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“Don’t encourage her,” Nick grunored her all day” He scratched his salt and pepper beard Max stood and squinted at the toque Nick earing Was the pink wool threaded with…glitter?

Nick frowned, then yanked off the hat with a rinned, his blue eyes glea with amusement Nick said to Max, “Thanks for the syrup Your folks need any reenery?”

“Nope, we’re good I love the hat by the way”

“It suits hiht?” Hunter asked with pretend innocence

“It reen plaid,” Jeremy offered with real innocence that ain

“That’s what I said!” Hunter exclaimed He drew Nick’s face down and pressed a kiss to his bearded cheek “See?”

Shaking his head and clearly fighting a smile, Nick marched back to the barn, Ella on his heels Hunter snickered “I gave it to hi last Christmas, but the inside is super soft, and he secretly loves it”

Max held out his fist, and Hunter bumped it

“Let rab the syrup from you”

“Also, do you et a few pics of the farm? Jeremy needs some Insta shots”

“No prob Want me to show you around?”

Of course they did, and Hunter took them to all the best spots for pictures It was cold and the snoas deep, but the as mellow Jeremy’s cheeks were pink by the time they returned to the truck, and while he quickly replied to his dad’s text, Max stared at hi his lip in concentration

Maybe if Max just gave in and kissed hiet it out of his system…

They headed for ho up as the truck’s heat kicked in He took the a crumpled tissue out of his pocket

“That was great I’ve never… We saw lots of couples on Church Street and stuff, but it was cool seeing two guys who actually live together” He shook his head “That’s dumb”

“It’s not”

“I ether”

“Right But there’s knowing that and seeing it for yourself”

Jereet it It’s all been so theoretical for lasses so vigorously the tissue ripped He put on his glasses and kept his gaze on the road ahead “I don’t justyou has expanded my world so much in, like, a week Thank you”