Logan appeared after a few minutes. He stopped in the doorway of the guest room; a look of surprise flew across his face. It softened immediately to one of affection.
Baxter sat in the middle of the bed in full wolf form. Next to him were a pair of white fuzzy Cupid wings and a plastic recorder.
Logan covered his mouth when he started laughing. He tried very hard to stay quiet. The effort was great enough that tears formed and streamed down his cheeks. After wheezing a few times, Logan was able to get it under control. He wiped at his eyes and stepped into the room. “You are an amazing man, Baxter Lawson.”
That was high praise coming from Logan. Baxter’s heart puffed up in pride.
It was a little tricky to get the wings to stay in place. In the end, Logan had to use one of his socks to keep the harness tight enough that the wings didn’t flop around on his back.
Baxter looked at Logan’s bare foot. Then up to Logan.
“Oh, don’t worry about it. I think the slacks are long enough to cover up that I don’t have a sock on.”
He would have to take Logan’s word for it because there was little room to improvise further.
Baxter jumped off the bed and nosed at the recorder before he looked at Logan again.
“How exactly is that going to work?” Logan asked.
He opened his mouth.
“Seriously?”
It wasn’t like Baxter could argue the point. Logan would just have to trust him.
“You are a very strange man.”
Logan left the room to get dinner started. He waited until he heard the cork pop on the champagne before walking down the hall.
With soft puffs of his breath, Baxter blew into the recorder. The soft musical sound was a mournful note that faded off and fell a little flat as he reached the end of his breath. But he inhaled and blew again.
All conversation had stopped, and they all watched his approach. Harvey looked appropriately conflicted.
But he wasn’t racing out the door, so that was a bonus.
Aunt Hilde sat at the table, her chest heaving in a silent laugh. She had her mouth covered until she could no longer control the sound, rocking back to hoot loudly.
Harvey took his cues from Logan and Aunt Hilde that things were fine. Baxter sat primly in the corner, his white, feathery wings sliding sideways across his back as he played the same somber note over and over.
“Okay, okay, honey,” Aunt Hilde said. She stood from the table and took the recorder from Baxter’s mouth. “That’s quite enough serenading from Cupid for one night. If I have to hear much more, I’ll pull a muscle from laughing.”
She smoothed her hand over his head and tugged at his ears. Leaning in, she whispered, “Thank you. This is the best Valentine’s Day gift anyone could have gotten for me.”
* * *
As Logan cleared the table, Hilde walked Harvey out to his car to say good night. Baxter scratched at the wings and went into the kitchen to knock his head against Logan’s thigh.
“What can I do for you, Baxter?” he asked, looking down.
Baxter shook hard. The wings flopped around on his back, but they didn't dislodge. Logan's knot was secure.
“I don’t know.” He propped his hands on his hips. “I think they’re rather cute. Cute and fuzzy. They’re perfect for you, actually.”
Baxter sighed.
“Oh fine.” Logan untied the knot and pulled the wings from his body. “Hurry up and get dressed. I’m not doing the dishes by myself.”
By the time Baxter was dressed, Hilde had come back in, humming happily.
“How was your dinner?” Baxter asked.
"It was wonderful," she said with a spin. "A delightful evening that I couldn't have guessed was coming. You owe Clint a huge favor for keeping this a secret. I didn’t suspect anything."
Baxter frowned, his cheeks and ears burning. “So, have you and Harvey worked things out?”
“We have. And I suppose I owe you a thank you and an apology. After that fracas at Anne Luthrow’s house, she carried on quite shamelessly by the way, reveling in Harvey’s attention. As she acted so dramatically wounded, something fell out of her recipe book. Apparently, when she took the card, she didn’t throw it away. She must have hastily stuck it in her book." Aunt Hilde sat back down at the table to watch as Baxter and Logan cleaned the kitchen. "When he picked it up, he saw it was for him, read it, and that's when he realized what had happened."
Logan clapped his hands on her shoulders and bent to give her a kiss on the cheek. “Hilde, that’s wonderful. I mean, not for Anne Luthrow, though. It’s actually rather sad.”
Aunt Hilde nodded slowly. "She's just a lonely woman. I was thinking about taking her some lemon bars in a few days and visit with her. Find a way to fix this rift between us.”
“That’s very generous of you,” Logan said.
Baxter rinsed the dishes and put them in the dishwasher. “It is. I wouldn’t do it.”
"You're just a grumpy old wolf." Logan hip-checked Baxter playfully.
“Well, if you two can handle things here, I’m going to go to bed. It’s been an eventful day. I don’t know how Clint keeps up with the kids. They ran me ragged,” Aunt Hilde said. She slowly rose to her feet and carefully stretched before giving Logan and Baxter good night kisses. “Logan, take the leftovers home with you. I don’t think I’ll have room in my refrigerator to store them. Make sure to lock up when you’re done, Baxter.”
“Night, Hilde,” Logan said.
“Happy Valentine’s Day, Aunt Hilde.”
She gave them both an exhausted, grateful smile and disappeared down the hall.
Logan waited until the door shut before he started stacking his dishes up. “Let’s get these back to my place to divide up the leftovers. I think there’s enough for both our lunches tomorrow.”
"Okay." They put the covered dishes in the small box they used to port them from Logan's place, and he started across the hard. Baxter locked up the house before following Logan to his house.
He opened the door for Logan and helped him get the food to the kitchen.
“There’s not much to do here,” Logan said. “I’m half tempted to leave it until morning.
“Let’s get it done. Then the rest of the night is ours, and that's not hanging over our head.”
* * *
Baxter washed and Logan rinsed the last of the dinner dishes. “Thank you, Logan,” Baxter said as he handed Logan the final pan.
“For what?”
“For helping me pull that off. I couldn’t have done it without you.”
“I’m glad things worked out,” he said.
“None of it would have worked out if you hadn’t been there to rescue my ignorant butt from an impending disaster.” Baxter rinsed the sink. He squeezed the sponge out and put it in the holder.
It was the same kind of plastic daisy decorated holder that Aunt Hilde had beside her sink. Baxter stared at it for a moment. “You two shop at the same place.”
Logan glanced over where Baxter pointed out what he referred to. He laughed softly. “She got it for me when she was at the Dollar Store. Only cost a dollar.”
“She never gets me anything like that.”
“Maybe because you never use your kitchen?”
Baxter snickered. "Probably. I do use the dishwasher. Although sometimes I lose track if the dishes are dirty or clean and end up washing them again, just to be sure."
Logan slid his hand into Baxter’s and pulled him to the living room. “Come on, Mr. Lawson. You deserve the rest of the night off. Come sit down.”
“I thought you wanted to finish that bottle of champagne,” Baxter protested, but he still followed as Logan led him to the couch.
“It’ll keep.”
They both settled on the couch, Logan sitting pressed up against him. Baxter lifted his arm to drape over Logan’s shoulders. It was cozy sitting there with Logan.
The house was quiet, and Logan's body was warm. After all the tension of the past days, it was nice to just sit and be still with Logan.
Baxter didn't require conversation. He was content to simply be with Logan.
Logan swiped through the pictures of the evening. Harvey and Aunt Hilde softly light by the candle lights as they held hands. The chintzy Valentine’s Day hearts strung all over the dining room.
And Baxter, looking utterly ridiculous as a wolf with angel wings.
Baxter grabbed the phone and gave it a toss to the other end of the couch, just out of reach. Before Logan could reach for it, he pulled the man back to sit next to him. “Enough of that.”
“That was my favorite image, Baxter. When you’re in your wolf form it takes away some of your rough edges.”
“If you use cute or fuzzy in a sentence, I will go home,” Baxter said gruffly.
Clearly, Logan wasn't taking the threat seriously.
He was too smart for his own good.
Baxter slumped on the couch and let his head fall back. “I’m glad that’s over. I thought for sure it would end in disaster.”
“I think you did just fine.”
“You did just fine. It was all on you. I would have botched that whole thing all up if you hadn’t stepped in.”
“It was a solid menu plan. It just needed a little sprucing here and there.”
“Well,” Baxter let out a long exhale. His belt was starting to feel a little snug. “Your sprucing was just the perfect thing.”
“If it weren’t so late, it’d be time for a nap,” Logan said. He kicked off his shoes and pulled his feet on the couch so he could lean heavily into Baxter. Logan’s solid weight as it pressed against Baxter warmed him all over.
Shifting to the side so Logan could lean comfortably ended with Baxter's arm draped across Logan's chest. At this point, Baxter didn't want to move. If Logan wanted to lean against him for the rest of the night, he was okay with being a human pillow.
In the other chair, the teddy bear looked back at him. Even for an inanimate object, Baxter sensed a certain degree of smugness in its expression.
"Fine," he murmured softly, giving the bear a frown. "You were right. I was wrong."
Logan inhaled sharply and scrubbed his eyes. “Mmm, what?”
“Nothing. Were you asleep?”
"Not quite, but I was close." He twisted so he could sit up, then he rolled to his feet. "I hate to be such a killjoy, but I should probably get to bed."
Baxter stood with him. “I understand. I need to get back to the house. What is it about this holiday? No day off? For something so important, you’d think that would have been designed in.”
Their hands bumped gently, and Logan looked down before he threaded their fingers together. "You know, you don't have to go."
Baxter’s breath caught in his chest. He turned to face Logan, releasing his hand before draping his arm around Logan’s shoulders. “I figured. But it seemed bad form to assume.”
Logan returned the embrace. His body warmth seeped through Baxter's clothing. "I mean, my couch is very comfortable. Or so I’m told.”
“Oh ha ha,” Baxter said in a playful flat voice. “You’re a tease.”
“I don’t mean to be.”
“You’re a liar, Logan Price.”
Logan tipped onto his toes and pressed his mouth against Baxter’s in a chaste kiss.
“And you’re a cute and fuzzy wolf, Baxter Lawson.”
“No, I’m your Valentine.”
Logan pressed his ear to Baxter’s chest, his arms wrapped tightly around Baxter’s waist. He hummed out a sigh of contentment.
“That you are, Baxter. That you are.”