by Sue Brown
As he fried the peppers and onions, Dan listened to his mother’s querulous voice chastise him for not calling the night before. It was another voicemail message. Dan had a love/hate relationship with his mother and found it best to keep his distance. She didn’t understand why he needed to keep half a state’s distance between them, but his sister understood. She’d picked a college on the other coast to get away, and she never moved back, no matter how much their mother complained. Dan would call her over the weekend, when he was fortified by more sleep and more caffeine. Liquor would probably help, but he didn’t drink much. He preferred to keep his head clear.
He added a touch of seasoning to the beaten eggs and poured them into the vegetables. It became more of a scramble than an omelet, but Dan didn’t mind. It tasted just fine. He was still shoveling eggs down his throat when his phone rang again. This time it was his best friend, and he didn’t mind answering the call. “What do you want?”
“Nice greeting,” Marty said, “and it’s great to hear from you too, dickwad.”
“Yeah, yeah. What do you want?”
Marty Kennedy had been Dan’s friend since grade school. They went through their school years dealing with bullies, broken hearts, and the occasional broken bone. The broken bones had been Dan’s, because he tried to save Marty from numerous falls. Marty was the clumsiest man in existence.
“I’m calling to invite you to my wedding,” Marty announced.
Dan choked on the last mouthful of his breakfast. He spent the next few minutes recovering from a coughing fit and then drinking water so he could speak again. Marty, of course, spent the time cracking bad jokes about Dan’s ability to eat, breathe, and live at the same time.
“What the hell did you just say?” Dan finally managed to wheeze out.
Marty chuckled in his ear. “I said I’m in love.”
“No. That’s not what you said. You said, ‘I’m calling to invite you to my wedding.’”
“If you knew that, why did you ask?”
Dan was going to need a lot more coffee for this conversation, and he topped off his mug. “You met someone?”
“That’s usually how it works… unless you want to marry your coffeepot or your car. Did you know people marry their cars? I’d marry a Mustang or maybe a Pontiac Firebird. You’d probably marry your coffee maker.”
Dan ignored the segue into Strangeville. “You’re in love, and I didn’t know about her?”
“When was the last time I saw you?” Marty pointed out. “You’re always busy. You work every evening, and I can’t remember the last time we got together or even had a proper conversation.”
Marty wasn’t bitching, or if he was, he was just being honest. They had let their friendship slide recently. Dan had been so involved with the bar and his studies that he barely had time to scratch his ass.
“Yeah, yeah. I know. I’ve been meaning to call. I’ve just been so busy.”
“I know, dude, and it’s not like I’ve made the effort either. I’ve been tied up with Lena. You know what love is like.”
Dan let that go without comment. He’d never been in love, and his relationships had been short and sweet—or not so sweet and sometimes downright dirty. “So how long have you known your fiancée? What’s her name?”
“Lena. Lena Dawson. Six months, more or less.”
“How much more or how much less?” Dan asked warily. He knew Marty.
There was a huff, and then Marty said, “Okay. I’ve known her for four months, but before you say anything, it’s nothing I haven’t heard from the parents already.”
Dan could think of a lot of things to say to that, and most of them involved cuss words and the suggestion that he get an MRI. He looked at his schoolbag with his assignment and textbooks which was how he’d intended to spend his day and said, “What are you doing at the moment?”
“My laundry, like I do every Saturday morning. Nearly finished, as it happens.”
“Your usual place? Do you want to meet for a coffee?”
Laundry and coffee had long been Dan and Marty’s way of catching up, but even that had gone by the wayside recently. Dan realized, with a touch of shame, he hadn’t even noticed Marty’s absence from his life.
“Sure,” Marty said. “But I haven’t got long. I said I’d meet Lena this afternoon. She wants to sort out the registry at the department store.”
It was becoming far too real for Dan. He’d never thought about getting married, let alone doing the whole white-wedding affair. “I’ll be with you in thirty. Usual place? Get me a latte.”
“A latte? You’re becoming middle-aged, bro.”
Dan didn’t need to hear that, even if he was feeling his age. “I’m not the one getting married. Again,” Dan pointed out. “And I expect that latte to be hot.”
“You’d better get your ass outta bed, then,” Marty shot back. “And say hello to your lovely SmokeyJo. Tell her she needs a better owner.”
“You can’t have my cat.” This was an old, old argument.
“Why not? She loves me. She loves me better than you do. And I’d remember to feed her.”
“I do remember to feed her.” The damn cat would never let him forget it if he missed a meal.
Marty made a scoffing noise, told him to hurry up, and then disconnected the call. Dan flipped him off even though Marty couldn’t see it.
He’d perfected the art of the quick shower, though he never understood why people needed to spend an hour just to wash their body. He took three minutes, tops, and that was if he was going to wash his hair. Admittedly, he didn’t have a lot of hair to wash. He kept his hair in a buzz cut. That way no fucker could grab hold of it in a fight. When he arrived at Cowboys and Angels, his hair had been longer than Ariel’s. That lasted two fights and losing a strip of scalp to a liquored-up construction worker. The guy was apologetic, but the next day, Dan headed to the barbers.
Three minutes and forty-five seconds later, Dan jammed on his navy watch cap—because his head got cold easily without hair—picked up his wallet and walked out of his apartment. As he was on the third floor, he ignored the bone-creaking elevator that only worked on a day ending in Z, took the stairs two at a time, and waved at his elderly neighbor from the floor above as they passed.
“Morning, Mrs. G.”
“Morning, Dan. Wrap up warm, son. It’s cold out there.” Mrs. Gryniewicz managed a tired smile and carried on climbing stairs without breaking her stride. She’d told him more than once that taking the stairs was the secret to her longevity.
As he reached the sidewalk, Dan’s phone beeped, and Gideon’s number flashed up.
Need you at 5.
No please or thank you, no asking if he could come in early. For a moment Dan was tempted to tell Gideon to find someone else. He tapped out his answer.
Sure.
Because Dan had Mug tattooed across his forehead… and the hots for his very straight, alpha boss.
Chapter 3
DAN PUSHED through the heavy crowd in the coffee shop, knowing Marty would have found a seat as far back as he could. It was something to do with fear of cars flying through the window. Marty watched way too many cop shows. Dan gingerly skirted around a stroller that held a tiny baby asleep with a thumb in its mouth and headed for the man waving in the far corner. Marty stood as Dan reached the table, and they hugged and thumped each other on the back. Then Dan sat down and reached for the large mug Marty pushed toward him. He buried his nose in the fragrant steam and inhaled.
“You’re going to snorkel it if you’re not careful.” Marty picked up his own mug of something topped with cream and chocolate. He was slim to the point of being skinny and, unlike Dan, didn’t need to watch what he ate. He never put on a pound.
“I don’t care. I got to bed at nearly six this morning. There isn’t enough caffeine to make up for that.” Dan chugged down a quarter of the mug and sighed in satisfaction.
“How’s the college course going?” Marty asked.
&n
bsp; “I’m almost done.”
Marty gave him a broad smile. “That’s great, Dan.”
Dan had never gone to college. He barely graduated high school. But three years of working for other people had convinced him that he wanted his own bar someday. So Marty encouraged him to attend community college to take some business courses. Walking into class the first day was the hardest thing Dan had ever done, but constant work paid off, and a couple of business courses and studying every spare hour had turned into an almost completed degree in business and economics. Every hour studying and assignments that left him sleeping over his textbooks took him closer to his goal, although juggling a full-time job and school left him feeling like a zombie most of the time.
“It’s all thanks to you,” Dan admitted.
Marty waved a hand and nearly sent his cup flying into Dan’s lap. “You took care of me. I’m glad I could do that for you, but remember to invite me to your graduation.”
“You’re the first on the list.” Dan slurped again and then looked at his sandy-haired friend. “So, you’re getting married?”
Marty bit his lip. “She’s the one, Dan. I swear it. The minute I met her I knew she was the one for me.”
“Have you introduced her to your parents?”
“Yeah. They took it about as well as you might expect.”
Dan wasn’t surprised that Mr. and Mrs. Kennedy weren’t thrilled at their son’s announcement. Marty had been married twice before, the first time just out of high school, and then again at twenty-three. Both marriages had lasted less than a year. Dan wasn’t thrilled either, but Marty was his friend, and he would do his best to support him.
“Tell me about Lena.”
It was the right thing to say. Marty’s face lit up, and he pulled out his phone. He scrolled for a moment and showed Dan a picture of a pretty black girl with huge eyes and a beautiful smile. “She’s the most amazing woman I’ve ever met. Kindhearted and intelligent. I mean really intelligent. She makes me look like a third grader.”
Dan whistled. Marty was a structural engineer and no slouch in the smarts department. “What does Lena do?”
“She’s an attorney and set to make partner early.”
That was one up on his previous wives. They were great girls, but they’d seen Marty as a meal ticket for life. “Where did you meet her?”
“I met her in here,” Marty said. “We collided, and I threw a cup of coffee all over her. She was furious because she was wearing a new suit.”
Dan chuckled at him. “She’s lucky she only ended up with a coffee shower and not broken bones.”
“I’m not that bad,” Marty protested, and then at Dan’s raised eyebrow, he said, “I’m not.”
“I know you, remember?”
Marty made a noise in the back of his throat as though Dan were talking off the top of his head. “Anyway, she didn’t stay angry… much. And after I offered to dry-clean her suit, she forgave me. We haven’t spent a night apart since that day. She’s an amazing girl, Dan, and I want you to meet her.”
“She sounds wonderful, especially if she can put up with your shit,” Dan said. “But, and I say this as the man who’s had your back through two divorces, I’m with your parents on this one. Why are you getting married so quickly? If she’s as amazing as you think, why can’t you take your time to get to know each other?”
Marty pressed his lips together as though he were holding back angry words, but then he said, “Lena is from a very religious family.”
“So are you,” Dan pointed out. “What’s that got to do with—oh… she’s pregnant?”
People looked over, and Marty made shushing noises and nearly knocked over his mug again in the process. “The whole shop doesn’t need to know.”
“So, she is pregnant?” Dan moved the mug away from Marty. He didn’t know much about straight couples and marriage, but he knew Marty’s parents, and they were going to be livid when they found out their precious son had knocked up another girl. Yes, there was another one back in high school, but that had been “handled” with an adoption. Marty had escaped one shotgun wedding, only to get married for real six months later. That was the first one. But now Marty was an adult, and he’d obviously decided to do the right thing by Lena.
Marty took on a mutinous expression, as though he were sure of Dan’s disapproval. “It wasn’t planned, but it’s the best news ever. I love Lena, and I can’t wait to spend the rest of my life with her and our baby.”
Dan eyed him thoughtfully. He was honestly surprised by Marty’s pronouncement. “What do you need from me?”
Marty’s expression changed to a pleased smile. “I want you to be my best man.”
“Your best man? Isn’t that like third in command at the wedding? What do I have to do? You’re going to want a bachelor party, aren’t you?”
“Hell, no. I’ve done that twice already. I’d rather have a night in with my gorgeous fiancée than go out drinking with the boys.”
Dan leaned forward and rapped Marty on the forehead with his knuckles. “Who are you and where’s my friend Marty?”
“Marty grew up.”
Dan wasn’t sure how he felt about that remark. Was Marty implying that Dan hadn’t grown up? Dan was adult enough for his own liking. He had a job, an apartment, nearly a degree. He even had a cat, dammit. What more did he need to be classified as a grown-up? “I’ll be your best man if you want me to, but don’t you want to ask your brother?”
Marty gave a wry smile. “If Todd is my best man again, then I won’t get away without a bachelor party. He’ll have me naked and tied to a lamppost before midnight.”
“That was the last bachelor party.” Dan frowned and tapped the table with one finger. “Or was that the party before?”
“I don’t know. I’m not even going to think about it.” Marty shuddered. “All you have to do is get me to the church on time and don’t forget the rings like Todd did last time. I’m not putting a plastic flower on Lena’s finger.”
“You’re having a church wedding?”
“They’ll give us a blessing.” Marty bit his lip. “Dan, if I tell you this, you can’t tell anybody else. I mean it. It has to be a secret.”
“Sure, dude, whatever you want. You know I have your back.”
“We’re already married. Lena and me, I mean. We got married last week, as soon as we found out about the baby. We’re just doing the formal bit for the parents.”
Dan shook his head. “You are the most impulsive man I’ve ever met. I don’t know what to say. But whatever you need me to do, I’ll be there. That’s a promise. Just don’t get me between the parents. I don’t do religion. You know that.”
Marty looked at him speculatively. “Are you planning on bringing a date?”
“I doubt it. I can’t think of anyone to ask. I certainly haven’t got any boyfriends waiting in the wings.”
“What about that date you had a couple of weeks ago?”
“He was a disaster. Thanks for reminding me. He’s the last person I would bring to a wedding. Besides, the last thing you need is for me to bring an ole gay to the happy event. Not with two sets of holy rollers there.”
“So you’re going to play straight for the day?” Marty asked.
“It wouldn’t be the first time,” Dan pointed out. “I’ve done that at your last two weddings.”
“My parents know you’re gay, dude. As for Lena’s family, they’ll get over it.”
“I know your parents know about me.” And hadn’t that been an uncomfortable explanation for a sixteen-year-old boy to handle. To give Mr. and Mrs. Kennedy credit, they didn’t throw him out of the house, but he remembered the strained meetings afterward. “But it’s one thing to know and another to have it rubbed in your face. I’ll go stag, and everyone will be happy.”
“Except you.”
Dan shrugged at Marty’s perceptive comment. “It doesn’t matter. This is your day, and nothing is going to get in the way of a good wedding.” M
arty blinked rapidly, and Dan could see the sheen in his eyes. “Dude, you’re not going to blub, are you?”
“Fuck off,” Marty muttered as Dan laughed at him.
“Daniel!”
The light soprano cut through the background noise of the coffee shop.
“Oh hell no. What are they doing here?” Dan’s stomach turned as he looked up to see Ariel making her way around the tables, a mischievous smile on her face. He groaned again as he saw Gideon behind her. He looked like hotness on two legs, even dressed in a thick winter coat and boots. It was so unfair when Dan looked like the walking dead.
Marty looked over and shot him a wicked grin. “Who’re you bitching about? Ariel or her hot daddy?”
“You shouldn’t know anything about daddies,” Dan muttered.
Marty rolled his eyes. “Oh, Dan, you are so naïve.”
Dan stared at him, unsure if they were on the same page. Because there were dads and then there were daddies.
“Don’t worry, I’ll keep your secret,” Marty assured him.
And Dan breathed a little easier, because there was no way he was going to discuss his penchant for daddies—and one in particular—with his straight best friend.
Chapter 4
ARIEL BOUNCED over to them before Dan could reply, and Marty got to his feet to kiss her cheek. He’d gotten to know her over the five years Dan had worked at Cowboys and Angels. From the start Dan warned Marty about having any ideas about Ariel, but he knew Ariel wasn’t Marty’s type. Marty had preferred mature women… up to now.
“You get more beautiful every time I see you,” Marty said, and Ariel beamed at him.
Gideon growled for form’s sake, and Ariel snorted at him. She plopped down onto a chair, and the men had no choice but to follow her. Gideon sat next to Dan, and because the place was busy, they had to sit close together. Dan tried not to shift as the long, warm length of Gideon’s thigh pressed up against his.
Once they settled, Ariel asked, “What are you doing here?”
“Discussing Marty’s wedding,” Dan informed her.