Only Major was close enough to hear me. He blinked a few times, his eyes going red as he kissed my temple. “Hey there, Robert. I promise to take care of him.”
The cardinal let out another rapid set of chirps, then leapt into the air, circling us before disappearing. Seconds later, Major looked down at his shoulder. “That motherfucker shit on me.”
I couldn’t help it—I burst into laughter. Fucking Robert Paige.
“Cheer up, love. I hear it’s good luck.”
epilogue
Major
All of the Lost Boys were getting married. That wasn’t hyperbole. One by one, they’d gone to Beckett and asked to schedule their weddings at the Meeting House. Beckett, Holden, and Ru had joined us for dinner tonight, and Beckett was stressing about the fact that his friends had basically booked back-to-back-to-back weddings in December.
“Would it be insane to propose a group wedding and reception at the Meeting House?”
“Not at all, babe,” Holden said readily, spooning green beans onto Ru’s plate. “I think that’s a great idea.”
Beckett shot Ren and me a look. “I was hoping you’d say that.”
Holden’s head snapped up, and his eyes widened as Beckett’s smile broadened.
“Are you?—”
Beckett answered Hold’s question by pulling a simple gold band from his pocket.
Holden plucked the ring from his grasp and slid it down the all-important finger. “No takebacks.”
Ru blinked, a string bean hanging out of his mouth. “What just happened?”
Ren said something in Japanese, and Ru climbed up on his chair, waving his arms wildly, shouting in a mix of Japanese and English. His words needed no translation; they were pure joy.
While Beckett, Hikaru, and Holden danced around the kitchen in celebration, Ren glanced at me. I winked, and a smile bloomed across his pretty face.
Having all our friends get married at once was the perfect plan, save for the fact that it meant all our friends were stressed and preparing for their weddings at the same time. Still, it made me emotional every time I thought about it. All of us falling in love, all of us doing something really good with our lives. It was the dream that Robert had always had for us.
The rehearsal at the Meeting House was a hot mess. Literally. We were all dressed in shorts and T-shirts, because for some reason, December in Texas had come with bug spray and temperatures in the upper eighties. Thankfully, Beckett had cranked up the A/C right before we arrived, and we all stopped sweating about half an hour in.
Since Beckett was among those getting married, his father had volunteered to perform the ceremonies. When asked if he’d get in trouble for marrying a bunch of gay couples in a nondenominational church, being a Catholic priest and all, hewrapped his arm around Beckett. “If they want to kick me out for officiating at my son’s wedding on my own time and in his church, they can go right ahead.”
Beckett was usually a smirking, jokey guy, but on this occasion he had no witty retort. He simply swallowed thickly, blinking fast as he looked up at his dad. His dad pulled him into a hug, and we all got a little choked up.
Father Wainwright, it seemed, was exactly the right person to herd the massive wedding party, even though Hendrix did his level best to drive the poor man insane. Of course, just as we got Hen in order, Ozzie’s phone went off with the news that he and Walker had been waiting for: Ozzie’s cousin was pregnant. She’d been inseminated with Walker’s sperm, so the baby would be related to both of them. We cried and hugged and eventually got back into formation.
Ren cried again when he had to practice giving Holden away, but thankfully I was escorting Beckett down the aisle, so I was able to go to his side and comfort him.
“Y’all might as well get married tomorrow with everyone else,” Leo cracked as he walked Ginger down the aisle, and the whole group laughed. Hard. Ren and I shared a furtive glance and ignored his commentary.
Honestly, it was good to see Leo in a joking mood. Lovett was buried in their studies at vet school, and Leo had been looking forward to them flying in for the rehearsal and the wedding. Love had canceled the trip at the last minute, though, and when I checked in with Leo, he said he didn’t want to talk about it.
I could tell he’d been crying.
While I’d respected his wishes and let the subject drop, I’d be finding out the details after we were past all of this wedding business. It had been harder to keep up with him since I’d moved in to Ren’s house, but given that he was now sharing my place with Ginger, he couldn’t exactly hide from my inquiry.
By the end of the rehearsal, all four couples—Joel and Tristan, Beckett and Holden, Ozzie and Walker, and Sawyer and Hendrix—were ready to go, and Father Wainwright only looked a few years older for his efforts.
We then went to Kiyana’s, which Ozzie and Joel had closed for the rehearsal dinner. Kiyana herself was in the kitchen helping Shanna, the head chef, pull together tonight’s feast. The restaurant manager, a hot ticket named Atlas, kept everything running smoothly, and none of us had to worry about a thing. Each family had their own table, and it was touching to see everyone enjoying themselves.
Tristan’s and Ozzie’s moms got on like a house on fire, and I had a feeling a new friendship had begun. Similarly, Ozzie’s dad kept bringing Joel and Walker into his conversations, and they looked to be having as much fun as everyone else.
