XXX CHAPTER 43 XXX

"Can I interest you in more stuffing?"

Emmett rubbed his belly. "Only if you can help me give birth to this watermelon."

"Please tell me you saved room for Mom's pumpkin pie."

Scanning the wreckage of Edward's overly crammed table for two—platters of sliced turkey, trademark Mamó McCarty yams topped with toasted mini-marshmallows, homemade cranberry sauce á la Esme, and the token green vegetable—Emmett shook his head. Maybe if he hadn't pigged out last night at Alice's . . . "I'm sorry. I just don't think I can do it."

Edward chuckled. "Next time, we'll start with dessert."

Emmett let out a large belch as he stood. "There won't be a next time. I'm never eating again."

"Pshh yeah. I predict you'll have your nose in the refrigerator by halftime."

The two waddled into the kitchen with dirty dishes and mounds of leftovers. Emmett took his usual place at the sink while Edward dealt with the mysteries of plastic food containers. Only the professor could wrangle the geometry so they'd all fit inside his fridge.

"Do you think your mother would share her stuffing recipe, or is it some generations-old McCarty family secret?"

Emmett chuckled. "I'm pretty sure it's a Pepperidge family recipe, but we can ask."

"Hmm, I guess next year you'll have to try my mom's, and we can decide which one we like better."

A couple of months ago, Emmett might have registered the "next year" with a flutter of excitement without picking up the wistful note in his boyfriend's voice, but he'd since learned to be on alert for subtle cues that all was not well in Edwardsville. It sucked they couldn't do holidays together, but until Emmett could figure out how to introduce Edward to Sawyer without making a mess of everything, this was how it had to be, separate family celebrations with a lame reenactment the day after. At least their families' traditional foods had the chance to mix on Edward's table and now in their bellies.

Emmett glanced at his boyfriend, busy scooping stuffing into the perfectly sized container as if it required all his mental focus. Ugh.

"Have I ever mentioned how grateful I am for you?" Emmett figured the best way to show his appreciation was to continue sponging and rinsing the dirty dishes.

"Yep. A few times."

Oh boy.

"Edward?"

Still not looking up, Edward answered. "Hmm?"

"You wanna talk about this?"

"Nope. Nothing to say. It is what it is." At least he'd done Emmett the favor of not playing dumb about it.

"Yeah." Emmett had learned by now that silence was the best way to get Edward to open up, so he bit his tongue and waited.

Edward sighed heavily, finally giving in and meeting Emmett's gaze. "I just really missed having you with me yesterday. I don't know how I'm gonna make it through Christmas Eve and Christmas Day."

"How about we set aside Christmas Day for each other?"

"What about your traditional Christmas morning pj time with Sawyer? He'll be devastated."

Ouch. Caught between a rock and a hard place. "I don't want you to wake up alone on Christmas."

Edward frowned. "I'm a big boy. He's a kid."

"Okay, fine. I'll do Christmas morning with Soy, and then you and I will spend the rest of the day together." Emmett stepped closer and dropped his forehead on Edward's shoulder. "This fucking sucks. I'm so tempted to just say 'Fuck it' right now."

"You can't."

Lifting his head, Emmett challenged him. "Oh yeah? Why not?"

"You have a plan. Stick to the plan."

"We don't know if or when the Mariners are going to renew me. What if they offer a one-year contract? What if they don't? Jesus."

"Baby"—Edward cupped the back of Emmett's neck with both hands, forcing Emmett's gaze to meet his own—"that's crazy talk. You're the hottest commodity in the league right now. They're going to want to keep you very happy for a long, long time. Have a little faith . . . and a little patience. Don't mind my moment of melancholy; it'll pass. So what if we can't spend a couple Hallmark holidays together? We have every day now that you're not working." Edward's lips curled into a smile. "All day long, every day."

"I knew you liked my sexting."

"Pshh. I spend more time deleting your messages than I do grading papers. I swear, one of these days, you're gonna set my iPhone on fire."

"Hey! Look who's talking, Professor McFilthy."

Edward's tongue slid into the pocket of his cheek. His repertoire had expanded significantly since the start of school. "That's your fault. You corrupted me."

"Mea culpa . . . again."

Edward leaned forward and closed his lips over Emmett's mouth. "I'm still not complaining."

"Welllll, you were, a little."

"I guess I was." Edward sighed. "I think I'm ready for a vacation."

"We should go somewhere tropical and sit our asses on a beach for a week and get served by sexy cabana boys."

"That's a sweet fantasy, Em."

"No, I mean it."

Edward leaned back against the counter and folded his hands over his stomach. "Oh yeah? Where'd you have in mind? Is there some place in the world where they haven't heard of baseball?"

"Guess we'd have to rule out the Dominican Republic."

Edward snorted. "Probably."

"How about . . . or, nah . . . Wait! I've got it! Oh, no . . . that doesn't work. Shit."

Emmett scratched his head. "There must be some way. Okay, what if we went with a bunch of guys? I'm sure Fuller and a few of the others have some time on their hands. You'd just be one of the guys."

"Mmhmm, until it came time to go to our rooms."

"What? Those bums are all used to bunking up. Nobody'd think a thing of it."

"Just to play devil's advocate here, what happens down the road when you decide to come out? You don't think they'll be pissed off to find out they were on a romantic junket with you and your gay lover?"

"To be honest, I think Fuller's gonna blow a gasket when he finds out he's been sleeping with a homo all this time."

Edward shot Emmett his I-rest-my-case face.

"Okay, okay, gimme a minute here." Emmett regrouped, sifting through the myriad of terrible options until a not-so-crazy idea occurred to him. "We go with another couple—a straight couple. I could see if Alice and Jasper can get away for a few days. Or maybe even Tammy and Jake."

"Yes! Because then we won't look like a couple at all. Face it—there's no way to win this."

"All right. Fine. No sandy beach anywhere alone or with other humans. Hmm, in that case, I think we have to go to Plan B."

An amused smirk planted itself on Edward's face. "Which is . . .?"

"My parents have a cabin on Whidbey Island."

Edward's head jutted forward, and his jaw dropped open. "For real?"

"Yes, for real." Emmett reached for Edward's chin with a chuckle, brushing his thumb across Edward's lower lip as Emmett tucked the fallen chin back into place. "The scenery is spectacular. Even in the winter, the barren landscape has a quiet charm. I've gone back a few times over the years when I've needed to clear my head."

"I gotta say, you're making a pretty damn convincing argument here. My head could use some serious clearing."

Emmett paused momentarily and attempted to visualize the interior of his boyfriend's complicated head. He had to assume all the billions of bits of grey matter would be stored in their own neat compartments, but still, the man clearly stockpiled more data than human brains were accustomed to managing. That shit had to get tiring. "I can't even imagine."

"And you're fairly certain we'll be safe there from prying eyes?"

"My family's been going there for years. The good people of Whidbey know how to give me space. This time of year, it's all full-time residents. No tourists in their right mind would choose Whidbey as a vacation destination during rainy season."

Edward chuckled. "Unless they wanted to stay in bed all day."

Emmett's mouth opened into a wide grin. "How'd you know?"

"Sounds perfect to me."

"In all fairness, I have to warn you—it's not the Ritz. I can't promise you a cabana boy."

Edward's eyes turned in an instant, glazing over with that sexy voodoo he worked so thoroughly on Emmett. "I'll settle for a cabin boy."

"Dang, are you getting kinky on me, Professor?"

"Not necessarily. I was actually just picturing a hot bath and maybe breakfast in bed, but I certainly wouldn't rule out anything kinky."

Emmett grinned. "I take that as a yes on Whidbey, then?"

"Oh, I'd say that's a hell yes."

"Fantastic! Let's look at your vacation schedule tomorrow, and I'll tell my folks the dates we want."

An idea popped into Edward's head, lighting him up like the cheesy star they'd bought to top their first shared Christmas tree. "Sounds like the perfect place to ring in the New Year."

"Now there's a thought."

"I have another thought. Why don't we leave these dishes and go watch the game until we fall into a deep tryptophan sleep on the couch like every other red-blooded American?"

"Another excellent idea. But before we do . . . did someone mention pumpkin pie?"

XXX

Emmett was waiting outside when the metallic blue Volvo pulled up in front of his building. He tossed his leather bag into the back seat next to Edward's duffel, a beast nearly twice the size of his own, and climbed into the passenger seat.

"Holy shit, dude! How many dead bodies do you have in that bag?"

Edward gave him a long-suffering eye-roll. "I brought my hiking boots and a few sweaters."

"We're only going for three nights. You need a few sweaters?"

Edward nosed the car out onto the beach road. "Mmhmm. The one Alice gave me for Christmas, the one your mom gave me for Christmas, and the one my mom gave both of us for Christmas. How could I choose?"

He'd answered so matter-of-factly, Emmett did a double take. "Indeed. I don't even want to know how many pairs of underwear you brought."

"Six."

"Okay, I guess I'm curious now. Why six?"

"One for each morning and another to change into after the daytime activity and a shower."

Emmett shifted in his seat, folded his arms, and smiled. "I see the flaw in your reasoning."

"Oh yeah? What's that?"

"You won't be needing any underwear for our nighttime activity. We're not leaving the cabin until morning. I am gonna fuck you silly on every surface in the place."

"Doesn't that sound romantic!"

Emmett grinned. "I was planning to light a fire first."

"I hope you haven't forgotten my hot tub and breakfast in bed, cabin boy."

Tapping a fingertip to his temple, Emmett answered, "It's all up here. Don't you worry."

"Did you want to hear about my socks, too?" Edward asked, maneuvering onto the West Seattle Bridge with a little smirk on his face.

"Not particularly. Did you pack your travel chess set?"

"Of course."

"This could be the end of your reign, you know. I finished volume one of the Alexander Alekhine, and I brought volume two with me." When Emmett had first unwrapped the two thick hardcovers, he'd appreciated the sentiment behind Edward's selection of his Christmas gift. Emmett had no idea the books were loaded with so much more than strategic chess moves until he dove in the next day and found the pages dripping with the psychology behind competing—always a great interest of his, as his partner well knew.

"You already finished the first book?"

Emmett laughed, because yes, it was absurd how quickly he'd torn through the 285 dense pages, and he couldn't help his pride in the accomplishment. "I know! I surprised myself, too."

"What'd you think of it?"

And here's where having a genius for a boyfriend really pays off; we can actually have an intelligent conversation about ideas. You done good, Big Mac. "He really seems to understand what it takes to be a champion. He can find an attack move where most players would see nothing."

"Right! 'Attack preconditions without commitment.'" Edward was getting good and worked up, squirming in his seat, gesticulating madly over the steering wheel.

Emmett fed the addiction as only he could do, whether it was riling Edward over statistics or locker room fantasies or deep philosophical concepts. "And the humility of the man really comes through in his annotations, constantly praising his opponents' moves and criticizing his own. I like that a lot. Too many guys have their heads stuck so far up their asses they can't see the game objectively. Nobody improves from that position."

Edward sat up a little straighter in his seat. "Are we still talking about chess here?"

"Isn't that the beauty of this? I can totally see where his concepts would apply to baseball." Checking out Edward's widening grin, Emmett mock-scolded him. "Don't think your subtle coaching has gone unnoticed, Professor."

"When the disciple is ready, the Master will appear."

"Thank you, Buddha."

"Actually, that quote is attributable to the Theosophical Society, but that's neither here nor there."

This must be how Edward would look at a Star Trek convention—fired up and turned on. "Pretty hot stuff. Maybe I should strip off your clothes and read you a few passages when we get to the cabin."

Sensing the note of sarcasm, Edward cast a sideways glance at Emmett but only long enough to give him an I-call-bullshit lift of his brow. "Wait till you get into his later years in volume two. It'll blow your mind."

Emmett sighed. "How am I ever supposed to beat you at chess when you already know all the stuff you're teaching me?"

"You're not." Edward faced forward, but the corner of his smug smirk rode up his cheek and gave him away.

"So, how are you making out with your reading? Has the Guide for the Perplexed unperplexed you?"

"I think I'm actually more perplexed than ever, but I'm enjoying it . . . now."

Angling his body toward the driver, Emmett played the straight man. "Oh? Did you two have a rough start?"

"Are you aware that Schumacher contends that numbers are phantoms of true knowledge? And he doesn't like Descartes!"

"Uh-oh." Perhaps Emmett should've read a bit deeper than the back cover before selecting the book as Edward's gift. "So have you ripped it in two and thrown it in the dumpster, then?"

Edward chuckled. "Nope, we worked it out."

"Oh yeah? How so?"

"I am currently elevating my 'level of being' and 'exercising my power of self-awareness.'"

A soft groan escaped Emmett. "Maybe buying each other books for Christmas wasn't such a great idea."

"Too late now, my friend," Edward said with a grin.

XXX

An occasional car traveling north on 525 invaded the still winter air outside. Edward was fidgety, a fish out of water. "We drove through Deception Pass twenty-five minutes ago. How much longer to Freeland?"

The island had yet to work its magic on Edward, but Emmett was confident that after one night at the cabin, his boyfriend would be a new man—not that Emmett wanted a new man, just the refreshed and relaxed version of this stressed-out guy sitting next to him.

"Have a little patience. It's worth the ride, I promise."

"Did that sign just say, 'Muscle and Arm Farm'? What the hell? They're harvesting body parts? I think I want to go home."

"Easy, there. It's just a family-owned working farm and garden store. I promise, we're going to make it out alive."

"That's a really creepy name." Edward glared at the sign as they drove past, as if making sure they weren't being followed by amputated zombies. "I'm officially ready to see this cabin you've been telling me about for the last hour."

"Well, you're going to have to wait a little longer because we need to stop at the general store, or we're gonna starve to death."

"Actually, we don't." Edward turned a self-satisfied smile in Emmett's direction. "I have provisions in the trunk."

"Aren't you the sneaky one?"

"I wanted to surprise you."

"That you did." Emmett gave him a long, appreciative smile. "In that case, take a right when you get to Double Bluff Road."

Emmett could feel the familiar twinge of anticipation as the Volvo made the turn onto the access road. Tires crunched over gravel, a sound that triggered happy childhood vacation memories, rowdy weekends with school friends, and now, the peaceful, secluded respite he and Edward had been craving.

"Here it is, second driveway on the right."

Edward's face lit up as the cottage came into view. Even in the literal dead of winter, when none of the summer flowers were in bloom and most of the trees stood bare, the place had a charm that could not be equaled in the bustling city.

"This is fantastic!" Edward practically hopped out of the car. "Is that an outdoor shower?"

"Yes," Emmett answered with a chuckle, "but it might be a wee bit cold this time of year." He could hardly keep up with Edward as he bounced down the stone path leading to the backyard.

"I think I could live on this patio, just drop my ass into one of these Adirondack chairs and never get up again."

"I'll know where to look for you if you go missing."

Poking around the perimeter of the property, Edward spied the gate and the grass trail leading away from the house. "Where's this go?" he asked, but he had already pushed past the high grasses to the marsh. Mr. Curious.

"That's Deer Lagoon. It's a bird sanctuary. You'll see the telescope set up on the second floor of the cabin."

Edward turned to give him a grin. "You expect me to believe you use it to look at birds?"

Emmett grabbed him from behind and nipped at Edward's ear. "It's Mom's, you pervert."

Tensing in his grip, Edward whispered, "Is this safe?"

"Yes. There's one other house on this end of the street, and it's an elderly couple who live in Florida this time of year. We might get a nosy eagle flying by, but that's about it."

Seemingly unconvinced, Edward pulled out of Emmett's arms. "How far away is the beach?"

"A ten-minute walk . . . or a five-minute jog."

Edward smiled. "Can we take a run this afternoon?"

"Sure. Run, hike, whatever you like. The island is your oyster."

"Great. Maybe we can unpack and have some lunch first?"

Emmett tipped his chin toward the house. "C'mon, let's get settled."

XXX

Edward's "provisions" turned out to be two huge Styrofoam coolers filled with milk, beer, and container after container of prepared salads, fruits and vegetables, cooked pasta, meatballs in marinara, and other things Emmett couldn't identify through the plastic.

"When did you make all this stuff? Have you been socking away food for weeks or what?"

"I have a spare fridge in my garage. I shopped and cooked while you were out with Sawyer the other day."

"You made all this food in one afternoon?"

Edward grinned. "It's not that hard. You just make a plan and—"

"Never mind." Emmett waved away the answer with a chuckle. "Let's just put the stuff away so I can get you naked . . . I mean, show you my room."

Emmett had probably never worked faster in his life. Blame it on the island air or Edward's sexy bomber jacket, or the fact that they'd slept apart last night so both could pack, but Emmett was needy, and his patience was wearing thin. Grabbing Edward by the hand, Emmett dragged him down the hall until they reached the bedroom door plastered with baseball decals.

"Hmm, lemme guess . . ."

"Shut up and kiss me."

Emmett wasted no time tossing aside Edward's jacket and yanking open his belt buckle. Edward chuckled and worked off Emmett's shirt while the two struggled to keep their balance.

Emmett stepped out of his boxers and dragged a very naked Edward toward his bed. "Watch your head," he warned.

A bit alarmed, Edward spun around to see where he was about to land. "Bunk beds? Seriously?" He burst out laughing. "How old are you? Six?"

"Shush! Sawyer sleeps in here now when Alice and Jasper come out to visit my folks."

"Okay, fine, but don't they have any other beds in the place?"

"Hmm, let's see. Whose bed would you like me to fuck you in, my sister's or my mother's?"

Stumped for the moment, Edward agreed. "Fine, but you're sleeping on the top."

"Yes." Straddling Edward's hips, Emmett shoved Edward onto his back. "On top of you."

The bed frame rocked and squealed under their weight. Edward dissolved into another fit of laughter. "I hope your parents' insurance is all paid up. We are going down!"

"Oh! Excellent idea, Professor!" With that, Emmett crawled into position over Edward's head and dropped forward onto his palms.

"Hey! Where's the romantic fire you promised me?"

Emmett chuffed. "Between my legs! And if you don't put it out soon, this whole house is gonna go up in flames! How do you think you're gonna feel next time my folks come over for dinner, and you have to tell them you set their vacation home on fire, huh?"

"God, you're a trip."

The last thing Emmett said before swallowing down Edward's cock was, "Thank you."

Author's Note: So their holidays were less than idyllic this year, but with any luck, this will be their last year apart. :) There's a link to the Whidbey Island home in my FB group if you'd like to see for yourself. Looks like a gorgeous place to visit. And we're not done with their holiday just yet... see you Friday?

XXX ~BOH