Bixby “Bix” Crane finally has a boyfriend to spend the holidays with after meeting Liam over the summer. But as each holiday passes, starting with Halloween, it becomes increasingly clear that Liam just isn’t that into him.
Left alone at Thanksgiving, Bix reaches out to the man he’s always loved, Wyatt Kojowski, who also happens to be the widower of Bix’s late cousin, Carl. The three were fast friends in high school and though both cousins loved Wyatt, Carl married Wyatt in the end. Wyatt is alone now too and he invites Bix to Thanksgiving with him.
After the best Thanksgiving he’s had in years, Bix returns home determined to get Liam to spend Christmas with him, but Liam has other ideas. Finally realizing the truth, Bix ends things with Liam and happily accepts Wyatt’s timely invitation to spend Christmas with him.
As one door closes for Bix, is another one opening? Or a window maybe. But if he finally opens up to Wyatt about always loving him, will that window end up being a bright window for Christmas?
Bix thought he shouldn’t really invite himself to Wyatt’s for Christmas the way he had done for Thanksgiving. He wanted to be with Wyatt though. He wanted to spend Christmas in Pismo Beach with the only guy he’d ever loved.
He knew how pathetic it was to be twenty-seven and only felt real love for the guy who got away in high school, but there it was. Every relationship he’d ever had never worked out. He always thought it was the other guy. Now he realized it was him.
A few days before Christmas though, Wyatt texted him.
Got your plans all worked out for Christmas with your boyfriend?
Bix waited a couple minutes before replying, trying to decide how to sound the least like a sad sack.
As a matter of fact, the situation with Liam has resolved itself. We are no longer seeing each other.
He patted himself mentally on the back for not begging to be invited to Pismo. Now, if it was Wyatt’s idea, everything would be cool.
But no reply back came for some time. He knew Wyatt often took his time. He was a lawyer with a busy practice in nearby to him, San Luis Obispo. So, he told himself not to stalk his phone and to go about his day. Wyatt would text again when he was good and ready.
After all he had his own job to do as a work-at-home operation’s expert at a national health insurance provider. That very afternoon he had a conference call he needed to pay attention to.
When he finally clocked out at just after five, he’d nearly forgotten about the texts. Not entirely, of course, but they no longer caused him to feel anxious about a reply from Wyatt.
It was entirely possible when Wyatt replied it would be to say something to the effect of that’s too bad, sorry to hear it, Merry Christmas. And Bix would accept that and wish Wyatt the same.
He was making himself a grilled cheese sandwich for dinner when his cellphone rang with a call rather that a text. For a moment, he did nothing, completely unused to getting calls.
Then he put the spatula down and went to where he’d left his phone on the kitchen counter.
Wyatt.
“Hey. I didn’t expect you to call.”
“I know. Seemed too long to text all this. Listen, I have one of those crown prime rib roasts just for me. It’s way too much. It would help me out a lot if you could come up here Christmas and help me eat it.” Wyatt paused. “We can do it up right. Mashed potatoes, gravy, Yorkshire pudding. That’s like a popover only British.”
Bix felt himself smile. “I know what it is. That sounds ...” Emotion clogged his throat so suddenly it surprised him. “Yeah, I’d like to do that.”
“Fantastic. I’ll set up a tree.”
“You don’t have to do a Christmas tree just for me,” Bix protested. “If you haven’t done one yet. Just like a garland and some holly would do.”
Wyatt chuckled. “No. A tree it is. If we’re doing Christmas, we’re doing it right. If you can come up on Christmas Eve that would be ideal. But whenever you can get here is good.”
“I can come Christmas Eve.”
“Great. Maybe we’ll get pizza again,” Wyatt said with a laugh.
“Actually ... I’ll make something. I’ll bring us dinner.”
“Are you sure? I don’t want you to go to any trouble.”
Now it was Bix who laughed. “With all that you just mentioned for Christmas I think you’re the one going to trouble. I’ll be there. With bells on. Jingle bells.”
