The Storm: Redemption
Chapter Twenty-Two
By Gayforkurt
Summary: Famous countertenor Kurt Hummel and billionaire entrepreneur Dave Karofsky must come to terms with the past but bitter feelings make a future for these two headstrong men highly unlikely. This is rated M.
Disclaimer: Messrs. Ryan, Falchuk, et al are the owners of my favorite boys. Only the OCs belong to me, alas.
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KHDK
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Kurt was excited about Christmas for maybe the first time in many, many years. Why, because he now had his own home. Yay! He was beyond stoked at the idea that he could decorate an entire home any way that he wished and no one would gainsay him. It went without saying that he would have a party there a week before Christmas for his family, friends and cast mates.
His father, Burt and his wife Carole were visiting him and staying in the guest cottage and Kurt felt as if his life could not be more complete. Of course, it also helped that a certain psycho had been lying low for the past couple of weeks. Puck and his team had continued to be as vigilant and protective as ever, escorting Kurt everywhere, even when he was with David.
He smiled at the thought of his brilliant lover from whom he had received this most brilliant of gifts, his house. Kurt knew that a house like this (for which David had paid over $12 million – he'd secretly sought out the realtor and wrung the information from the man) was a treasure not just for its monetary value but for its architectural beauty and its role in history. It was beautiful inside and out and Kurt was absolutely in love with it.
Now he skipped down the stairs to have his daily meeting with his housekeeper, Mrs. Lawrence who they all called Mrs. L, and he had a whole bunch of things he needed to run through with her. Planning a Christmas party for nearly 200 guests was not an easy thing, not to mention he had never done it before.
He found the woman waiting for him in the office, a room that at first had seemed somewhat out of place with the rest of the house's stately elegance but he'd personalized it and now it was his own space. She turned towards him with her usual smile in place and moved to sit when he did. Kurt had, from the start, deferred to the woman's expertise in running a huge, stately home and he was tickled that she actually seemed to like him and encouraged his ideas.
"So, Mrs. L, what do you have in mind for my housewarming slash Christmas party? It has to be really grand but not overwhelming, I think." He looked at her with his aquamarine eyes shining happily and she chuckled, charmed all over again by this lovely young man.
"Well, my dear, I have been thinking and wondered if maybe you wanted to go traditional or try for more modern food." She waited as he pondered, her gaze roving over his pale-skinned face. Since moving in, Kurt had seemed to lose some of that edginess to him that had made his fatigue that first night he'd moved in so pronounced. Now he seemed to glow with Eddy's good food and, no doubt, Mr. David's good loving, she chuckled to herself. She didn't think the singer had put on any weight but being more relaxed made him seem a little softer and she liked that look.
Kurt nodded as he finished his musings. "You know what, I think maybe a nice mix of both modern and traditional would work. Could you come up with a list and in a few days we can go over it and see what we like?" At her nod he continued. "We will have it catered but I'm going to see if Eddy has any special Christmas dish she would like to do. How does that sound?"
Mrs. L. chuckled and gathered her notebook and pens together, rising as she smiled at Kurt. "Oh yes, Eddy would just love the opportunity to show off her more esoteric culinary skills. She's had recipes she's been dying to try for years, some of the ingredients for which I suspect aren't even legal anymore." She laughed again as she nodded to Kurt and left.
Kurt strode through the house, looking at all the lovely things as he passed. It would take him quite a while to become so blasé that he could walk past the beautiful antiques and artwork without even noticing them, he suspected. He stepped through the doors of the family room out into the back garden and then strolled down the cobbled pathway to the guest cottage. He knew his parents were already up because Carole had called him on the house phone asking him to pop in before they went shopping.
Kurt's mind wandered to his favorite topic as he walked; his lover. He was so in love with David and truth to tell he couldn't tell what aspect of his lover moved him most. Certainly the man was hot; he was large, muscular, fit and had enough hair on him to satisfy Kurt. He was sexy and he was passionate, never seeming to be able to keep his hands and mouth away from Kurt.
He smiled to himself, knowing that he could pass the sudden blush on his face to the walk in the cold air from the main house. Carole was very perceptive though and when she had met David two weeks before, she'd given Kurt such a look that the singer had blushed from head to toe. His stepmother had never been a prude and she and Kurt had sometimes had some very enlightening conversations about the type of men that Kurt found sexy. Burt on the other hand had been just a little bit reserved with his son's lover, the whole billionaire thing notwithstanding.
It had taken a few days of observing David with Kurt, however, for him to be satisfied that both men were besotted with each other. When they were in a room together, Burt noted, it seemed as if a force field surrounded them through which nothing passed if they didn't want it to. It seemed sometimes as if they were holding an entire conversation with their eyes and only when they would turn back to the other occupants of the room would the barrier fall.
Burt had observed to Carole within the first week that he'd never seen Kurt look so contented, almost as if he was glowing. Carole had responded that if she didn't know Kurt couldn't manage it, she would have thought he was pregnant. The woman had almost laughed herself into a coughing fit at the horrified look on her husband's face, and only stopped when he brought her a glass of water.
Burt was standing now at a window in the small but elegantly appointed cottage as he watched his son almost skipping down the pathway and though he couldn't hear him, he knew Kurt would be humming happily. He couldn't deny his son was beautiful; he'd had sleepless nights when Kurt was younger when he deeply missed the presence of Kurt's mother. He felt Elizabeth would have been the better one to handle Kurt's growing attraction to his own sex because he didn't know how to do it without putting his size 12 in his mouth. The last thing he wanted to do was hurt his sweet boy but he didn't know what to do about this same-sex stuff.
It wasn't until he'd met Carole and her son Finn and they'd made the transition to a blended family that he'd been able to voice these thoughts to someone else. Carole had lovingly and patiently explained to him that Kurt was no different from any child who was going through puberty and adolescence and was struggling with hormones. The fact that he would fall in love with boys instead of girls didn't change the fact that he was going to have some hits and misses and that Burt should be there to support him no matter what.
Burt had felt a deep shame that he'd allowed his son's difference to overshadow how special he was. Kurt was smart, talented and kind-hearted along with being physically attractive and Burt had almost been blind to all that in his struggle to reconcile himself to Kurt's sexuality. With Carole's support, Burt had opened up further to his son and was there for him 100 per cent after that. Kurt had been so happy and grateful for Carole's wisdom and generosity and, though she couldn't replace his own mom, he was happy to have her as a surrogate.
The sound of his son's sweet, clear voice came to him before he even came around the side of the house as he entered through the patio doors. Burt turned to wait for him, his eyes lighting up at the sight of his son's face. The boy reminded him so much of his beautiful mother, it could still tug at Burt's old heart.
Kurt, despite his age, thought nothing of flinging himself into his dad's arms, though they had seen each other at dinner the night before. He planted a swift kiss on the old man's cheek and pulled away to look at him closely.
"Dad, you are still sticking to your heart-healthy stuff, right?" He narrowed his eyes suspiciously down at his dad's stomach that he was patting, trying to see if the man had gained weight since arriving in England. Burt shrugged and brushed his straying hand away, huffing as he denied any wrongdoing.
Kurt chuckled as he listened to his dad grumbling and muttering about not needing a nursemaid, and moved further into the room. "Is Carole ready for our grand shopping spree?"
Burt sat back on his overstuffed couch and picked up one of the tabloids that so fascinated him. "I think she's putting the finishing touches on. Go dig her out or she'll be another hour."
Kurt laughed and headed towards the bedroom, knocking lightly on the door and waiting for Carole's soft, "come in, Kurt!"
Kurt poked his head in before the rest of his body followed, a habit he'd had from a child, and Carole thought was so adorable. When she'd met the young Kurt he'd been struggling so much with trying to appear confident, a thin layer of bravado meant to distract from his innate sensitivity. She'd done her best to help boost the young man's confidence and over the years she'd congratulated herself on her success. Seeing Kurt on stage and hearing all the accolades heaped on his talented shoulders made her as proud as if she had given birth to him herself.
She turned from the dressing table to present herself. "Well, what do you think – London chic?"
Kurt struck a considering pose as if he were a judge on some fashion show or other. "Hmmm, spin around – slowly! Ahh, yes, you will do." Then he cracked up laughing, coming over to the plump, older woman to hug her in greeting.
"Seriously though, you look great, Carole. Things have been so hectic these past few weeks and since you guys have arrived, we haven't even had a chance for a good sit-down."
She nodded and hugged him tightly, loving the feel of his tall, strong yet slender young body against her elderly one. She pulled back to brush his hair from his forehead and caressed down the side of his beaming face. Happiness certainly sat well on him, she thought, as she admired the sparkling blue-green eyes. She had never met Elizabeth Hummel but she had the feeling that she was seeing her right now in the face of her beautiful son.
"Well, today you don't have to go into the theatre so we can shop and do our girl's thing, right?" She chuckled as Kurt hummed as he released her. She grabbed a coat, her gloves and pocketbook and followed him out the door, only stopping to kiss Burt on top of his head and remind him to call up to the main house when he was ready for lunch. One of the girls would pop on down with it, she reminded him.
Burt wasn't used to living this high life but he appreciated that to Kurt it was becoming the norm. Having a huge mansion and staff to run it was just another thing his son handled with grace and ease. He waved them both off on their shopping spree and resolved to spend the day just relaxing and enjoying the crisp winter day.
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KHDK
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Kurt and Carole headed up to the big house so Kurt could change into another fabulous outfit, Carole waiting in the sitting room of his suite. He chatted and hummed as he discarded outfit after outfit until Carole cried out in frustration.
"Kurt, sweetie, we are going shopping!"
"Carole, I'm a minor celebrity," his laughing voice came from the bedroom. "Hey, come in here and help me make up my mind."
Carole got up, discarding her coat because she was overheating, and stepped towards the bedroom doors. She put one hand over her eyes and the other stretched out to guide her way. When she stood in the doorway she called out: "I'm not going to stumble across one of yours and David's toys, am I?"
"Aargh," Kurt laughed as he grabbed her arm and yanked her inside. She removed her hand and looked around the huge space. The bedroom was gorgeous; the fabric of the curtains and the bedspread was a beautiful pale gold and copper brocade and the carpet was bronze. The four-poster bed frame was absolutely stunning and Carole felt her mouth drop open as she took in the room's opulence.
"Wow, Kurt, oh my, what a fabulous room!" She looked over at her stepson, smiling at the pleased look on his face. He shook his head modestly and tugged her towards the walk-in closet in the en suite bathroom. Her eyes took in the spacious area with its smoked-glass shower enclosure and huge whirlpool tub. Before she could enquire about the French windows, though, Kurt dragged her inside his closet, looking at her impatiently and waiting for her opinion.
"Okay, I can't choose between the grey that goes beautifully with my skin or the royal blue that plays up my eyes." He looked at her, waiting for her opinion.
Carole looked at the two absolutely stunning garments and then spoke firmly. "Well, your sweater is that gorgeous mix of heather and grey and your jeans are what, slate? I'd say go with the royal blue."
"That's just what I was thinking but then I figured it might be too much." He danced over to the ankle-length coat, sliding it off of its hanger and shrugging into it. He modeled it for her so she could be certain it was right and at her nod, he grabbed her hand again and they headed out to the sitting room.
He waited for her as he patted his coat pocket, making certain he had gloves on him in case it got too nippy. He planned a whirlwind day of shopping, a little sightseeing and then eating at one of his favorite places in London.
The two finally headed downstairs and out to the waiting car. They had Julian and Xavier with them today and Kurt absent-mindedly thought of them as contrasting bookends – one so fair and the other so dark. Carole waved to the two men as Kurt helped her into the back of the huge vehicle and settled in beside her.
"Gentlemen, we're off, my mom and I, for a day of shopping. Yay!" Carole and Xavier chuckled but Julian's little smile barely made it onto his lips. He was doing better around Kurt these days, glad that extended exposure to the singer seemed to be settling his nervousness.
Kurt leaned in to whisper to Carole that she needed to be aware at every moment where the two men were when they left the car. Carole nodded, having been brought up to speed about the happenings with her stepson and his lover over the past two months. Her heart had leapt in fear at the thought of some woman being crazy enough to attack them because she had been dumped but she knew all sorts of scary things happened in the world.
Still, she promised herself that she would enjoy the day out with Kurt, bodyguards notwithstanding, and she proceeded to chatter away, pointing out various buildings and asking about them. Julian and Xavier helped Kurt out with the touristy information, sometimes laughing at Carole's typically American reaction to the extreme age of some of the landmarks. Her mind boggled, she told them, whenever she recalled that Londinium had once been a Roman outpost!
Kurt's mobile rang during one of Xavier's travel guide monologues and Kurt slid it open, smiling when he saw David's face. "Hello, sweetheart, what are you up to?" His voice unintentionally slid into a slightly huskier register when talking to David and until someone had pointed it out he hadn't even realized.
"Hey, sexy, just checking to see how far along in your shopping you'd got to." David gazed from the little screen at his lover's face, taking in the happy glow and feeling so proud that he'd been responsible for it.
"Ha, we haven't even reached the shopping areas as yet. We're on our way, though. Hey, why don't you join us when we're about to go eat?"
Dave's image nodded and he glanced off at someone out of range of the phone's visual pick up. He turned back and nodded. "Yes, I can manage that. Puck is with me but I don't think you mind." He smiled at Kurt's little pout.
"Oh, okay, tell the big lug he can come too." Kurt secretly liked Dave's tanned security chief a lot, though he would die before inflating that ego any more than it was. What tickled him also was that when Puck had met his dad and Carole, he had immediately gone into flirt mode with the older woman who had proceeded to blush and giggle like a schoolgirl. David, Kurt and Burt had not been sure whether to be amused or horrified but, thankfully, amusement won out.
The two lovers signed off quickly with assurances of their continued devotion and Kurt tuned back to the noticeably silent interior of the car. He looked up, a sappy smile still on his face, to the stares of both Carole and Xavier. If Julian hadn't been driving Kurt was sure he would have been staring too. He raised his eyebrow as if to ask, 'what?'
Carole sighed, a little smile on her plump face. "Awww, you two are soooo sweeeet!" Xavier and Julian burst out laughing as Kurt's face colored and he mock-frowned at Carole before huffing and looking out the windows.
"Yeah, yeah, see if I feed you later!" The chuckles continued to roll over him and he found himself grinning too. He really was ridiculously happy with David so he could handle a bit of teasing; he was not a wimp!
Several hours of shopping later and loaded down with shopping bags from some of the most high-end establishments in the world, Kurt decided to call a halt for the day. He was starving and he suspected Carole was, too. He had the men stow their purchases in the boot while he called David and alerted him to their food destination.
Dave smiled as he listened to Kurt's sexy voice telling him to meet him at Claridge's. Ever since they had gotten together, Kurt had made it a point to have the occasional tea or brunch at a famous eatery. It was such an American thing to do and Dave loved that about him. It also meant that he got to watch Kurt practically make love to various desserts… in public. Many a time Dave had had to delay rising from the table because of his… uhm, not-so-little problem caused by Kurt's orgasmic eating habits. The moans and the hums, it was almost disgraceful but Dave was not stupid enough to stop him.
He turned to Puck and told him that they would meet up with Kurt and his stepmother at Claridge's for tea and he watched as Puck flushed slightly. Dave hadn't forgotten that Puck had been out several times with Kurt before he and the diva had got together. Still, he wasn't jealous of the time the two had spent together. On the contrary, he was smart enough to realize that Puck's continuing affection for Kurt meant the man would go over and beyond his duty to see that nothing happened to the singer.
Puck smiled a little, remembering how Kurt behaved when having dessert and hoped that, as it was tea time he might not order dessert. The little sandwiches and tea cakes didn't elicit the same kind of responses from Kurt and for that Puck was personally very happy.
The two men exited the office, chatting about the security for Kurt's upcoming Christmas party and running over possible hitches in their plans for the command performance. Puck took his job extremely seriously and, having had such a dark military career, he was no shrinking violet when it came to making the hard decisions. That Smythe-Heffley cow was going down if she came anywhere near his boy.
When they reached Claridge's, they were ushered into the fashionably-appointed dining area where Kurt, Carole and Xavier were seated. Dave and Puck wended their way between the other diners, the aroma of the delicious food making them realize how hungry they really were.
Arriving at the table, Dave greeted everyone and leaned down to drop a swift kiss on Kurt's proffered lips. They got settled, accepting menus from the formally-dressed waiter and for the next few minutes the only thing on anyone's mind was the food for which Claridge's was famous.
There orders taken care of and sipping cups of coffee and tea, the group chatted amiably, Kurt regaling the others with anecdotes about his and Carole's shopping adventures. Carole still couldn't get over how expensive things were in the cosmopolitan city but she was quite happy that she had been able to get little tokens to take back home for family and friends.
It was a very pleasant afternoon; the waiters had arrived with trolleys loaded with little finger sandwiches, savoury pastries and sweet ones along with the expected frosted tea cakes. Both Dave and Puck heaved silent sighs of relief that Kurt was passing up chocolate items and exchanged little looks of amusement.
It appeared, however, that they had rejoiced too soon because, no sooner had they consumed the very last flaky pastry when a waiter appeared with a dish holding a heaping mound of chocolate soufflé. The looks of dismay on the two men's faces would have been comical if anyone had noticed. No, the other members of the group were busy chattering away, Carole marveling that Xavier had never been to the United States and Kurt teasing her in between mouthfuls of the fluffy dessert.
Dave and Puck held their breath as Kurt neared the bottom of the crystal dish and lifted one of the last mouthfuls of soufflé. He put the spoon in his mouth and withdrew it slowly.
"Mmm, mmm, mmm!" He licked his shining lips while shaking his head in awe. "I swear, David, Claridge's does the best soufflé. It has brandy in it!"
Dave gulped and nodded, quite unable to get a word out. Puck's gaze was transfixed on Kurt's lips, wincing as the singer took up another spoonful and put it in his mouth. He held his breath as Kurt drew the spoon out, oh, so slowly, and he licked his own lips as if he had been the one savoring the treat.
Carole and Xavier looked at the two men, puzzled by their behavior and turned to look at what Kurt was doing. Immediately a blush flooded Carole's face, warring emotions of embarrassment and amusement flickering past quickly. Xavier simply held his napkin to his mouth, trying desperately to hide the grin that had erupted at Kurt's actions.
Kurt, oblivious to the commotion he was causing, shook his head again as he swallowed the last bit of soufflé and then, horrors, licked the back of the dessert spoon!
Carole slapped the table lightly, causing the two men watching Kurt so avidly to startle and Kurt's eyes to fly open, staring at his stepmother in confusion. "Carole?"
Her eyes wide in reprimand, she took her napkin and wiped a bit of sauce from the corner of Kurt's mouth, as if he were all of six again, and he smiled in thanks, still unaware. Carole flicked her eyes at Dave and Puck, taking in their flushed faces, and she grabbed Kurt's hand.
"Sweetie, come and show me where the restrooms are, please," and she hauled Kurt with her before he could get a word out.
Back at the table, both Dave and Puck were drinking their water, Puck trying to avoid Xavier's laughing gaze and Dave's eyes following Kurt's behind. The silence at the table was deafening; neither man felt it necessary to make the situation worse with words.
Carole dragged a protesting Kurt to a point beyond which they couldn't be seen and suddenly broke out laughing. Kurt watched the older woman in dismay, wondering if the shopping had been too much for her. He couldn't understand what was happening but he waited patiently for her to compose herself as he patted her back.
"Kurt, oh Kurt, ha ha ha haaaa!" Carole finally straightened up, her laughter devolving to chuckles and then to a mischievous grin as she took in Kurt's clueless face. "Aaah, sweetie, I haven't laughed like that in a long, long time. Thank you."
She turned to go back into the dining room but stopped when Kurt grabbed her arm, pulling her to a stop.
"Carole, my god, what was that about?" His blue green eyes were wide as he studied the woman's face, wondering if this was an old-age thing.
Carole shook her head, a little giggle escaping her, and then decided to enlighten her stepson. "Kurt, sweetie, you have no idea what you were doing back there, right?"
"Huh?" Kurt said stupidly, shaking his head slowly.
"Oh, my goodness. Sweetie, promise me you'll never eat anything chocolate in front of anyone but David again, okay?" She smiled softly as Kurt nodded slowly, obviously still not understanding.
"Sweetie, you were practically making love to that dessert spoon!" Then she leaned forward to almost whisper the next sentence. "Those poor men had to sit there and watch you fellate it!"
Kurt's mouth fell open in shock, partly because he hadn't realized what he'd been doing and partly because he didn't think Carole even knew that word!
"Carole!"
Carole shook her head, trying to head off another wave of laughter and she fanned her heated face. "You know what, I think I really do need to use the restroom. Come show me where it is and you head to the men's."
Kurt simply nodded and turned towards the restrooms. When he'd seen her into the ladies', he headed into the men's to wash his hands and cool down as well. He stared at himself in the mirror, lingering traces of his dismay still in his eyes. As he dried his hands he thought back to the dessert that he'd consumed with his usual enthusiasm and realized that the silence at the table had been profound.
Then he started to smile as the hilarity of it hit him and a few giggles escaped as he thought about the other men's discomfort. Oh my, I wonder if David got hard, he wondered smugly. Then he stopped abruptly. Oh no, I wonder if Noah got hard, too!
By this time Kurt had practically freaked himself out and he took a few minutes to put on his professional mask and, heading out the door, he made sure that his diva face was firmly in place.
Carole had made it back to the table before him and he held his head high and his chin up as he sauntered up to the table, smiling coolly as the table's occupants glanced up at him. He knew there was still a faint flush of color in his cheeks but if he ignored it, maybe the others would, too.
They all decided that the afternoon had been great, Carole had absolutely enjoyed the shopping and the food and they decided that she and Kurt would head back home while Puck and David would return to the office. The general commotion of chairs shifting and people moving to put on coats and jackets occupied them for a few minutes and then they headed out to their cars.
Dave watched Carole walking ahead with Xavier and he turned to Puck, silently asking him to wait outside, and then he grabbed Kurt's arm. The diva, a little startled, turned to David with a smile, wondering what else he wanted.
Noticing a huge, beautiful floral arrangement on a waist-high stand just outside the door to the dining room, Dave pulled Kurt behind it, slid his arms around his lover's slender waist and, without a word, proceeded to kiss Kurt as if he were starving.
Kurt moaned, his arms coming up around Dave's shoulders, and leaned his whole body against the larger man. Dave plunged his tongue into the sweet, chocolate-flavored mouth clinging to his and he groaned as his erection returned. Grinding his hips into Kurt's, he made the singer aware, without saying anything, what he'd done to him at the table.
The singer could only groan at the feel of his lover's hot bulge against him and he felt himself getting hard, too, suddenly uncaring that they were in a public place. What? Oh, yes, Claridges!
"Mmmm, David, we have to_" Kurt began, panting, but Dave had only one thing on his mind as he claimed Kurt's mouth again, sucking on the singer's tongue and making Kurt whine softly. Finally, Dave eased back, planting one last peck on the swollen pink lips, and smirked into Kurt's dazed eyes.
"That, sweetheart, is what they call payback." He straightened away from a thoroughly ruffled and turned on Kurt, twitched his coat over his obvious erection and winked at Kurt before walking away to join Puck.
Kurt stood a while as his breathing slowed, his eyes clearing and a soft little smile wreathing his lips. He touched his mouth and realized Carole would take one look and figure out what had just happened. He shook his head as he smiled, taking a deep breath before heading out after Dave.
Xavier was waiting for him with Carole standing beside him chattering away and Kurt came up to them, walking slowly and trying to compose himself. He came up to the waiting pair and as he turned to nod at Xavier that he was ready, a figure across the busy street caught his eye.
Frowning slightly and trying to figure out if he recognized the man, Kurt took in his appearance. He was dressed in a heavy coat against the damp, winter air and beneath it Kurt could glimpse what appeared to be an expensive business suit. The man appeared to at least be in his sixties but there was nothing particularly memorable about him. Well, apart from the vindictive expression on his face.
Kurt shrugged as he turned away, thinking the man was just another homophobe who had recognized him. He was not and never would be concerned again about what people thought about him. Taking Carole's elbow he moved towards the waiting Jag, Julian behind the wheel. They settled in, buckled up and moved out into the late afternoon traffic.
As the heavy vehicle moved away, Kurt for some reason turned to look out of the back window. He was just in time to see the gentleman pull out a mobile and speak into it. The entire time the Jaguar was moving into the stream of traffic, the man didn't take his eyes away and Kurt turned back around in his seat, wondering what that had been about.
Ah, well, there are lots of weirdos about, he thought to himself, and dismissed it from his mind. He tuned into Carole's happy chatter about her purchases and smiled as he listened. He was so happy to have her and his dad with him and he just knew this Christmas was going to be the best one ever.
TBC
A/N: Can anyone guess who the well-dressed older gentleman is? Drop me a line, guys, and let me know what you think.