile creasing his cheeks. Mika had dreamed about that smile when he’d finally gotten to sleep. Perhaps Jeff hadn’t made the best first impression. Turned out he wasn’t so bad under that prickly you-totaled-my-car exterior.

Okay, he was better than not so bad. There was a little bit of sweetness under the gruff exterior, as evidenced when Jeff had bought him dinner last night. He was nice to Mika’s friends. And there was sadness there too, and acute loneliness that Mika wasn’t sure Jeff recognized. Mika knew all about loneliness. Had dealt with it when he’d first moved to Los Angeles without knowing anyone there.

Jeff waved at the snowman. “What do you think?”

One of the snowman’s arms was by its side, the other raised in a wave. Mika gave it a high five. “It’s hideous! I love it.” Bouncing on his toes, Mika grinned.

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