if we go with the law of averages, and he was a man, he wouldn’t likely have a lipstick. I thought it seemed more likely Uncle Darling would have it, or maybe Monty was carrying it for him. That was where my train of thought was going.”
Uncle Darling rolled his eyes. “Wouldn’t it be ironic if he’s a drag queen like me—or a cross-dresser…or a very sturdily-built woman?”
“Are you sure the person you saw was a man, Uncle Darling?”
He shuddered again, rubbing his hands over his arms when he looked to Hobbs with his answer. “I’m pretty sure, Good-Lookin’.”
Grabbing my uncle by the hand, I pulled him upward. “C’mon. Let’s go sit by the fire while we wait for news. It’s beautiful by the fireplace and the tree is so pretty this year. The cowboy here helped decorate it.”
I picked up his special Christmas mug, the one my mother insisted we each have, with a picture of a snowman holding a gingerbread man’s hand, and pulled him with me, tilting my head at Hobbs to encourage him to join us.
Uncle Darling stopped in front of the tree and said, “There’s a light out in the middle of the tree, Lamb, shall I—”
I squeezed his hand and shook my head, reminding him with my eyes we were among mortals and he couldn’t use his magic. “I’ll fix it later. You shouldn’t be worrying about anything but resting and having your tea.”
Pulling an icy-white blanket with red pom-poms off the back of the couch, I turned on the sound system, piping some instrumental Christmas music through the house before leading him to a chair, covering him and dropping a kiss on his forehead.
But he held my hand tight when I tried to sit opposite him. “What if…” he asked, his voice trembling.
“What if you tell me how you became a drag queen?” Hobbs asked. “Ever since Hal told me about what you did for a living, I’ve been fascinated. I even watched some RuPaul’s Drag Race in honor of your visit.”
I smiled to myself. If there was anything Uncle Darling liked to do, it was talk about himself and his career, and Hobbs was very good at picking up on what made people tick.
A text buzzed from my phone in my back pocket, and when I pulled it out to see Stiles wanted me to call, I decided it might be better to do so out of Uncle Darling’s earshot.
“You guys mind if I go feed Karen? I didn’t have time earlier, and I already know about how Uncle Darling clawed his way to the top and became the best lip-syncing eyeliner ninja in all the land.”
My uncle blushed. Two bright spots appearing on his rounded cheeks, spots I was convinced he’d somehow taught himself to make appear when he wanted to come across as humble.
“Oh, you. It wasn’t like that, Lamb, and you know it.”
“Well, you tell Hobbs about your adventures while I go feed Na— Karen. I’ll be right back.” I plopped another kiss on the top of his head of thick hair.
As I left them, chatting amicably, Uncle Darling’s hands animated, his voice less fraught with worry, I sighed a little. Hobbs was really good with people, and he was really good at making everyone around him feel comfortable.
Especially me.
Whistling to Atti, I trudged to the mudroom and pulled on my jacket and hat, pushing the door open to make my way to the barn. Atticus clung to my shoulder, nestling against the length of my hair to keep warm.
The bitter cold stung my eyes as the tang of the ocean crashing against the rocks settled in my lungs.
The barn wasn’t far from the house, a big red structure with a loft and a few stalls. The way was lit with a million Christmas lights wrapped around the split-rail fencing and the mini arborvitae trees that bordered the path, but it was freezing, and that put some pep in my step.
Pulling out my phone as I pushed my way into the red door, I wandered over to my Nana. In case I haven’t mentioned, my Nana Karen is reincarnated in a reindeer’s body, and she’s a handful, to say the least. To make everything that much more complicated, on top of her shenanigans, she talks.
Leaning down, I kissed the top of her velvety soft head. “Evening, Nana. How goes your night so far?”
She reared her head upward and nuzzled my hand. “Well, it’d be better if you had some