Thinking with his head and not his heart is an occupational hazard for Professor Leland Hansen. He does fine as a researcher dealing with statistics and experimental designs and guiding doctoral students through the dissertation process. But affairs of the heart are another matter. Leland teaches at a small, religious college in New England, and the anxiety of losing his position over his lifestyle eventually causes a painful breakup with the one true love of his life, Cliff Emerson.<br><br>When Cliff calls a few weeks before Christmas to announce he’s getting married, Leland accuses him of dredging up the past and their conversation ends badly. As time grows short, Leland sets out to win Cliff back, though he fears he may already be too late. Will they reunite at Christmas or will Cliff be lost to him forever?

All I Want for Christmas

“Said it was considerate of you to call, let me know the news.”


A short silence was intermittently broken by a whistling sound in the line.


“Hmm. I hope you’ll be happy, Cliff. I mean it.” Leland practically choked on the words.


“What? There’s someone else on the line or maybe static.”


Leland found himself yelling into the receiver. “Jeez. You’d think you were in Timbuktu. I said I’m happy for you.”


“Thank you, Lee. I wasn’t sure if I should call, how you’d take hearing from me after so long but—”


“No that’s okay. I’m glad you did.”


“It’s better now,” Cliff said. “I can hear you. Don’t know what that was. Maybe something in the wire. Sorry for the way I left the area and you, but I didn’t think—”


“This isa bad connection. I missed most of that,” Leland said, not terribly pleased with his ex-lover’s apology. Wanting him to repeat it, hoping for more.


Chapter 6