AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Oh,” said Harry, “and don’t forget to pack the Christmas presents!”
“I won’t,” Jack promised.
It was their first Christmas together, and Harry wanted to get it right. Then again, so far he was killing it wasn’t he? With Jack, and the wedding, and living together, and figuring out whose turn it was to do the washing up, and all that compromising stuff that movies made a huge deal out of, but it turned out wasn’t that hard after all. Because getting Jack in return? Worth it a hundred times over.
Look at him. Relationshipping like a boss.
The bells on the op shop door jingled madly as Harry pushed it open.
“Mr Townsend.” Beryl glared at him—from not one, but two narrowed eyes.
Harry froze in shock. “What happened to your eye patch?” he blurted. Behind him, Jack groaned.
Beryl sniffed. “In my day, Mr Townsend, it was considered impolite to ask people personal questions like that.”
“I’m sure he just meant he’s glad your eye is better,” Jack said before Harry could dig himself any deeper. He carried the two large plastic garbage bags to the counter and hefted them up.
Beryl eyed them suspiciously. “What’s this?”
“We’d like to donate them,” Jack said. “Please.”
Beryl turned her mouth down as she opened the first bag as carefully as a bomb robot inspecting an abandoned airport suitcase. Her expression grew increasingly sour as she picked through the clothes, holding them gingerly between two fingertips. Then, with her evil eyes gleaming, she closed the bag again. “I’m sorry,” she said, “but we don’t take rubbish.”
Harry’s mouth fell open. “I bought most of that here!”
“No, you didn’t,” Beryl said, and folded her arms over her chest.
“I did!” Harry turned to Jack beseechingly. “I did!”
“Okay, it’s fine,” Jack said. “We’ll take them to the Salvos. Thanks for your time, Beryl. Have a good day.”
Beryl smirked.
“I am never buying you a coffee scroll again!” Harry exclaimed.
“What? You never have!”
“I did!” It was hard to maintain his outrage when Jack started laughing. “I really did, though!”
Jack grabbed the bags in one hand, and took Harry’s elbow in the other, still laughing. “Come on. You can’t win them all.” He pressed a kiss to Harry’s cheek, which reminded Harry that at least he’d won where falling for Jack was concerned and really, that was more than enough. “We’ll take these to the Salvos, and I’ll buy you a coffee scroll.”
The bells on the door jingled wildly again as they left.
Harry had been watching the clock for a while. It was just past five, and parents were starting to roll in and collect their kids. He was hoping they’d all be on time today so that he and Jack could get going to Goulburn on time. It was a vain hope, because there was always at least one parent who made the most of being child-free until the last second before closing, but maybe, with it being the last day before Christmas holidays, today would be different.
“Harry!” A little boy tugged on his shirt. “I wet my pants.”
His timing was impeccable.
“Okay,” Harry said brightly. “Let’s get your spares out of your cubby hole, and get you sorted out so you’re ready to go when Mum gets here.”
He loved his group of three-year-olds, but he was definitely looking forward to fewer accidents when he got preschool kids next year.
Afternoon pick-ups were always a little bit chaotic. Most of the kids were tired, but not all of them had napped, so there was always some crying to deal with, and the occasional tantrum. Still, at least Harry wasn’t in the infants’ room. He liked babies, but not quite so many of them in such an enclosed space. Usually, when one of them started crying it set off a chain reaction. His three-year-olds were angels in comparison.
Right on cue, Felicity ran past screaming.
Well, mostly angels.
