“I stand corrected.”
“I’d hope so.” I meet his gaze again. “Givemea wedding present.”
“What?”
I’m dead-serious about this. “No more beards,” I say. “Men or women.Please?”
He doesn’t answer, at first. “Okay, pet.” He plays with my hair. “You get to take any punishment spankings I might get in the future for agreeing to that, though.” But I spot his smile. “Deal?”
“Deal.” I don’t want to share him with anyone but Leo, even if it’s not really sharing him.
We don’t get to publicly claim him. The least I can do is keep him all to myself, even if the public can’t ever know that about us.
CHAPTERFIFTY-FOUR
We shower,throw on sweats, and head out to the family kitchen to find we’re the first ones awake. Convenient, because it means no juggling of the truth around my parents. I mean, Mom and Dad won’t know Jordan didn’t wake up before them and make his way to my bedroom to wake me up.
But it’s one less lie to keep track of. One less burden on Jordan.
Which is another reason I was okay telling Leo’s family about Jordan.
Fewer excuses to make to the people closest to us.
More people who know the truth of who he is and can acknowledge his relationship with us.
Hey, it might not be important to him, but it is to me, okay?
After using the Keurig to brew our coffee, Jordan grabs a pre-prepared breakfast casserole from the fridge, slides it into the oven, and sets an alarm for it. He fixed it yesterday before heading to the bachelor party. Then he starts a pot of coffee going with the larger coffeemaker to have it ready by the time my parents awaken.
“You sure can’t we talk them into letting us buy them a Keurig?” he asks with a smile.
This is a playful issue we privately bounce back and forth when it comes to Mom and Dad.
It’s nearly 6:00 a.m. and I’m certain they’ll be awake soon. “Do youhonestlythink we can?” I scoff. “You’ve been to their house. You know them. Even if we bought them one, unless we’re sending them boxes of pods there’s no way in hell they’ll buy them for themselves. They won’t be able to justify the expense even though it’s no longer a concern for them.”
A few minutes later, at 6:05, Mom and Dad make their way out to the kitchen. After they hug both of us I share a secret smile with Jordan over the fact that they head right for the older, simpler coffeemaker.
I also note Jordan’s amused smirk in return. His playful eye-roll is a clear admission that he knows how right I am.
But considering I control the nation’s nuclear arsenal, I won’t tell himI told you so.
Because that’s just being a dick.
* * *
One of themost important things Jordan and Leo took into consideration as they created today’s schedule was when to hold the ceremony. If too early, it would risk the day being thrown into chaos by something as simple as me running long on a phone call or my PDB. Too late in the day, and we would lose the ability to easily exclude Stella and Ellis from some of the private family activities ahead of the ceremony.
Like breakfast.
The official White House photographer comes upstairs a little after 6:30, once Leo’s parents and Kayley are all awake and have had a cup of coffee each. He already knows not to follow any of us into private spaces unless he’s been specifically asked to.
But it also means I’ll have some priceless, candid photos of my parents smiling, laughing, even, and all of us together.
And then Leo returns shortly before 7:00, just as we’re about to sit down for breakfast.
Is it stupid and trite that my heartstillskips when I watch the man walk into a room? Today he’s wearing jeans and a charcoal Henley under his jacket, and the languid smirk he sends me as he leans against the doorway to the family dining room, his overnight bag on his shoulder…
There’s just something so damnedconfidentabout him. Not an assholish, machismo, overcompensating-by-putting-stupid-truck-nuts-on-his-bumper kind of confidence, either.
