Broken Boughs Read online

  Table of Contents

  BROKEN BOUGHS

  blurb

  copyright

  story

  About the Author

  Trademarks Acknowledgment

  MLR PRESS AUTHORS

  GLBT RESOURCES

  BROKEN BOUGHS

  JADE BUCHANAN

  mlrpress

  www.mlrpress.com

  There’s only one thing Neil Brogan wants for Christmas, and that’s for his lover, Jonah Chevalier, to accept his proposal. They’ve been together for over a year, and Neil wants to make this a night to remember. Will Jonah accept and make an honest man out of Neil? Or will his carefully crafted night go to the dogs when their puppy interferes with his romantic setting?

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  Copyright 2012 by Jade Buchanan

  All rights reserved, including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form.

  Published by

  MLR Press, LLC

  3052 Gaines Waterport Rd.

  Albion, NY 14411

  Visit ManLoveRomance Press, LLC on the Internet:

  www.mlrpress.com

  Cover Art by Deana C. Jamroz

  Editing by Kris Jacen

  Ebook format ISBN# 978-1-60820-803-6

  Issued 2012

  This book is licensed to the original purchaser only. Duplication or distribution via any means is illegal and a violation of International Copyright Law, subject to criminal prosecution and upon conviction, fines and/or imprisonment. This eBook cannot be legally loaned or given to others. No part of this eBook can be shared or reproduced without the express permission of the publisher.

  Neil carefully placed his three presents under the tree beside the pile that Jonah had brought down earlier, then he sat back and surveyed the stash. Jonah had gone all out this year, and his packages rivaled those that had been mailed from their family in Ontario. Neil felt a little stingy that he only had two gifts for Jonah. Especially since one technically wasn’t a Christmas present.

  This was going to be an exciting holiday. It was the first that Neil and Jonah would spend together, just the two of them. Last year had been their first Christmas as a couple, although growing up as best friends had given them a shitload of holiday memories.

  He still had trouble believing they’d found love the way they had. They’d been a couple for well over a year now. It seemed like yesterday that Neil had gone back home on the off chance Jonah would be coming back for his mother’s funeral. He didn’t want to consider what would have happened if he’d stayed in Southern Ontario instead. He wouldn’t have reconnected with Jonah as a friend, and he wouldn’t have found the love of his life.

  It didn’t bear thinking about.

  They hadn’t decorated much last year, considering they had returned to Northern Ontario for the holidays. They hadn’t even put up a tree. This year, they’d gone out and gotten the biggest one they could find. It was a gorgeous beauty, lush and green. Nearly overflowing with ornaments, lights and garland, the tree branches were all pulled down with the weight of what they were bearing.

  The weather in Calgary had obligingly provided the white Christmas atmosphere. Pain in the ass to wade through to get to work, but kind of nice when they were inside looking out. And he’d never complain about an Alberta winter after growing up in Northern Ontario. Hell, at least they got the odd Chinook out here that melted away the snow and had them all wearing sweaters instead of parkas. You had to love the mountains for that, at the very least.

  The smell of pine filled the room, competing with the vanilla candles Jonah had lit earlier and the spinach and feta appetizers Neil had pulled out of the oven before bringing his presents down. They had a bottle of wine breathing on the counter, and now that the last of the presents had been brought down, Neil was more than ready to sit on the couch and celebrate the holidays with his man.

  Neil’s mom had been giving them grief about staying in Calgary this year, but Neil hadn’t been able to get time off and they didn’t want to pay a whole bunch of money on plane tickets only to go home for a weekend. So, they’d driven his younger brother, David, to the airport yesterday and finally had the house to themselves.

  David had been living with them nearly as long as Neil had been here. He was currently in University studying something stupid. Jonah knew more about it than Neil did, funny enough. All Neil knew was that it had something to do with the Social Sciences, aka one of those degrees that looked great on paper but was useless in the real world. David still didn’t know what he wanted to do with his life. He was just lucky he was getting practically free room and board in the process. Neil was getting close to forcing him to do something practical, while Jonah was playing nice and letting him find his own way. The brat had six months to smarten up, in Neil’s books. Ah, who was he kidding? He was a sucker for his baby brothers. Hence, David was living with Neil and his boyfriend.

  Last year Neil was one of the lucky few to be on the Ontario Provincial Police dive team. The Underwater Search and Recovery Unit. Only, it hadn’t been the best job considering the man he wanted to spend more time with lived halfway across the country in Alberta. Between the two of them, Neil knew he was the better equipped to move. Jonah had all sorts of hang ups about living in Ontario after what his family had put him through. Kicking their son out of the family for being gay was the least of what they’d done. They’d practically stricken his name from the family bible. So, Neil had put his big boy pants on and decided to make his move. Jonah was more important than any career.

  When he’d transferred to Calgary and become a retread in the Calgary Police Service he’d gone back to working in a district. Calgary’s water search and recovery was taken care of by the fire department, so that hadn’t been an option. But, it wasn’t all bad, since Jonah’s work just happened to fall inside Neil’s newly appointed district. Neil was a frequent visitor to the club where Jonah was a social worker, both as a friendly face and a not-so-friendly face to a few juvenile delinquents Jonah worked with. Sorry, young offenders. Jonah got pretty touchy about labels some times.

  The fact that they got to see each other on a regular basis was one of the major perks to living here now. Neil loved spending time with Jonah. And, at the start of their future, Neil wanted nothing more than to spend Christmas with just the two of them.

  A frantic barking sounded from outside.

  Make that just the three of them.

  “Jonah? Babe? Let Kato in, please?”

  Jonah didn’t respond, but the sound of scrabbling nails in the kitchen let Neil know his pup was inside. Kato rounded the corner at a mad scramble and nearly ploughed Neil over.

  “Hey, boo boo. Who’s my best boy?” Neil sank all ten fingers into the thick white fur of his pup and rubbed for all he was worth. Kato appeared to nearly pass out with pleasure, flopping down on his back and twitching one of his back legs in glorious surrender.

  They’d gotten the pup earlier in the year from a shelter, and still weren’t quite sure what he was. Jonah figured he had some Japanese Spitz thrown in because his tail curled, but Neil swore there was some kind of Lab in his face. Whatever it was, Kato looked like a miniature white Husky.

  “I swear, I think you love that dog more than me.” Jonah leaned down and kissed the top of Neil’s head.

  Neil grinned and watched Jonah walk across the living room. His man sure was nice to look at. Hazel eyes and dirty blond locks completed a picture of an all-natural boy next door. His lean muscled frame was clad in a sweatshirt and a pair of threadbare jeans.
They’d gone all fancy tonight. It matched what Neil was wearing.

  “Well, he’s happier to see me when I come home from work. You need to work at that a bit more.” Neil had tried to get Jonah to wiggle his ass for him the same way Kato did, and that had led to all sorts of interesting things, but alas, it wasn’t repeated on a daily basis.

  “Ha.” Jonah slumped to the sofa with a sigh. The platters of appetizers he’d been carrying were placed on the coffee table in front of him. Jonah lifted his bare feet to curl up on the couch. “Can you get the wine, please? I only have two hands.”

  Neil blew a kiss at Jonah before getting up and heading back into the kitchen. Kato dutifully followed before realizing he wasn’t getting a treat. Before long, the pup deserted him for Jonah and the appetizers.

  Neil was nervous about tomorrow morning. He’d only have one shot at this and even though he was pretty sure Jonah was going to say yes, it was still a big deal. They’d been together officially for over a year, so naturally they’d talked about marriage. They both knew how lucky they were to live in Canada and be able to get married whenever they wanted. But, they also realized how big of a deal it was. Neither was willing to take that next step until they were positive it was the right time.

  Although, this time Neil had kept things mostly to himself. He’d made a few comments to his mom last Christmas that he’d been thinking of marriage and she’d told everyone and their dog back home. He’d gotten congratulatory Facebook messages for weeks after that.

  Yeah, it hadn’t been awkward at all.

  Maybe it was partly his Catholic background, and as much as he wasn’t a regular practitioner now—that was one thing Jonah did alone on Sundays—there must have been something in the “till death do us part” that stuck in his head.

  Marriage was permanent. And he was finally ready to make that step. He knew Jonah felt the same. But, it was one thing to know he’d say yes, and another to actually hear him say the words. Jonah had a thing about being rushed. It had to be at the right time.

  Grabbing the wine bottle and two glasses, he snorted at how things had changed. He’d like nothing more than to kick back with a beer right now, but Jonah had convinced him they had to drink wine with spinach and feta. Neil would have been fine with pigs in a blanket. Or wings. Or nachos. All things they normally ate, but apparently Christmas was different. You had to bring out the big guns at least once a year.

  He’d just started back down the hall when he heard Jonah’s voice.

  “Kato? Bud, what’ve you got there? Kato, stop! That’s enough! Shit! Neil!”

  A loud crash echoed in the living room, followed by frightened yips and strident curses.

  Neil rounded the corner to see their Christmas tree lying on the ground. Thirty pounds of wiggling whining dog was held awkwardly in Jonah’s arms as the man stared at the mess in front of him.

  “Tabarnac! Don’t come in here. There’s glass everywhere. Go put some shoes on.”

  Neil stared at the tree. “Fuck. What happened?”

  “What the hell do you think happened?”

  Neil rolled his eyes at the high-pitched question. “Are you okay?”

  “I’m fine. Kato, stop struggling. Get some shoes, Neil.”

  He figured it was better if he just went to grab his shoes and not get into a war of words right now. Luckily, he didn’t have far to go. He dropped the wine and glasses on top of the half wall separating the living room from the front hall and opened the closet by the front door. Grabbing two pairs of sandals, he donned one and walked back into the living room with the other pair.

  “Did Kato get any glass in his paws?” Neil bent over to help Jonah slip his feet into the sandals before offering to hold their pup.

  Transferring the dog over, Jonah ran his hands down the quivering body. “I don’t think so. He cut as soon as the tree started to fall.”

  “How the hell did it fall? I braced that thing carefully.”

  Inspecting each paw carefully, Jonah finally shook his head. “He’s fine. Can you put him back outside?”

  Neil shook his head but moved back to the kitchen with his still-struggling armful of dog. Kato wasn’t happy to be put in the backyard, but he’d just get in the way right now. It didn’t take long before Neil was striding back into the living room with a broom.

  Jonah was bent over picking up ornaments and placing them on the coffee table. Neil took a moment to enjoy the sight of denim pulled taut over the most delectable ass.

  “Okay, seriously, how did it fall?”

  Jonah looked up. “I don’t know. I was sitting here with my eyes closed for a moment when I heard rustling. By the time I realized it wasn’t a good sound to hear, Kato had his entire body under the tree and it had started to fall. What the hell would he have been going after? He usually leaves things alone.”

  It was true. They’d never had to worry about Kato the way some of their friends did with their dogs. Hell, his buddy Kevin had to hide anything that looked like it could be eaten. His Lab chewed on everything, he’d even eaten his dog dish once. There hadn’t been a piece of salvageable plastic left over. Neil figured it was a miracle the stupid dog was still alive after half the things he’d eaten.

  Hell, Prissy Katie wouldn’t even eat half his own dog treats, so going after one of the presents was a bit… Shit. “Shit.”

  “What did you do?” Jonah asked.

  “Why do you automatically assume I did something?”

  Jonah stepped right in front of Neil, both hands on his hips and an exasperated look on his face. “I know you. What did you do?”

  “There may have been something under the tree that Kato found. I’m not saying hundred percent it’s my fault, but…”

  “What’d you wrap up?”

  Neil winced. Yeah, he was going to get his ass kicked. “Pig’s ear?”

  “I’m sorry, I couldn’t possibly hear you right. Pig’s ear? You wrapped up a pig’s ear and put it under the tree? Are you insane?”

  Neil chose that moment to dig his grave even deeper and started to laugh. “I’m sorry! Oh, God. He knocked down the tree trying to unwrap a pig’s ear?”

  “Merde! You do realize the rest of our presents are currently buried under this tree? What if there’s anything breakable?” Jonah was about as far from laughing as could be possible.

  Oops. Neil cursed roundly as he remembered what else he’d placed under the tree. Shit!

  “Shit, shit, shit.” Not caring about the lingering glass, Neil grabbed the tree and hauled it upright. He propped it in the corner before surveying the ornament graveyard that had been revealed. Broken bulbs lay strewn on the floor, along with a few branches that had obviously snapped off when the tree had come crashing down.

  Jonah started to pick up the boughs, but stopped to goggle at Neil when he dove for the presents instead. Pushing aside the packages from his parents, Neil grabbed for the smallest box and gave a sigh of relief when it seemed to be in one piece.

  “Seriously?” Jonah asked dryly.

  “It’s important.” Not that he thought it would have broken, but he just wanted to make sure it was still in one piece.

  “Right, important.” Jonah snorted before bending down to pick up more ornaments. “Some of these are fine. We should have gone with the plastic bulbs. I knew it even when I was buying them. Did I? Nooo, I had to buy the glass because they looked better. That was brilliant, wasn’t it?”

  Neil made sure he wasn’t facing Jonah when he rolled his eyes. He surveyed the damage once more before going back for the rest of the gifts.

  “Ah, crap, there’s water everywhere.”

  He didn’t want anything to get ruined, so he started to gather all the gifts up and pull them out of the line of fire. Carefully brushing glass off the outside of a package that had his name on it, he handed it off to Jonah before repeating the gesture with the rest. His little package remained firmly in his free hand at the end.

  “I think you can let go of that
one,” Jonah said. He was now wielding the broom. “Better yet, go get the vacuum? I don’t want Kato picking up any glass.”

  Neil smiled. It suddenly struck him, how domestic they’d gotten. Look at them, working as a team. As a unit.

  “Marry me.”

  Jonah dropped the broom. “What?”

  Well, that hadn’t been the most romantic proposal. He’d had this whole thing planned out. “I love you and I want to marry you. Please?”

  Jonah started to laugh. “Seriously? Now? You’re doing this now? Man, no wonder I love you. Yes, I’ll marry you, idiot.”

  It was Neil’s turn to laugh. He strode forward and hugged Jonah tightly. “Man, that didn’t quite go the way I’d planned.”

  “What, you wanted me to say no or something?”

  “No, never that. I just had this whole thing. We’d be sitting on the couch, getting all lovey dovey and I was going to give you the ring box.”

  “Wait, you have the ring? Well, why didn’t you give it to me? You’re not very good at this, are you?”

  “Ha ha.” Neil pulled back from their embrace to show Jonah the small box he was still clutching. “You want the whole song and dance?”

  “Merde, don’t kneel on the floor. You’ll probably stick a piece of glass and I’ll be taking you to the ER tonight. Let’s just pretend.”

  “Babe.”

  “Well? Where’s my ring?” Jonah beamed at him.

  Neil handed over the box silently, watching Jonah unwrap it as if it was the most precious gift he’d ever received. He wasn’t even nervous anymore. Huh, fancy that.

  Jonah finally revealed the jewelers box, opening it with a sigh. The plain gold band was picked up with a shaking hand and handed to Neil.

  “It’s not as fancy as the promise ring I gave you last year.” The ring Jonah still wore every day.

  Jonah didn’t even glance at the gold and diamond Claddagh ring he sported on his right hand. “You ever going to put that on my finger? It’s perfect, so shut up.”

  Neil rolled his eyes. “So romantic.”