A Port Essington Christmas

By AE Lister

FROM POPULAR AUTHOR OF LGBTQIA ROMANCE FICTION AE LISTER

A Northern Horizons story

The most magical gifts are unexpected.

It' s Christmas in Port Essington. Jimmy Downing and Oscar Yates have settled into their lives after returning from Telegraph Creek at the end of the summer. They have jobs, a new dog named Blaze and a real chance at happiness and success.

A letter to their friends in Telegraph Creek has gone unanswered, and there is a chance that it might never have been received. All they can do is wait— and hope that all is well.

With the help of Clarence and Irene, Jimmy arranges a special surprise for Oscar, and when things don' t go as planned, he wonders if the holiday will measure up to his expectations. But the Christmas season in Northern British Columbia is magical, and fate might have a surprise in store for Jimmy, too.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Pride Publishing
• Release date: Nov 28, 2023
• ISBN: 9781839433191

AE Lister

Alison Lister is a Canadian non-binary author. They write graphic erotic romance (contemporary/historical/paranormal) as AE Lister, and sweet Young Adult LGBTQ+ romance as Alison Lister. She/he/they

Book preview

Pride Publishing Publishing books by AE Lister

Persuasions

Various Persuasions

Various Distractions

Various Intentions

Northern Horizons

760 Miles

Repentance and Absolution

Return to Telegraph Creek

Collections

Dark and Deadly: Skeletal Equation

We Three Kings: A Spoonful of Sugar

His Harem: Alternative Medicine

Hot Bite: Bloodlines

Northern Horizons

A PORT ESSINGTON CHRISTMAS

AE LISTER

A Port Essington Christmas

ISBN # 978-1-83943-319-1

©Copyright AE Lister 2023

Cover Art by Erin Dameron-Hill ©Copyright November 2023

Interior text design by Claire Siemaszkiewicz

Pride Publishing

This is a work of fiction. All characters, places and events are from the author’s imagination and should not be confused with fact. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, events or places is purely coincidental.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any material form, whether by printing, photocopying, scanning or otherwise without the written permission of the publisher, Pride Publishing.

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The author and illustrator have asserted their respective rights under the Copyright Designs and Patents Acts 1988 (as amended) to be identified as the author of this book and illustrator of the artwork.

Published in 2023 by Pride Publishing, United Kingdom.

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Pride Publishing is an imprint of Totally Entwined Group Limited.

If you purchased this book without a cover you should be aware that this book is stolen property. It was reported as unsold and destroyed to the publisher and neither the author nor the publisher has received any payment for this stripped book.

A Northern Horizons story

Jonas Abrams, bookish historian, has never met anyone like hard-hitting Texas Ranger Gabe Ryland before…

After a false accusation derailed his academic career, reserved history professor Jonas Abrams left teaching, and left town. Taking a job at San Antonio’s Intrinsic Value antiques store gave him the confidence to work with people again, and he’s even ventured back into college teaching and volunteering at a local museum…but none of that could have prepared him for Gabe ‘Rye’ Ryland.

Dedication

To Christmas and all the gifts it brings.

Chapter One

December

I will honor Christmas in my heart

and try to keep it all the year.

~ A Christmas Carol

Charles Dickens

Miss June Blaise

The Angel Rest House

Telegraph Creek, British Columbia

Dear Miss June, Cal, Maggie, Peter, Lizzie, Sam and everyone we know in Telegraph Creek and Agnes Hill,

We hope this letter gets to you in time for Christmas.

We made it back to Port Essington and our fine house without injury, thank the Lord. I can’t tell you how wonderful it was to see it standing there, just as we’d left it, with Sprite, Oscar’s cat, out front waiting for us. And how nice it was to see our good friends, Carson and Tim, then Irene and Clarence the next day. Irene and Oscar are like two peas in a pod, plotting together against me and Clarence half the time. It is mighty amusing.

Oscar and me, we got jobs, because we needed to start earning an honest living. Oscar’s working with Carson in Tim’s saloon as a server, bus boy and barkeep, and he’s perfect for it. The customers love him, and why wouldn’t they? Everybody loves Oscar as soon as they meet him, I reckon. I know I did.

I’m working in the general store for Mr. Samuel Lawson. He’s a good boss, and he knows how to run a good store, let me tell you. I’m learning a lot from the way he does things. He’s got me working the books some, too, since I’m good with figures. But I do just about anything and everything there and I like that, because I don’t get bored. I’m not as good with customers as Oscar, but I do okay, and I like helping folks find what they need.

We got a dog! Mr. Lawson’s friend’s setter had puppies. We got a hold of one of them, and he’s a beaut. Reckon he knows it, too. He’s red from top to tail, and we named him Blaze. A purebred Irish setter! Never figured we’d get a hold of a purebred dog, but they said they were glad to give him a home with us, and we were glad to get him. We were planning on naming him Buck after the dog in The Call of the Wild, but it didn’t suit him at all. He’s Blaze now, and that’s a good name, as he’s bright and warm and loving. Sprite the cat tolerates him but keeps him in his place. He comes hunting with me, and he’s learning to fetch my kills, like his breed is made for. Oscar and Blaze are fast friends, and he’s got something to love now that he don’t have Onyx.

Oscar is doing well, and I’m going to get him to write a bit at the end of this letter. His printing’s coming along fine, and I’m sure he’s got something to say. He always does! Anyway, I sure hope everyone there is healthy and doing fine. I hope Cal and Maggie’s farm is coming along, and the children are healthy and happy. I’ve enclosed some pennies for each of them. Maybe you can put them in their Christmas stockings? You can say they’re from Father Christmas, or you can tell them they’re from us. I don’t care, as long as they get them. There’s a new halter for Onyx, too. Oscar’s getting over that loss, and he’s glad he left her with the children and Cal and Maggie.

I’m going to sign off now, but I hope you get this letter and I hope you have time to send us a letter back, for we’d love to hear from you!

Jimmy

Hello,

This is Oscar.

How is Onyx? I hope she’s some use to you all, and that Lizzie and the children are loving on her, as she’s used to that. I miss her, truly, but I know she’s better where she is for lots of reasons.

Anyway, I got a new dog, although I see Jimmy told you. He’s my new friend, and he’s just as wild and silly as me. We have lots of fun together, and we like to annoy Jimmy, so that’s amusing. His name is Blaze, and he’s an Irish setter. He’s so pretty—like me! Jimmy says we’ll get me a new horse after Christmas, so I’m pretty happy about that.

I hope Cal and Maggie are enjoying being parents together. Those kids are something else, and I miss them.

Merry Christmas!

Oscar

* * * *

Our second December in Port Essington, British Columbia, came in with a storm.

The wind shrieked and battered the wooden walls of our two-story house, and pellets bounced against the windows. ’Twas so loud it woke me from a dream, and I blinked in the darkness and reached for Oscar.

What is it? he mumbled into the pillow.

Snowstorm. Go back to sleep.

Oscar grunted and turned o’er.

I lay there, snug in my long underwear and our combined heat under the quilts as the storm raged outside. I was glad this house was new and had been built to very specific requirements. She was a solid thing with no cracks in her walls or leaks in her strong roof. Compared to spending winter in our tiny kitchen the past year, this was a huge improvement.

We also had an addition to the family. Since Oscar had chosen to leave his beloved mare with Cal and Maggie’s children in Agnes Hill, we’d gotten our hands on an Irish setter pup, and he was lying on the quilt at our feet. He wasn’t a pup no more, and he was half on top of my legs. I wasn’t complaining,