Read Red Dirt Heart 03.5 for Free Online Page B

say.”
    “Not even if I told you I have a Christmas surprise for ya?”
    His reply came from somewhere in the house. “Nuh.”
    * * * *
    Maybe I pushed him too far. Maybe he still wasn’t feeling great, or maybe he was still pissed over the snake thing, because he was quiet after that. Even after dinner when the house was all quiet, I pulled Trav into the lounge room, he was still out of sorts. “Okay I lied. I do have one Christmas tradition,” I said.
    “Yeah, what’s that?”
    “Something I do every year, every Christmas Eve without fail.”
    One corner of his mouth pulled up. “Yeah?”
    “I watch my favourite Christmas movie.”
    His smile died and he raised one eyebrow. “Die Hard isn’t a Christmas movie, Charlie.”
    “Yes it is. There’s Christmas carols in it.”
    “It’s true,” Ma chimed in from somewhere down the hall. “He watches it every Christmas Eve.”
    I started to whistle Jingle Bells like John McClane does, and when that didn’t work, I sang it until Trav smiled. “Okay, okay, I’ll watch it. Again. Please don’t sing. Ever.”
    Not even offended, I put the DVD on and claimed the sofa first. I laid down on my side and patted the seat to show Trav where I wanted him to lie in front of me. He did, with a reluctant sigh, and we settled in to watch Die Hard.
    It didn’t take long before I realised Trav wasn’t even watching it. He was staring at the Christmas tree. I kissed the back of his head. “You okay?”
    “Mm, yeah.”
    I put my arm around him so he couldn’t escape. “Don’t lie to me, Trav. I’m sorry about before, with Billy and the snake. He was just pulling your leg. I didn’t mean anything by it.”
    “Nah, it’s not that.”
    “Then what is it?”
    He sighed. “Dunno.”
    “Are you disappointed?”
    He turned his face so he could see me. “In what?”
    “That Christmas here is a non-event. I’m sorry we don’t make no fuss over it.”
    He smiled a little. “It’s not that… I guess it’s just different here. I dunno. If I were back in Texas, we’d have family for miles and food for days. Christmas in my parents’ house lasts a week.”
    I gave him a squeeze. “You’re homesick.”
    “A little.”
    I kissed the side of his head. “Thank you for telling me.”
    “It doesn’t mean I wanna go home, Charlie.”
    I laughed quietly. “I know that. I know you’re here for good. We’ve been through enough, and I know when you said this was your home, you meant it.”
    “I did. I still do.”
    “You’re allowed to be homesick, Trav. You’re allowed to miss your family. It’s only natural.” I kissed his shoulder this time. “Maybe next year we can go and have a Texas Christmas.”
    He turned to face me, and with us both lyin’ on the couch, that weren’t the easiest of things. “You mean that?”
    “Anything for you.”
    He closed his eyes and smiled, all content like my words fixed something inside him. “Thank you.”
    I kissed him, just soft and sweet, and the sound of the phone ringing kinda ruined the moment. Ma stuck her head around the doorway not a moment later. “Charlie? It’s Laura.”
    Shit. Shit, shit, shit .
    My mother, Laura, and brother, Sam, were critical in the implementation of Travis’s Christmas present bein’ delivered on time. If something went wrong, I’d find myself drivin’ three hours to Alice Springs at midnight on Christmas Eve. Not that I wouldn’t do it…
    I peeled myself off the couch in a mass of arms and legs and kinda fell into the hallway. I picked up the phone. “Laura.”
    “Oh hi, Charlie,” she replied. “Is Travis there? Can you talk?”
    “Yes, and not really.”
    She laughed. “Right then. I’ll be quick. Everything’s on time; there’s been no delays from Darwin. Should be there just after five.”
    Relief coursed through me. “Oh, that’s great. I can’t thank you enough.”
    “It’s no problem. Like I said, I’ve been on nightshift this week so I’m up and awake, and