Holiday Fiction from Steve Leonard!

 

Good morning, my dears! Only three--COUNT 'EM THREE!!!!!--days until Christmas! 

I'm thrilled at the return of our dear and talented pal Steve Leonard to the Advent Calendar. Here's a lovely bit of comfort and joy to start your day

Secrets and Scrabble Coda

Jack and Ellery

 

This Coda was inspired by three things Josh mentioned in the Secrets and Scrabble books, but since Jack and Ellery have yet to celebrate their first Christmas together, you might want to take this story with a big grain of salt.

 

Arf! Arf! Arf!

“Woah! Easy there, Watson!” Ellery chastised as he stumbled his way through the front gate to Jack’s bungalow, nimbly attempting to untangle his legs from the leash the excited pup seemed intent on wrapping around them. Watson was hopping and yipping with unbridled joy at the sight of Jack’s house, and all efforts by Ellery to shush him had fallen on deaf ears. Of course, as Jack was fond of pointing out, any attempt by Ellery to reprimand Watson was akin to trying to change the direction of the wind. Or something like that.

Christmas lights twinkled merrily around the eaves and windows of Jack’s little beach cottage and, not for the first time, it gave Ellery pause. As Chief of Police of Pirate’s Cove, Jack worked long hours and then spent many of his nights with Ellery up at Captain’s Seat. So, where Jack had found the time to deck his halls, not to mention help Ellery decorate both Captain’s Seat and the Crow’s Nest, was beyond him. But he was touched. When he and Jack had started seeing each other a few months back, Jack’s cottage had seemed downright spartan. Now it looked and felt homey and lived in and comfortable. The thought lifted Ellery’s already bright spirits and he felt his face curve into a smile.

Speaking of Jack… Ellery cast a glance over his shoulder and watched as a slightly tipsy and adorably disheveled Jack carefully negotiated his way up the front steps, keys in hand. 

They had just come from the Salty Dog, where the Scallywags and the Silver Sleuths had thrown together a joint Christmas Eve cocktail party. Ellery didn’t think Jack was going to be able to join them, what with a series of winter storms the past two weeks that had wreaked havoc on Buck Island and had kept the small police force and first responders constantly busy. So, it was a very pleasant surprise when an exhausted-looking Jack, still in uniform, had trudged into the pub shortly after nine and made a beeline for him.

            “Those Tipsy Mermaids really pack a punch,” Jack said, as if reading Ellery’s mind.
“And I didn’t even have that many.”

            “Hmm,” Ellery murmured, working to keep a straight face as Jack fumbled to get the key into the lock. Ellery had never seen Jack in this condition, mild as it was, and he was amused at how Jack furrowed his brow in concentration – and consternation – as he struggled to get the key into the slot. Once. Twice. Thrice. Finally, Ellery decided to throw his boyfriend a lifeline (also, it was freezing outside) and mercifully took the keys from him.

            “I only had two,” Jack insisted as Ellery opened the door and ushered him and a still dancing Watson inside. Jack peeled his jacket off, tossed it onto the leather club chair, and flopped onto the tailored blue sofa. “Two,” he repeated, holding up three fingers. He looked at them quizzically, brow furrowed again, and lowered one finger. “I mean three,” he amended. “Three. That’s not enough to get drunk, is it?”

Ellery laughed. “You had four,” he corrected, leaning over the back of the sofa and waving four fingers under Jack’s nose. “Well, three and a half, but who’s counting?”

Jack sighed. “Those Silver Sleuths sure can put the booze away.”

“Not to mention the Scallywags,” Ellery called from the kitchen where he was rummaging through the refrigerator.

            “How do you do it?”

            Ellery came back with two bottles of water, handed one to Jack, and joined him on the sofa. “Well, first of all: I only had two. Second: I’ve had time to” – he used air quote – “acclimate to them. Trust me, when I first joined the Scallywags, Libby probably could’ve outdrunk me.”

            They both laughed and finished their water.

“Anyway, I’m sorry about this,” Jack said after a while, leaning back against the cushion and closing his eyes. “I know you wanted to go back to Captain’s Seat tonight so we could spend Christmas morning there, but I’m exhausted and, well, you know the rest.”

Ellery brushed his shoulder companionably against Jack’s. “Christmas is wherever you are, Jack.”

The shy smile that lit Jack’s face made him look boyish and it warmed Ellery. He took Jack’s hand and held it. They were both quiet for a few minutes.

            “This is going to be all over the village by morning,” Jack said finally, frowning down at their joined hands. “I’ll never live it down.”

“What will be all over the village? Live what down?”

“This,” he gestured to himself with a humorless laugh. “Me. Jack Carson, Pirate’s Cove’s Chief of Police, drunk in public. In uniform, no less.” He shook his head. “All those Silver Sleuths there? I’m sure it’s just a matter of time before it’s on the cover of the Scuttlebutt Weekly. I’m surprised Sue hasn’t called for a comment yet.”

Ellery was glad Jack hadn’t singled out Nora. While Nora was known to be a notorious gossip, she had been working on reforming her ways over the past several months. However, there was some truth to what Jack had said, but Ellery chose not to dwell on it, deciding instead to shift the subject. “You weren’t drunk,” he said.

“Ellery—”

“No, Jack.” Ellery cut him off. “Hear me out. You didn’t look drunk when we left the Salty Dog. Are you now? Maybe. I mean, with as many as you had, how could you not be?” He grinned when Jack playfully elbowed him. “But those Mermaids didn’t hit you until after we left and were halfway here.”

Jack looked up, his eyes uncertain. “Really? You’re not just saying that?”

“Yes, really, and no, I’m not just saying that.” He snuggled closer. “Plus, I was keeping track.”

“Keeping track?”

Now it was Ellery’s turn to smile shyly. “I know from first-hand experience how a Tipsy Mermaid can sneak up on you. It’s no secret the bartenders at the Salty Dog have a heavy pour. So yes, I was keeping track. I know how important your reputation is to you and I would never do anything – or let anything happen – to risk that.”

            Jack breathed a sigh of relief. He really did look visibly relieved. “Thank you, Ellery. I owe you.”

“Of course, Jack,” Ellery said, puzzled. “What’s this really about, though? Are you all right?”

Jack shrugged. He didn’t look Ellery’s way when he answered. “I guess I’m not used to you caring as much as I do.”

Ouch. Ellery was taken aback by Jack’s admission, but he recognized the precarious situation for what it was and pressed on delicately. “Oh, Jack,” he said earnestly, putting his palm against Jack’s cheek and gently turning his head so they were facing each other. “I do care. Of course, I do.” Jack’s eyes were downcast and Ellery had to dip his head to look into his blue-green eyes. “Hey, look at me. I care. And I’m sorry if I haven’t said it before. If I haven’t made it clear before now how much I care for you – and I do, so much – let me do that now.” He leaned in and kissed Jack, then kissed him again, deepening it as he pressed him against the sofa. He felt Jack eventually open to him, kissing him back, tentative at first, and then urgently, almost frantic, before finally relaxing beneath him. He tasted of stale coffee, the tartness of the alcohol, and the uniqueness that was himself.

Arf! Arf! Arf! 

They both jumped. “Oh my goodness, I think somebody’s hungry,” Ellery chuckled, reaching down to scritch Watson’s ears. “Speaking of, do you want anything to eat, Jack? Maybe a night cap?”

Jack cleared his throat. Wiped at his eyes. “Sure, that actually sounds nice. There’s a gift pack of meats and cheeses in the fridge.”

Ellery got up to tend to Watson and fix a tray for Jack and himself. When he came back into the living room, the lights were dimmed, the tree was trimmed, and the gas fireplace was ablaze. Jack was back on the sofa, Watson curled up on his lap softly snuffling as Jack, eyes closed, softly stroked the pup.

His eyes opened when Ellery set the tray down and he smiled tiredly as he sat up, dislodging a clearly unhappy Watson.

Arf! Arf! Arf!

Watson protested indignantly as he tumbled to the floor, but quickly changed his tune when he spied the dish of kibble Ellery had brought him.

“Yes, you’re all better now, aren’t you?” Ellery cooed as Watson attempted to dive head-first into his food dish, scarfing down his dinner as if it were his first meal in a week. Ellery rolled his eyes and poured a splash of brandy into his and Jack’s eggnog. Jack tapped the screen of his phone a few times and the soft strains of holiday music came on over the stereo system.

“In my family it’s a Christmas Eve tradition that we each open a gift of the other’s choosing,” Ellery said, handing Jack his drink and settling in close to him. While most of their gifts were under the ten-foot Fraser fir at Captain’s Seat, there was a small scattering of packages under Jack’s tree.

Jack took Ellery’s hand and squeezed it. “I like that tradition. In fact, I like the idea of making some of our own holiday traditions.”

“Jack.” They kissed again, slower now. Relaxed. Gentle. Like they had all the time in the world. And, really, didn’t they?

“Wait,” Ellery said, pulling back. “Did you say you ‘owe me’?”

Jack looked puzzled. “What? Oh, sure. I do.”

“Anything?”

“Sure,” Jack said again as reached for a cracker. He suddenly stopped and looked back at Ellery with suspicion in his eyes. “Wait a minute, what are you thinking— Oh, no, Ellery, I told you before, I’m not playing Strip Scrabble.”

            “Why not?” Ellery pouted, even as his eyes gleamed with mischief. “You said anything.”

“Because,” Jack said, blushing, which Ellery found completely adorable, “even on my best of day you’d cream me.” He winced and his cheeks turned an even deeper shade of red when he realized what he said. “I mean,” he corrected, looking everywhere but at Ellery, “you’d have me in the buff in two minutes flat.”

            “And the problem with that is what?” Ellery asked innocently, mentally inventorying the contents of the wet bar at Captain’s Seat. (Note to self: More Tipsy Mermaids for Jack!)

            “The problem with that?” Jack spluttered, incredulous. He turned to face a beaming Ellery. “The problem with that is… well… there is no problem because I don’t own a Scrabble board!”

            “Well…” Ellery drew out the word as he leaned forward and selected a festively wrapped package from under the tree. He handed it to Jack with a look of triumph on his face. “You do now.”

            Jack’s “gulp” was all audible over the Christmas carols playing on the stereo.

            Arf! Arf! Arf!