Noah and Angel were childhood sweethearts and teenage lovers. With youth comes unrealistic ideas sometimes, and also bad choices. But just about the time they reach manhood, Noah’s demons pull them apart.<br><br>Seven years later, he gets a second chance when Angel returns to town. Hoping everything can be different, Noah sets out to remind him how wonderful their past was by secretly sending him thirteen gifts commemorating their happiest times, one on each day beginning December 11.<br><br>By Christmas Eve, Noah hasn’t heard a word back, and wonders if Angel even recognized the meaning of the offerings. When Angel does get in touch, he only remembers the bad things that drove them apart. Can Noah remind him how good they had it, too?

The Presents and the Past

“Nah.” Troy waved away whatever his words would have been. “Don’t listen to me. It’s twelve days. He’s waiting for the last gift.”


“Actually, it’s thirteen. Fourteen with the cake. I drop the final one off on Christmas Eve and hope he’ll come to me for cake Christmas Day. You can deliver the party cupcakes, right?”


“Sure.” Troy was on the move. He seemed to spend most of his time out front. I hardly ever saw Spencer. He was always in the kitchen.


“Okay. That way, if this whole thing with Angel blows up in my face, I can just sit at home by myself and eat potato chips and my filthy X-rated cake. It won’t even matter, because I’ll at least have sent an acknowledgement to the lawyer folk.”


Chapter 26