Chapter 10

Ten

D oug

“You ready, buddy?”

Doug looked at Oscar in the mirror as he put the finishing touches on his makeup. The fluffy grouch’s ears perked up and he cocked his head to the side.

“It’s a big night for both of us, man. We gotta look good.”

Oscar’s head tilted the other way, and Doug smiled.

They’d had a wildly successful day at the Treasure Island market, the last one of the year. In addition to their usual fare, Doug had made photo ornaments to sell, baking them with clay, painting some and leaving others for families to decorate. He offered personalization and his wrist had cramped from all the pet names he’d written on them.

Luther had spent the past two months using ornament-size pieces of wood and decorated them with traditional Christmas, Pagan, and Jewish symbols for folks to buy as gifts, and they’d been a huge hit. Luther had decided for the spring, he was going to cut back on doing the art and markets so he could save energy for his job at Mila’s school and for spending time with her, Violet, and Doug.

If all went well tonight, Luther wouldn’t have to worry about working so hard for extra money anyway.

“Hey, you guys almost ready?” Dinah asked, peeking in his bedroom door.

“Almost. I’m trying to prepare Oscar, to impart upon him the importance of tonight. I’m not sure he understands the weight of this momentous occasion.”

Dinah sat on his bed next to Oscar and put a hand on his back. “You’re such a drama llama, Doug. It’s going to be great. Everything is going to work out perfect.”

He blew out a breath and shook out his hands. He straightened his sleeveless black tuxedo t-shirt and smoothed down his black utility kilt, which had raised velvet skulls on the material. He’d polished his Dr. Martens to be sure they had a nice shine on them. He’d wanted to look perfect.

“It’s a big step.”

Dinah smiled. “You’re ready. It’s going to be great. Marianne will be there with the camera to catch all the action, all right?”

Doug turned and walked over to the bed, putting his hand on Oscar’s head. The big oaf rubbed his head on Doug’s hand and made an old-man noise that sounded remarkably like Luther.

“Okay. Let’s get this over with. Here, buddy. The piece de resistance.”

He pulled out a black bow tie with white skulls on it and fastened it around Oscar’s neck, the dog allowing him to do whatever at this point. He’d mastered bath time, and Oscar even let him trim his nails as long as he put peanut butter on his forehead for the dog to lick off. They’d come a long way, and Doug had worked hard to earn his trust. It was all thanks to Luther.

He fastened Oscar’s leash to his collar, and Dinah laughed. “Remember the first time you tried to do that?”

The morning after the first night Luther stayed with Doug, they’d talked about Oscar. Luther had expressed his concern for the dog and his desire to do right by the guy. Doug had come up with a brilliant plan.

“Why don’t you teach me , and I’ll foster him.”

Luther’s eyes had gone wide. “Have you ever had a dog before?”

Doug shrugged and deadpanned, “My mom had a shih tzu when I was a kid. Same thing, right? That thing hated me.”

Luther had shaken his head. “Honey, a German shepherd is in an entirely different category than?—”

“I get it,” Doug said. “That’s why it’s good you’ll be there to help me. We can co-parent. It’ll be good practice.”

Luther’s eyes brightened when he realized what Doug was saying. If they were going to make this relationship work, the ultimate goal was that Doug would join Luther’s little family. If he had his own ward, then they’d be a truly blended family.

“Besides,” Doug had said. “I bet you Mila will be totally onboard if I come with a dog as part of the package.”

Luther had scoffed at him, but Doug insisted. “It’ll be good for all of us, baby. I’m going to need all the training I can get if I’m adopting an old grouch, a dog, and preparing to help raise a pre-teen.”

“Ha ha.” Then Luther sighed. “We’re going to need a lot more than a rudimentary knowledge of German commands to get through the latter.”

So each Sunday for the next month, Luther had come over to the farm and they’d spent time working with Oscar. Doug practiced what they learned every day in between and after the second week, Oscar finally gave up pretenses and his aloof attitude. Doug had assured him that resistance was futile. Oscar would love him. There was no fighting it. Luther always said confidence was the key, so Doug was determined it would be true.

Now the two were inseparable.

The next step was to bring Mila out for the training sessions, and this time Doug taught Mila how to handle Oscar while Luther supervised. The dog had been a little unsure of her at first, and she’d had to be instructed not to run or skip around him. She listened so well to both Doug and Luther that the lessons went smoothly from then on.

In the meantime, Doug began having family dinners with them once a week. He and Mila would spend time singing and dancing afterward, or he’d let her do his makeup, always praising her creations no matter how interesting they looked. They’d celebrated Thanksgiving together, Violet’s birthday, and they’d gone to the theater to see the stage performance of Beetlejuice , which Mila had gone bonkers over.

Tonight was the winter solstice, and Doug felt it was the perfect time to show his gratitude and celebrate all the good times to come. It would be the longest night of the year, and each night after would bring them further into the light. He wanted to make a commitment before his friends and his new family to face this change of seasons, and all of those to come, together.

It had been Dinah’s idea to have an adoption ceremony for Oscar since they’d all invested so much into his rehabilitation. It was tradition to celebrate the solstice with a bonfire, and the Shaw sisters had wanted to do it safely, so they’d spent the past week building a secure fire pit. They’ d prepared a vegan feast—Doug was happy to go without meat for this special occasion—and all that was left was for their guests to arrive.

“Hey twerp,” his cousin Marianne said as she stuck her head in. “I see the truck heading up the drive. You ready?”

“Ready as I’ll ever be.”

The sisters, Doug’s family—including Marianne’s parents—and Doug with Oscar in tow headed out to the fire pit circle to wait for Luther, Violet and Mila to join them. Luther was moving slow tonight because of the long day at the market. Doug looked forward to taking care of him later…and from now on.

“Don’t you two look handsome,” Violet said, reaching him first and hugging him. She whispered in his ear, “You ready?”

Doug kissed her cheek. “So ready.”

Violet had become one of Doug’s favorite people in the whole world. Not only was she a great auntie to Mila, taking a very active part in her niece’s life, but she was also steadfast in her support of Luther. She’d been very welcoming of Doug into their lives, and she was totally onboard with tonight’s agenda.

“Put ’er there, partner,” Doug said to Mila as he held out a hand for her to shake. They’d been on this weird cowboy kick after watching the entire Toy Story series together. Mila shook his hand up and down and then giggled. She held out her hand to Oscar, and when he nuzzled it, she stood closer to him and patted his back. She was so good.

Luther leaned over and kissed his cheek. “You look dashing,” he whispered in Doug’s ear.

Doug’s heart skipped around for a second as he smiled at Luther. He’d come to love everything about this man, and his soft smile tonight, combined with the sparkle of mischief in his eyes over the part of tonight’s ceremony they’d planned together, nearly overwhelmed him. Dinah shushed everyone, and Doug gave Luther’s hand a squeeze.

“Welcome everyone,” Dinah said. “Let’s all take a seat by the fire and Cecily will get things started for us.”

Cecily was the quietest of the Shaw sisters. Doug loved sharing space with her in the kitchen while she worked on her creations and Doug cooked for the family. He loved her dedication to keeping the farm operational and her devotion to her animals.

As she stood and held up a wand lighter, she smiled at those gathered.

“We’re glad you all could be here to celebrate the changing of the seasons with us. From here, the days will become longer and with each moment, we’ll be closer to the light. Tonight is Yule, and we are grateful to all be here together in the light. Let the fire warm us, and let our love for each other sustain us as we move closer to the sun and the rebirth of Spring.”

“Blessed be,” Doug murmured along with his housemates. His aunt and uncle whispered to each other but his uncle Mason, bless him, he just smiled and nodded at the pagan flavor of this gathering.

Cecily lit the kindling, and Dinah and Trudy handed out glasses of sparkling cider to everyone. The flames grew to a nice warm fire, the perfect size for them to enjoy with no fear of it spreading. They had shovels and buckets of water on hand just in case. On the California hillsides, it was crucial to have safety in mind at all times.

“Tonight, we would like to make a toast to family, to the one we’re born into, and the one we choose.”

They all held up their plastic flutes and toasted folks next to each other. Doug and Luther peered at each other over their drinks. Mila tugged on Luther’s sweater.

“This is okay for me to drink too? ”

He smiled at her. “It’s apple juice with bubbles, sweetheart. Go ahead.”

She slurped hers down and her eyes went wide. “It tickles my nose,” she said, giggling with Violet.

Dinah set her cup down and smiled at Doug. “We have so much to celebrate tonight. It’s been a banner year for Goth Dog Rescue, and the farm side, under Cecily’s care, is finally operating in the black. We’ve also added to our family, and that’s honestly my favorite part. I want to thank Doug Cross for being an awesome housemate, business partner, and as of today, new dad. Ladies and gentleman, Doug has decided to adopt Oscar, and tonight we’re making it official.”

There were applause all around, but Doug was most concerned with Mila’s reaction. Her eyes were big and she patted Oscar’s back.

“Way to go, buddy,” she said to him. He nosed her cheek then went back to panting happily next to Doug.

But then Mila’s smile started to slip a little, and she looked down at the ground.

It was time for the next phase of the evening.

“Thank you, everyone,” Doug began. “I’m so grateful to have met Oscar and that, with Luther’s guiding hand, I’ve learned how to be the right kind of dad for him. We’ll obviously have to work hard at it, but learning with him has been one of the most rewarding things I’ve ever done. I want to thank Dinah for seeing in him a special grumpy guy who just needed a little sunshine to make him happy.”

Dinah brought over a certificate she’d made, and she had Doug hold it while Marianne took pictures of them together. Everyone clapped, and then Doug cleared his throat and gave Luther the signal.

“Thanks, everyone, for inviting my family to join in the celebration,” Luther began. “For a couple of kids who didn’t have families, it’s very special for Violet and me to be welcomed by folks like you.”

Everyone smiled, and then Luther used his cane to lower himself to one knee beside Mila. There was a murmur of concern as he winced a little, but he was all smiles when he took Mila’s hands in his. Her eyes were large as saucers as she looked around at everyone then back at him.

“Our family expanded a little over a year ago when Mila came into my life, and it’s changed everything for the better.” She smiled but it was hesitant, and Doug could tell by Luther’s expression, it was about to get silly. “I’m now a jazz aficionado, I can braid hair like nobody’s business, and I’ve perfected my pancake game.” She giggled, but Doug could see she was still confused.

“When you find the right person to bring into your family, you want to make it official. So Mila, I wanted to know if you’d like to be my daughter for good? It’s your decision whether or not we begin the adoption process, and you can talk to Miss Vanessa about it if you’re not sure?—”

She threw her arms around his neck and burst into tears. He grunted as she nearly knocked him over. Everyone in the circle wiped at their leaking eyes.

“Hang on now, sweetheart, I have something for you.”

But Mila was sobbing and wouldn’t let him go. He closed his eyes and took a moment to breathe. Doug knew Luther had been concerned that Mila might not be sure about going forward with adoption, but Doug thought her reaction meant it was safe to assume Luther got the answer he’d hoped for. Once she’d settled down, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a jewelry box.

“You don’t have to answer now,” Luther said to her, but she reached out and squished his cheeks in her hands.

“Yes, please! I want to be adopted like Oscar.”

Everyone in the circle was now full-blown sobbing, including Doug. It was exactly the reaction he’d hoped she’d have.

“Here, sweetheart. I had this made for you.” Luther opened the box, and Doug held his breath. They’d gone together to pick out a locket for her. On the front it was engraved with “Mila” and on the back it said “Sorenson.” He’d put a picture of himself and Violet in one side and left the other open for her to decide. Luther put it around her neck and then opened it up to show her the inside.

Mila frowned. “Who goes on this side?”

Luther looked up at Doug and his smile fell. He moved Mila to his side and whispered for her to hold on to his cane for a second.

She got a big smile on her face, her eyes went wide, and she bounced on her feet.

Luther dug in his other pocket and brought out another box.

“I was hoping we could add one more person to our family tonight.” He reached for Doug’s hand, and the faintest wince crossed his face.

“Luther, you need to get up right now,” Doug whispered to him, his chest so tight he didn’t think he could get in another breath.

“I will when I have your answer. Doug, will you join my— our —family?”

Mila and Violet hugged each other then clapped their hands. Aha . Apparently they were in on this part.

“You beat me to it, baby. I was going to ask you the same thing. See?”

Doug bent down and whispered a command to Oscar. He put up his right paw, and Doug sat a ring box on top of it. They’d been practicing this trick for days, and he wasn’t sure if Oscar would perform under pressure.

“Now that’s just showing off,” Luther said through gritted teeth as though he wasn’t sure if the pain or his emotions would overwhelm him first. He reached for the box and patted Oscar on the head. Then he gave Doug a pained look. “Help me up?”

The group all burst into cheers around them. Doug reached for Luther’s hand and helped him to stand, which elicited all kinds of old-man noises. Mila went to his other side and held his arm, then put his cane in his hand.

“Well what do you say, Daddy? Are you going to marry Doug or what?”

Luther laughed at her, but he was out of breath. His little stunt had not been a good idea.

“Do you need to sit?” Doug asked, moving closer to support him better, and Luther thankfully allowed Doug and Mila to lead him over to a sturdy chair. Violet held it steady while Doug lowered him to a sitting position.

Dinah announced that the food was ready. “How about we leave the happy family to have a moment to themselves.”

She winked at Doug, and he mouthed “thank you.”

“Thank you, and yeah, sweetheart. I’m going to marry him. I’m gonna need all of you to carry me around when my legs completely give out.”

Violet laughed and messed up his hair.

“Good,” she said. “I could use all the help I can get to keep you in line.”

“And Oscar, Daddy. He’ll help you too. And that means I get a brother! I think I’ll put a picture of Oscar in the other side of my locket.”

“I see where I rank,” Doug muttered only loud enough for Luther to hear. He wanted Mila to be happy above all, and Oscar was a pretty cool dog for a grouch.

Luther kissed her cheek. “Why don’t you and Violet go and get your food, okay? I’ll see you in a minute.”

“Good, I’m starving,” she said, grabbing Violet’s hand. Doug was pleased as punch that she’d become much more outgoing around everyone. They were going to have so much fun.

Once they were gone, Luther pulled Doug in for a tight hug, and he exhaled a shaky breath. He held on for several long minutes, and when he let go, Doug grabbed a chair and slid it over next to him.

“I thought about being all romantic about this proposal,” Luther said, holding Doug’s hands, “but I wanted Mila to be a part of it. She loves you, Doug. She talks about you all the time. And it’ll be a process, if you say yes and you want to get married. Steps we have to take, and then with the adoption, there will be home visits…I understand if it’s too much?—”

“Luther, I already contacted DSS to ask about the classes, and I’ve registered for CPR and first-aid classes next month. If you really want me to be part of your family, I’m all in.”

Luther stared at him for several beats without speaking. He shook his head finally and sighed. “Did you even imagine when we met all those months ago?—”

“When you fell out of your trailer?—”

“And you caught me, that we’d be here?”

Doug cupped Luther’s cheek. “I had your back then, and I want to have it from now on. I’m so in love with you, Luther Sorenson. Can we get married?”

Luther exhaled and his eyes filled with tears. “We most certainly can.”

The rest of the evening was full of stories, music, snacks, and laughter so hearty it gave Doug a belly ache. At the end of the night, Luther started yawning, and Violet told him she’d take Mila home.

“But I want us to go home together,” he said.

“You’re barely going to make it to Doug’s room. Besides, the two of you have plans to make…like when he’s moving in. ”

Luther squeezed Violet’s hand and smiled at her. “I love you, sis.”

“Me too, LuLu. Mila, come kiss Daddy. It’s time for us to go home.”

But Mila and Oscar had curled up together on a lounge chair and were fast asleep.

“Why don’t you all stay,” Doug said. “I’ve got a pull-out couch in my office for Mila and there’s a spare room upstairs for you, Violet. I’d feel better if we were all together tonight.”

Violet pressed her lips together, and Doug worried he’d said the wrong thing. He started to apologize when she threw her arms around him.

“Thank you,” she whispered. “I didn’t know how much I needed to hear that.”

“You got it, sister. Let’s get these two inside.”

Doug took one last look at the fire and breathed in the aromatic smoke from the incense Cecily had thrown into it. Tomorrow would be a little brighter, surrounded by his new family, with the most wonderful man by his side.

Even if he made old-man noises.

“I can do it myself,” Luther grumbled as Violet tried to help him up.

“Good, you big lug.”

Doug bent down and scooped up Mila. She stirred and opened one eye.

“Do I get to call you daddy too?”

Doug’s chest filled with warmth, and he smiled at her, kissing her forehead. “You could. Or maybe we can come up with something fun, like Daddy-o or Big Papa.”

“Lord, we’ve created a monster,” Luther said as he put a hand on Doug’s back. He whistled for Oscar, who trotted alongside them as they all made their way into the house.

“Like Dr. Frank-n-Furter,” Doug said to Luther, his eyes wide, his eyebrows waggling .

“You mean Rocky Horror Picture Show ? I like that movie.”

They all stopped and peered at the sleepy girl.

“Excuse me?” Luther said sternly.

Her eyes got big. “It was my brother’s favorite movie. He used to go see it at the theaters with his boyfriend.”

Luther exhaled. “Oh. Well.”

Mila yawned and her eyes drifted closed, but she started to sing something with slurred words. “It’s just a jump to the left.”

Violet snorted, and Doug had a hard time keeping it together. Violet and Luther pulled out the sofa bed and Doug pointed to the closet for pillows and blankets. Once they had Mila tucked in, Oscar jumped onto the bed and curled up to her back, looking at Luther as if he dared him to try to make him move.

Luther let out a sigh. “I’ve lost all parental control.”

Violet kissed his cheek. “Control is an illusion. Doug? Show me where the spare room is?”

Doug smiled at Luther and said, “I’ll be right back, old man.”

Luther waved and lowered himself to the bed in Doug’s room, which gave him a direct line of sight to the sofa bed in the alcove outside Doug’s door.

Once Doug had Violet settled, he crept down the stairs quietly. He found Luther passed out on the bed, his feet still on the floor.

Doug smiled, looking between father and daughter. His new family. He had no qualms about taking care of both of them for the rest of his life. It was amazing what the change of seasons could bring. In his case, he’d received the love of a wonderful man, the trust of a sweet little girl, a kick-ass new sister, and the companionship of an ornery dog.

Who could ask for anything more ?

Stay Tuned for more…

Please be sure to check out all the books in the Once Upon a Holiday Story Multi-author Series :

Once Upon a Second Chance by Davidson King

Once Upon a Mistletoe Kiss by Sammi Cee

Once Upon a Holiday Vacation by Annabella Michaels

Once Upon a Lullaby Lane by K. York

Once Upon a Christmas Con by Skylar M. Cates

Once Upon a Christmas Song by Mary Calmes

Once Upon a Yuletide Romance by R.J. Peterson

Once Upon a Goth Dog Solstice by RL Merrill

If you’d like to read the Goth Dog Rescue origin story, check out Pinups and Puppies .

And you can also check out the first in R.L. Merrill’s Crafty Tale Series, A Peace Offering :

Dover Billings has sold his handcrafted wares at the Dickens Fair in San Francisco for over twenty years. He’s not as outgoing as the other artisans at this yearly Victorian celebration and prefers to observe the festivities from the shadows. That is until a new corset maker moves into the booth next door and unsettles his carefully constructed life. Landry Malcolm is handsome, well dressed, and the life of the party… one Dover wants no part of. Too bad he’s attracted to his confident younger rival.

Landry desperately wishes to get through to the beautiful artist next door, but every move he makes seems to be the wrong one, until a drunken kiss breaks through Dover’s serious demeanor. Miscommunications plague any attempts to find common ground, though, leaving Landry wondering what—if anything—he can do to make things right. Will a custom-made peace offering open the door to friendship, cooperation… and maybe more?

Other Holiday Tales from R.L. Merrill:

Father F’in’ Christmas: A Minded Story (MF Paranormal Romance)

Love and Pride: Bolder Breed Studios (FF Contemporary Romance)