The Solstice Mistletoe Effect

The Solstice Mistletoe Effect | Serena Yates 2

Chapter One “ARE you ready to go?” Lance looked down at Jakob, whose hand reached up to clench his as they walked toward the front door. His lover, Magnus, had gone outside to warm up one of their two SUVs. Since he was from Sweden and had spent years on expeditions to research glaciers, he was a lot less sensitive to the freezing January temperatures than Lance. Even though Lance had grown up in Mistletoe, Wyoming, he’d only recently moved back from L.A. and was having a harder time adjusting than he’d expected. “Sure!” Jakob wore his new down coat, matching mittens, and scarf. He looked a lot more ready to face the cold morning air than Lance felt. “It’s okay to be a little nervous, right? I mean, this is a new school, and I don’t know anybody there.” “Of course it’s okay to be nervous.” Lance was a little jittery himself. This was the first time that Jakob would be on his own after the FBI had returned him from being kidnapped by his other uncle, Brian, and his wife Nancy. They hadn’t agreed with Magnus being named Jakob’s legal guardian after Magnus’s brother and his wife had died in a plane crash early last year. “But I think that you might know a few of the kids already. Remember our visits to the skating rink?”

The Solstice Mistletoe Effect | Serena Yates 3 “That’s right! George and Fiona said they’d see me in school.” Jakob grinned as he picked up his backpack. “Mistletoe Elementary is a very good school. Uncle Magnus and I checked it out before we enrolled you.” Lance was still nervous, but they couldn’t keep Jakob at home forever. Besides, the boy needed kids his own age to play with. The drive only took twenty minutes. Magnus was driving and Lance focused on the route; he’d be driving Jakob to school in the future, since Magnus would be at work at Grand Teton National Park. Today was an exception. Magnus hadn’t wanted to miss Jakob’s first day, so he’d arranged to start work a few hours later than usual. When they arrived at the school, Magnus quickly found parking, and they walked toward the entrance side-by-side, Jakob skipping ahead. A few of the other parents who were dropping off their children did a double take when they saw Lance and Magnus walking together. Some stopped in their tracks and openly stared. Lance was surprised. They weren’t even holding hands. He tried to shrug off the uncomfortable feeling of being watched because their family was different, but it wasn’t easy. He knew that Wyoming wasn’t exactly the most progressive state where same-sex relationships were concerned, but facing the reality of being noticed and stared at like that was harder than he’d thought. He was relieved when they reached the principal’s office. “Welcome to Mistletoe Elementary. My name is Helen Rutherford.” The grey-haired matron in a surprisingly cheerful light green pants suit shook Jakob’s hand and

The Solstice Mistletoe Effect | Serena Yates 4 greeted Magnus and Lance with a small smile, pointing at some chairs. “Please, have a seat.” When they’d made themselves comfortable, Ms. Rutherford pulled several sheets of paper from a drawer, sat down behind her desk, and put on her reading glasses. “I’m glad that you were both able to come by today. So many parents don’t make the effort to be here together.” Ms. Rutherford smiled at Jakob, laugh lines crinkling around her bespectacled eyes. “And it’s a pretty important day for you, Jakob, isn’t it? I’m sure you’re glad that both your— uncles?—are here with you.” “Lance isn’t my uncle!” Jakob grinned. “At least, not yet.” “He isn’t?” Ms. Rutherford pretended to be surprised, but the twinkle in her eyes gave her away. Lance relaxed a little. It looked like this woman had a sense of humor. “No, but that doesn’t matter, does it? He’s really good at taking care of me, and I love him as much as my Uncle Magnus.” Jakob looked ready to defend Lance against any possible attack from this stranger. “You’re right, Jakob, it doesn’t matter. At least not to us. But there are a few rules and regulations which require some paperwork to ensure that both your Uncle Magnus and Lance will be recognized as if they were your parents. Just in case something happens and to make sure that they’re the only ones who can pick you up from school.” Ms. Rutherford pointed at the sheets she held. “So they need to complete and sign a few forms.” “Okay, I guess.” Jakob nodded and watched patiently as Lance and Magnus went through three sets of papers. They

The Solstice Mistletoe Effect | Serena Yates 5 provided contact details and a password for when they wanted to authorize others to pick up Jakob. Ms. Rutherford took the sheets back when they were done and looked them over carefully. Finally, she took off her reading glasses and smiled at them. “Looks as if we’re all set, gentlemen. Let me just put these away safely and I’ll show you to Jakob’s classroom.” Ms. Rutherford got up, walked to one of the lockable filing cabinets, and put the paperwork into one of the many drawers. They followed her through the quiet corridors decorated with colorful drawings and craft projects until they reached one of the classrooms at the very end of the hall. Ms. Rutherford turned toward Jakob. “Now, the other children have been in here for about ten minutes, but they know to expect a new student. So, we’ll walk in, I’ll introduce you, and then your teacher will take over. His name is Mr. Harris.” Ms. Rutherford waited for Jakob to nod before she opened the battered-looking door. With a last uncertain glance at both of them, Jakob followed her into the classroom. Lance had trouble staying where he was, and Magnus didn’t look as though he was faring much better. God, it was hard to let Jakob go after all he’d been through. But coddling him wouldn’t do any good at all. Lance sighed. “This is much harder than I thought.” Magnus’s deep voice woke Lance from his gloomy thoughts. He looked up into silver-blue eyes that were shining with emotion. “He’s been to school before, of course, but that was before all the craziness with my idiot brother-in-law. You’d think that the

The Solstice Mistletoe Effect | Serena Yates 6 fact they’re in prison, awaiting trial, would make me feel better about letting him go, wouldn’t you?” “I know what you mean. We’ve had him under our protection for almost two weeks, so it feels weird to let him stay with strangers.” Lance frowned. “It’s not logical to feel like this—but I still do.” Magnus grinned. “Sometimes I wish I could return to my blissfully ignorant state where I could just ignore emotions. You have taught me too well, älskling.” It made shivers of delight run down Lance’s spine when Magnus called him “sweetheart” in that deep baritone of his. He wanted to touch his lover so badly, but he knew he couldn’t. The risk was too high. The looks they’d been given earlier, when they hadn’t even done anything, were burned into Lance’s memory. He didn’t want to do anything that could provoke a similar or worse reaction. “I love it when you speak Swedish. I wish we could go home right now.” Lance smiled when Magnus winked at him. “So do I!” Magnus grinned. “Hold that thought until tonight and I’ll teach you some new words.” “Sounds good. We might need a few new traditions and customs as well, now that Jakob’s in school.” Lance grinned back. “Makes sense. It’s a new phase in our lives, isn’t it?” Magnus stepped back to make room for Ms. Rutherford coming out of the classroom. “That went really well. Jakob chose a seat next to some friends he’s apparently made over the winter holidays. Mr. Harris seemed satisfied with the arrangement.” Ms. Rutherford smiled and led them toward the exit. “Thanks

The Solstice Mistletoe Effect | Serena Yates 7 again for coming by and supporting Jakob. We’ll keep a close eye on him to make sure he settles in, and we’ll let you know if anything out of the ordinary happens.” They shook hands and were outside before they realized they’d been dismissed. Lance started laughing. “I guess being the principal means you have certain skills, and Ms. Rutherford doesn’t seem to be hesitant about using them with parents as well as students.” Magnus looked a little stunned, but he was smiling as well.

LANCE checked his watch for the fifth or sixth time within the last four minutes. He knew that he’d arrived at the school much too early, but surely it was three o’clock by now? He shifted in his seat, trying to make himself comfortable. It wasn’t the car seat that was the problem, though. He was eager to see Jakob and find out how the first day of school had gone for him. And he wanted to get away from the stares of some of the other parents who were waiting to pick up children. It looked like their little family had made quite an impression this morning if those people still remembered him. Finally, the first kids appeared at the door. Lance soon detected Jakob amongst the laughing and jostling kids. The boy seemed oddly quiet, but he looked relieved when he saw Lance. He opened the rear car door and climbed into his booster seat, buckling himself in. “Hi, Jakob.” Lance turned around so he could look at the boy. “Hi, Lance.” Jakob’s eyes were overbright.

The Solstice Mistletoe Effect | Serena Yates 8 “Hey, what’s wrong?” Lance was about to unbuckle himself to climb into the back and take the boy into his arms. He looked like he needed some comfort. “Nothing’s wrong. I just….” Jakob blinked, trying not to let the tears fall. “Can we please go home?” “Sure we can go home. As long as you promise to tell me what’s bothering you.” Lance waited until Jakob nodded before he turned back toward the front and started the car. The twenty-minute drive seemed much longer than it had this morning. By the time they made it into the house, Lance’s stomach was in knots. They sat down on the sofa in the living room and Lance opened his arms, finding them full of confused little boy only seconds later. “Okay, Jakob, now I know something is definitely wrong. Would you please tell me about it?” Lance had to hold back his own tears at seeing Jakob so distraught. “Some—some of the kids in my new class are really mean.” Jakob burrowed against Lance’s chest and slid his arms around him, holding on for dear life. “Why? What did they do? Did they hurt you?” If anyone had done something to Jakob, they’d have to deal with Lance. “They said some really horrible things when we talked about our families. At first, they felt sorry for me when I talked about Mom and Dad and the plane crash last year. I explained to them that it was okay because I have Uncle Magnus and you now. Some of them got really upset. I mean, I know that not everyone likes or understands two men living together like you and Uncle Magnus do. But why do they

The Solstice Mistletoe Effect | Serena Yates 9 make it sound so bad?” Jakob looked up, his face scrunched into a frown. “You’re not doing anything wrong, are you?” “We don’t think we’re doing anything wrong, no.” Lance sighed. “But not everybody agrees with us. We’ve never talked about this, but some people think that two men loving each other is wrong.” “I know. Mom and Dad talked to me about it when they explained why Uncle Magnus didn’t have a girlfriend.” Jakob swallowed. “But I never thought that anyone would be so awful about it. They wanted to know what it was like to live with ‘sinners’. Some of them even laughed when I said it was just like having two dads. Like they didn’t believe me.” “I know. And some of them won’t ever believe you. They can’t understand because they’re too prejudiced against anyone being different. It’s what they’ve been taught to believe, and most people never think about what they’ve been taught.” Lance took Jakob’s head between his hands and looked straight into his eyes. “Don’t let that ever stop you from thinking and believing what you know is right in your heart. And if any of them ever does anything more than laugh at you, you’ve got to let Uncle Magnus and me know, okay? We can’t let bullies get the better of you.” “Okay.” Jakob pulled back and looked down at his lap. “But there’s more.” “All right, tell me.” Lance really felt for Jakob. He’d been through so much already and now this. “They—they made fun of you.” Jakob closed his eyes. “They said it was stupid for a man to stay at home and not have a job. That being a housedad was like being a coward.”

The Solstice Mistletoe Effect | Serena Yates 10 Lance was stunned. This was something he hadn’t expected. Thinking about it now, he probably should have. Mistletoe was a very traditional town, and even his own parents had expected him to learn a profession and become successful in it. They hadn’t said anything when he quit his job at his sister’s store to go and live with Magnus, but they hadn’t looked overjoyed either. It wasn’t as if the decision had been easy for him. Giving up the ability to earn his own money had been a major step. At the time, he’d thought it was the right thing to do, and Magnus had been wonderfully supportive. It wasn’t as if they needed a second income, and Magnus had understood Lance’s wish to do what he’d always wanted. Besides, how else were they going to do a good job at raising Jakob? Especially for the next couple of years, while the boy was adjusting to the fact his parents were dead? “I don’t know what to say to that, Jakob.” Lance put a finger under Jakob’s chin and gently pushed up until the boy was looking at him. “Do you think they’re right?” “I don’t know. I’ve never known a housedad before.” Jakob shrugged. “I thought it was the same thing as being a housewife. Lots of kids in my class have a mum who stays at home and doesn’t work. So, what’s the difference between them and you?” “I think you’re exactly right.” Lance laughed with relief. Leave it to Jakob to figure it out and put it in words simple enough for anyone to understand. “So why don’t people understand? Is it because that’s the way they’ve been taught, like you said before?” Jakob tilted his head in question.

The Solstice Mistletoe Effect | Serena Yates 11 “Yes, they probably believe that anyone who makes a choice different from what they consider to be ‘normal’ is a coward.” Lance wanted to believe that too, but sometimes facing society’s prejudices was very hard. Even though he knew he’d made the best choice for his own and his family’s well-being, it was hard to face others’ disapproval. “That’s just stupid. If anyone’s a coward, it’s those people who don’t want to try anything new.” Jakob smiled and snuggled closer. If only that would make the nagging feeling of doubt go away. Lance could only hope that he’d find a way of dealing with it.

The Solstice Mistletoe Effect | Serena Yates 12

Chapter Two MAGNUS CARSTENS caught himself whistling as he drove toward Jakob’s school. Perplexed by his happiness, he stopped for a few seconds, then smiled. He was looking forward to picking Jakob up from school, like he’d done every Friday thanks to his boss insisting he leave early for the weekend. Working as a Park Ranger wasn’t just interesting but had also enabled him to spend more time with Lance and Jakob than he’d dared hope for. He was grateful for the Mistletoe Phenomenon that had given his life new meaning. Lance had laughed when he’d first explained the name he’d given the perplexing and sudden attraction he’d felt toward Lance when he’d kissed him under the mistletoe last Christmas. It had changed both their lives for the better, propelling him into a relationship faster than he’d ever thought possible. He didn’t regret it one bit. He stopped in front of the school just as the first kids poured out of its doors. Jakob was right in the middle of a group of laughing and joking children. It was amazing how well his nephew had adjusted to his new environment. Most of that was due to Lance’s influence, as was Magnus’s sense of well-being and happiness. “Hey, Uncle Magnus!” Jakob had torn open the rear door to the car and was scrambling in while shouting his

The Solstice Mistletoe Effect | Serena Yates 13 greeting. He always seemed to have a lot more energy than Magnus at the end of the day. “Hallå, Jakob!” Magnus was going to make more of an effort to teach Jakob Swedish. It would come in very handy if his plan to visit his parents in the summer was going to be accepted. He was sure Jakob would love to see his grandparents again; he wasn’t so sure about Lance’s reaction. “Hallå, of course.” Jakob closed the car door and got himself buckled in. “Are you going to teach me more Swedish, Uncle Magnus?” “Would you like that?” Magnus started the car and turned it toward home. “Yes, I would like that. Dad used to talk Swedish to me sometimes.” Jakob wiped his eyes. “I still miss him and Mom so much.” “I think you’ll always miss them. But if there’s anything you miss that Lance and I can do, please let us know.” Magnus had come to understand that Jakob needed to talk about his parents. Even if Magnus didn’t always feel comfortable thinking about his dead brother, Mikkel, Jakob’s need was more important. “Thank you.” Jakob sniffled. “Learning Swedish would be great. Lance wants to learn as well, doesn’t he?” “Yes, he does.” Magnus had been surprised with the effort Lance had put into making their first Christmas a true combination of American and Swedish traditions. “That’s good. It means we can learn together.” Jakob was smiling again, much to Magnus’s relief.

The Solstice Mistletoe Effect | Serena Yates 14 Magnus loved his new life, even though it wasn’t always easy to understand his emotions, nor everything that went on in the two most important relationships in his life. He could never have done it without Lance. It had been much harder last year while he was in training and had to rely on childcare to take care of Jakob. That alone would have been reason enough to organize something special for Valentine’s Day on Sunday. There was another reason, though, and it wasn’t one Magnus was sure could be cured with a romantic dinner. Over the last few weeks, Lance had become more and more withdrawn, as if something was worrying him. Magnus had asked a few times, but Lance hadn’t been able or willing to explain. He’d repeatedly said that everything was fine, but every piece of evidence Magnus saw pointed to some sort of problem or worry. Enough was enough. This weekend was the perfect opportunity to find out what was wrong. He’d arranged for Jakob to stay with his colleague Peter and his family from Saturday night until the end of school on Monday. That would give Magnus some time to spend with Lance and maybe get to the bottom of his… whatever it was that was bothering his lover.

“GLAD alla hjärtans dag, min älskling.” Magnus pulled his sleep-warm lover closer, enjoying the feeling of Lance’s soft skin against his entire front. Not to mention the hard cock that was poking his thigh. It was rare for them to wake up

The Solstice Mistletoe Effect | Serena Yates 15 facing each other, but this morning, he held his lover in his arms in a ready-to-kiss position. “Happy Valentine’s Day to you too, baby.” Lance blinked a few times, his deep brown eyes still clouded with sleep as he lifted his head to look at Magnus. Who could resist those beautiful lips, parted as if waiting for his caress? Magnus brushed his lover’s mouth, moving back and forth until Lance grew impatient and pushed forward, plunging his hot tongue into Magnus’s waiting mouth. With a delighted sigh, Magnus gave in and rolled onto his back as Lance moved over him, one of his toned legs between Magnus’s spread ones. Tongues tangling in an amorous duel, their passion quickly rose, and Magnus’s cock hardened against Lance’s thigh, making both of them moan in delight. Magnus slid one hand down Lance’s back and held onto his lover’s delicious ass, caressing and kneading to encourage more of Lance’s hot little sighs. He sank his other hand into his lover’s dark hair, stroking the back of his head and ensuring their mouths stayed glued together. They kissed for long minutes, heat rising between them until the need for more became almost overwhelming. Magnus held back with all he had, waiting for Lance to take the initiative. He loved it when his slightly smaller and usually compliant lover took over. Finally, Lance pulled back, panting for breath with a wild look in his eyes. “I want you, baby.” Lance’s hips were already moving of their own accord, looking for friction that Magnus was only too happy to provide.

The Solstice Mistletoe Effect | Serena Yates 16 “God, you make me so hot when you’re forceful like this.” Without another word, Magnus reached for the nightstand drawer and pulled out their much-used bottle of lube. “I can’t help it. You make me wild.” Lance grabbed the lube, flipped it open, and poured some onto Magnus’s fingers. “Here, get yourself ready for me.” “Fuck!” Magnus arched his back with the sudden surge of arousal that made his cock even harder. He bent his left leg up and out so he could reach between his ass cheeks. The lube was cold on his hole, but the heat in Lance’s eyes when he moved to watch what Magnus was doing made up for it. Magnus pushed in two fingers, hissing with the slight burn but too aroused to care. The feeling of his opening stretching around the sudden intrusion was good, but not what he needed right now. “Now, älskling, please.” Magnus wasn’t above begging to get what he needed. “Please, fuck me!” With a moan, Lance poured some more lube over his rock-hard cock before closing and dropping the bottle. Magnus spread his legs and pulled up his knees to present himself fully. He needed his lover inside him, wanted that most intimate of connections so badly. Lance’s eyes lit up as he stared at Magnus’s most personal place. He put his hands on Magnus’s inner thighs and stroked toward his waiting hole in a slow, teasing caress. Moving closer on his knees, his hard cock bouncing with his movement, he placed the dark cock head against Magnus’s spasming opening and pushed inward. “Shit.” Lance stopped and closed his eyes.

The Solstice Mistletoe Effect | Serena Yates 17 “Fuck!” Magnus didn’t want to wait and pushed back, making Lance sink deeper. Lance gripped Magnus’s thighs for support and surged forward, making Magnus’s opening burn with the sudden stretch. “Yes.” Magnus started rocking his hips. “Just like that.” “God, you’re going to make me lose it way too soon.” Lance closed his eyes. “Not. Waiting.” Magnus was too far gone to care. “Just fuck me. We can take it slow next time.” “Next—time?” Lance’s eyes widened, and he surged forward until his hips touched Magnus’s groin. “Yeah.” Magnus was losing the will to talk. “Once isn’t enough this morning.” “Fuck, that’s hot.” Lance pulled back and started thrusting, making both of them groan with delight. Magnus looked into Lance’s eyes as his lover sped up, keeping the thrusts deep and smooth for long minutes. “Don’t hold back.” Magnus needed to come and didn’t want Lance to stay behind. Sweat formed on Lance’s forehead as he started pummeling Magnus with such power that it made the bed squeak. “Yes!” Magnus slid one hand toward his aching cock, relying on Lance to keep his legs spread. He was so close now. “Ungh.” Lance pushed in and out a few more times, his rhythm becoming irregular.

The Solstice Mistletoe Effect | Serena Yates 18 Magnus’s hand closed around his cock, and three strokes later, it was all over. He arched his back and shot his release across his chest and abdomen, the ecstasy making him dizzy. His spasming hole clenched around Lance’s hard cock and set off his lover’s orgasm. Spurts of hot semen filled Magnus until Lance collapsed on top of him. Putting his arms around Lance to hold him as closely as possible, Magnus looked at the tousled head of hair on his chest. “Jag älskar dig.” Magnus breathed in the scent of their combined sweat and loving with a deep sigh. “I love you.” “Love you too, baby.” Lance slid his hands around Magnus’s middle and snuggled in. “So much.”

THE restaurant was everything the website had promised. Wooden paneling and a low ceiling gave it a cozy and intimate feel. Pots of plants and a few well-placed screens created islands of romantic isolation in the candle-lit room. Most tables were already taken when the hostess led them toward the one in the back corner that Magnus had requested. By the time they reached the cloth-covered table, Lance was visibly uncomfortable. He didn’t look left or right and was too pale. “What’s wrong, Lance?” Magnus held his lover’s chair, expecting him to sit down. Instead, there was an audible gasp from two neighboring tables, and Lance flinched. What was that all about?

The Solstice Mistletoe Effect | Serena Yates 19 “I don’t think I can do this, Magnus.” Lance was still standing and looked as though he was ready to bolt. “Do what?” Magnus looked up when there was a hiss from the table closest to them. Magnus looked at the couple sitting there and was shocked at the disapproval he saw on their faces. What was wrong with these people? “This. I’m really sorry, Magnus, I know you went to a lot of trouble to get a reservation here, but I don’t think I can enjoy our dinner with these people staring at us as though we don’t belong here.” Lance looked at the floor, hiding his eyes. “It bothers you that much?” Magnus turned to the man at the next table. “Do you mind, sir?” “Actually, I do.” The man lifted his chin in defiance. “I don’t think anybody here wants your kind to flaunt your lifestyle like this. We’re not in New York or Los Angeles. I wish you’d leave us alone and go back to where you came from.” Magnus was dumbstruck by the level of animosity this total stranger threw at them. Before he could recover, Lance stepped closer as if he was looking for protection. “Let’s go, Magnus.” His voice was no more than a whisper. “I don’t want to deal with this here as well.” “As well?” Magnus turned his head toward Lance, the rude stranger already forgotten. “What do you mean ‘as well’? Who else has been giving you problems?” “Not here, please. I need to get out of here. I’m really sorry, but can we please go home?” Lance still hadn’t looked up.

The Solstice Mistletoe Effect | Serena Yates 20 It made Magnus so angry he almost decided to stay and fight for their right to enjoy a quiet evening like every other couple here. But Lance clearly wasn’t up to it at the moment, so he turned toward their waiter to let him know they’d be taking dinner home. There was no way he was going to give up on a nice meal, even if they had to serve and eat it at home. He was going to get to the bottom of Lance’s extreme reaction when they were safely at home. It was probably related to whatever had been depressing Lance recently. A half-hour wait at the bar and a short drive later, they finally arrived at their house. Magnus put the food onto the kitchen counter, leaving Lance to do the unpacking and distribution onto plates. He lit the fireplace, put some candles onto the table, and switched on some soft music. Then he opened the bottle of wine they’d bought and poured them each a generous glass. There, all set. Lance brought in their appetizer, and they sat down to eat. It was unusual for Lance to be quiet for as long as he had been, so Magnus broke the silence. “You’ve got my full attention. I know those people at the restaurant weren’t very friendly, but I’m wondering why your reaction was so strong.” Magnus put down his fork, done with his appetizer, and focused on Lance, who didn’t look as though he’d eaten much at all. “I’m sorry.” Lance leaned back in his chair. “I know I’ve ruined the evening you’d planned for us….” “That’s not the point!” Magnus sighed and leaned forward to capture one of Lance’s hands. It was cold and clammy. “Yes, I would’ve liked to spend a nice evening with

The Solstice Mistletoe Effect | Serena Yates 21 you, but not at the expense of your comfort. I suspect that there’s more to this than I realize, and I wish you’d tell me what’s wrong.” “This isn’t the first time people have reacted to us like those couples did. I guess it’s just getting to me.” Lance gripped Magnus’s hand more tightly. “I never thought it would bother me this much. But between some of the parents at Jakob’s school staring at me every time I drop him off or pick him up and some of the comments Jakob’s had to endure from his classmates, I guess I’ve just reached my breaking point.” “What?” Magnus tried to make sense of this information, but he was too surprised about what apparently been missing to be successful. “You’ve problems with them? And they’ve bothered Jakob? didn’t you say something?”

new he’d had Why

“I don’t know.” Lance shrugged. “I guess I thought I could manage on my own. I didn’t want to bother you while you were trying to get used to a new job and a new life.” God, what an awful situation. Magnus didn’t even know where to start. He wasn’t good at this emotional stuff to begin with, and this was more serious than he’d thought. The fact that Jakob had to deal with it at school was bad enough. But Lance telling him that he didn’t want to “bother him” with something that had made Lance suffer hurt Magnus deeply. It was a clear sign that they needed to work on the level of trust between them. Building a relationship was turning out to be even more difficult than Magnus had thought.

The Solstice Mistletoe Effect | Serena Yates 22

Chapter Three LANCE was shaking with emotion. Dealing with prejudice against gay people was one thing, but remembering the comments Jakob had gotten about Lance being a housedad was almost worse. After all, he’d made a choice not to work, a choice that many others made as well and were not necessarily ridiculed for. “God, älskling, I don’t even know where to start.” Magnus looked at him with enough worry in his eyes to make Lance regret having answered his question. “I know, that’s why I didn’t want to bother you with it.” Lance shrugged. “But don’t you think it’s better if we face those problems together?” Magnus frowned. “Whatever it is, it affects the both of us, doesn’t it?” “Some of it does, yes. But you have so much on your plate… I just didn’t think it was worth adding to your stress.” Lance wasn’t even sure that Magnus would understand his concerns about being a housedad. “And your stress, which is due to this situation, is less important than mine?” Magnus’s eyes widened. “Well, you’re the breadwinner in this family, so it’s more important that you’re relaxed and able to do a good job.”

The Solstice Mistletoe Effect | Serena Yates 23 That was what it came down to for Lance. He was less important, like he’d feared when he’d made the decision. Would he be able to live with that? “Huh? Since when is being the breadwinner more important than being responsible for running the household and doing a huge part in raising Jakob?” Magnus frowned, clearly not understanding the point Lance was trying to make. “But without the money, we can’t survive.” Why didn’t Magnus get that? “There’s always a different way of earning money, but there’s no way of replacing your health. And while we’re at it, I’d like to know why you think earning money is the more important job in a family in the first place?” Magnus looked really angry. “Because it is.” Or was it? “Do you really believe that? Or is it what you’ve been told by your parents?” Magnus stacked the used dishes, readying the table for the main course. “Both. Actually, it’s what most people still believe, even though women’s lib has done a lot to change public opinion.” Lance followed him into the kitchen and took the plates with their main course from the oven, where he’d put them to keep the food warm. “Okay, you’re right, unfortunately that’s still true.” Magnus followed him back into the dining room, and they sat down to enjoy their veal in white wine sauce. “What about your decision to quit your job and stay at home with Jakob, though? That felt right, didn’t it?”

The Solstice Mistletoe Effect | Serena Yates 24 “It felt right for me, yes.” At least it had done at the time. “And what’s wrong with doing what’s right for you as long as we can afford it?” Magnus stopped eating for a moment and leaned forward, his eyes blazing silver-blue fire. “Nothing’s wrong with it, not between you and I. But others have a different opinion, and even though the job of housewife seems to be more recognized today than it used to be, apparently the job of housedad still has a way to go.” Lance was quickly losing his appetite. “I don’t care what others think. If this arrangement is right for our family, then we should stick with it.” Magnus wiped his mouth and took a sip of wine. “Of course we’ll stick with it. But it means that others will think less of me. Add that to the fact that we’re two men living together, and they really don’t like us.” What Lance was really worried about was feeling lonely. He’d always had lots of friends, but most of the guys he’d grown up with were married and had families of their own now. They wouldn’t welcome him or Magnus into their “normal” little world. “Does it bother you that much?” Magnus had finished eating and leaned back in his chair, looking puzzled. “Mostly when it affects Jakob.” Lance had eaten as much as he was able to, so he cleared the table. “Why would it affect him?” Magnus helped him load the dishwasher. “He’s not only been laughed at for having two dads, he’s also had several comments about me being a coward because I don’t have a real job.” Lance made coffee without really thinking about what he was doing.

The Solstice Mistletoe Effect | Serena Yates 25 “It sounds to me as though people here live behind the times. We’re going to have to talk about this with Mr. Harris so he can keep an eye on what’s going on in Jakob’s class. Probably Ms. Rutherford as well, see what she thinks could or should be done.” Magnus took their dessert, two slices of delicious-looking cherry cake, into the living room, setting them on the low coffee table. Lance followed him with the coffee. “But not tonight. This time should be ours. Do you think we can forget the world out there for awhile and focus on us?” Lance admired Magnus’s well-muscled form as his lover took a seat on the sofa and opened his arms in unmistakable invitation. Lance nodded and snuggled close. He loved those strong arms around him. He put his head against Magnus’s chest and listened to his strong heartbeat. He wanted to forget. “I’ll take that as a yes.” Magnus chuckled, making Lance’s heart beat faster with the vibrations. He’d accept a lot of suffering in the outside world as long as he had Magnus to support him at home.

IT

WAS a couple of weeks later, spring still a long way from

becoming reality, when Jakob brought up the topic of their summer holiday. They were playing a game of Sorry!, Jakob’s favorite. As usual, Jakob was winning. “Yay, three down, only one more to go!” Jakob hooted in triumph as he moved another one of his tokens past the finish line.

The Solstice Mistletoe Effect | Serena Yates 26 “You’re unbelievable!” Magnus groaned in mock-defeat. “You’re as bad as my dad.” “Don’t you mean as good as Granddad?” Jakob looked triumphant. “You mean there’s someone else who’s a master at this game like Jakob?” Lance drew a card and studied his options. Nothing would allow him to get even his first token across the finish line. “Oh yes.” Magnus nodded as he watched Lance move his front token two spaces forward, just missing one of Magnus’s. “My dad and Jakob had the most epic battles two summers ago. They were pretty much evenly matched.” “Can we go again this summer? Please?” Jakob looked so hopeful that Lance just knew Magnus wouldn’t be able to say no. “I don’t know. I guess it depends.” Magnus took a card but didn’t make his move yet. “If Lance wants to come with us, I think it might be nice to go there for the Midsummer Eve celebrations. There’s nothing to stop us this time, not like last year when we couldn’t go because of my training with the National Park Service. And since Midsummer Eve is celebrated on the twenty-fifth of June, school will be out and we could all go.” “Yes!” Jakob turned his sky blue eyes toward Lance. “Please, Lance, can we go?” Lance felt a little overwhelmed by the sudden suggestion. He hadn’t thought about what they’d do for summer break; it still seemed so far away. And he definitely hadn’t considered going to a foreign country. But it was probably different for Jakob. It sounded like he’d been

The Solstice Mistletoe Effect | Serena Yates 27 before, and who was he to deny Jakob the opportunity to see his grandparents? And Magnus probably wanted to see his parents. “You both really want to go, don’t you?” How was he supposed to resist the pleading look in Jakob’s big blue eyes? “I do!” Jakob started bouncing on his chair. “You’ll love it, Lance. It stays light forever and ever. And there’s lots of fun things to do. Granddad’s house is close to water and there’s rowboats and if it’s warm enough we can even go swimming.” Lance looked at Magnus, waiting for his lover’s answer. “I would like to go too. It’s a great time of year to visit, and the Midsummer Eve celebrations are a lot of fun. My mother loves preparing all the different traditional dishes, and my father usually decorates the house to the nines.” Magnus looked thoughtful. “But we don’t have to go if you don’t want to. I realize that this is a bit sudden for you. We can take some time to think about it, can’t we, Jakob?” “But….” Jakob stopped midsentence, sighed, nodded. “I guess we don’t have to decide today.”

and

“That’s okay.” With both his lover and Jakob being so enthusiastic, there was no way Lance could say no. “I guess we’re going to Sweden for the summer break.” “Yes!” Jakob’s scream was ear-shattering. Why was it that children’s voices were so loud? “Thank you so much, Lance!” Jakob left his chair and ran around the table toward Lance, small arms wide open. Lance caught him and was

The Solstice Mistletoe Effect | Serena Yates 28 given one of Jakob’s special hugs. He looked up and saw Magnus smile at them, clearly happy as well.

ON THE last day of school, about a week before their flight to Stockholm, Lance picked up Jakob as usual. He felt a lot less intimidated now than he had a few months ago. Some parents were still staring at him, but there were far fewer than there’d been at the beginning of the year. And Jakob hadn’t reported any major issues with bullies for quite a while. It looked as though they’d settled in quite nicely. “Finally!” The car door flew open, and Jakob threw his backpack onto the floor and settled himself inside. “Summer break, here we come!” “Hello, Jakob.” Lance grinned as he watched the boy pull the door closed behind him and buckle himself in. “Are you sure you won’t be bored without all your friends?” “No way! Not with us going to see Farfar Enar and Farmor Carine! There’s always so much to do, and they make sure we have a good time.” Jakob frowned. “But you’re right, I’ll still miss some of my friends. I’ll just have to catch up with them when we get back.” “So, have you decided what to do with your week before we leave?” Lance started the short drive home. “I’m sure you and Uncle Magnus will have some chores for me.” Jakob sighed, looking very put-upon. “Yes, we do. The most important of which will be your Swedish lessons.” Lance was looking forward to their week of intense learning. He’d done a bit over the last few months,

The Solstice Mistletoe Effect | Serena Yates 29 but he still felt inadequate and wanted to do a much better job over the next week. It wouldn’t feel right to meet Magnus’s parents and not be able to speak any of their language. “I know. Uncle Magnus kept reminding me, remember?” Jakob smiled. “It’ll be the both of us this time. I can’t wait to see you do homework.” Lance grinned. Leave it to Jakob to find the funny side of things. He still felt a little uneasy about going to a strange country, meeting people that both his lover and Jakob knew. Would they accept him? Would they think less of him because he didn’t have a full-time paid job? Would they accept their only surviving son having a man as a life partner? That evening, after Jakob had been put to bed and Lance had finished cleaning the kitchen, Magnus joined him on their deck to enjoy a glass of wine. “You look worried, älskling.” Magnus had become scarily adept at picking up Lance’s moods. “Is everything all right?” “I’m not really worried.” It didn’t even sound convincing to his own ears. “Why do I have trouble believing you?” Magnus put his arm around Lance’s shoulders and pulled him close. “Did something happen when you picked Jakob up from school today?” “No, it’s got nothing to do with school. It’s really ridiculous, actually. I’ve got no reason to worry about our visit with your parents, have I?” Lance leaned into his lover’s warmth and took a deep breath.

The Solstice Mistletoe Effect | Serena Yates 30 “But you’re still not comfortable with the idea?” Magnus stroked Lance’s shoulder with small movements. “If it really bothers you, we can still cancel.” “You would do that?” Lance was touched. But he wasn’t going to interfere with Jakob seeing his grandparents just because he was a little queasy. And he wasn’t going to stand between Magnus and his parents either. “Sure I would.” Magnus pushed a finger under his chin and lifted his face so he had to look at those silver-blue eyes. He could see nothing but honesty in them. “I want you to be happy. That’s the only thing that really counts. And if flying to a foreign country and seeing my parents scares you, we’ll change our plans.” “You’re serious, aren’t you?” Lance still couldn’t believe his luck at finding such a giving, generous lover. “Very serious.” Magnus brushed his lips across Lance’s, making Lance shiver in anticipation of more. “There’s nothing more important to me than your happiness.” “I love you, baby.” Lance tilted his head and kissed Magnus’s lips. “Thank you for making the offer. It means a lot to me. But I’m sure I’ll be fine.” “As long as you’re sure.” Magnus looked down at him, his eyes serious. The kiss that followed was more passionate, the one after that scorching. Very soon, their need made them move into their bedroom. They spent a long time expressing their love for each other that night in the gentlest, most tender ways they could think of.

The Solstice Mistletoe Effect | Serena Yates 31

Chapter Four MAGNUS leaned back into the comfortable leather seats of the limo, one arm around Lance’s shoulders and the other holding onto an exhausted Jakob. Their total travel time, including a layover in Chicago, had been almost nineteen hours. While he was more used to it than Lance and Jakob because he’d done more traveling while he was still working for the University of Stockholm, he was still exhausted. “It was nice of your parents to send a limo.” Lance yawned. “I’ve never been in one before, and it certainly beats taking the train.” “You don’t think it’s a bit overdone?” Magnus hated it when his parents flaunted their wealth like this. He’d hoped they would pick them up themselves, but he should have known better. It was Saturday morning, and they’d both be busy with preparations for the weekend, especially with them visiting. “Well, yes, I guess. But I’m too tired to be able to really hate it.” Lance dropped his head against Magnus’s shoulder. “I can’t believe how exhausted I am. We’ve done nothing but sit around, and I even slept for a few hours.” “It won’t be much longer now.” Magnus looked out the window. They were about to leave the highway, and it would

The Solstice Mistletoe Effect | Serena Yates 32 only be another ten minutes from the exit to his parents’ house on Ferievägen. “You do remember that we’re not supposed to sleep until the evening?” “But it’s only nine a.m.—surely a short nap wouldn’t be a problem?” Lance looked so hopeful, Magnus knew it was going to be difficult to insist. “If we do sleep, we’ll never get used to the new time zone. It’s better to stay awake and switch to the new rhythm right away. Jetlag can be awful, believe me; I’ve had to deal with it, and I decided never to get myself in that situation again.” Magnus tightened his grip and kissed Lance on the temple. “Don’t worry, älskling, I’ll keep you entertained and awake.” “Looks like Jakob’s going to have a harder time of it.” Lance smiled as he looked at the boy, who was fast asleep. “I’m sure he’ll be wide awake as soon as he sniffs fresh air.” Magnus grinned. “He hasn’t been here for two years, so a lot of it will seem new to him. Exploring the house and the garden will keep him busy this morning. And I was thinking we should take him into Gamla Stan after lunch.” “That sounds like a good idea. Walking through the Old Town should also keep us awake, right?” Lance had practically memorized the tour guides and all other information he’d pulled off the internet. Magnus wouldn’t be surprised if his lover showed him new places that he’d never been to. “Yep, that was part of the reason I suggested it. He loved the statue of George and the Dragon, not to mention the Royal Palace, last time we were here.” Magnus smiled; Jakob had told wild made-up stories for days.

The Solstice Mistletoe Effect | Serena Yates 33 “Sounds good to me.” Lance sat up when they entered the driveway. “Oh my God, is that your parents’ house? It looks more like a mansion.” Lance stared out the car window with wide eyes, taking in the neoclassical monstrosity that had been built in the 1920s. The square building had been painted a light pink, which was set off by bright white window frames and four columns that framed the raised vestibule. Three steps led up to the central entrance door. The two garages were located to the left and the right on the ground floor, the one on the right leading to the kitchen, the one on the left used for storage. “I guess it does qualify as one, even though it’s only about a hundred years old.” Magnus was slightly anxious about Lance’s reaction to the interior. It always made him uncomfortable, and he’d lived in this house. Lance was going to need his support. “Are we here?” Jakob raised his head, having detected that the car had stopped with some innate sense that he’d always had. “Yes, we’re here.” Magnus opened the door and stepped out onto the driveway. Jakob tumbled out after him, immediately making a beeline for the main entrance. Lance followed a little more slowly, still wide-eyed, a small frown making him look very young and confused. Magnus gave the limo driver a tip and asked him to carry their suitcases and travel bags to the front door. Then he took Lance’s hand and squeezed it for comfort before following the others.

The Solstice Mistletoe Effect | Serena Yates 34 “You’ll be fine, don’t worry.” Magnus nodded at Jakob to let him know it was okay to knock. His mother opened the door, and Magnus grinned in greeting. “Farmor Carine!” Jakob was in the woman’s arms before she could utter a word. “Jakob!” Her blue eyes lit up as she embraced the boy. “I’ve missed you so much.” Jakob withdrew from the embrace and looked up at his grandmother. “Can I have my old room back, please? Have you still got the frogs in the pond? Can I play Sorry! with Farfar Enar tonight?” “Whoa, Jakob, let me say hello to your Uncle Magnus first, okay?” His mother looked up and smiled at Magnus, ignoring Lance. She looked older than Magnus remembered, thinner and with a few more wrinkles around her eyes and mouth, betraying the sorrow that his brother Mikkel’s death had caused. “Hello, Mother, it’s good to see you again.” Magnus embraced her briefly before stepping back to introduce Lance. “This is my partner, Lance Rivera.” A brief frown formed on his mother’s forehead before she held out her hand for Lance to shake. What was that all about? It wasn’t as if they hadn’t spoken on the phone. “Welcome to my home, Lance.” His mother’s voice shook, but she managed to smile briefly. “I’m glad to meet you.” Lance smiled his devastatingly beautiful smile, and Magnus wondered how anyone could possibly resist such friendliness. His mother seemed capable of it, however, because she didn’t react at all.

The Solstice Mistletoe Effect | Serena Yates 35 “Please, come on in.” She stepped aside and pointed inside the house. “You can each have one of the bedrooms above the garages, and Jakob will be in the garden bedroom he was in last time he stayed here. I’ll be in the kitchen finishing brunch preparations. We’ll eat when your father returns from his errands around noon.” “Yeah, thank you, Farmor Carine. I love that room.” Jakob grabbed his small suitcase and stormed up the stairs to their right. Magnus took the remaining two suitcases while Lance picked up their travel bags, a confused expression on his face. He wasn’t the only mystified one. Had Magnus heard right? Had his mother mentioned separate bedrooms? There was no way he was going to be in a different room from his älskling. Not on general principle, and definitely not during their summer holiday. He watched his mother vanish into the kitchen and pointed toward the right, letting Lance know which bedroom he intended to take. They were halfway up the stairs before Lance stopped and turned around. “Did she really want us to take separate bedrooms?” Lance’s eyes were big, and his olive-toned skin looked pale. “I think that’s what I heard, yes. But I have a hard time believing it. And I certainly have no intention of following that ‘instruction’.” The more Magnus thought about it, the more he wondered what had prompted his mother to say such a thing. “You don’t?” Lance looked hopeful. “Of course I don’t!” Magnus shook his head and pointed his chin upwards to indicate he wanted to get to their

The Solstice Mistletoe Effect | Serena Yates 36 bedroom. He wasn’t going to have this discussion on the staircase. “You’re my partner, and we haven’t spent a single night apart since the night you moved into our bedroom just before Christmas. I don’t intend to start now.” “But you didn’t say anything when your mother brought it up.” Lance turned back around and continued up the stairs, walking into the front bedroom that had once been Magnus’s. “I wasn’t about to start a discussion with her in the foyer with Jakob right under our noses.” Magnus put their suitcases on the bed and opened them so they could unpack. “But we’re definitely going to have it out with her as soon as we’re settled in.” Lance had stopped next to the door and was looking around the room with wide eyes. Luckily, it had been redecorated since Magnus had left home. Sharing his childhood posters and various trophies from school competitions would have been very embarrassing. “Wow, this is a nice room. Was it always yours?” Lance moved forward and put their travel bags onto the floor next to the bed. “Yes, it was. But I like this new look better.” Magnus started putting clothes into the walnut wardrobe and matching dresser. “That’s too bad.” Lance grinned. “About the redecoration, I mean. I would’ve loved to have seen your childhood room.” “I bet!” Magnus grinned back. “But you wouldn’t have been very comfortable in the narrow bed, especially not with what I hope we’ll be getting up to over the next two weeks.”

The Solstice Mistletoe Effect | Serena Yates 37 “You don’t mean that!” Lance looked scandalized. “Surely not with your parents in the same house.” “Why not? It’s a big house. I’m sure they won’t hear anything, especially since their bedroom is in the other half of the house and downstairs.” Magnus wasn’t going to avoid touching his lover just because he was staying at home. “Magnus!” Lance sat down on the bed, staring at him. “What? My parents don’t run my life. In fact, they haven’t had that right ever since they gave me a hard time when I told them I was gay. I’ve forgiven them, but I decided never to let them make decisions or determine what I do ever again.” Magnus sat down next to Lance and took his hand. “You and Jakob are my life now, and nobody can make us do anything we’re not comfortable with. And that includes sleeping arrangements.” “Okay.” Lance sighed, a tentative smile on his lips. “Thank you. I don’t think I could sleep without you next to me, especially in a strange house.” “No problem. I’m not going anywhere, and the sooner my mother understands that, the better. In fact, why don’t we finish unpacking so we can go downstairs and talk to her?” Magnus lifted Lance’s hand, turned it around, and pressed his lips against the soft skin on the inside of his lover’s wrist. Lance nodded, and they finished settling their stuff in record time. It looked like they were both anxious to get this misunderstanding cleared up. That was surely all it was. By the time they made it downstairs and into the kitchen, Jakob was already there, helping his grandmother

The Solstice Mistletoe Effect | Serena Yates 38 prepare brunch. Magnus hated having to wait to have their discussion, but there was no point in doing it now. “Would you like to explore the garden?” Magnus looked at Lance, hoping that his lover would understand he was looking for a place for them to talk. “I would love that, yes, please.” Lance looked relieved and followed Magnus out onto the back terrace from which steps led down into the garden. Magnus ignored his mother’s frown as he took Lance’s hand to lead the way. He followed the winding path all the way to the back, not saying anything until they’d reached the octagonal gazebo with its view of the archipelago. He sat down on the bench that ran along the entire inside and pulled Lance into his lap, his lover’s legs spread along the outside of his thighs. Magnus loved this position for extended cuddling sessions because it gave him great access for kissing, touching his lover’s gorgeous ass, and rubbing their groins together. Lance sank down with a small whimper and pressed himself against Magnus’s chest, his head on Magnus’s shoulder and his soft lips pressed against the side of his throat. Lance’s arms went up around Magus’s neck. Magnus slid one arm around Lance’s middle. The other hand went behind his head to stop him from moving while he kissed him senseless. Finally they both came up for air. “I love you, min älskling.” Magnus looked into Lance’s eyes and saw nothing but love and trust in their deep brown depths.

The Solstice Mistletoe Effect | Serena Yates 39 “I love you too, baby. So much.” Lance leaned back into Magnus and held on. For a long time they sat there, looking at the water and just breathing together. It was one of the most intimate moments they’d ever shared, and Magnus wished that it would never end.

The Solstice Mistletoe Effect | Serena Yates 40

Chapter Five LANCE couldn’t remember ever having been this tired in his entire life. His head hurt, his eyes burned, and his limbs were so heavy he was having trouble getting dressed for dinner. He shook his head as he fastened the top button of the most formal shirt he’d taken with him. It had been a long day, but that wasn’t the only reason he felt so exhausted. “Are you okay?” Magnus turned away from the mirror that he’d used to fasten his tie. He looked good enough to eat, and Lance felt himself perk up a little just looking at his lover. “I think I’m all right. As much as can be expected after the long flight and all the new impressions.” Lance stopped fumbling with his tie and held it out to Magnus. His lover had a lot more experience with the darned things, having been to many academic presentations and fundraisers for his expeditions. “So, what do you think of Sweden so far?” Magnus took the tie with a smile, stepped behind him, and slid his arms around Lance’s shoulders so he could do a good job. “I liked what we saw today. The Old Town is just beautiful with all those ancient houses, the narrow alleys, and those many unexpected squares and plazas we came across. And, my God, all those canals, they reminded me of

The Solstice Mistletoe Effect | Serena Yates 41 pictures I’ve seen of Venice. Only I’m sure it’s warmer there.” Lance leaned back into Magnus’s embrace when his lover was done with the tie. He wished they could go straight to bed, but unfortunately, Magnus’s parents expected them downstairs for dinner in a few minutes. “This is only the beginning. There’s so much more I want to show you.” Magnus turned him around so they were facing each other. “But we should do something fun for Jakob tomorrow. He’s been very good so far, but I’m pretty sure he’d like to visit the Tivoli Gröna Lund amusement park more than some stuffy museum.” “Sure he would! What kid wouldn’t?” Lance leaned his tired head against Magnus’s shoulder. “And I bet he’ll be wide awake tomorrow morning after we put him to bed as early as we did. But he couldn’t keep his eyes open even a moment longer.” “So we better try and catch an early night as well, right?” Magnus smiled and bent down to press an all-toobrief kiss onto Lance’s lips. “Yes, please. My head is about to explode, and my eyes feel as though there’s sand in them. An early night is exactly what I need.” Lance realized that Magnus’s eyes were twinkling. “And I mean for sleeping, baby. I don’t think I have the energy to do much else. Not before tomorrow morning, at least.” “That’s okay, I don’t feel much different.” Magnus stepped back, and Lance regretted the loss of his warmth immediately. When they made it downstairs into the formal dining room, Mr. Carstens greeted them with a reluctant smile.

The Solstice Mistletoe Effect | Serena Yates 42 What was going on? He’d given Lance some strange glances over lunch as well, and Lance hadn’t felt comfortable at all. He suspected that Jakob’s presence had stopped the man from saying anything, but now that they were amongst adults, he hoped that whatever was bothering Magnus’s father would come out into the open. He only wished he were more awake to face this strange situation. “Would you like an aperitif?” Mr. Carstens wore a dark suit that would have looked more natural in a theatre or opera house than it did in the man’s own home. “No thanks, Father. I think we’re better off not having alcohol tonight. It’ll only interfere with our bodies readjusting to the new time zone.” Magnus pulled out a chair from under the massive mahogany table that had been set with what was clearly the best of everything, pointing at it for Lance to sit down. “Really, son, a little alcohol won’t hurt you. You’re a grown man who should be able to deal with it.” Mr. Carstens grimaced as though he’d been personally insulted. “I think it’s best if you leave that decision to me.” Magnus was beginning to sound annoyed, clearly not impressed with his father’s lack of understanding. Magnus sat down next to Lance, which made his father frown more intensely. Mr. Carstens snorted and turned toward what looked like a bar area in one of the corners of the room to pour himself a drink. What was wrong with the man? He expected them to do what he wanted rather than make their own decisions? Just then Mrs. Carstens walked into the room carrying a large soup tureen. The atmosphere became a little more

The Solstice Mistletoe Effect | Serena Yates 43 relaxed as they talked about their trip and the day’s events. It took Lance a while to get used to the somewhat unusual taste of the rosehip soup, but after a few spoons, he really started to like it. The main dish consisted of fish, potatoes, and a crisp, leafy salad. By the time Mrs. Carstens served dessert, Lance had been lulled into a sense of security. He wanted to believe that he’d misunderstood the earlier looks of disdain from Magnus’s father. “So….” Mr. Carstens loudly cleared his throat and stared at Lance. “I understand that you’re sharing a bedroom with my son despite the fact that my wife specifically asked you to pick another one. I have no idea what possessed you to do that, and I would like you to change it. Jakob is at an impressionable age, and I don’t want him to get the idea that it’s okay for two men to share a bedroom.” Lance’s mouth dropped open, and he was truly lost for words. Magnus stiffened next to him, and Mrs. Carstens sighed. “Enar, please. Not on their first night here.” She leaned back in her chair and suddenly looked very fragile. “If not now, when would you like me to bring it up?” Mr. Carstens narrowed his eyes, then turned back to Lance. “This ‘phase’ or whatever it is that Magnus has been going through has lasted long enough. It’s time he grew up and faced the responsibility to his family like Mikkel did years ago. I don’t want you to encourage him….” Lance was too dazed to know what to say. How could anyone as clearly well educated as Magnus’s parents believe

The Solstice Mistletoe Effect | Serena Yates 44 that being gay was a choice or a phase? It sounded as though Magnus’s father was on a crusade for Magnus to settle down, get married, and produce more grandchildren. Lance tried to focus on formulating some sort of response, his head throbbing with fatigue and confusion. “That’s enough, Father.” Magnus’s face was flushed, and his eyes blazed. “I’ve explained to you that being gay is not a phase. I thought we’d settled that, and I’d appreciate you not bringing it up again. Attacking Lance is unacceptable, and I won’t stand for it. This isn’t about me facing or shirking family responsibility, it’s about how I want to live my life. And that’s with Lance at my side as my partner.” “But—but what about Jakob?” Mr. Carstens looked honestly shocked. “What about him?” Magnus moved his chair back, ready to leave. “You’re setting a very bad example for the boy. What happens if you make him gay as well? I can’t allow that!” Mr. Carstens banged his fist on the table. “What?” Magnus leaned forward, eyebrows almost hitting his hairline. “We are not setting a bad example for Jakob! We’re showing him what it’s like to live in a loving family. We’re giving him a stable environment. And as for ‘making someone gay’—that’s the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard you say. Not that you’d be able to ‘allow’ or ‘disallow’ it anyway. Either Jakob is gay already—” “No!” Mr. Carstens’s voice was loud enough to fill the entire room.

The Solstice Mistletoe Effect | Serena Yates 45 “Is that what this is all about?” Magnus looked from his father to his mother, who had visibly shrunken in her seat. “Let me tell you something. Jakob is either gay or he isn’t. Nothing any of us does will change that. And I won’t have you interfere in our lives again. So you can either accept our living arrangements or we’ll leave and spend our summer break somewhere else.” “No.” Mrs. Carstens sat up and stared at Magnus. “You wouldn’t do that!” “Yes, I would.” Magnus nodded, as if the tone of his voice hadn’t been clear enough. Lance had rarely seen him this determined. “You wouldn’t dare.” Mr. Carstens was red as a lobster. “You can’t stop me, Father. I’m not a child anymore.” Magnus did get up this time and held out his hand for Lance to take. “It’s time for us to get some sleep. You have until tomorrow morning to think about this. Goodnight.”

LANCE cuddled into the heat that was Magnus at his back, awake but not willing to face the day. The alarm clock on the nightstand said it was only six-thirty a.m., so they had a little time to themselves before they’d have to face reality. Last night was supposed to have been a quiet night spent getting to know Magnus’s parents. Instead, it had turned into a total nightmare. He’d been too tired to take it all in, but after a good night’s sleep, the full horror of their situation was beginning to hit him.

The Solstice Mistletoe Effect | Serena Yates 46 “Don’t worry about it.” Magnus tightened his hold around Lance’s middle and kissed his head. “I meant every word I said last night. I’m sure my parents will realize that and behave themselves from now on.” “I’m sorry I didn’t speak up.” Lance felt like he’d abandoned Magnus. “I was too exhausted to get my brain to work.” “I’m not sure they would’ve listened to anything you said anyway.” Magnus snorted. “We’ve had these discussions before, so they should have known better. I’m surprised they even mentioned it.” “Maybe the fact that you’re their only surviving son has something to do with it?” Lance turned around in Magnus’s arms so he could look at him. “That may have been the trigger, but it’s still inexcusable.” Magnus slid his hands down Lance’s back, making him shiver in delight. “But I don’t really want to talk about that now. We’ll find out about their decision at breakfast, which isn’t for another hour and a half at least. Until then, I’d like to focus on us.” That was fine by Lance. He needed to reconnect with his lover, and what better way than to kiss and caress every spot of warm skin he could find? By the time Jakob knocked on their door, Lance was thoroughly sated and so relaxed that he felt he could face anything. They got dressed and walked downstairs together. Mr. Carstens had already left for his weekly Sunday morning golf game, but Mrs. Carstens embraced both Magus and Lance, mumbling a “sorry” into his ear. He looked at

The Solstice Mistletoe Effect | Serena Yates 47 Magnus and felt enormous relief when he smiled and nodded. Looked like they were back on track again. Their breakfast of pancakes Mrs. Carstens had made for them was relaxed, and Lance started to hope their holiday would be a good one after all. Jakob spent the whole time talking about all the rides he was going to go on, and Lance listened with a smile on his face. It was good to see the boy so happy. The visit to the Tivoli Gröna Lund amusement park was a huge success. Jakob wasn’t the only one who liked the rides. When they made it back in the evening, there was a simple supper of soup and sandwiches waiting for them. Lance was relieved to see that Mr. Carstens held back in Jakob’s presence. Even after they’d tucked the boy in and went downstairs to have a glass of wine, the atmosphere was friendlier and less formal than before. Mr. Carstens didn’t apologize, but he didn’t mention their sleeping arrangements again. He seemed to have accepted there was nothing he could do or say that would change their minds. Lance was happy enough just not being attacked. He’d have liked a better relationship with Magnus’s father, but it didn’t look likely right now. As he was trying to fall asleep on Monday night, he thought back to the issues he’d had with some of the parents at Jakob’s school. He wasn’t a confrontational person, and he hadn’t wanted to intrude in anyone’s life. Why wouldn’t people stay out of his? “Come here, älskling.” Magnus sounded tired, but he opened his arms, and Lance moved into them as quickly as possible.

The Solstice Mistletoe Effect | Serena Yates 48 They’d both been too exhausted to do anything but drop into their bed once they’d made it upstairs. But with Lance feeling as restless as he did, neither of them was going to get any sleep any time soon. “What’s wrong?” Lance’s cheek.

Magnus’s

warm

breath

caressed

“I was just thinking about all the people that seem to have problems with how we live our lives.” Lance moved in more closely, sliding one of his legs between Magnus’s thighs. “No wonder you’re tossing and turning.” Magnus slid one of his hands down along Lance’s spine and created a wonderful tingling feeling all over his body. “I’m sorry for keeping you awake, but I just can’t stop wondering why they don’t leave us alone.” Magnus’s warm embrace was already relaxing Lance very effectively. Why had he even tried to fall asleep on the other side of the bed? He should have known it was pointless. “Don’t worry about keeping me awake. I’ve been thinking too.” Magnus rested his warm hand on Lance’s hip. “One thing is certain. We can’t live our life the way others want us to live it. If they don’t like it, that’s just too bad.” “Even if it’s your family that doesn’t approve?” Lance was still a little shocked. While his own family hadn’t been overly enthusiastic when he told them he was moving in with Magnus, they hadn’t attacked him either. Over the last few months, they’d even become supportive. It didn’t look like Magnus’s parents were going to move in that direction. “Especially if it’s your family. They’re closer to you than anyone else, and the potential for them to do damage is

The Solstice Mistletoe Effect | Serena Yates 49 much bigger. I didn’t come out to my parents until after I’d finished college for that reason. I was afraid they wouldn’t understand and would try to change my mind.” Magnus chuckled. “They did try, but luckily Mikkel and his wife Irene were there to support me, and my father gave up.” “So we’ll just ignore their unease?” The idea didn’t sit well with Lance. “I don’t think we have a choice, as my father isn’t likely to change his mind any time soon. And we won’t be here long enough to help him see how wrong he is.” Magnus shrugged. “For all I know, it might take a few years.” Lance had been afraid of that. Nothing much he could do about it, though. Since he was nice and warm, safe in Magnus’s arms, he decided to let it go for now. Tomorrow was another day.

The Solstice Mistletoe Effect | Serena Yates 50

Chapter Six MAGNUS opened the front door with the key his mother had given him yesterday morning. A very tired Jakob and an exhausted Lance were right behind him. Their visit to Junibacken, a park featuring the fairytale world of Astrid Lindgren, had been a big success, but he was ready for a quiet evening at home and possibly an early night. “We’re back.” Magnus led the way toward the kitchen, where he knew his mother would be working on dinner. “Did you have a good day?” His mother looked up from the pie she was making and smiled at them. It looked as if she was completely over her misgivings. “It was great!” Jakob perked up as soon as he saw the snack of cookies and milk that sat waiting for him on the small kitchen table. “The rides were amazing, and we met Pippi Långstrump and Emil i Lönneberga. And then we took a train around all of these scenes from the books. It was very exciting. And I got some new books as well!” “It hasn’t changed that much since I last went, but I still enjoyed it.” Magnus sat down opposite Jakob and pulled Lance into a chair next to him.

The Solstice Mistletoe Effect | Serena Yates 51 “Would you two also like a snack?” His mother smiled at Magnus, and Lance nodded. She brought over more cookies. “Dinner won’t be until later today, since we’ll have a guest.” Magnus almost groaned out loud. He didn’t like his father’s business associates. Why had he invited someone over, anyway? Wasn’t this holiday supposed to be family time? From the corner of his eye, he noticed that Lance looked surprised, even a little worried. “Do you know who it is?” Magnus took Lance’s hand for support. “Your father wants it to be a surprise.” His mother shrugged apologetically. “I’m sure you’ll be okay, since it isn’t one of his business partners.” They finished their snack and spent some time reading with Jakob before bathing him and tucking him into his bed. The boy was asleep before they closed the bedroom door behind them. Magnus wished he could go straight to bed as well. Instead, they got dressed for dinner and went back downstairs when they heard the doorbell ring. Magnus’s father was opening the front door. “Hello, Mr. Carstens. It’s good to see you again.” The blonde woman in the light blue sundress looked vaguely familiar. She barely glanced at his father before she turned to gaze at him, clearly expecting a warm welcome. “Hello, Magnus, what a nice surprise to see you.” “Welcome, Miss Nilsson.” Magnus’s father smiled triumphantly and stepped aside to let their guest enter the foyer.

The Solstice Mistletoe Effect | Serena Yates 52 Sigrid? What was Sigrid doing here? She’d been one of the most promising students of glaciology when Magnus was teaching and writing his dissertation at Stockholm University. He’d supported her professional development wholeheartedly and felt somewhat responsible for her career. But she’d obviously misinterpreted that professional interest and had started making very unwanted advances in his final year. Magnus had thought he’d gotten rid of her after her attempt at getting him to join the university-funded polar expedition in the winter of 2007 and 2008. The many letters she’d sent after he’d left told a different story. He’d always responded politely but had never entered into a personal discussion. “Well, aren’t you going to say hello?” Sigrid stepped up to him with her hand held out, giving him no choice but to shake it. “Hello, Sigrid.” Magnus tried to pull back his hand, but Sigrid resisted long enough to let him know that she wanted more than just a handshake. “I’m so happy you finally came home. It will be great to reconnect.” She ran a hand through her long blonde locks. “I could do with your help on planning the next expedition and hope you will have some time to come see me at the university.” Hell no. He had a few university meetings lined up, just to reconnect with ex-colleagues and friends. But he had no interest in spending any time with Sigrid if he could possibly avoid it. She made him uncomfortable. Why hadn’t she gotten the message when he’d ignored the advances she’d made in her letters?

The Solstice Mistletoe Effect | Serena Yates 53 Lance already looked as though he was going to explode if he didn’t get to ask a few questions. Magnus’s father looked way too smug. Something was definitely up, and Magnus didn’t like it one bit. “This is Lance, my partner.” Magnus took his lover’s hand. “We met just before Christmas and now take care of Jakob together.” “I know. Your father told me.” Sigrid briefly shook Lance’s hand, a somewhat forced smile on her lipstickcovered mouth. “It’s so nice of you to help Magnus with Jakob. I’m sure he appreciates your support a lot.” Before Lance could respond, she’d already turned away and started peppering Magnus with questions on the results from the latest Antarctic expedition, which had just been published in the Scientific American. She made some interesting points, and Magnus quickly found himself embroiled in a discussion about the pros and cons of using different ice boring drills and methods. He hardly noticed dinner being served. He hadn’t had such a fascinating discussion in a long time. His work for the Grand Teton National Park was interesting, but not exactly at the cutting edge of scientific exploration. He found he’d missed that, and talking to Sigrid gave him a small glimpse of the world he’d left behind. It turned out to be a fascinating evening, even if Lance did leave rather early. But he’d been very tired and was probably getting bored by all the technical language, so it was better he went to bed and got some sleep. They had another big day planned tomorrow.

The Solstice Mistletoe Effect | Serena Yates 54 When Magnus did finally make it upstairs after an excellent glass of brandy or two, he found Lance curled up on his side, facing away from the middle of the bed. That was very unusual. Magnus went around the bed to have a closer look. Lance’s face looked suspiciously wet, and when Magnus pressed a careful kiss onto his lover’s relaxed lips, they tasted salty. Huh? Had Lance been crying?

MAGNUS woke to an empty bed. A stab of surprised pain made him sit up in hopes of finding Lance somewhere else in their room. But he was gone. Shit! There’d be no chance to get him alone until the evening. They needed to be alone and talk about what had happened last night, but it looked like he’d have to hold on for a while longer. He liked spending time with his little family, and including Jakob in their activities was wonderful. But it did mean less time for Lance and him as a couple. In cases like this, with a misunderstanding or a problem between them, it meant having to wait until they could clear things up. That part he didn’t like at all. By the time he made it downstairs, breakfast was almost over. “Good morning, Uncle Magnus!” Jakob was bouncing in his seat, a big empty bowl with crumbs of cereal in front of him. “Did you have a good sleep-in?” “Good morning, Jakob.” Magnus smiled. “I slept well, thanks. You look like you’re ready to go.”

The Solstice Mistletoe Effect | Serena Yates 55 “Yes, I am. But you should have some breakfast first. Farmor Carine says it’s the most important meal of the day.” Jakob grinned. “Well, in that case, I’ll definitely have some food and coffee, if any is left.” Magnus sat down next to Lance, glancing at his tired-looking lover and hoping for one of his wonderful smiles. “Good morning, Lance. I missed you this morning.” “Good morning, Magnus.” Lance’s voice was soft and low, his big eyes wider than normal when he looked up. “I missed you last night.” Fuck! Lance looked like a hurt puppy, those doleful brown eyes stabbing Magnus through the heart. It was way worse than he’d feared. All he wanted to do was to take Lance into his arms and make the pain go away. But Lance didn’t look as though that would help. They’d definitely have to talk first. How was Magnus going to survive the day knowing how much Lance was hurting? “I’m so sorry. We need to talk about this.” Magnus raked a hand through his hair. “I really want to drop everything and do that right now.” “We can’t.” Lance shook his head. “Jakob’s been looking forward to visiting the Vasamuseet to see the preserved war ship. He’s been talking about it all morning.” “But what about you? What about us?” Magnus wasn’t hungry any longer. “We’ll have to wait.” There was a sad little smile on Lance’s lips, but he looked confident. “Jakob comes first.”

The Solstice Mistletoe Effect | Serena Yates 56

LANCE kept thinking back to their conversation in the kitchen as the day progressed. Even though he was sure that Jakob came first, maybe he should’ve found a way to talk to Magnus. The situation last night had been too weird. Sigrid turning up like that was almost surreal, and the way she’d been welcomed by Mr. Carstens was disquieting at the very least. Even though Magnus hadn’t reacted to her at first, by the time he’d been discussing God knew what glaciologist’s secret details with her, he’d been totally lost to the rest of the world. Lance had felt completely invisible. Sigrid was obviously far more interesting than he was, probably Magnus’s equal in terms of scientific understanding. And Magnus clearly missed that part of his career. Interesting conversation about the newest scientific developments was something that Lance could never give his lover. Then there was the obvious support Sigrid had been given by Magnus’s parents. His mother hadn’t been quite as obvious, but her tacit approval and friendly smile had spoken volumes. Sigrid was certainly the more “appropriate” partner for Magnus in the Carstens’ eyes. Lance had felt physically sick by the end of dinner. That was when he’d gone upstairs. But sleep had been a long time in coming. He hadn’t cried that much since the first time he’d made love with Magnus, after which the man had carried him back to his own bedroom. He’d felt utterly rejected. Last night had brought back all his old fears. Magnus loved him, but would that be enough to keep him

The Solstice Mistletoe Effect | Serena Yates 57 interested? Keep him committed to Lance and Jakob? What if he decided to return to his life of cutting-edge research, with or without Sigrid at his side? Lance would be left utterly alone. He hadn’t wanted to stay in bed to wait for Magnus to wake up this morning. He’d sneaked out of their room like a thief in the night, focusing all his love and energy on taking care of Jakob. He probably shouldn’t have done that. They really did need to talk; Magnus needed to understand why Lance had felt so hurt. And Lance needed to know what Magnus had been thinking, if anything. They’d traveled to the island of Djurgården, using the same taxi service as on the other days, except this time they got to take a trip with the ferry to reach the island itself. The museum was a huge, modern-looking building dominated by a large copper roof with stylized masts that represented the actual height of the Vasa when she was fully rigged. “Do you want to take the family trail around the museum?” Magnus turned around from where he was buying their tickets. “The lady says it’s the best way to see not just the main exhibit but all the other exhibits and models that portray the construction, location, and recovery of the ship as well.” “That sounds like a sensible idea, doesn’t it, Jakob?” Lance looked at the eagerly nodding boy and smiled. “I guess we can take that as a yes.” When Magnus had completed the formalities, they followed the signs to the entrance of the main hall. “Look at the ship! She’s beautiful.” Jakob stood rooted to the floor. “I can’t believe she sank on her first trip.”

The Solstice Mistletoe Effect | Serena Yates 58 Lance had to agree. The ship was huge, the original parts clearly visible because they were much darker than those that had been fitted during the restoration. Old and new looked different, but the overall impression was still overwhelming. Jakob followed the well-marked path and soaked up the information like a dry sponge. They climbed from level to level, each part offering a different view of the magnificent ship. When they were done, they went outside to admire the four other floating museum ships. Jakob’s favorite was the icebreaker Sankt Erik. The idea of needing a ship to cut a route through the frozen ocean clearly fascinated him. After a short visit to the museum shop, where Jakob got a book about the Vasa’s history, they had lunch in the Vasa Restaurant. They were all fascinated by the maritime decorations, and the harbor view was priceless. Jakob stared at the Sankt Erik the whole time, eating only when they reminded him. Lance wasn’t really hungry, and he noticed that Magnus wasn’t eating much either. This was getting ridiculous. The only thing that made Lance feel slightly better was the fact that Magnus was suffering as well. And how stupid was that? In the afternoon, they visited the Maritime Museum, sticking with the topic of the day. Lance felt more and more disoriented. It was difficult to focus, and he didn’t take in much of the wonderful exhibits. In the early evening, they went to one of the most famous puppet theatres in Stockholm. The renowned Dockteatern Tittut was more like a party than a visit to the

The Solstice Mistletoe Effect | Serena Yates 59 theatre. The combination of puppets, actors, and shadow puppetry created a stunning experience that made everyone’s eyes light up with joy. The message of hope in the piece they watched was clearly not lost on Magnus either, since he took Lance’s hand during the performance and didn’t let go even when the lights came back up. “We need to talk, älskling.” Magnus’s eyes were a burning silver-blue, suspiciously luminous. “I can’t stand seeing you hurt like this.” “We will. Just as soon as we can.” Lance hoped their talk would be enough to shut up the little voice at the back of his head that kept insisting there were some problems that talking couldn’t solve.

The Solstice Mistletoe Effect | Serena Yates 60

Chapter Seven LANCE wasn’t only physically tired when they finally made it home; he was mentally exhausted from all the worrying. Thankfully, there was no big family dinner planned, and so they put Jakob to bed after having a few sandwiches. Their apologies to Magnus’s parents were met with indignant frowns, but he didn’t care. He was determined to finally talk it all out with Magnus, and it seemed that his lover agreed with him. As soon as the bedroom door was closed behind them, Magnus opened his arms, and Lance walked into them, relishing the physical contact he’d missed for way too long. He leaned his head against Magnus’s chest and listened to one of his favorite sounds: his lover’s strong heartbeat. They stood like that, not moving except to breathe, for quite a while. Lance took in the warmth coming from his lover’s arms, his musky male scent, and the feeling of his hard muscles against Lance’s body. “Come on, älskling, let’s get comfortable.” Magnus briefly tightened his arms before he let go and took Lance’s hand to lead him to the comfortable recliner in front of the bay window that looked out over the drive and the quiet street. Once Magnus was comfortably seated, Lance climbed onto the recliner and snuggled in next to him. Lying on his

The Solstice Mistletoe Effect | Serena Yates 61 side, he slid one leg over Magnus’s thigh and an arm across his middle, supporting his head with his hand so he could look at his lover’s face. Magnus smiled, and Lance couldn’t help himself. He moved forward and pressed his lips to Magnus’s, suddenly needing the intimate contact with an urgency that made him sigh into his lover’s mouth as the other man opened up to him without hesitation. Their tongues stroked and caressed each other, and Lance melted into the tightening embrace. Magnus’s hand stroked his nape, and the tender caress travelled straight to his hardening cock. They both pulled back at the same time, panting for air and smiling like fools. “I love kissing you, baby, you know that.” God, it was hard to stop kissing Magnus. “But we need to talk about what happened with Sigrid last night.” “I know.” Magnus nodded slowly. “I got the impression that something about her or her visit has you worried. Even though I don’t really understand what it could be, I noticed that you’ve been acting differently ever since she was here.” “You don’t understand?” Lance looked at Magnus’s puzzled frown and realized that his lover was serious. “No, I really don’t. I’ve been racking my brain, trying to figure out what it was that I did or didn’t do that had you upset enough to cry yourself to sleep.” Magnus shrugged, looking truly clueless. “Oh, Magnus!” Where could he even start? “Didn’t you see how she looked at you? Didn’t you notice how she only spoke with you, ignoring me completely after having said

The Solstice Mistletoe Effect | Serena Yates 62 hello? I know that she’s your friend, but she could at least have made an effort to include me in the conversation.” “Huh? How she looked at me? What does that have to do with anything?” Magnus frowned. “You honestly didn’t notice, did you?” Lance grimaced. His lover could be so oblivious; it was a miracle the two of them had ever gotten together. Magnus shook his head no. “Okay, let me try and explain. She looked at you as though she thought you’re her lover. She completely adores you, and I’m sure she’d love to have you to herself.” It still hurt just thinking about it. “Oh, that’s ridiculous!” Magnus tensed as if he wanted to sit up, but light pressure from Lance’s hand stopped him. “She was one of the most promising students when I wrote my dissertation and I was teaching a few classes to earn some extra money. She was, and still is, a very bright scientist. I’ve always been happy to help and support her because good glaciologists are very rare and we need to stick together as much as we can. But our relationship was never anything other than professional.” “It looks to me like she may have missed that memo.” Lance was sure the woman wanted more from Magnus than a professional relationship. “Just look at the way she kept peppering you with questions during dinner, not giving you an opportunity to talk to anyone else. Not even your parents.” “But surely that was because she enjoyed talking to an old mentor.” Magnus looked thoughtful, clearly trying to figure it out. “And I must admit that I enjoyed talking to her

The Solstice Mistletoe Effect | Serena Yates 63 too. Grand Teton National Park is not all that advanced in terms of the science they do. And I miss some of the more theoretical aspects of my previous jobs.” Lance had been afraid of that. His current job wasn’t challenging enough for Magnus. Sooner or later, he’d want to go back to his old life, and it looked like Sigrid might be the one who’d make it possible for him. After all, she was still working at Stockholm University, and from what Lance had understood, she’d been asked to organize the university’s next polar expedition. They could probably use someone with Magnus’s level of experience. What a neat cover for the woman to sneak into Magnus’s life! From what Lance had seen last night, she definitely had Mr. Carstens’s support, and Mrs. Carstens might not be far behind. “So you don’t think the level of interest she showed was a bit over the top for ‘an old mentor’?” Lance had to try and get through to Magnus. God knew what Sigrid would do if she thought Magnus was open to her advances. “Not really, no.” Magnus cocked his head. “She’s always been a bit intense. She even tried to get personal a few times. But I ignored her, and while I never advertised that I’m gay, I never hid it either. She’s not stupid, so I’m sure she got the message that anything she tries with me won’t lead anywhere.” Lance was floored. How could Magnus think that ignoring that woman was enough to make her understand, never mind give up? Magnus was sure she’d gotten the message? How was Lance supposed to fight his own lover’s insensitivity to the woman’s wiliness?

The Solstice Mistletoe Effect | Serena Yates 64 LANCE was still mad at himself the next morning. He hadn’t been able to make Magnus understand why Sigrid might be a threat to their relationship. His lover had reassured Lance again and again that he loved only him. Magnus had come right out and said that assuming that Sigrid had “designs” on him was not logical and lacked evidence. And since it was correct that Lance didn’t have anything other than his own feelings and impressions, they hadn’t gotten anywhere with their discussion. Lance hadn’t been ready to talk about his fear that Magnus might get bored with his new life. But looking back at it now, he wasn’t sure that bringing it up would have changed anything. Magnus had been his infuriatingly logical self, and Lance had failed to reach him. When Magnus had finally started to seduce him, he’d been too tempted and needy to resist. Making love had been a very effective way to distract him from further discussions. He’d needed the physical contact so much that he wasn’t willing to give it up in favor of a discussion, no matter how important it might be. “Come on, we need to get going.” Magnus stood at the front door, looking like a model from a glossy fashion magazine in his linen suit. “Our taxi is here, and the dean doesn’t like to be kept waiting.” “All right, just give me a minute.” Lance wanted to say a proper goodbye to Jakob, who was going to stay with his grandparents while Lance and Magnus visited Stockholm University. “Uncle Magnus sure sounds impatient this morning.” Jakob smiled up at Lance and stepped back from their hug. “Don’t keep him waiting.”

The Solstice Mistletoe Effect | Serena Yates 65 “I’ll miss you!” Lance took a deep breath and told himself that Jakob would be perfectly fine. “Don’t worry about me. I’ll be okay.” Jakob grinned. “Farmor Carine said we could start with the preparation of the special dishes for Friday night’s Midsummer Eve celebration. We should be really busy.” Yeah, Lance didn’t doubt that. He was sure Magnus would be busy as well. And while he wanted to see the university that was such an important part of Magnus’s background, Lance wasn’t so sure that it would keep him busy enough not to get bored. Magnus had already mentioned several meetings he wanted to go to, and Lance didn’t want to intrude on his lover’s networking. After all, he had nothing to add. The taxi approached the university campus from the south, leaving the grounds themselves to their right as it followed Frescativägen north, finally turning right to drop them off at the impressive main library building. Bergianska Botanic Garden, with its various trees and blooming flowers, was just across the road. The summer in Sweden might be short, but the vibrancy of the flora more than made up for it. Lance looked around while Magnus paid the taxi driver. Some of the buildings looked really old, while others were clearly modern. Some students walked along the pathways while others lounged on the grass, soaking up the sun. The setting was peaceful, and he wouldn’t mind spending some time here. “Come on, let’s go, or I’ll be late.” Magnus looked stressed, and Lance quickly followed him into the library building.

The Solstice Mistletoe Effect | Serena Yates 66 Several boring meetings later, Lance wanted to leave. Magnus looked like he was enjoying himself, talking to serious-looking scientists, so Lance told him he’d be outside getting some fresh air. Magnus nodded absentmindedly and returned to his discussion. Lance walked toward one of the benches and sat down. People-watching was always fun, and students were one of the most interesting groups to watch. There was a mix between serious and more relaxed young people. Some were sitting quietly, earphones in and eyes closed; others sat and scribbled notes or typed on their laptops. Things had certainly changed since Lance had gone to college, even though that wasn’t very long ago. Or maybe it was that European universities followed slightly different rules. “What are you doing here?” The female voice tore him from his reverie and made him sit upright in semi-shock. He looked up, and there was Sigrid, wearing jeans and a light pink sweater. Her hair was in a simple ponytail, and her face was scrunched in disgust. As if she thought that Lance didn’t belong there. He was equally surprised, though, not having expected her to turn up. Maybe he should have? “Well?” Sigrid stood there, hands on her hips, small leather backpack perched between her shoulders. She looked more like an avenging goddess than a woman who had asked a question. As if she had a right to be there and Lance didn’t. “Hello, Sigrid.” Lance was going to be polite even if she thought she didn’t need to be. “I’m waiting for Magnus to be done with his meetings.”

The Solstice Mistletoe Effect | Serena Yates 67 “Oh?” Sigrid looked surprised for about one second before she managed to rein herself in. She didn’t look happy. “Where?” “In the library building.” Lance wasn’t going to help her find Magnus. She was likely to monopolize him like she had the other evening. Who knew how long it would take Magnus to return once she got her claws into him. “You wouldn’t happen to know exactly where in the library building, would you?” The cheeky snake would walk straight inside and hone in on Magnus. “No idea.” Lance gave her his most innocent wide-eyed look, grinning to himself when she did an exasperated eye roll and turned away in disgust. The least she deserved was to spend a few extra minutes looking for Magnus. Why should Lance make it easy for her when he was now more certain than ever that she was planning on making his life as difficult as possible?

SEVERAL hours later, Lance was ready to go home. Very ready to go home. He’d walked around the beautiful university grounds, had lunch at one of the many cafés, and had read a couple of English newspapers and magazines that were available to the public in the library’s main information area. He was beginning to worry that Magnus had decided to stay at the university when his lover finally emerged from one of the ground floor meeting rooms in the early afternoon. He was surrounded by four men and the ever-present Sigrid. They were all talking at him in excited voices. Magnus

The Solstice Mistletoe Effect | Serena Yates 68 looked thoughtful and withdrawn, answering the occasional question but otherwise unimpressed. Magnus looked around, searching the little tables and chairs. When he saw Lance, his eyes lit up, and he walked straight toward him, much to the annoyance of Sigrid, who stomped her foot in anger. Magnus didn’t turn around and only said a very general goodbye, accompanied by a small wave of his left hand. That small triumph, petty as it was, warmed Lance’s heart. Looked like Magnus hadn’t quite fallen under her spell yet. Lance wanted to run toward Magnus and embrace him, kiss him in front of everyone to stake his claim clearly. He’d never been the possessive type, but the way Sigrid looked at Magnus brought it out in him. “Hey.” Magnus smiled and looked only at Lance. “Hey.” Lance smiled back, and the need to kiss Magnus became a physical ache. “Let’s go, yeah?” Magnus pointed at the exit. “Please.” Lance didn’t look around, his eyes on Magnus as he followed him outside. The other man looked tired and distracted, not quite himself. Lance wanted to ask what was going on but was scared of what he might hear. There were several taxis at the designated spot in the street, so they didn’t have to wait. Once inside and on their way, Magnus dropped his head back and closed his eyes. He looked exhausted. He’d probably forgotten to eat. Lance inched his hand across to touch his lover’s and was relieved beyond measure when Magnus twined their fingers and held on. He didn’t dare

The Solstice Mistletoe Effect | Serena Yates 69 speak. Something was definitely going on in Magnus’s head, and it scared Lance to see him so withdrawn. “I think I need some time to myself.” Magnus’s voice was soft when he turned his head toward Lance. “I’ve got a lot of thinking to do.” “Sure.” Lance wanted to scream. He wanted Magnus to talk to him, not withdraw. “I’ll go swimming with Jakob, like we’d planned.” “Thanks.” Magnus closed his eyes again, and silence reined for the rest of their trip. By the time Lance made it back from an afternoon at the waterfront, there was a knot in his stomach that had grown to the size of a football. He had trouble focusing on Mrs. Carstens’s questions about their day, and even Jakob looked at him as though he knew something was off. Magnus didn’t come down for dinner. When Lance finally made it up to their bedroom in the early evening, Magnus was already fast asleep. He was on his stomach, head burrowed into the pillows, hands balled into fists even in sleep. His strong back wasn’t covered, and Lance was tempted to start placing kisses along his spine. His muscular ass was tantalizingly covered by the sheet, and his strong thighs were clearly delineated further down. Magnus was so beautiful, it hurt to look at him like this without being able to touch him, get a response from him. Lance had never felt so alone.

The Solstice Mistletoe Effect | Serena Yates 70

Chapter Eight MAGNUS awoke on Thursday morning feeling exhausted despite the early night he’d had. He must have fallen asleep before Lance made it upstairs. “Good morning.” Jakob’s voice was accompanied by loud banging on the door. The boy was probably ready for breakfast. Even though Magnus was sure that Lance wanted to talk to him, he was relieved that he wouldn’t have to do it immediately. He was sure that his lover wanted answers. But how was he supposed to make up his mind about the university’s offer to lead their next polar expedition that quickly? He needed time to think about his career options. Not to mention this mess with Sigrid. He hadn’t wanted to believe that she was interested in him beyond the professional, but maybe Lance was right? Magnus had never given her reason to believe he was interested in her romantically. Why then was she being so persistent? It wasn’t logical. The real problem was that Lance didn’t seem to believe him when he’d told him that there was no reason for him to worry. He’d have to reassure him.

The Solstice Mistletoe Effect | Serena Yates 71 “Are you in there?” Jakob’s voice was muffled by the closed door, but it was very clear that the boy was becoming impatient. “Give us a minute, will you?” Magnus grinned when he looked over at Lance. His lover was curled up next to him, scrunching his face in distaste at having to get up. His eyes were still closed, and he didn’t look ready to face the day. “Okay, but I’m really hungry. I’ll see you downstairs.” Jakob must have left, because it remained quiet this time. “Time to get up!” Magnus bent over Lance’s face and kissed him on his half-open mouth. “We’ve got lots of preparations to make. Jakob and my mother are expecting us to help. You have no idea how much food she thinks will be needed.” “Humph.” Lance opened one eye and stared at him. “Are you sure she wants my help too? I’m really not ready to get up.” “Yes, I’m sure.” Magnus gave his lover another kiss and pulled away, making Lance whimper in protest. “No time for that now, we’ll get back to it later.” Magnus decided to take a quick shower while he had some time. Tomorrow was Midsummer Eve, and he’d never been less ready to join the festivities. For most people, the festival was about magic and rituals to look into the future, or the remembering of those old customs. For Magnus, it meant an astronomical event—the summer solstice—that signaled the official start of the warmest season. He didn’t mind celebrating that, and he couldn’t wait to have the first strawberries of the year, since they were his favorite fruit.

The Solstice Mistletoe Effect | Serena Yates 72 All the superstitions around picking bouquets of flowers—seven or nine different types was the accepted “wisdom”—and putting them under your pillow in the hope of dreaming about your future spouse were nonsense. As were the stories about mistletoe and herbs that were picked on the day of the solstice being particularly potent. And the belief that greenery placed over houses and barns was going to bring good fortune and health to people and livestock was just funny. Nevertheless, his father, even though he was a scientist himself and should have known better, still decorated their house every year because it was “tradition.” Magnus chuckled, realizing that he’d even help if he were asked. Just like he’d tried to make Christmas as festive as possible for Jakob even though back then he himself hadn’t believed any of that made sense. Magnus shook his head as he turned off the water and started drying himself. The Mistletoe Phenomenon was one thing. Strictly speaking, it could have been their mutual attraction that was strong enough to propel them into a relationship more quickly than he’d ever seen happen. To ascribe any sort of magical happenings to the time around the summer solstice, though, was surely ridiculous, wasn’t it? Magnus was dressed and just about ready to go downstairs when Lance entered the bathroom. His still sleepy-looking lover blinked at him, almost too adorable to resist. But Magnus didn’t have a choice; his mother could get rather draconian around festival time if people didn’t turn up at the time they were expected or if they didn’t do what they were told. His relationship with his parents was already tense enough.

The Solstice Mistletoe Effect | Serena Yates 73 Magnus gave Lance a quick kiss on his forehead and left before they got distracted. Not quickly enough, though, to miss the flare of disappointment in Lance’s eyes. Magnus shook his head; he’d probably misinterpreted the look. Lance knew as well as he did that they were expected downstairs. “Finally!” Jakob sat at the kitchen table, a bowl of cereal untouched in front of him. Several crumbs showed that he’d eaten something, though. “I was so hungry that Farmor Carine said I could have a kanelbulle. I hope you don’t mind.” “Of course I don’t mind. I know how much you like your grandmother’s cinnamon rolls. I’m sorry we’re a little late this morning. Lance will be right downstairs, and then we can have breakfast properly.” Magnus sat down next to Jakob once he’d poured himself a large mug of coffee from the coffee maker his mother had left switched on. “Where is your grandmother, anyway?” “She said she needed to do some last-minute shopping and that she’d be back by ten.” Jakob sat back in his chair, obviously trying to stay away from the tempting cereal. “Did she leave any instructions for us?” Magnus took a sip of his coffee and almost moaned in relief. It made him feel better equipped to face the day. “No, she only said that we’re supposed to be done with breakfast by the time she gets back. She wants us to help her bake bread, then we need to start peeling potatoes, and there was something about strawberries.” Jakob grinned. The boy knew full well how much Magnus liked them. “There was, hm?” Magnus took another few sips and looked up when Lance walked into the kitchen.

The Solstice Mistletoe Effect | Serena Yates 74 “Good morning, Jakob.” Lance bent down and gave Jakob a kiss on his cheek. “Good morning, Lance.” Jakob looked up and smiled at Lance. “Did you sleep well? Farmor Carine said we’d need lots of energy to get us through the day, so I hope you’re not tired anymore.” “I’m sorry.” Lance laughed. “I actually am quite tired, but I’m sure a cup of coffee and some breakfast will help with that. We wouldn’t want to disappoint Farmor Carine, would we? I’m sure she needs all the help she can get.” “So does Farfar Enar.” Jakob started eating his cereal while Magnus got out some crisp bread, plates of cold cuts and cheeses, and a bowl with cut-up vegetables that his mother had left in the fridge for them. He added butter, jam, and honey, as well as some plates and cutlery. “Farfar Enar needs help?” Magnus was surprised. “He’s always insisted on doing the house decorations all by himself.” “No, he definitely said he needed help.” Jakob kept munching his cereal. “And he said it had to be you, Uncle Magnus.” Huh? That was unusual. Lance sighed and shook his head as if this was something he’d expected. He didn’t look as though he liked it, but he didn’t say anything either. What was Magnus missing? Before he could consider this further, the door to the garage on the other side of the house opened and his mother walked through, laden with bags. How much food did she think they could cope with? They’d spend most of the day

The Solstice Mistletoe Effect | Serena Yates 75 tomorrow at Skansen anyway. They had the best Midsummer Eve celebrations in all of Stockholm, including children’s activities and the required dancing around the midsommarstång. They planned to be back for the evening meal, but he couldn’t imagine they’d be very hungry by then. There was enough food at Skansen to make sure they wouldn’t starve. “Good to see that you’re up. There’s lots of work to be done.” Magnus’s mother dumped her bags on the kitchen counter and turned toward them. “Your father expects you to help him outside, Magnus. I’m glad he’s finally admitting that he’s getting older and may no longer be the best person to climb all the way up onto the roof to fasten the garlands.” Magnus finished his breakfast, put the used plates into the sink, and turned around to say goodbye to Jakob and Lance. Climbing up ladders would be easy for him; nothing around the house was as slippery as glacial ice walls. He’d leave the kitchen activities to Lance, who was much better at them anyway. His lover liked cooking and preparing food, and he was really good at it. Magnus had never eaten as well as he did once Lance had moved in with them in December. “I’ll see you later.” Lance looked so sad that Magnus was about to ask what was going on. “I’ll be right outside.” Magnus had to find out why Lance looked so needy all of the sudden. “It’s not like I’ll be on the other side of the city.” “Sure.” Lance turned away from him and started washing the dishes. Definitely strange. There was something going on in Lance’s head. Maybe something had happened at the

The Solstice Mistletoe Effect | Serena Yates 76 university while Magnus was in the meetings he’d prearranged before they’d left for Sweden? Shit, that would explain why Lance seemed so uncertain and sad again. Even though it wasn’t logical and Lance should know better than to doubt their love for each other, at least it would be an explanation. But there was no time to be lost; this was a big house, and his father would want everything to look perfect by tonight. They had their jobs cut out for them.

MAGNUS stared at the heap of greenery that his father had deposited inside the second garage. It looked like half a forest had been refashioned into decorations. Loose branches, garlands, and a few wreaths lay in one corner. There were several buckets with cut flowers as well as small bunches of mistletoe; those were meant to go inside the house. The antique midsommarstång from Småland that had been in his father’s family for almost a hundred years was nowhere to be seen. Magnus went into the back garden, where he knew his father would be busy setting it up in the middle of their lawn. “Oh, there you are!” His father stood next to the wooden pole and, from the looks of it, had just finished winding it with greenery, a few well-placed flowers and some mistletoe. “Just in time to help me erect the midsommarstång. Your mother seemed very keen on you being part of this tradition this year. You do realize that it’s time you started a family and followed the traditions with them, don’t you?”

The Solstice Mistletoe Effect | Serena Yates 77 “Please, Father, can we give this a rest?” Magnus was angry. “I’d like to enjoy the festivities without this difference of opinion interfering.” “But you need to see that what you’re doing is wrong.” It looked like his father wasn’t ready to give up. “I’ve given you a lot of leeway before, but now you need to grow up and leave this nonsense behind you.” “I will not discuss this with you again, Father. There is no point, since you don’t seem to listen. I’ve told you that my choice of partner is final, and I’ll tell you so again. Lance is that partner, and that’s not going to change. You need to accept this so we can move on.” Magnus didn’t dare hope that his father would change his mind that quickly, but he wanted some peace and quiet for the celebrations. “Whether or not you want to discuss this with me is immaterial. The fact is that you’re behaving like an irresponsible boy instead of a grown man.” His father’s cheeks were red, and he looked exasperated. “And that’s not all.” “What now?” Magnus probably wouldn’t like the next topic of conversation any better than he did this one. “It’s bad enough that you’re making irresponsible decisions regarding your personal life. What’s worse is that you’re beginning to neglect your career. You have a lot of talent and are a leader in your field. There are opportunities out there for you to make even more of an impact on the scientific community.” His father glared at him. “Why do you refuse to take advantage of them by hiding in a godforsaken place in the middle of nowhere, Wyoming?”

The Solstice Mistletoe Effect | Serena Yates 78 “Oh, please!” Magnus barely refrained from rolling his eyes. After having exhausted the morality and family responsibility angle without getting anywhere, it looked like his father was going to try a new tactic. This one struck much closer to Magnus’s heart, since he hadn’t made up his own mind yet. “Don’t ignore my warning, son. I’m trying to help you here. The University of Stockholm doesn’t ask just anyone to lead the polar expedition, you know? This is a big honor and will give you the exposure and contacts you’ll need to return to the academic side of glaciology. It’s what you need for the longer term, since you won’t be able to go on dangerous expeditions for much longer.” His father cocked his head, daring Magnus to contradict him. “How do you know about this? Who’s been talking to you?” Magnus wasn’t ready to plan his retirement from active science and field research; he certainly wouldn’t accept his father doing it for him. “It doesn’t matter who talked to me. What does matter is that you make the right decision. And that certainly isn’t staying in Wyoming, hiding from the world and living in an unnatural relationship.” His father’s eyes narrowed. “You need to come back to Stockholm and start to build your future before it’s too late.” “My future lies with Lance and Jakob. I will do what’s right for them because ultimately that’s what’s right for me as well.” Magnus had spoken without really thinking about it. The sudden clarity about what he needed to do took him by surprise.

The Solstice Mistletoe Effect | Serena Yates 79 The offer to return to cutting-edge science, to combine fieldwork with academic analysis and peer recognition, had been very tempting. He’d had no clue how to make a decision between that and what he knew to be right for Lance and Jakob. Until his father forced him to face reality just now, he’d thought about the problem, trying to analyze the facts to help him come up with a solution. By making him react with his heart, his father had helped him see what was more important than the facts. Magnus almost giggled. He never would have thought it would come to this; he was going to make a decision based on feelings and emotions rather than what he knew to be the facts. No decision had ever felt better. “What are you talking about?” His father’s cheeks got even redder. “I’m talking about priorities.” Magnus couldn’t suppress his triumphant grin. “I’m talking about doing what’s right for my little family.” “You can’t be serious!” His father opened his mouth to say more, but Magnus lifted his hand to stop him. “I’m very serious. And I don’t want to talk about it anymore.” Magnus pointed at the midsommarstång, which was still lying on the ground. “We have work to do and a solstice to celebrate. Please promise me we can focus on that over the next few days.” “But….” His father took a deep breath. “No buts. Promise me.” Magnus needed to hear the words. “Okay.” His father was clearly reluctant, but that didn’t matter. What mattered was that he kept his promise so they

The Solstice Mistletoe Effect | Serena Yates 80 could have some peace and quiet. Magnus was realistic enough to know that this wasn’t the end of it. He’d have to deal with his father after the celebrations. They erected the midsommarstång with a minimum of fuss and in total silence. Between the two of them, it was easy to slot the bottom of the pole into the special concretereinforced hole. Very soon, it stood upright, the large horizontally suspended ring hanging from the colorful ropes that were attached to the top of the pole. The light breeze made it swing back and forth in gentle movements. The next few hours were spent decorating the outside of the house with the various garlands and wreaths that his father had prepared earlier. While Magnus was on the roof, his father tied several leafy branches over and around the front door. The hammering as his father fastened them securely was a well-known sound for Magnus, and he lost himself in childhood memories as he was finishing his part of the job. After a late lunch, they continued with the inside of the house. With Lance’s and Jakob’s help, they placed vases with fresh flowers throughout the house. Not a single room was left out, so that they would be reminded of the beauty of summer wherever they went. Once that was done, they tied the remaining greenery together into bunches using string that they’d covered with colored ribbons. In a ceremony reminiscent of Christmas, they hung these bunches upside down over all the doorways in the house. Even though there was no tradition about kissing under these little bouquets, Magnus and Lance gladly used the excuse of having mistletoe around. They

The Solstice Mistletoe Effect | Serena Yates 81 managed to steal quite a few kisses in several out-of-the-way locations upstairs. For those few moments, Magnus managed to forget that there were still issues to solve between them. Lance seemed happy to go along with it, and Magnus decided not to look a gift horse in the mouth. Trouble was sure to catch up with them soon enough.

The Solstice Mistletoe Effect | Serena Yates 82

Chapter Nine LANCE was ready for the family evening they had planned. He’d hated to spend the morning and most of the early afternoon apart from Magnus. Decorating the inside of the house with him had been the highlight of Lance’s day so far. That was just sad. This was supposed to be their family holiday, but somehow the attitude of Magnus’s parents had meant they’d had to be almost as careful as when they were out and about in Mistletoe. “That should be it.” Magnus looked around the upper floor one last time, checking that bunches of greenery hung over every door. “Yes, I’m afraid there aren’t any more doors to decorate.” Lance was only half joking. Magnus had been so distant last night and had this morning in the kitchen that Lance had begun to seriously worry about what was going on in his lover’s mind. But when he’d come inside after finishing the exterior house decorations, something had changed. Magnus had been less withdrawn. Lance hoped this was a good sign. But good sign or not, Lance had taken advantage of the similarity between mistletoe and greenery bunches being hung above doorways. He’d found Magnus to be a very

The Solstice Mistletoe Effect | Serena Yates 83 willing participant in the kissing. The Mistletoe Phenomenon was apparently still alive and kicking, and it worked at the summer solstice just like it had at Christmas. It boded well for tonight. “Come on, let’s go downstairs and find out what’s for dinner. The sooner we can finish eating, the sooner we can start the private part of our evening.” Magnus grinned like a little boy about to unwrap his Christmas presents. “I’m right behind you.” Lance wasn’t going to miss the opportunity to watch his lover’s muscled ass move in those tight work jeans. “I bet you are.” Magnus winked, making Lance blush with having been found out, but Magnus turned around obediently and led the way. The formal dining room table had been set, and Lance was slightly uncomfortable at first. But Jakob’s presence made a big difference, and they were soon all enjoying the wonderful food. Jakob was very excited about tomorrow’s activities, and Magnus’s father told stories about Midsummer Eve celebrations in Småland, where he’d grown up. The main course of kåldolmar, cabbage rolls filled with minced pork and rice, served with boiled potatoes and lingonberry jam, was delicious. Lance was so stuffed he wasn’t sure how he was going to make it upstairs. But he couldn’t resist all these interesting new foods. Dessert consisted of ostkaka, the Swedish version of cheesecake. It was flatter than its American cousin and eaten warm. Lance had chosen fruit to go with it, while Magnus and Jakob added ice cream. Magnus’s parents had

The Solstice Mistletoe Effect | Serena Yates 84 the traditional jam with it. The gentle taste of almond mixed with the tartness of the fruit, and Lance was in heaven after the first bite. His enjoyment didn’t last long. The shrill sound of the doorbell startled him. “Who could that be?” Mr. Carstens got up to get the front door. “Good evening, Mr. Carstens.” The female voice was low due to the distance, but it made Lance’s hair stand on end. What the hell was Sigrid doing here—again? “Oh, hello, Miss Nilsson. What a nice surprise. We weren’t expecting anyone, but you’re always welcome. Please, do come in.” The front door was closed, and Mr. Carstens preceded Sigrid into the dining room. “Hello, Miss Nilsson.” Mrs. Carstens got up and greeted Sigrid as though she was a long lost relative. “Won’t you have a seat? Can I get you a coffee?” Lance couldn’t move. Magnus hadn’t said a word and wasn’t moving either. Jakob stared at the stranger, clearly puzzled by her presence. “Thank you for the kind offer.” Sigrid smiled at Mrs. Carstens. “But I’m not sure if I can stay. It all depends on the answer to my question.” “What question is that?” Mr. Carstens had pulled out the chair at the end of the table and remained standing while he waited for her to explain. “It’s a personal question for your son, actually.” Sigrid turned toward Magnus and batted her eyelashes. Did she really think she could impress him like that? “Is there

The Solstice Mistletoe Effect | Serena Yates 85 somewhere more private we can go, please? I’d like to talk to you. It won’t take long.” “There’s nothing for us to talk about that requires privacy.” Magnus’s back was stiff, and he didn’t look comfortable. “How do you know that? You have no idea what I want to ask you.” Sigrid straightened her already straight sundress. “Whatever it is, my family is going to hear about it anyway, so you might as well ask it in their presence.” Magnus hadn’t moved an inch. “Are you sure?” Sigrid flipped her long blonde hair back in a coquettish gesture. “Very sure.” Magnus raised his eyebrows slightly. “All right, if it’s what you want.” Sigrid cleared her throat before she finally accepted the chair Mr. Carstens had pulled out for her and sat down. Right next to Magnus. “I think I already told you the other day how happy I am that you have finally returned home. We’ve been apart for far too long. I know that it was necessary so we could establish our careers, but I think we’ve both done that. Which means it’s now time for us to start our lives together.” Huh? Start their lives together? What was the woman talking about? “We’ve already proven we’re a good team professionally. Not just in the past, but as recently as this week, when we talked about the next polar expedition at the university yesterday. Your ability to raise funds and inspire academic excellence in our colleagues meshes well with my talent for public relations and reporting results in a way that’s

The Solstice Mistletoe Effect | Serena Yates 86 accessible for non-scientists.” Sigrid took a deep breath. “And, as you know, Magnus, we’ve remained very close personal friends over all the years that we’ve been apart.” “I will agree that we work well in a professional context.” Magnus’s voice was gravelly, his hands fisted on his thighs. “But that’s as far as our relationship goes.” “Oh, but I disagree.” Sigrid shook her head. “We’re more than work colleagues.” “I think that’s a matter of interpretation.” Magnus didn’t look like he was going to budge on this. The whole situation was just too weird for words, but his lover’s steady resistance to be pulled into Sigrid’s plans was a relief. “Well, you can interpret it all you want, but the facts speak for themselves.” Sigrid straightened her back and looked right at Magnus. “We work well together. Our talents complement each other, and we make a good team. The university has asked both of us to go on the next polar expedition, giving us more opportunities to show what we can do. We get along on a personal level and have been close friends for many years. What would be more natural than to formalize this relationship, to start building a life together?” “What?” Magnus paled, and Lance felt the blood drain from his own face, while Jakob whimpered. This couldn’t be happening. “Why are you so surprised? You’re going to have to settle down at some point, and starting a family is a natural part of that process. I’ve discussed this with your parents, and they are in total agreement.” Sigrid looked triumphant. “Magnus, I love you and it’s time we got married. We’ll make a wonderful couple. We can work together, build our careers

The Solstice Mistletoe Effect | Serena Yates 87 together, and when the time is right, we’ll have children together. They’ll go to the best schools and it won’t interfere with our careers.” Lance was dizzy and suddenly nauseous. Dinner didn’t agree with him any longer. He was going to lose it. Magnus just stared at the woman, mouth slightly open. “No.” Jakob bouncing.

shook

his

head,

short

blond

locks

“It’s not your decision, child.” Sigrid turned toward Jakob and narrowed her eyes at him. “You aren’t even Magnus’s son, so it’s none of your business.” “No!” Jakob rose from his chair, tears in his eyes. His hands shook. “No, no, no.” “Shut up. It’s time you grew up and stopped being a pest. Your uncle is destined for greater things than raising children. You’ll be sent to boarding school soon enough. Maybe they can teach you some manners. This so-called partner of your uncle’s certainly hasn’t been successful.” Sigrid’s mouth formed a thin line in a face red with anger. Jakob just stared at her, tears rolling down his face. Seconds later, he bolted from the room, his small feet sounding loud on the stairs as he ran toward his bedroom. “That’s enough!” But Magnus’s exclamation was too late to reassure Jakob. “How dare you yell at your future wife like that!” Mr. Carstens was red in the face. “It’s bad enough she has to come here and ask you to marry her instead of you manning up and doing what’s right. You should be on your knees with gratitude that she’s willing to accept you despite all your

The Solstice Mistletoe Effect | Serena Yates 88 shortcomings and idiotic choices. I expect you to accept her proposal without question and stop this charade.” Lance had known that Mr. Carstens didn’t like him. But telling Magnus to marry this woman while Lance was sitting at the same table was too much. Lance’s old fear of not being enough reared its ugly head with a vengeance, and he felt weak. Magnus had obviously received an attractive offer from Stockholm University, an offer he’d never told Lance about. Was he about to say yes to the temptation of returning to do “real science”? His parents and Sigrid certainly seemed to think so. Where did that leave Lance and Jakob? Nothing tied them to Mistletoe, Wyoming, but they didn’t have another place to go. Had Magnus considered bringing them to Stockholm? Magnus clearly hadn’t said no to the university’s offer. Would he say no to Sigrid’s proposal? Accepting it would enable him to lead a normal life, focus on his science, and do the work he wanted to do. Add to that his family’s and Sigrid’s determination that they get married, and who knew what Magnus was going to do? His lover hadn’t moved, staring into space. Lance couldn’t take it anymore. He got up without saying a word and followed Jakob upstairs. Maybe he could try and console the boy. Who was he kidding? He needed support and consolation himself, but wasn’t going to get it any time soon.

The Solstice Mistletoe Effect | Serena Yates 89 MAGNUS had never been blindsided like this in his life. He was totally numb and couldn’t bring himself to speak. Where was he even going to start? How did he tell a woman who was totally deluded that he wasn’t going to do what she expected? For that matter, how was he going to make his parents understand that he was serious about his life choices and that nothing they did was going to change his decision? He’d told all of them before, and they hadn’t listened. What could he possibly say that would make a change now? “Well, aren’t you going to apologize to Sigrid?” His father’s voice pulled Magnus from his thoughts. “Huh? What do you mean, apologize?” Magnus had trouble staying in his seat. He wanted to go after Lance and Jakob, tell them he loved them, and pack their bags so they could leave. But he also knew that this situation had to be resolved first. Even if they wouldn’t listen to him, he owed it to himself and Lance to try and rectify this misunderstanding. “Don’t be stupid, Son!” Magnus’s father hit the table with a fist. “I’ve about had it with you. You’re treating your future wife like she isn’t even in the room. And you’re asking me what to apologize about?” “Excuse me for correcting you, ‘Father’, but you have no right to call Sigrid my future wife. She may have proposed to me in a very unexpected and unwelcome way, but I haven’t said yes. And just for the record, I don’t have any intention of saying yes at any time in the future. So there’s no reason for you to call her my future wife. Am I making myself clear?” Magnus hated being this confrontational in a family setting, but being nice about it hadn’t gotten him anywhere, had it?

The Solstice Mistletoe Effect | Serena Yates 90 “Has anything I’ve said in the last few days even registered with you?” Magnus’s father sneered. “Let me repeat the most important part. Since Mikkel’s death, you’ve become solely responsible for the continuation of this family. And we need and want more than one grandson. Lance isn’t going to be able to give you more children.” “I can’t believe you’re bringing this up again after what I told you the other day. I’m serious: if you don’t stop, I will take Lance and Jakob elsewhere for our summer break.” Magnus paused for effect. His father took a deep breath, while his mother visibly paled and covered her mouth with a shaking hand. “You wouldn’t!” Magnus’s father got even redder in the face. “Watch me! I’ve had it with your interference in my life. We either agree on a truce right now, or your stupidity will deprive you and Mother of the opportunity to see your grandson.” Magnus stared at his father until the older man lowered his eyes in acquiescence. “I want to hear the words, Father.” “All right.” His father gnashed his teeth but nodded. “I will not bring this up again during your visit.” That was probably as good as it was going to get, and Magnus was going to take what he could get. He had a feeling he’d have to deal with his father again. The man wasn’t one to give up easily. An audible gasp from his left made Magnus turn his head toward Sigrid. The woman had the gall to look shocked. Okay, one more to deal with before he could go and try to salvage his life.

The Solstice Mistletoe Effect | Serena Yates 91 “As for you, Sigrid, I’ll tell you this with as much clarity as I can muster. I am not interested in a personal relationship with you. I never was, and I never will be.” Magnus was ready to leave and had risen from his chair by the time Sigrid replied. “But we’ve always gotten along so well. All those letters….” Sigrid looked honestly confused. Could she really be that dense? “Those letters were always initiated by you. I never responded with anything but answers to your professional questions. Your attempts at a more personal relationship were clear, but I ignored them.” Magnus shook his head. “Why didn’t you get the message?” “Maybe because I didn’t think there was a message?” Sigrid looked angry. “You could have said something, you know?” “What could I possibly have said that would have made you believe me?” Magnus had had enough. He needed to go upstairs. “A simple ‘no’ would have been enough.” Sigrid looked as though she believed this, her mouth forming a stubborn line. “I doubt that very much. You’re having trouble understanding the more elaborate ‘no’ I’m confronting you with now.” The woman could believe whatever she wanted as far as Magnus was concerned. “And now, if you’ll excuse me, I have personal business to attend to. I have a family to save from falling apart.” Magnus left the room without looking back once. He could only hope that it wasn’t too late to reassure Lance and

The Solstice Mistletoe Effect | Serena Yates 92 Jakob that he was never going to leave them. He loved them both, so why would he ever leave them? But when he arrived upstairs, Jakob wasn’t in his room. His heart beating in his chest, Magnus ran across the hallway and tore open the door to his and Lance’s bedroom. It was just as empty. A quick check in the wardrobe confirmed his worst suspicions. One of their travel bags was gone, and so were some of Lance’s clothes. What the hell was he going to do now?

The Solstice Mistletoe Effect | Serena Yates 93

Chapter Ten LANCE started walking upstairs when he saw Jakob curled up on the top step. Shit, he needed to get the boy out of harm’s way if he was this affected by the situation. “It’ll be all right.” Lance scooped Jakob up and held him tightly against his chest. “I don’t like that woman. Is she really going to marry Uncle Magnus?” Jakob’s eyes were red-rimmed. “What about us?” “I don’t know what Magnus is going to do. I’m sorry you had to hear all that. But I’m going to make sure that nothing bad is going to happen to you. We’ll stay together, no matter what.” Lance wished he really felt as certain as he sounded. Quiet sobbing was his answer. Jakob rested his head against Lance’s shoulder and let the tears flow. Lance wanted to break down and cry with him. But he couldn’t. He had to be strong for Jakob’s sake. Lance walked to his and Magnus’s bedroom and started packing a travel bag with some essentials. When he was done, he walked over into Jakob’s room and repeated the process, adding some of the boy’s clothing. Returning to the hallway, he could still hear the others arguing downstairs. It was time to get out of here.

The Solstice Mistletoe Effect | Serena Yates 94 He made his way downstairs, and they left the house without being noticed. Once outside, Lance started walking, Jakob in one arm and the travel bag slung across his other shoulder. They wouldn’t make it very far like this, so he pulled out his cell and called the taxi service they’d used before. At least everyone here spoke English. By the time they got into the car and the driver asked for their destination, Lance had figured out a basic plan. They needed a hotel for the night, and the best source of information was the taxi driver, since Lance had no idea what hotel to go for. There were bound to be lots of tourists in Stockholm for the Midsummer Eve celebrations, so most of them were bound to be fully booked. He was pleasantly surprised when the driver informed him that most Swedish people celebrated outside the city and that drew most tourists away from the city. He suggested they try the largest hotel in Stockholm, because they’d almost certainly have at least one room available. Once that was settled, Lance leaned back into the comfortable seat of the taxi, his right arm tight around Jakob’s shoulders. The boy had finally stopped sobbing when they had gotten into the car and now snuggled into Lance’s side, eyes closed and breathing more or less quietly. Hearing Sigrid propose to Magnus, all self-assured of his acceptance, had been bad enough. The points in her favor—a career in Magnus’s scientific field and the approval of Magnus’s parents—were massive. The lack of a reaction from Magnus had been devastating, and when Sigrid started belittling Jakob, Lance had had enough. Yes, Magnus had reacted, but it was too little too late as far as Lance was concerned.

The Solstice Mistletoe Effect | Serena Yates 95 Not sure about anything anymore, he hoped the night away would give him some time to think things through. The hotel wasn’t too far away from the Skansen Open Air Museum where they had planned to attend the festivities on Friday. He suspected that Jakob could do with a distraction, and having some fun might be good for Lance as well. The Clarion Hotel Sign was an impressive building. Its ten floors had a glass and black granite exterior, and Lance was glad he had his credit card with him. This was not going to be cheap. Luckily, there still was a room left, even if it was an expensive suite. Lance couldn’t get himself to care. He wasn’t going to sleep in the street. They made their way upstairs and quickly settled in for the night. Jakob was bone tired and was asleep before Lance could slip on the boy’s pajamas. Once Jakob was safely tucked into the double bed, Lance took care of his own needs. He took a quick shower and put on a pair of clean shorts and a T-shirt. He didn’t have any pajamas, since he normally slept in the nude. When he lay down next to Jakob, there was a soft rustling sound from under his pillow, and a sweet fragrance tickled his nostrils. He lifted his head to check under the pillow and found a small bouquet of several types of dried flowers, including mistletoe. Apparently the hotel believed in old traditions. Lance smiled. He was pretty sure he was too tired to dream. He put the pillow back, leaving the bouquet in place. The next morning came much too quickly. Lance didn’t want to wake up from his dream, where everything was all right and he was in Magnus’s arms. Lance opened his eyes with a start. He’d dreamed about Magnus. His lover would

The Solstice Mistletoe Effect | Serena Yates 96 tell him off for believing in yet another superstition. Lance thought it was a good sign anyway. What was he going to do? He was no closer to a decision than he’d been last night. He was still torn between his love for Magnus and his need to be recognized as his partner. Was that external recognition really that important? His heart said yes. He’d never realized this before and wasn’t sure he liked it. It wasn’t like they could get married in Wyoming. Even living together like they did was slightly risky. So far, all they’d gotten was a few stares and some nasty comments. But if anything happened to Magnus, Jakob would be on his own since joint adoption by gay parents still wasn’t possible in Wyoming. Something needed to change. Maybe it was a good thing that Sigrid had given them this wake-up call. One thing was clear. He wasn’t just going to give up. In fact, he couldn’t believe that he’d run away again—just like he’d left for his parents’ house when there’d been a misunderstanding before Christmas. Apparently this behavior was so ingrained that it was hard for him to react differently. He’d have to work on that, and he was going to start as soon as the festivities were over. For now, there was a beautiful sunny day outside and a solstice celebration to attend. When Jakob woke up a few minutes later, they got dressed, packed their bag, and left it with the concierge while they went to have breakfast in the large restaurant. The buffet carried every breakfast dish Lance had ever seen, plus a few more that looked uniquely Swedish. Lance recognized

The Solstice Mistletoe Effect | Serena Yates 97 some of them from the cookbooks he had studied, but others looked really different. Lance left the bag in the hotel because he didn’t want to carry it around all day. He could always come back for it later. It took them about fifteen minutes by taxi to reach the entrance to the park. The lines were unbelievable, but they joined in good spirits. Jakob seemed excited, and it looked like Lance had made the right decision. This distraction was just what they both needed.

MAGNUS felt like he hadn’t slept at all. In reality, he’d probably managed about two or three hours, but that wasn’t enough to make him feel rested. He’d missed Lance too much to feel comfortable in their bed. Breakfast without him and Jakob wasn’t any fun either. His parents were uncharacteristically quiet, not a big surprise after last night’s fight followed by this morning’s shock at discovering that Jakob was gone. They’d even dared suggest that Lance had abducted Jakob. Calling the police had been totally out of the question for Magnus, and he’d told his parents so in no uncertain terms. His father had flat-out refused to accept that Magnus himself was really responsible for Lance leaving. His mother had started to look thoughtful when Magnus explained. After much back and forth, they’d finally had to accept that Magnus, as Jakob’s legal guardian, was ultimately in charge of the decision. The last thing Magnus wanted was to get the police involved. Lance hadn’t abducted Jakob; he’d never do something like that.

The Solstice Mistletoe Effect | Serena Yates 98 Magnus sipped his coffee while he tried to figure things out further. One thing had become abundantly clear during the quiet hours of the night. Magnus had made a major mistake when he didn’t react quickly enough to protect Lance, not to mention Jakob, against Sigrid’s attack. He’d been way too preoccupied with considering her proposal’s impact on his own life. He should have realized much earlier how her words affected Lance and even Jakob. His nephew had clearly not liked her—and who could blame him, after the way she’d threatened to send him to boarding school? His mistake of not putting his family first had cost him. For the moment, there was still hope that Lance and Jakob would return. But what if they didn’t? What if he couldn’t find them? What if he found them, but they didn’t want to live with him anymore? “You’re trying to figure out how to find Lance, aren’t you?” His mother’s voice was soft but reminded him that he wasn’t alone in the room. “Of course I am!” Magnus finished his coffee and was ready to leave, but the look in his mother’s eyes made him hesitate. “I’m not sure, but I think that Lance would try to make this day as normal for Jakob as possible. Since we were planning to take Jakob to the children’s groups that make the garlands of birch-leaf for the official midsommarstång, I’m thinking that might be a good place to start looking.” His mother blinked a few times, but the tears weren’t to be stopped. “That makes a lot of sense.” Magnus was relieved to have a starting point. “Thank you for bringing it up.”

The Solstice Mistletoe Effect | Serena Yates 99 “No need to thank me. I can see how much you miss them, and I think it’s our fault that you are in this situation in the first place. I’m sorry we didn’t listen to you when you told us that you’d made your choice of life partner. And I’m sorry we didn’t believe that you were serious. I hope that it isn’t too late to get Lance back in your life. He’s a wonderful man, and Jakob obviously adores him.” His mother smiled. “We should have paid more attention to what the boy’s behavior was telling us, shouldn’t we?” Magnus nodded, too overwhelmed for words. “Go on, get going. You’ve got a man to apologize to and a boy to convince that he’s important to you.” His mother had hit the nail on the head. Almost an hour later, Magnus had finally made his way to the entrance of Skansen. The lines weren’t as bad as he had expected, but it was already mid-morning. Once he’d bought his ticket and got inside, he made his way past the many beautiful farmhouses and old buildings, straight to the central area. Orsakullen was where the children’s activities took place. It looked like a beehive that had been turned upside down. Children and adults were milling around, and Magnus realized it would be difficult to find anyone in this mass of people. Not that it would stop him. A few minutes passed while he tried to orient himself, closely watching the long tables and benches people were working at for any sign of his lover or his nephew. He’d need to be methodical about the search if he wanted to find them before nightfall.

The Solstice Mistletoe Effect | Serena Yates 100 But before he could get started on his plan, he noticed a dark head of hair right in the middle of a large group of blond people working at one of the tables at the edge of the large area. That could only be Lance. The relief Magnus felt was overwhelming and made him weak in the knees. He had found his älskling. Jakob wouldn’t be far. It was time to win his family back. He’d do whatever it took to make them understand that they came first in Magnus’s life from now on. Temptation from an interesting career move would not interfere with their happiness. He wouldn’t let other people come between them any longer, be they his parents or colleagues from work. Magnus took a deep breath and walked toward the two people who meant most to him in his life.

The Solstice Mistletoe Effect | Serena Yates 101

Chapter Eleven LANCE smiled when Jakob presented him with yet another garland. This one had a few red flowers braided into the many different types of green. His own effort was coming along nicely, including some mistletoe with its tiny white blossoms, but he wasn’t as fast as Jakob. In fact, all of the children seemed far more suited to making the festive decorations than the few adults who had enough courage to join the group effort. “Do you like this one?” Jakob stroked the soft leaves, then put his garland aside for collection by park staff, who loaded them onto wooden carts that they’d use to transport the greenery to Tingsvallen where the giant maypole was waiting. It would get decorated after lunch, then raised in a community effort led by the Skansen Folk Dance Team. “Red is Uncle Magnus’s favorite color. Did you know that?” “Yes, I did know that.” Lance swallowed, emotion suddenly making it difficult to speak. “You miss him too, don’t you?” Jakob nodded, eyes glistening with unshed tears. “I bet he misses us as well.” Lance closed his eyes for a moment, not wanting Jakob to see how much he was hurting.

The Solstice Mistletoe Effect | Serena Yates 102 “He misses you more than he can say.” Magnus’s deep voice came from right behind them. “What?” Lance opened his eyes and turned around so quickly that he almost lost his balance. But he needed to make sure that he wasn’t dreaming. “Uncle Magnus!” Jakob was up and in his uncle’s arms before Lance could blink. “Jakob!” Magnus held on to the boy, but his eyes were on Lance as he slowly sank onto the wooden bench next to him. “Magnus?” Lance didn’t know where to start. Apologies and questions were all mixed up in his head. But all he really wanted was to be in his lover’s arms again and to be able to forget all this nonsense about a university career, Sigrid, and the palpable disapproval of Magnus’s parents. “I’m so sorry. I should never have let Sigrid carry on like that. She had no right to say any of those things, and I should have made her stop. In fact, I should have never encouraged her by listening to the university’s proposal.” Magnus pressed a soft kiss to Jakob’s head and made the boy pull back so he could look him in the eye. “Are you going to marry Sigrid?” Jakob asked the only question that had any relevance to him. “I don’t want to go to boarding school.” “No, I’m most certainly not going to marry that woman!” Magnus focused on Jakob. “I don’t love her, I don’t even like her. So there’s no way that I’m going to marry her. And you will not go to boarding school if I have anything to say about it. I want to spend as much time with you as possible, and

The Solstice Mistletoe Effect | Serena Yates 103 you being away at boarding school most of the year would not leave enough time for that.” “Good!” Jakob nodded and snuggled into Magnus’s chest, looking like he was going to stay there for the foreseeable future. “I don’t like her either. She was nasty to Lance and she didn’t like me very much.” “That’s settled then.” Magnus looked up, and his silverblue gaze rested on Lance. “I’m sorry for not putting you first, älskling. I don’t know what was wrong with me, but I can promise you that it will never happen again. You and Jakob are my family now, and nothing and no one is more important than the two of you.” “I’m sorry too.” Lance was ready to shake apart from the emotions of being reunited with Magnus. They’d only been apart for less than a day, and already it had upset him more than he wanted to admit. “I shouldn’t just have left. I should have stood up and fought for you, for our family, not just let her walk in there and take over.” “You have nothing to be sorry for.” Magnus took one arm away from Jakob, opening it for Lance to scoot into. “It was my fault. I didn’t think I would miss working with the university until I came back here and was presented with the opportunity of leading their polar expedition. Sigrid made it sound so tempting and logical that I had a hard time arguing against it. But what I should have realized is that arguments weren’t the real reason I needed to turn that opportunity down.” “They weren’t?” Lance liked where this was going. Everything already looked better just because he was leaning into Magnus’s warmth, his lover’s strong arm around his

The Solstice Mistletoe Effect | Serena Yates 104 shoulders protecting him and making him feel safe. It looked like he hadn’t been the only one to fall back into old behaviors with his running away when it got tough. “No, they were not.” Magnus smiled. “The real reason was my love for you and Jakob, the need to put my family first and do whatever was right for all of us, not just me. I’m sorry it took me so long to understand that.” “Looks like we both needed to learn our lessons from Christmas all over again.” Lance was so relieved he felt lightheaded. “But I don’t want you to turn down a great opportunity because of Jakob and me. If you really want to go back to Stockholm University or lead that polar expedition, I’m sure we can find a way of making it work.” “You would do that for me?” Magnus’s eyes lit up. “Of course I would! I love you and I want you to be happy. I know that your career is important to you, and I don’t want us to stand in the way of you doing what you want to do.” Lance held his breath. Even though he’d said the words, the thought of Magnus being away for six months or longer horrified him. “I really appreciate that, but I don’t think I could stay away from you and Jakob for such a long time. So, the polar expedition is definitely out.” Magnus frowned. “But there are things I could be doing at the university. They need people to raise funds, people to liaise with the scientists and to translate their findings into language understandable for the public. Then there’s the evaluation and analysis of all the data that’s going to be collected. It should be fascinating.” “You wouldn’t need to leave Stockholm for that, would you?” Lance was beginning to see how this might work.

The Solstice Mistletoe Effect | Serena Yates 105 “No, I wouldn’t. But it would mean us moving here, to a foreign country. How would the two of you feel about that?” Magnus tilted his head and looked down at Jakob. “I think that would be cool!” Jakob’s answer came more quickly than Lance could muster his own response. “I agree, I like it here.” Lance smiled, expressing what he’d been thinking since Magnus first put his arm around his shoulder. Nobody’d even so much as blinked, except for a few children who had given them some curious glances in the beginning before returning to their garland making. “People certainly seem to have fewer issues with two men embracing in public than they would in Mistletoe, Wyoming.” “There is that.” Magnus grinned. “Well, we don’t have to make a decision right now, but it sounds like we have something to think about.” Lance was impressed that Magnus used “we” when he talked about making decisions and their future. It sounded like his lover had already made some significant changes, at least in his head. And honestly? The thought of moving to Sweden wasn’t that unattractive at all. True, it wouldn’t be much warmer than Mistletoe, and the darker winters weren’t going to be easy. But the fact that they could live as a couple relatively unencumbered made up for a lot. It would make Jakob’s life easier as well, if he didn’t have to put up with bullies at school. “I’m hungry.” Jakob looked hopeful. “Can we please get something to eat?” “I think that’s a great idea. I didn’t exactly have a large breakfast.” Magnus smiled and lifted Jakob off his lap,

The Solstice Mistletoe Effect | Serena Yates 106 making sure he stood securely before withdrawing his support. “We’ve certainly done our bit as far as the garland making is concerned. Well, at least Jakob has.” Lance grinned when Jakob blushed. “Let’s go and find some food so that we can be back in time for the decoration of the maypole and its erection at two p.m.” “Yes, please. I don’t want to miss that.” Jakob led the way out of the gradually shrinking throng of people. It seemed like a few more guests had begun to look for lunch. The boy followed his nose and found a cluster of stands selling different hot and cold snacks. Lance let Magnus make a selection while he looked for a space on one of the wooden benches. At least there were more of them than spaces on the lawn, where many families had settled down with blankets to have a picnic. They settled on baked potatoes with sour cream and dill. Magnus got a portion of pickled herring to share with Jakob and to let Lance try. The first taste was slightly strange; the combination of onion and vinegar was definitely one he’d have to get used to. But it wasn’t as bad as it sounded, and Lance took several more bites. It was a taste that he just knew would grow on him. When they were done, they make their way over to the maypole at Tingsvallen and helped decorate it. It was mostly Jakob who did the work, and he enjoyed himself a lot. All the sadness from last night and this morning was gone, Magnus’s return having fixed all the boy’s problems. “Are you okay, älskling?” Magnus’s husky voice close to his ear made Lance shiver in anticipation. His lover only

The Solstice Mistletoe Effect | Serena Yates 107 used that tone when he was planning to excite Lance. It worked every single time. “More than okay, baby.” Lance looked into silver-blue eyes blazing with lust. “I want to celebrate our reunion as soon as we get home.” Magnus leaned even closer and squeezed Lance’s fingers for emphasis. “I can’t wait to get you naked so I can show you how much I love you.” “I’d like that.” Lance pressed his cheek against Magnus’s slightly stubbled jaw, loving the soft rasp on his skin. “And then I’ll show you how much I love you back.” Magnus groaned as his eyes flared with lust. It made Lance’s cock harden in response, and he pulled away before he embarrassed himself by sporting an erection in public. Once the maypole was deemed sufficiently decorated, the six strongest men from the Skansen Folk Dance Team, already in their colorful traditional costumes, led the effort of erecting the pole. Everybody cheered them on, and as soon as the pole had been fastened securely, the music started up. The dance team led at first. The children and later the adults joined in a dance around the maypole that soon had everybody dizzy and laughing. Games were organized for the children, and Lance had never seen Jakob so happy and carefree. Yes, Sweden would be a good location for the boy to grow up. When the more serious drinking started during the late afternoon, Lance felt less comfortable. Nobody else seemed to mind though, so he decided to go with the flow.

The Solstice Mistletoe Effect | Serena Yates 108 “Would you like to try some brännvin?” Magnus looked hopeful, obviously intending to indulge. His lover didn’t usually drink alcohol, but this was clearly an exception. “Sure, I’ll give it a try.” Lance definitely wasn’t one to drink, but this was a local custom that he wanted to experience. Magnus got them each a shot glass of the clear liquor, a Swedish type of brandy that was consumed at the Midsummer Eve celebrations. It usually came in large quantities and with a generous helping from the buffet or smörgåsbord to help soak up the alcohol. Magnus had brought both the brännvin and a piece of bread with some more pickled herring on it. “Here, eat some of this first, it’ll help lessen the impact of the alcohol.” Magnus held out the well-laden bread, and Lance took a bite. He licked his lips just to see how Magnus would react. With a devilish grin, Magnus took his own bite and returned the favor. It made Lance’s pants feel too tight, so he surrendered by lifting both hands. Magnus laughed, knowing exactly what that meant. “Okay, time for the brännvin now.” Magnus handed over one of the shot glasses and grinned. “Skål!” Lance courageously poured its entire contents down his throat. “Ugh.” He coughed and spluttered some more while the ball of fire slid down his throat and heated up his belly. “Wow.” “Yeah, they like it strong here.” Magnus grinned and downed his own shot, coughing a little himself.

The Solstice Mistletoe Effect | Serena Yates 109 “You can say that again.” Lance finished the piece of bread, relieved he wouldn’t have to drive. He felt decidedly woozy. He had no idea how all the men around them could stand drinking as much as they were without passing out. It probably came down to years of practice. Or maybe it was in their genes? “Would you like to go home for dinner or would you prefer to stay here?” Magnus put their glasses on the tray of one of the waiters walking around to collect them. “I’m fine with either one, but I know that my mother would like us to be there for the evening meal.” “Are you sure it would be a good idea to go back?” Lance wasn’t certain that he’d be welcomed back into the Carstens’ house. Not after the way they had treated him yesterday. “Yes, I’m sure. I made my point about you and Jakob being my life abundantly clear last night. I’m sorry you missed that, but my parents no longer doubt that you and I belong together. My mother even said so this morning.” Magnus shrugged. “It may take my father a little longer to say so, but he’s perfectly clear about my priorities now.” “Okay.” Lance was pretty sure that Magnus wanted to spend the evening at home with his parents, or he wouldn’t have asked. And he wasn’t going to stand in the way of that. Magnus didn’t see enough of his parents as it was. “Look, I don’t want to make you do something you don’t want to do.” Magnus took Lance’s hand in his bigger one. “So you’ve got to be honest with me here. You’ve only got to say the word and we’ll stay here to enjoy the rest of the program they’ve got planned. I don’t mind either way, I just want to be with you and Jakob.”

The Solstice Mistletoe Effect | Serena Yates 110 “It’s fine. Thank you for giving me the choice, though.” Lance squeezed Magnus’s fingers. “We’ve got to try and make an effort, see if we can become a real family. If your parents are happy to give it a go, I’m more than willing to give them another chance.” Magnus’s smile was so relieved that Lance knew he’d made the right decision. There was a small spark of uncertainty left, but he stomped it out, determined to make this work.

The Solstice Mistletoe Effect | Serena Yates 111

Chapter Twelve MAGNUS had seen the flicker of uncertainty in Lance’s eyes when he’d suggested going back home to his parents’ for dinner. Damn, but his älskling had been hurt more deeply than he was willing to admit. Magnus was going to have to find a way to reassure him that nothing and no one would ever come between them again. He couldn’t stand that hurt and confused look in Lance’s eyes, the one his lover was trying so hard to hide as they made their way home in a taxi. Lance was much too honorable to take back his promise of having dinner at home, but he was clearly having second thoughts. Not that Magnus could blame him. His parents had treated Lance so badly that Magnus had been surprised that his lover was willing to forgive them. He had the biggest heart of anyone that Magnus knew. “I love you,” Magnus whispered into Lance’s ear, needing to express his feelings so that Lance knew he wasn’t alone. “I promise that we’ll leave immediately if my parents don’t behave themselves. No questions asked. You’ll only need to look at me to let me know and we’ll be out of there.” “I love you too, baby.” Lance looked up at him, his soulful brown eyes pools of deep emotion that Magnus wanted to drown himself in. “Thanks for supporting me. I

The Solstice Mistletoe Effect | Serena Yates 112 needed that more than I realized before. I never thought that external approval would be this important to me, you know?” “Well, you have mine, all the way.” Magnus tightened the arm he’d put around Lance’s middle and kissed his lover on the temple. Now he knew what he was going to do. He’d had a feeling that something was missing, but hadn’t realized what it was until Lance head expressed it just now. External approval was something Magnus could give his lover in spades. Especially now that they were considering a move to Sweden. Magnus grinned. This was going to be fun. “You look happy.” Lance smiled up at him, already more relaxed than before. “I am. I’ve got everything I want right here with me.” Magnus didn’t care how corny that sounded; it was true. “And that’s not going to change any time soon. Not if I have anything to say about it. No more nights spent apart. I don’t like sleeping alone anymore.” Lance frowned. “Can’t say I’m sorry.” Magnus shrugged. “I’m much too selfish, because I certainly wasn’t able to sleep without you next to me either. As far as I’m concerned, we’re going to sleep in the same bed from now on, no exceptions.” “I like the sound of that.” Lance snuggled into Magnus’s side, making him wish they could take off their clothes so he could feel Lance’s soft skin against his own. Soon, he told himself. Very soon. When they arrived at his parents’ house, Magnus got out of the taxi first and paid the driver. He took Lance’s hand in his left and Jakob’s in his right and walked up to the front

The Solstice Mistletoe Effect | Serena Yates 113 door. The symbolism wasn’t lost on Lance, who beamed his approval at him. The door opened before he could look for his key, and his mother opened her arms to all three of them. “Welcome home, Lance.” His mother had tears of joy in her eyes. “I’m so sorry that our awful behavior made you run away, and I promise it’ll never happen again. Thank you for trusting Magnus enough to give us a second chance.” “Thank you, Carine. I hope we will all be able to become the family we should be.” Lance stepped back, looking into the house. Magnus’s father stood behind his wife and hadn’t participated in the group hug. But he’d never been very physical when showing his affection, so Magnus didn’t worry. His words would be the real test of his willingness to make amends. “Welcome back, son.” Magnus’s father offered his hand to Lance. “Thank you, sir.” Lance’s eyes widened with the realization that he’d been called “son” by the man who had previously shown him nothing but disrespect. He took the offered hand, and the men shook briefly before letting go with slightly awkward smiles. With the initial tension somewhat alleviated, they all walked into the house and sat down to have dinner. Jakob told his grandparents all about the wonderful day he’d had. They enjoyed the stories about his adventures and asked more questions than a bunch of paparazzi could have come up with.

The Solstice Mistletoe Effect | Serena Yates 114 After dinner, they sat in the garden to admire the antique family midsommarstång in all its glory. Jakob stayed in his chair rather than running around, a clear sign that he was tired from his earlier activities. The sun wouldn’t set for a few hours yet, but when Jakob started to yawn, it was a sign that it was time for him to go to bed. He went under protest, but by the time he’d brushed his teeth and his head hit the pillow, he was already mostly asleep. It was finally time for the grown-up part of the evening. “I’m not ready for bed yet. What would you say to us taking a bit of a walk along the waterfront?” Magnus hoped fervently that Lance would say yes. “I’d like that.” Lance took his hand, and they walked back downstairs. “This midnight sun is getting to me. As tired as I am and as much as I’d like to snuggle in bed with you, I still have trouble with the sun being up this late. I mean, it’s almost ten, and there’s no end to the day in sight.” “It does take a bit of getting used to.” Magnus steered them out the back door, making sure he had his keys in his pocket just in case. “I miss it sometimes. I’ve done a lot of polar expeditions where the days had very different lengths from the nights. When I first moved to Arizona for my Park Ranger training and experienced a day that wasn’t much longer than the night, even in summer, I was very confused. I mean, I knew that it was like that in theory, but experiencing it was quite different.” “I think it’s nice in summer, makes the day longer. But I’m not looking forward to winter, when there won’t be much sunlight.” Lance shuddered, obviously not enjoying that

The Solstice Mistletoe Effect | Serena Yates 115 particular part about moving to Sweden. But it did sound like he had already made up his mind about the move. “Does that mean you’re actually okay with us moving here? Permanently?” Magnus walked down the slight incline toward the waterfront, the bottom of the garden with its gazebo his goal. They’d have some privacy there for what he had in mind. “Sure. I don’t have to live in Mistletoe. Even though my family is there, I lived away from them for long enough while I was in Los Angeles not to really miss them most of the time.” Lance looked thoughtful as they approached the gazebo. “I’ll miss my sister, Katie, but we can stay in touch via phone and e-mail just like we did when I didn’t live at home. And we can still go visit, right?” “Of course we can. That’s what school holidays are for.” Magnus waited for a reaction from Lance once they were close enough to see details. He wasn’t disappointed. “Wow, this is beautiful!” Lance stood and stared at the gazebo, which was now covered in green garlands and blooming mistletoe. There wasn’t an area that wasn’t covered in green leaves, little white flowers peeking out from between them. “I thought you might like it. Remind you of anything?” Magnus pulled Lance under the doorway and made him look up. “Yeah.” Lance giggled as he inclined his head, ready for the kiss he knew was going to come. Magnus took him into his arms and bent down until their lips touched. Enjoying Lance’s hot breath on his skin for a moment, Magnus moved their bodies closer before he

The Solstice Mistletoe Effect | Serena Yates 116 started licking along Lance’s lips. They were so soft and welcoming, he had to close the distance and deepen the kiss. Mouths melding together, their tongues started a dance of love and desire that made Magnus hard in no time. Lance’s little whimpers as he stroked along his tongue, showing what he intended to follow, made him moan, and he had to withdraw to catch his breath. “Älskling, God, what you do to me!” Magnus stepped into the gazebo and pulled Lance with him. “No more than you do to me, baby.” Lance’s pupils were dilated with lust. “I need you so much.” “I need you too, more than I can say.” Magnus made Lance sit down on the bench that ran around the inside of the structure and knelt down in front of him, taking one of his lover’s hands in his own. “Magnus?” Lance stared at him, eyes wide. “I love you, Lance. I want to spend the rest of my life with you. I don’t want anyone to ever again doubt that we belong together.” Magnus took a deep breath. “Will you please make an honest man of me and marry me?” “Oh, Magnus.” A small tear ran down Lance’s cheek, and Magnus wiped it away with his thumb. “I love you too, and of course I’ll marry you. There’s nothing in this life I want more than to be your husband.” “Oh, thank God!” The relief Magnus felt was allencompassing. He hadn’t really had any doubts, but still, there had been that little voice at the back of his mind that had warned him that Lance might not be ready to make a lifetime commitment to a man who had so recently disappointed him deeply.

The Solstice Mistletoe Effect | Serena Yates 117 Magnus moved between Lance’s legs and slid one arm around his middle and the other up his back so he could hold his head. The kiss that followed was tender and gentle at first but quickly grew in passion until they were both panting for breath. “I want to make love to you, min älskling. Will you please let me?” Magnus had managed to slip some lube into his back pocket when he’d put the travel bag into their bedroom earlier while Lance supervised Jakob brushing his teeth. “What—out here in the open?” Lance looked scandalized for a few seconds, but then that wicked grin spread across his face. “It wouldn’t be the mistletoe that is making you do this, would it?” “I didn’t think it was the mistletoe’s fault. I always want to make love to you. You just bring it out in me.” Magnus grinned. “But you never know, this solstice mistletoe might have more of an effect than it’s been given credit for.” “Definitely. And we do have a history with mistletoe, don’t we?” Lance’s lips twitched as he tried to suppress a grin. “So, who knows, we might have discovered not just the Mistletoe Phenomenon but also the Solstice Mistletoe Effect.” “You make me crazy when you talk like that.” Magnus growled, finding Lance’s forays into scientific thinking incredibly sexy. “I do?” Lance slid his arms around Magnus’s neck and brought their foreheads into contact. “Do you want me to continue talking like that, or do you want to do something about this problem you seem to be having with your pants being too tight?”

The Solstice Mistletoe Effect | Serena Yates 118 “I’ll take door number two, älskling. I may be a scientist, but I’m also a man of action.” Magnus pulled Lance closer and started kissing him in earnest. When they next came up for air, they focused on removing their clothing as quickly as possible. It being summer, that was a task accomplished in under a minute. Magnus barely remembered to retrieve the little sachet of lube from his shorts pocket before Lance distracted him by spreading his legs to give Magnus the perfect view of his lover’s very excited cock and already tight balls. With a moan, Magnus slid his arms under Lance’s thighs to pull him forward far enough so he could reach the tempting little opening he wanted to get into as soon as possible. Lance grabbed the railing that encircled the gazebo at mid-back height with both hands and held on, his smoldering look driving Magnus’s arousal even higher. Opening the sachet with his teeth and covering his fingers in lube, Magnus brought his index finger to Lance’s asshole, making Lance hiss with the cold. “God, please, need you, baby.” Lance spread his legs even further. A clear invitation for Magnus to get on with it, so he did. Sliding first one finger, then two slowly into the hot channel that was waiting for him, Magnus took his time to make sure Lance was stretched for him. When he found Lance’s prostate, the other man threw his head back and started humping the air. Magnus held on by sheer force of will, adding a third finger and scissoring his digits until Lance’s head snapped forward.

The Solstice Mistletoe Effect | Serena Yates 119 “Please, Magnus, just fuck me.” Lance’s eyes had a wildness in them that only surfaced in the throes of passion. He was clearly ready. Magnus rose onto his knees, stroked the remainder of the lube onto his aching cock, and leaned forward to press inside Lance’s willing opening. “Yes. Please. Fuck.” Lance moved his hips to help Magnus push deeper, and he slid in without any resistance. “Shit. Lance. Tight.” Magnus tried to hold still so he could stop his orgasm from overwhelming him. “Move. Now.” Lance wouldn’t have any of it and started clenching his inner muscles while circling his hips in a movement that would have made a hooker proud. Magnus had no choice. His body took over, and with a roar, he started thrusting into Lance’s clenching channel. He gripped the railing next to Lance’s hands and held on for the ride of his life. Balls slapping against Lance’s still-circling ass, he could feel the tingles along his spine that told him he was about to come. “Close.” Magnus gritted his teeth and forced his body to hold on for a few more seconds. He needed Lance to come first. “Yes. Now.” Lance threw back his head and howled as his untouched cock spasmed and pumped spurt after spurt of semen onto Lance’s chest and abdomen. The sight of his lover’s uninhibited pleasure and the scent of his release was too much. Magnus pushed in deep and let go, giving into the spine-tingling pleasure of filling his lover with his release.

The Solstice Mistletoe Effect | Serena Yates 120 Magnus dropped his head onto Lance’s shoulder and enclosed him in his arms. Lance’s arms slid around his back, and they held onto each other while they came down. “Love you, baby,” Lance whispered, his voice still shaky. “That was incredible.” “Love you too, min älskling.” Magnus grinned. There was definitely something special about making love in a mistletoe-covered gazebo. Now he had all the evidence he needed to confirm the existence of the Solstice Mistletoe Effect.

Don’t miss the beginning of Lance and Magnus’s story!

http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com

SERENA YATES is the pen name for a night owl who starts writing when everyone else in her time zone is asleep. She has loved reading all her life and spent most of her childhood with her nose buried in a book. Although she always wanted to be a writer, financial independence came first. Twentysome years and a successful business career later she took some online writing classes and never looked back. Living and working in seven countries has taught her that there is more than one way to get things done. It has instilled tremendous respect for the many different cultures, beliefs, attitudes and preferences that exist on our planet. Serena likes exploring those differences in her stories, most of which happen to be romances. Her characters have a tendency to want to do their own thing, so she often has to rein them back in. The one thing they all agree on is the desire for a happy ending. She currently lives in the United Kingdom, sharing her house with her vast collection of books. She likes reading, traveling, spending time with her nieces and listening to classical music. She has a passion for science and learning new languages. Visit Serena’s web site at http://www.serenayates.com. You can contact her at [email protected].

Also by SERENA YATES

http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com

and the sequel

http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com

The Solstice Mistletoe Effect ©Copyright Serena Yates, 2010 Published by Dreamspinner Press 4760 Preston Road Suite 244-149 Frisco, TX 75034 http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/ This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the product of the authors’ imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events or locales is entirely coincidental. Cover Design by Mara McKennen This book is licensed to the original purchaser only. Duplication or distribution via any means is illegal and a violation of International Copyright Law, subject to criminal prosecution and upon conviction, fines and/or imprisonment. This eBook cannot be legally loaned or given to others. No part of this eBook can be shared or reproduced without the express permission of the publisher. To request permission and all other inquiries, contact Dreamspinner Press at: 4760 Preston Road, Suite 244-149, Frisco, TX 75034 http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/ Released in the United States of America June 2010 eBook Edition eBook ISBN: 978-1-61581-478-7