Brian
“I wonderif Caelan ever envisioned a day when he would allow Henry Lattimer to bless his union,” Dare said, wrapping an arm around my shoulders and leaning down to whisper in my ear. “When we were kids, gay marriage wasn’t even legal. Now, any crotchety old hardware store owner can get ordained for the day and convince a couple of crazy kids like Cal and Ash to let him officiate their ceremony.”
Since not all of us were tall enough to see the proceedings over the heads of Ash’s family—the Martin cousins tended to vary in size from extra-large to positively gigantic—I had to lean a little into the aisle to see the front of the church, but sure enough, there was Hen, standing before the stained-glass window, rocking back and forth on his shiny shoes, and stroking his white mustache like he was wholeheartedlythrilledlife had brought him to this place in this time.
I understood that feeling completely.
I leaned into Dare’s large frame and said softly, “I don’t think Cal cares one iota if it’s Henry doing therepeat-after-mesas long as he ends the day with the guy he loves.”
Dare bent down, pressing his forehead to mine. “I think you’re right.”
“Well, holy fucking shit.” Dare’s brother said gleefully from behind us. “Darius and Brian, as I live and breathe! Miraclesdohappen! I’ve been waiting twenty years to see this.”
Dare closed his eyes and groaned softly. “This is a church, Mitch. Language.”
I turned my head slightly, and Mitch Turner grinned and crinkled his brown eyes at me, clearly not giving a shit about holding his tongue in the Non-Denominational Church of O’Leary if it meant he could give his brother a hard time.
I recalled that I’d always really liked Mitch Turner.
“Pretty sure everyone at Camden-O’Leary High had a bet on the books back in the last millennium about this, Dare! Marci, honey, was anyone fool enough to bet that it’d taketwenty yearsfor these two to get together?”
On second thought, I didn’t like him allthatmuch.
Mitch’s girlfriend jabbed him lightly in the side. “You leave the boys be, Mitchell,” she said indulgently. “I’m just glad to see them together at last.”
I gave Marci a warm smile.
But then she told Mitch, “Besides, when your dad gets a load of this, he’s gonna be so pleased, he’ll tease the two of them formonthsand start asking them their wedding plans by Labor Day.”
“True,” Mitch said happily.
“True,” Dare confirmed glumly.
I pushed my lips together to hide my smile. Jay Turner didn’t scare me. And for that matter, neither did the idea of marrying Dare. In fact… I wanted it pretty badly.In faaaact…I might have to make that happen sometime soon.
Constantine and Micah Ross-Bloom, newlyweds themselves after getting married just a few weeks ago “practically alonein amarshon aWednesdaywithout a flowerin sight!,” as Angela Ross complained to anyone who would listen, crowded into our pew on Dare’s other side, looking happier than I’d ever seen them.
Mitch and Marci shifted down so Julian Ross and Daniel Michaelson could sit behind us. Meanwhile, Everett led a frowning, squinting Silas into the row in front of us, where Si groaned like the light was a little too bright and buried his head in Ev’s neck.
“Silas was doing drunk karaoke last night,” Dare whispered in my ear. “And if Everett loves me even a little, he’ll have gotten that shit on video.”
Ev winked slowly at Dare over Si’s head, and I stifled my laugh in Dare’s side.
The little church was a homey old building—two sets of dark wood pews with aisles running up either side and one wide aisle running up the middle. Ash and Cal had kept the simple, beautiful theme by decorating just the ends of the pews and the front of the church with dark blue and ivory flowers.
Cal and Ash were keeping the service simple too, apparently. There wasn’t going to be a huge procession, since their family and friends, dressed in blue and white, were already lined up at the front of the church, chatting excitedly. One particular broad-shouldered blond gave me a chin-lift.
I squeezed Dare’s waist briefly. “Be right back.”
“But Bri—”
“Two seconds, baby!” I darted up the aisle and gave Mark a quick hug.
“So it worked, huh?” His smile was smug. “Your weird LEGO-fu?”
“It totally worked. Thank you for driving me to three Targets on a Friday night. If karma’s real, yourgravityshould be sucking you in anytime now.” I clapped a hand to my mouth. “I mean, pulling.Pullingyou in.”
So comforting to know that being in love with Dare and having him love me in return wouldn’t get rid ofallmy awkwardness. Or even alittleof it.
