“Hey, Tom.” Erik Kelso is setting up a bar stool outside the front door of The Dog House as I cross the street. His Santa hat droops over the left side of his head. He resembles an oversized elf.
“Pretty cold out here for sidewalk drinking.” I stop next to his perch. The forecast is for flurries and the damp night air is cold enough for snow. “Or is Olaf carding tonight?”
“Ha, when was the last time Olaf paid for a bouncer?” Pointing above our heads, he gives me a grin. Hanging over us is a ball of mistletoe. I step back and away from its shadow. All along the street, balls of greenery and mistletoe decorate the doorways. Some shops even have chalkboards outside to tally kisses. I have to give the guy credit for the stool.
“Nice,” I tell him.
He holds up his fist for a bump. “I figure why try to work the entire street, when I can sit here comfortably and wait for the ladies to come to me. Carter is pissed he didn’t think of it first.”
I look around for the other Kelso brother, but don’t see him inside at the bar.
“Carter’s down the block at the pizzeria. We decided to divide and conquer.”
Resembling big yellow puppies, the two of them could be John and I a few years ago. I hate to admit it, but their game might even be better than ours. I never thought to set up a stool under a kissing ball. That’s horny guy genius at work right there.
“The women won’t know what to do with themselves.” I bump his fist, giving him his deserved props.
“Speaking of women, does Hailey have any clue what you’re planning for Christmas?”
I shake my head. “So far, nope. You guys coming over tomorrow to help me? The girls are scheduled to head over to Seattle to go shopping for the day. I figure we can get the framing up while they’re gone. It’s all loaded on the flatbed over at the farmhouse.”
As weird as it might seem, I’m liking, hell, even enjoying, living with Hailey. Sharing the house and especially my bed with her has been easier than I imagined.
However, sharing a shop space between a welder and a carver has been less than ideal. My barn is big enough for the two of us, but wood and sparks aren’t a great mix. So I’m building a small shop for her. That way she can listen to all the Backstreet Boys music she wants.
She’d kill me if I told anyone she still loves ‘90s boy bands, but I don’t think people would be shocked if they found out. The new shop will be pretty small, under a thousand square feet, but vented and all open for her torches. She can still store stuff in the barn.
“So what’s the plan for tomorrow?” Erik asks.
“We’re loading up the framing on the flatbed in the morning. I poured the foundation a couple of weeks ago when she and her mom went on a girls’ weekend. It’s been covered under a tarp so she doesn’t get suspicious.”
“She’s not suspicious about a tarp in the yard?” He gives me a doubtful look.
“I threw a bunch of carvings and stumps on it and then covered those with another tarp.”
He nods in support of my genius. “You’re a duplicitous bastard, Donnely. How’d you ever get a hot babe like Hailey?”
“Big word. You studying to pass your GED?”
“Ha ha. I graduated college. I’m just saying you being all monogamous is pretty strange.” He lifts his pint glass to take a swig.
Smug asshole. I flick the bottom of the glass, causing it to over tip, spilling a thin stream of beer down the front of his jacket.
He sputters and wipes at the beer. “Hey! What was that for?”
I shoot him a dirty look. “That’s for suggesting I’d ever cheat on Hailey.”
His eyebrows furrow and his mouth hangs open a little. “I’d never do that. You aren’t that stupid. And even if you were, I’d be first in line to console her.”
I swat at his head. “There’s going to be no need for you, or anybody else, to console Hailey. She’s mine and I plan to keep it that way. For a long time. Forever. Got it?”
He holds up his hands. “Got it. Damn, you’re so sensitive these days. You and John both are whipped hard.”
“You should be so lucky.” I laugh and cuff his shoulder before opening the door.
“I’m trying to get lucky. Why do you think I’ve got my stool here?” His chuckle fades as I enter the bar.
Olaf grumbles hello and puts two pint glasses on the old wood bar. “That kid’s going to be trouble tonight.”
“You didn’t have to serve him. Or give him the stool.” I knock on the window to scare Erik. He bounces off the stool and it tumbles over. Flipping me the bird, he straightens up and resumes his seat.
Olaf’s laughter turns into a cough. “Eh, he’s better out there in the cold than in here where he bothers me. At least I don’t have to listen to him.”
I sip the foam off of the pint he pours for me. Outside, more people pass by on the sidewalk, their cheerful voices carrying through the glass.
“Damn revelers,” Olaf mutters.
“You seem in fine holiday spirits, tonight, O.” I spin on my stool to observe him. For as old as he is, and he’s got to be in his sixties now, he’s still pretty spry. Or maybe ornery is the word I mean.
“Bah humbug.” He scowls. “There’s going to be caroling later. If people want to sing, that’s fine, but standing outside someone’s place of business and singing at them feels like harassment. If I wanted to hear all those women singing off-key, I’d go to church. You see me in church on Sunday, Tom?”
I raise my eyebrows. “Can’t say that I have, O. Then again, I’d have to be there to see you.”
“That’s my point exactly.”
My gaze flicks left to right as I try to figure out his point. That we’re both sinners? “Not following you.”
“All this fuss and cheer. I don’t need it.” He gestures at the strand of multi-colored lights in the window and the faded paper Santas taped to the walls in a couple of places. It’s not exactly a holiday wonderland in here.
“Nice kissing ball outside, O,” John says as he sits on the stool next to me.
Olaf practically spits. “They hung that up this morning without my permission. Now that Kelso boy has taken up residence underneath it for the night. Probably going to nurse that one beer and scare away my paying customers, too.”
John faces me with an alarmed look in his eyes. His beard twitches as he fights a smile. “Olaf seems to be in a good mood.”
I nod, struggling not to laugh. “Where are Hailey and Diane?”
“They’ll be here in a bit. I left them at the studio, cooing over babies.” He takes a long pull on the beer O set in front of him.
We both silently drink our beers and stare out the window past the colorful lights.
John breaks the silence. “You get the ring from your grandmother?”
“Yeah. It’s in my glove box.” I even locked it just in case. “I had to swear Gramma to secrecy. She wanted to tell my mom. Mom would tell Lori and there wouldn’t be any point in trying to surprise Hailey.”
“I almost mentioned something at the studio.”
“What the hell, dude?” I stare at him. “You what?”
“Calm down. I didn’t. Hailey walked in on Diane and me … not full out, but you know, and I got flustered.”
“Dude.”
“I know, I know. It’s serious business. I’m still kind of surprised you’re doing it so soon.” He takes a swig.
“If Pops taught me anything, it’s that life is short. Why wait if I know this is forever?”
John spins his own wedding ring around his finger. “I understand. Completely.”
“You’re on schedule for Diane’s surprise?” I ask.
“Should be. I got a text from Maggie that she was at SeaTac about an hour ago. She and Gil were driving up from Portland for the weekend. Turns out, she’s picking up more friends who have a flight around the same time, so they’re taking two cars. It all worked out perfectly. ”
“That’s pretty cool your neighbor was willing to help you out, considering.”
He arches his eyebrow. “Considering?”
“What a crush you had on her and how she flirted with you.”
“Yeah, that’s ancient history. I owe her big time for renting to Diane.”
I nod in agreement. Movement outside the window catches my eye. “Speak of the wife …”
Diane is waving at us, while Hailey chats up Kelso. With a jolt, I notice MY girlfriend is standing directly under the kissing ball.
Oh, hell no.
I bolt from my stool, leaving it rattling behind me as I rush the door.