Page 10 of Back Where He Belongs

CHAPTER SIX

ONLY ONE

Douglas took Mac out for a quick frolic in the snow and a pee before they settled in for the night. When they returned, Mac headed straight back to his bed by the fire to dry off, and Douglas went upstairs, leaving Kier to load the dishwasher.

After he’d dealt with the dishes, Kier took a nosey around the cottage. The place was larger than he’d first thought, with a modern extension to the rear. The extension housed a second lounge, a large study/office, a bathroom, a mudroom where Douglas could step in from the orchard, no matter the weather and change from muddy or wet clothing. And then and then right at the back of the building was old Victorian style lean-to conservatory brimming with plants.

Standing in the warm conservatory enjoying the silence, Kier could see the snow-covered walled garden that surrounded the property illuminated by lights from the house. And beyond the garden, the tops of mature bare apple trees in Dougie’s orchard could be viewed over the wall. Snow was falling heavily, and the blanket was at least a meter thick. They would not be moving from the warmth of the house for at least two days.

The fact that Douglas had succeeded in not only buying a mature orchard but was also making cider—Scottish cider—that was good enough for retail made Kier nearly burst with pride. Douglas was doing well for himself on his own terms, and that was all Kier had ever wanted for him.

The gnawing feeling in his chest surprised Kier. He realized he had nothing to show for five years away and, while Douglas flourished without him, Kier’s life was in stasis. Secretly, he wished he’d been a part of what Dougie had made here. He wished he hadn’t been afraid of what people would think about who he loved, and so damn pig-headed about running away and seeing the world. It was too late for regrets. From where he stood the world Douglas had created looked pretty special. A tear rolled from Kier’s eye—maybe it was the red wine, the company or the spirit of Christmas had touched him at last?

****

Kier used the bathroom and then returned to the living room and slumped on the couch feeling as exhausted as Mac looked. The dog lay spread on his back with his legs in the air having doggy dreams. His jerky movements made Kier smile. He envied how carefree the dog was. Mac wanted for nothing. His life was simple. He knew his place in the world. He was fed, kept warm and loved, and in turn, he was a happy puppy. Kier wondered what Mac was dreaming about, maybe he was wrestling with his daddy, or playing catch in the snow?

Kier watched the hypnotic fire dance before him, and it added to his feeling of sleepiness. He put his feet up on the large timber trunk that used to belong to him, back in the day. He thought about the things it used to contain and chuckled to himself at the memory. How had Dougie disposed of the contents? Kier lowered his feet, leaned forward and let his fingers trace over the perfect dark circles stained on the top, each one a reminder of a night in with Douglas, a hot cup of tea, coffee or something harder. The trunk was battered, scratched and stained, much like Kier’s heart. Kier was surprised Dougie had kept it after all it had meant to them both. It represented a place, and time he’d cherished and stupidly thrown away.

Kier could hear the creaks and groans of the old timbers as Douglas moved around upstairs in what he assumed was his bedroom—or maybe the spare room?

When Douglas reappeared ten minutes later, he was dressed in a red and white Christmas onesie, and holding a box of decorations. Kier let out a hoot of laughter, making Mac leap up in alarm and bark at an imaginary intruder.

“What the hell are ye wearing?” From the way the thin red jersey fabric clung to his muscular silhouette and gripped Dougie’s cock and balls, Kier could tell he was naked beneath the Santa sleep suit.

“Ah, come on, Freckle! It’s once a year. Where’s your Christmas Spirit? You’ve seen it all before.”

“True,” Kier licked his lips and raised a brow as he found his gaze magnetically drawn to the outline of his ex-boyfriend’s cock. He also found that he was caught up in Douglas’s irrepressible good humor. It was hard not to laugh at how adorable he looked in the Santa sleep suit.

“I need a hand to put out a few deco’s, an’ then I want ye to taste my latest vintage of Highland Red. It’s been aging in caskets I got from Jamison’s distillery. They sell them off when they’ve been used fer ten years, but the oak’s imbued with wonderful scents and flavors.” He said excitedly.

“Sounds good! I’m looking forward to tasting that!” Kier was intrigued by how fired up Douglas sounded when he talked about his cider.

“D’ye have a Christmas tree?” Kier enquired.

“Aye, in a pot outside beside the front door.”

Kier rose and strode through the kitchen to the frigid hallway, and then opened the front door. A blast of icy wind cut him to his bones. The snow was coming down in a blinding sheet; Kier could barely see the trees that hugged the boundary of the land. The Range Rover wore its very own thick white overcoat. Kier picked up the small potted fir tree and brushed as much snow as he could from it before he bought it into the house.

“Where d’ye want it?” The snow remaining on the tree melted rapidly creating puddles as Kier strode across the room. He grabbed a tea towel as he passed the kitchen table and wiped the pot.

“Put it here beside the bookcase. The needles’ll drop overnight if it’s too close to the fire.” Dougie instructed, directing Kier to a low table where he sat crossed legged, like a little boy.

Douglas had put on a CD of Christmas classics, so Bing and Bowie were in full croon. Kier placed the potted tree on the table and lowered himself down beside Douglas and the box of tree decorations.

The men unwrapped the ornaments from their packaging, listening to the seasonal music. They dressed the tree with silver drop stars, baby baubles and finished it off with a small fairy tree topper. It was so intimate and sweet. Kier didn’t feel the need to say anything to fill the companionable silence. They offered one another sidelong glances and smiles.

When the tree was dressed Douglas stood and retrieved the only gift he’d purchased to put under it. The gift he bought for Mac. He then offered his hands to Kier and pulled him up to stand. Kier lost his balance a little and fell forward to be caught in Douglas’s arms. Kier was all too aware of warmth as he pressed himself the length of Dougie’s body. His filling hard-on ghosted Dougie’s hip. Kier flushed with the heat between them, steadied himself, and with a quick “Sorry,” and a wicked grin he backed away out of Dougie’s personal space and settled on the couch.

Douglas shook his head, unable to disguise a wry smile, then picked up the decorations box and left Kier alone with his thoughts.

The attraction that Kier still had for Douglas was all too evident, what with the semi-hard dick nestled uncomfortably in his jeans. The vibe he was getting from Douglas was one of interest. They’d done this dance so many times before and Kier knew all of Dougie’s moves.

Douglas exited the pantry. He turned the lamps off as he moved through the room, so the firelight enveloped them in intimacy. Douglas held two opened cold bottles of cider in his hand. He offered one to Kier for inspection. In the low light, Kier peered at the label for the Highland Red cider, which featured a quirky design with a red setter dog in a mountainous Scots background. He turned the bottle around and read the label out:

“Lashings of Scottish apples, sunshine, and the purest Scots spring water have gone into making this bottle of Highland Red. The apples for this cider are sourced from orchards in Rosbrae, Invaman, and Skuldoon, and the red hue of the cider comes from a dash of Scottish strawberry juice. Like our mascot ‘MacLeod,' our cider is effervescent, lively, and will always give you a good time.”

Kier put the bottle to his lips and took a swallow. The taste of summer days played over Kier’s tongue. It was strong, crisp, and sweet, with smoky endnotes from the Whiskey barrel fermentation. “Wow. It goes down really smoothly,” he exclaimed in surprise.