Thom greeted me by wrapping his arms around my waist and tugging me back against him\u2014I nearly dropped the basket of laundry I was hauling.\u00a0 I blinked over my shoulder at him, trying to pretend I was annoyed that he\u2019d interrupted my chores, the one tiny bit of normalcy in the otherwise insane day we\u2019d just had.<\/p>\n
\u201cMm.\u00a0 To what do I owe this sudden display of affection?\u201d I asked, giving up the battle.\u00a0 \u201cSomething about to go sideways?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI hope not,\u201d he said, kissing my jaw.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s the season.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat\u2019s the season?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s Yule.\u201d<\/p>\n
I stared at him, trying to figure out what that was supposed to mean\u2014why it was suddenly so important\u2014and stood there blinking at him before he sighed.<\/p>\n
\u201c\u2026yeah.\u00a0 I had the same reaction.\u00a0 Phelan had to hit me over the head with a clue sledgehammer.\u201d\u00a0 Thom released me and tried to take the basket from me.\u00a0 I shook my head.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo, I\u2019ve got this balanced pretty well.\u00a0 What clue sledgehammer did he hit you with?\u201d<\/p>\n
Thom smiled wryly.\u00a0 \u201cThings have been so rough lately that we need to celebrate the fact that won\u2014and it\u2019s the season for it.\u00a0 If the world hadn\u2019t ended, we\u2019d be four days out from Christmas.\u00a0 No one\u2019s been thinking about that.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOf course not,\u201d I said.\u00a0 \u201cWe\u2019ve been too busy worrying about not getting killed and making it through the winter.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat was the clue.\u00a0 We need to relax, at least for a few hours\u2014all of us.\u201d\u00a0 He fell into step with me as I hauled the basket of laundry over to the wash tubs, where a few of the others were already hard at work on jeans and towels and blankets.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut I\u2019m guessing he didn\u2019t have any blatant suggestions regarding how?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe left that part to you and I.\u201d<\/p>\n
Of course he did.<\/i>\u00a0 I frowned a little.\u00a0 \u201cIs he mobile?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYeah.\u00a0 He showed up at the forge with Jay in tow.\u201d<\/p>\n
I shivered, nodding.\u00a0 \u201cGood. \u00a0J.T. had the weirdest look on his face earlier.\u00a0 I was worried.\u201d<\/p>\n
Thom gave me a strange look himself.\u00a0 \u201cWhat kind of weird look?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe I\u2019m seeing a ghost and it\u2019s weirding me out more than usual<\/i> look he gets every so often.\u00a0 It must not have been anything terrifying, though, since Jacqueline came out by the fire a few minutes later and said everything was fine and that Jay was with Phelan.\u201d\u00a0 I shrugged slightly.\u00a0 \u201cIf Phelan\u2019s up and around already and hinting at things, everything must <\/i>be fine.\u201d<\/p>\n
Thom grunted.\u00a0 \u201cRight.\u00a0 Business as usual.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cExactly.\u201d\u00a0 Which is a relief\u2014I\u2019m still not sure what we\u2019d do without him at this point.<\/i>\u00a0 Had it really only been a few months since he\u2019d found us here?\u00a0 It seemed like so much longer.\u00a0 I set down my basket near one of the wash tubs and looked at him, voice dropping quieter.\u00a0 \u201cSo what are you thinking we should do?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cTalk to Tala,\u201d Thom suggested.\u00a0 \u201cSee what we can get together for dinner that would be\u2026festive but not too taxing for the next few days.\u00a0 Maybe put up some decorations.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDecorations,\u201d I echoed.\u00a0 \u201cLike what?\u201d<\/p>\n
He shrugged. \u201cPine branches, holly.\u00a0 That kind of thing.\u00a0 We\u2019ve got enough\u2014it\u2019s easy to find.\u201d<\/p>\n
That\u2019s true.<\/i>\u00a0 I frowned.\u00a0 \u201cAnd I\u2019m guessing this isn\u2019t supposed to be a surprise?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u00a0 We want people to see us doing it and start thinking.\u201d<\/p>\n
And start realizing that maybe we do have something to celebrate, too, huh?<\/i>\u00a0 I couldn\u2019t stop the smile and nodded slightly.\u00a0 \u201cSounds like the beginnings of a plan, anyway.\u00a0 Are you going to go get started?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAren\u2019t you going to come with me?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI have laundry.\u201d<\/p>\n
He kissed me warmly.\u00a0 \u201cSomeone else will do it.\u00a0 Come on.\u00a0 We\u2019ve got work to do.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Thom greeted me by wrapping his arms around my waist and tugging me back against him\u2014I nearly dropped the basket of laundry I was hauling.\u00a0 I blinked over my shoulder at him, trying to pretend I was annoyed that he\u2019d … Continue reading