Chapter 10

One year later…

Kellan stoodat Emma's side in front of the preacher, listening as he spoke before the small gathering seated on the wide lawn in the back of the big house. The sky above was the perfect shade of blue, and for once, the heat wasn't hot enough to rob someone of their will to live. Abigail held his hand, twirling the basket of rose petals from side to side, allowing the few left to flutter toward the ground around her feet.

The soliloquy ended, and the vows were exchanged. Kellan held his breath when the preacher announced, "If anyone sees any reason why these two should not be wed, let them speak now or forever hold their peace."

He scanned the small crowd, new friends and associates, and the few family members who hadn't excommunicated them after they'd both come out.

No one spoke up. All he noticed were smiles coming in their direction.

"Then by the power vested in me, I now pronounce you wives. You may kiss your bride."

Kellan clapped, a broad smile coming as he watched Emma and Amanda kiss for the first time as a married couple. The newlyweds turned to the applauding crowd and raised their hands in victory. Emma lifted Abigail into her arms before the trio raced back down the aisle in near identical white gowns toward the tent erected nearby for the reception.

Connor sidled up in front of him, pressing a kiss to his cheek. "In case I didn't tell you yet, you're the sexiest maid of honor I've ever seen."

"Technically, wouldn't I be the matron of honor? I have been married before."

"Either way, you're the only maid or matron of honor I've ever wanted to kiss."

Kellan grinned. "What's stopping you then?"

Connor leaned in to steal a kiss that had been his all along.

"You two need to get a room," Emma's wedding planner murmured as she moved past. She paused and fished something out of her pocket. She handed Connor her business card. "When you two want to make it official, just give me a call."

Connor snorted, shoving the card into the pocket of his dark gray suit.

"I have a nose for which couples I meet at a wedding who'll end up hitched. Just a matter of time for you two," she said as she marched closer to the crowd to make an announcement. "If you'll proceed to the reception, we have a lovely, air-conditioned tent and plenty of food and drink to celebrate the brides' nuptials."

Kellan turned to Connor knowing he wanted nothing more than to walk down the aisle with his boyfriend. Some day. He wasn't rushing to get married again anytime soon. Not that the last marriage was bad, but he was still working on fixing himself and wanted to wait until he was more a finished product before getting down on one knee.

"Ready to party?"

Connor scoffed. "Always."

They linked hands and wandered behind the crowd toward the humongous tent.

They'd weathered the coming-out firestorm, the divorce, his father's weak character assassinations, and condemnation from the conservative world, and made it out the other side relatively unscathed. His therapist had helped. She'd even provided a few joint sessions with Connor and/or Emma when the chaos had been at its worst.

Entering the tent, Kellan gasped. He'd not expected the lavish decorations or the fact it felt nothing like a tent on the inside. It was stunning.

"Wow," Connor murmured. "They went the extra mile."

"Yeah," Kellan said.

"Good to know she does good work, hmm?" Connor said, tapping his jacket pocket.

"Where's my matron of honor?" Emma yelled from the other end of the tent. Her gaze landed on him, and she waved him over. "Come here, ex-husband! And bring your hot boyfriend."

Connor shook his head. They made their way through the small crowd and stopped beside the newlyweds.

"What's up?" Kellan asked.

"I put you and Connor with us at the head table. Amanda's maid of honor and her girlfriend, too, so it's all balanced," Emma said. "So come on. Let's eat. I've starved myself the last two weeks to make sure I fit into this dress. Now I can strap on the feedbag."

Kellan took his seat between Abigail and Connor. Away from the main table, there were only four large round tables of ten each. The crowd was much smaller than their spectacle of a wedding, but that's the way Emma had wanted it. All the glitz and glamour—with a more intimate crowd.

After the meal, Amanda's youngest cousins came for Abigail, who already called them her cousins. They were all about the same age, and he was happy their daughter had new family members to grow up with. Amanda brought them over often to swim or play, leaving Abigail less lonely. The trio had already become thick as thieves over Thanksgiving and gotten into their fair share of typical trouble most kids did.

Emma was still salty over the haircutting incident, particularly since it was a week before picture day. Abby's second-grade portraits were hysterical to all but Emma—who almost laughed but wasn't quite there yet.

Kellan watched as Emma and Amanda had their first dance, buoyant witnessing his best friend so happy. Emma deserved that and more. He turned to Connor, sliding his hand into his boyfriend's.

"Wanna dance?"

"Absolutely,"Kellan replied.

They danced the night away, Kellan never happier than when in Connor's arms. After the cake cutting came the throwing of the bouquets. Several single lads and lasses rushed to the dance floor. Emma searched the group. "Oh, ex-husband?" She gazed his direction. "Get your butt over here now, mister."

"Go ahead," Kellan said, waving her off.

"The band clearly said all single people. You're single. Actually, so's Connor, so both of you get over here."

The crowd clapped, egging them on.

Connor smiled at him before clasping his hand and dragging him toward Emma. Once they made it there, Emma winked at him before she and Amanda turned their backs.

Both brides tossed their bouquets, and Emma's hit Kellan square in the chest. The lady who landed Amanda's roared with delight, holding it aloft over her head. The revelers applauded.

"Big surprise," Kellan said, gripping the stems.

Emma spun, her grin wide. "Your turn, mister."

"Maybe one day." Kellan turned to eye his boyfriend. Connor's expression grew odd. Kellan offered the bouquet. "Did you want it?"

Connor shook his head, smiling. "Nope. It landed on you."

"No… it was purposely thrust my way."

"Potato, pa-ta-toe," Connor murmured, before dragging him close for the next dance.

Hours passed. He paused to tuck Abigail into bed later that night after her nanny got her bathed and into pjs, but returned to the party soon after the bedtime story was complete.

The merrymaking went into the late hours. He and Connor danced so much his feet began to hurt. Luckily, the brides called it a night soon thereafter. Before they parted, Emma rushed over to give him a big hug.

"I still adore you."

"Same," Kellan replied before kissing her cheek.

"We're off. Our flight leaves super early tomorrow. I'm going to try and wake Little Miss Thing before we go, but I don't know if she'll wake up. I'll Facetime her as soon as we get there, so text me when you're both home."

"Will do."

"Don't stay out too late. I need you fresh-eyed and well rested while I'm gone," Emma said. "Mr. Acting CEO."

After he'd lost his job, Emma had offered him the COO job at her company. At first, he'd balked, thinking she was throwing him a bone and he'd have little to do. He'd quickly learned it wasn't that at all. He had plenty to keep him on his toes and after a year, he was finally starting to feel comfortable and confident in his role. She'd done much of what she'd set out to do in her first-year plan, changing leadership and shifting the workplace into one that valued women, strove for diversity, and accepted differences. While they still had more work to do to get it right, her revamping of the family name and business had landed her on a couple of magazine covers praising the transformation—Time and Forbes instead of the tabloids she'd once graced in her youth.

"I've got this," Kellan told her.

"I know you do. I wouldn't have left you in charge if I didn't trust you implicitly."

He smiled at her. "Appreciated."

She gazed past him to Connor. "Take care of my best friend while I'm gone, hmm?"

"He's in good hands," Connor offered.

"Yep. I know," Emma said. She leaned in and kissed Kellan's cheek, tears shining in her eyes. "We made it, Kel."

Kellan fought his own—not because he saw them as weakness, not anymore—but because they'd end up a breaking down together if he let one slide.

Amanda sidled up to them. "Time to get going."

Emma wrapped her bride in a hug and planted one on Amanda. When they parted, there was no question what they planned to do next. Emma waved goodbye as they exited the tent.

"How much longer before I can rush off and take you to bed, too?" Connor asked, his lips brushing against the shell of Kellan's ear.

A shiver raced down his spine. "Hold that thought."

He walked over to the stage and quieted the band. The lead singer handed over the microphone.

"The brides have departed, and this shindig is winding down. You don't have to go home, but you can't stay here." He lowered the mic and rethought that. "Unless you're one of the folks staying up at the big house, then, by all means, head on inside whenever you want. But the matron of honor is leaving, as well." The few hardy partiers booed him joyfully, many of them new queer friends he or Emma had made over the past year. "I have a hot boyfriend to take home, thank you very much."

"Get it, Kel!" one yelled.

"I'm ready for home," Kellan said, sliding an arm through Connor's after exiting the stage.

Connor held the forgotten bouquet. "Don't forget this."

Kellan rolled his eyes. "Oh, of course not."

Connor snickered before leading him from the tent. They walked the narrow, lit path through the trees to the house they'd shared for several months. As soon as their front door was closed and locked behind them, Connor captured his lips, hungry.

Kellan answered that hunger with some of his own.

Connor was the first to break away. "Let's go upstairs."

As soon as they entered their bedroom, Kellan noticed candlelight. Concerned someone had left one burning all night, he walked deeper and noticed rose petals all over the bed. He chuckled. It was cheesy but absolutely adorable. "Who the heck lit these? Please tell me they haven't been going all night?" When he spun to rib Connor, he froze.

Connor was on one knee, a box held aloft in one hand.

"I've wanted to ask you for a long time, but I didn't want to steal any of Emma's thunder. I probably should've done something less tacky, but…" He smiled. "I couldn't wait another minute to ask you to be my husband."

Kellan didn't know what to say. He wanted to marry Connor.

One day.

The joyful anticipation on Connor's face faded the longer Kellan remained silent. Finally, he lowered his hand and rose, pain an embarrassment in his eyes. "I thought…" he shook his head. "I don't know what I thought."

"I want to marry you," Kellan whispered. "I just don't know if I've healed enough… or if I deserve you yet."

Connor cocked his head. "Oh, come on…"

"I'm a work in progress. I still have moments where the past creeps in and I fuck up. I plan to ask you… once I feel like I've fixed me."

Connor swept closer. "You've worked your ass off to get where you are. Perfection isn't humanly possible. We take the good with the bad, and baby, your bad isn't enough to keep me from wanting to be your husband."

Kellan fought tears.

"I'm not perfect, either." He chuckled. "I sometimes worry I don't deserve you. You've come so far. You're like a whole new person. Here I am, the first-grade teacher who still can't get to work on time." He grinned again. "Although, that last part is more your fault than mine these days."

"Oh?" Kellan asked.

Connor wrapped his arms around Kellan. "I can't stand seeing you in bed alone. Kind of hard to get up and go to work." He pressed his lips to Kellan's. "You're everything I want, Kel."

A tear slipped down Kellan's cheek. "I messed your proposal up, didn't I?"

"Nope," Connor said. "I'll ask again later, when you least expect it."

Kellan smiled. "Okay."

Connor dropped to one knee. "Were you expecting that?"

Kellan barked with laughter.

"Take two," Connor murmured. "Kellan Rhodes… will you do me the honor of being my husband?"

Kellan's grin was so wide it almost hurt. "I do… I will. Yes!"

Connor rose, dragging Kellan into his arms again. The kiss that came robbed him of air and conscious thought. When their lips parted, Connor removed the ring from the box and slipped it on Kellan's finger. "Perfect fit."

Kellan grinned, starring down at the diamond band. "Oh, wait," he cried, spinning for his armoire. He opened the bottom drawer and dug out his own velvet box. He showed Connor, smiling sheepishly. "I wasn't lying when I said I planned to ask you." Flipping it open, he showed Connor the ring he'd had handcrafted. It was a wide platinum band inset with a circle of incredibly rare Paraiba tourmaline gems. "I know it's traditionally diamonds for an engagement ring, but these stones reminded me of the waters at Lake Como and our time there. The place where we began."

"It's gorgeous, Kel."

Kellan lowered to one knee, grinning. "I know you already asked, but… will you do me the honor of becoming my husband?"

Connor nodded, a broad smile on his lips. "Absolutely."

Kellan rose and slid Connor's ring on.

Connor captured the sides of his face and planted a kiss to end all kisses on his lips before they celebrated their engagement in bed wrapped in one another's arms.

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