Elf on the Beach (6 page)

He’d found Kyle.

And Kyle had found magic.

Roone wanted to kiss him. So he did. He put his palms on Kyle’s cheeks and placed a quick and joyful kiss on his lover’s lips.

“I didn’t know. It just seemed like the right thing to do. I’m sorry for being a dick yesterday.” Kyle lowered his gaze as though embarrassed. He stepped back. “Did you want to come in?”

“What I was saying isn’t easy for people to accept, even if they are staring at the truth. But I’m glad you took the chance.” Roone closed the door behind him and leaned on it.

“You took a chance on me. You didn’t have to say anything.”

Roone could’ve kept quiet, but this was the first time all year that he’d been able to say what he was. When Kyle had started noticing, he’d wanted to be able to share. He looked at Kyle and the ticket and knew he did want to go home, because he wanted to be able to share the magic with others. He didn’t want to be human with only a memory of what could be, surrounded by people who had given up.

“What are you going to do now?” Roone pointed to the ticket.

Kyle stepped in close. “Well, I know this elf, and I was hoping he’d teach me how to snowboard.”

“You know you’ll be stuck there for a year. Then you have to decide if you’re staying or returning.” Roone unfolded the ticket. “Fine print.”

Would Kyle really be willing to pack up his life to see what would happen in the North Pole? They’d have a year together. And while Kyle would never be an elf, there were humans there. There was always work to do, even if they weren’t making toys the way most people thought.

Kyle scanned the document for a couple of seconds, then folded it back up. “I don’t actually care. I want to go and have an adventure instead of waiting for life to happen.”

Roone grinned, then kissed him again and wrapped his arms around Kyle. “Let’s make the most of the summer for a few more days.”

But he was looking forward to going home now. He belonged in the North Pole, working to keep the belief in magic alive. Maybe that was where Kyle belonged too. They shared another deeper kiss. Falling in love hadn’t been part of his plan for this year… but maybe the magic was listening to him and granting his wishes.

31 stories of holiday love!

www.dreamspinnerpress.com

TJ N
ICHOLS
is happiest with a bourbon in hand and a cat on the lap while plotting to take over the world… no, sorry that is TJ’s supervillain alter ego. TJ is an avid runner, martial arts enthusiast, and self-confessed nerd who does like bourbon, cats, and plotting to take over the world when writing. Having grown up reading thrillers and fantasy novels, it was no surprise that mixing danger and magic came so easily. After traveling all over the world, TJ now lives in Perth, Western Australia.

Website: tjnichols-author.blogspot.com

Twitter: @TobyJNichols

Published by

D
REAMSPINNER
P
RESS

5032 Capital Circle SW, Suite 2, PMB# 279, Tallahassee, FL 32305-7886  USA

www.dreamspinnerpress.com/

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of author imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

Elf on the Beach

© 2015 TJ Nichols.

Cover Art

© 2015 Paul Richmond.

http://www.paulrichmondstudio.com

Cover content is for illustrative purposes only and any person depicted on the cover is a model.

All rights reserved. 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. Any eBook format cannot be legally loaned or given to others. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without the written permission of the Publisher, except where permitted by law. To request permission and all other inquiries, contact Dreamspinner Press, 5032 Capital Circle SW, Suite 2, PMB# 279, Tallahassee, FL 32305-7886, USA, or www.dreamspinnerpress.com/.

Digital ISBN: 978-1-63476-959-4

First Edition December 2015

Printed in the United States of America