“I know, babe. Just trust me. You’re gonna want to come down pretty quickly.”
Ethan was still giving him a funny look, but he wasn’t arguing, and at least he was finally—slowly, but finally—moving to get dressed. Jack helped as much as he could, setting out Ethan’s shoes and calling out encouraging words after him as Ethan disappeared into the bedroom. He restrained himself from following him inside to be even more helpful, though, suspecting from much experience that that kind of “help” only delayed things.
In a fun way.
A really fun way.
But… no. Jack refocused, not even his libido was enough to pull him away from the excitement he felt at showing Ethan his love this way.
“I’ll get your coffee going while you get dressed,” he called out. “We won’t be long, then we can come back up here like normal.”
Ethan poked his head out of the hallway. “So… I don’t need to fix my hair?”
“Nope,” Jack said promptly, widening his eyes in an attempt to look believable. “What’s wrong with it? I love it.”
The look on Ethan’s face told Jack he might be overdoing it, just a little. But it was true. He loved everything about Ethan, and that included his unruly bed-head. If he was honest, he found it fucking adorable.
Ethan ran a hand through the floppy tangle, opening his mouth as if he was going to argue the point, and Jack knew he had to take more decisive action. No way did he have the patience for twiddling his thumbs for twenty minutes while Ethan did whatever-the-hell it was with the assorted hair products he kept in the bathroom.
“Here,” Jack said, crossing the room quickly and grabbing a hat. “You look amazing—” he leaned in for a quick kiss before relinquishing the hat, because it was true “—but you can wear this if you don’t believe me.”
Ethan hesitated for a second, then jammed the cap onto his head with a smile. “Well, if you’re sure we’ll only be gone a few minutes…”
“You have my word,” Jack said solemnly.
“Okay,” Ethan said, laughing. “Then let’s do… whatever it is you’re so impatient about.”
Impatient? No. Jack had waited a year for this. A lifetime, really, even though he hadn’t known what he was waiting for until he’d finally found it. And once he was finally ushering Ethan out the door of their apartment and down the stairs? Yeah, that smile that had been hurting his cheeks somehow got even wider.
Ethan stopped at the bottom of the stairs and looked around the shop as if he half-expected something to jump out at him.
“Keep going,” Jack said. Then he thought better of it, and took Ethan’s hand. “Actually, I’ll lead the way. You should probably close your eyes.”
“Close my eyes?” Ethan asked, blinking at him in confusion. “What? I thought you wanted to show me something. I don’t think—”
“Just trust me, babe,” Jack interrupted, giving Ethan’s hand a gentle squeeze. “I’ve got you. Now, close your eyes and don’t open them until I say, okay?”
“Fine.” Ethan sighed dramatically, but Jack could see the corners of his mouth turning up in a smile. “Don’t let me bump into anything.”
“Don’t worry,” Jack said, holding the door as he finally led Ethan outside. “Almost there, babe.” He placed his hands on Ethan’s shoulders and slowly spun him around to face the front of the shop. “Are you ready?”
Ethan nodded silently, but Jack hesitated. Suddenly—and for the first time since he’d come up with the surprise plan—he was nervous. Really nervous.
What if it was too much?
Or… not enough?
It was going to be a big day, and the sign was just the beginning… but had he skimped too much on the things he planned later—the traditional Valentine’s flowers and chocolates and dinner date—since he’d put so much effort into this part?
Should he have spread out the surprises?
Would Ethan… understand the sign?
Was it too much?
The last thing he wanted was for Ethan to feel overwhelmed, to not know what to say or how to react. Or, God forbid, to feel like he had to say or do something in order to protect Jack’s feelings.
Fuck.
Maybe the whole idea was stupid.
Fuck.
All the optimism and excitement he’d been filled with evaporated in a last minute flare of nerves. Ethan was too important. Jack had almost lost him once, and the idea of fucking anything up a second time around suddenly had him breaking out in a cold sweat. But… it was really too late now, wasn’t it? The sign was up for the whole world to see, and the rest of Jack’s plans were already set into motion, too. He took a deep breath, letting it out slowly in a useless attempt to calm down. Worrying now was sort of pointless, but that fact didn’t help settle the acrobatic butterflies that had suddenly taken over Jack’s stomach.
Not one bit.
“Jack?” Ethan asked, his voice laced with laughter. "Can I open my eyes yet?”
Jack took one last breath and… went for it.
“Yep, sorry, open up!” he said, hoping like hell that his voice sounded more confident than he actually felt. But even when the nerves flared even higher, he couldn’t help but smile again. Sure, he might actually throw up or pass out or fall over dead if Ethan didn’t love it.
But Ethan would love it.
He had to.
Jack had poured his heart into it… and his heart belonged to Ethan.
He had to have faith.
Ethan opened his eyes and blinked, then squinted against the morning sun. Then he sucked in a sharp breath as his mouth fell open. His eyes flicked from the new sign to Jack’s face, then back again—surprise, confusion, happiness, disbelief—all playing across his face.
“Oh my God, Jack.” Ethan’s voice was a whisper, barely audible over the passing traffic on the street behind them. “You shouldn’t have done—oh my God. Is this real? Are you serious?”
Ethan was shaking his head and his mouth was still open in surprise, but he wasn’t smiling anymore.
Why wasn’t he smiling?
“Is it… too much?” Jack’s stomach clenched into a tight knot as he tried to read Ethan’s expression. This wasn’t how things had gone in his head when he’d imagined the scene playing out. Should he have asked? Included Ethan in the decision? Would Ethan understand that it wasn’t a slight against the past, but a celebration of their future? “Shit. Ethan, I’m sorry. I know I should’ve—”
Jack’s apology was cut short, the words he’d been about to say knocked out of him as Ethan launched himself into Jack’s arms, climbing up his body and crushing his mouth against Jack’s. It was a long, deep, soulful kiss, and—thank fucking God—it answered all of Jack’s questions.
Ethan loved it.
He got it.
He didn’t have to say it with words—the kiss instantly calmed all of Jack’s fears and brought the bubbling happiness he’d been filled with all morning rushing back in its place—but then Ethan broke away long enough to say it anyway.
“Oh. My. God. Jack, I can’t believe you did this without me finding out! How did you even manage—no, it doesn’t matter. It’s… I don’t even have words. It’s amazing. It’s beautiful. It’s perfect.”
“You don’t think it’s too much? I probably should’ve asked you before I picked the name, but when I tried to think of something that you might like, something that fit you, that expressed who you were—this was the first thing that came to mind, and then it just sort of stuck. Once I thought of it, I couldn’t think of anything else.”
“Chance to Bloom,” Ethan said, grinning as he said the name out loud. “It’s us, Jack. Chance to Bloom.” His smile grew wider each time he repeated it. “No, it’s not too much. It’s perfect. You’re perfect. Oh my God, thank you so much. I don’t even know what to say. I know that Gary named it after your mother…”
Jack’s heart soared with the words, even as Ethan’s reminder choked him up.
This was
what he’d been imagining, though. Ethan’s face was glowing, the sunshine that warmed Jack’s heart every day pouring off him in waves. It was exactly the reaction he’d been hoping for, and it made all of the secret arrangements worthwhile.
“I love that my dad honored my mom this way,” he said, needing Ethan to understand. “But now… I wanted you to feel like it was your shop. I think she would have liked that. Liked you, Ethan. And the way you run the place—the way you treat people and your goodness—it honors her every day.”
Ethan’s eyes teared up, and Jack cupped his face, brushing them away tenderly with his thumbs.
“But now? It is your shop, Ethan. I’ve had the paperwork drawn up to make you an equal partner in the business—my co-owner of Chance to Bloom. It’s just waiting on your signature.”
“Jack, are you serious?” Ethan whispered incredulously, his eyes spilling over all over again. “You really want me as a partner? For real, this is happening?”
“It’s real, babe. And yes, I’ve never been more serious about anything in my life, or more certain. There’s nobody else I’d want as a partner—either in this business or anything else. And… I want you as more than just a business partner, Ethan.”
Ethan beamed at him, his smile so bright Jack swore he could feel it. “You’ve got me,” he said, a thousand emotions playing across his expressive face—all of them joyful. “Oh my God, Jack. This is amazing. You’re amazing. No one’s ever done anything like this for me. I love you. Did I mention that? Thank you.”
Jack laughed, Ethan’s joy infectious. But Ethan didn’t get it. Not all of it. Or… Jack just hadn’t said it well enough. Not his strong suit, but right now, he needed to get over that limitation and find the perfect words.
“I love you, too, Ethan, and… I mean it about partners. I want more for you—for us—than just the store.” Jack swallowed, emotion choking him for a moment. Then he spoke from the heart. “You’ve changed my life for the better every minute of every day since I met you, and I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to properly thank you for that.” He leaned in and used his thumb to catch another tear that had started to roll down Ethan’s cheek, then kissed the spot gently before he continued. “I can’t think of many times in my life that my dad was proud of me, but I know that right now he’s looking down and that he’d approve—that he’d be proud—of this decision, of what we’ve accomplished together, of having you in my life.”
“He really would,” Ethan said, his voice husky, too. “Your mom, too, Jack. I know it.”
Jack nodded. “And you know what they’d be even more proud of?”
“You, Jack,” Ethan answered, even though Jack hadn’t expected one. “They’d be proud of you. I love you so much.” His voice was a just whisper, but it overflowed with emotion. Tears were streaming down his face in earnest now, but his smile was brighter and sunnier than ever, and it pierced straight to Jack’s heart, filling every corner of it. “I know Gary would be so proud of the man you’ve become.”
“The man that you’ve helped me become,” Jack said, meaning it.
He leaned in and kissed Ethan, then took his hand and went down on one knee. Ethan let out what could only be called a squeak—his eyes going as wide as saucers—and Jack felt all the love bubbling up inside him until he couldn’t contain it. It was just the reaction he’d been dreaming of, and he knew—knew—Ethan was going to say yes.
But not before Jack had a chance to tell him how much he meant to him.
He fished a small velvet box out of his pocket, squeezing Ethan’s hand when the tears came again, and—for the first time in his life, gazing into the beautiful blue eyes of the man he loved with his entire heart—Jack wasn’t at a loss for words at all.
“Ethan, you’ve made me better in so many ways, and I don’t want it to ever stop. I want to keep becoming a better version of myself with you by my side. You’ve made me realize that love is powerful. Love is strong and steady and true. It can even start to heal wounds that I thought might never close. You’ve shown me all of that, Ethan, and I don’t ever want to give you up. I never will, if you’ll have me.” Jack took a deep breath, then added the most important part. “I love you, Ethan Adam Massey, more than I’d realized was possible. Will you do me the honor of being my husband? Of loving me and letting me love you, for the rest of our lives together?”
Nothing had ever felt as right.
But, other than the tears still rolling down Ethan’s face, Ethan hadn’t moved.
With a nervous laugh, Jack added, “Please?”
Ethan let out a gusty breath, as if he’d been holding it the whole time, and then he laughed through his tears and pulled Jack up against him, his smile bursting forth again in all its sunny glory. “Yes, yes, oh my God, of course. I want all of those same things, Jack. I want you. Forever. You’re my everything.”
Jack covered Ethan’s mouth with his own, lifting him off his feet and spinning around in the parking lot of Chance to Bloom, hoping everyone who was passing by could see how happy they were together. The public display was a far cry from how Jack had lived his earlier life in Bridgewater, and he couldn’t have been happier with how much things had changed. Finally—reluctantly—he set Ethan back down, taking a step back just long enough to put the simple gold band on Ethan’s hand, then bringing it to his lips to kiss.
“It looks good on you,” Jack said, his voice thick with emotion. “Do you have any idea how happy you make me?”
Ethan managed to laugh and cry both at the same time, and even before he nodded, Jack knew that he did know. He saw the exact same happiness in Ethan’s eyes. Jack made a silent vow to remind Ethan just how perfect he was—and how perfect they were for each other—every single day.
He’d gone through most of his life not knowing love and afraid to say it, but those days were over forever. He loved Ethan. Loved him, and he was never going to hold that love back.
“I love you, Jack,” Ethan said, as if reading his mind. “And I can’t wait to marry you.”
“Happy Valentine’s Day,” Jack said, knowing that the day would always be his favorite holiday now, too. Then he added a teasing, “I know what you really wanted was flowers…”
Ethan laughed, but shook his head. “No, Jack. All I wanted was you.” And then, with an impish smile, he said, “Well, maybe you and…”
“And?” Jack prompted, the look in Ethan’s eyes making him pretty sure he knew where his fiancé was going with that.
“Come upstairs and I’ll show you,” Ethan said, arching an eyebrow and confirming Jack’s guess. “After all, you did promise me we’d only be down here a few minutes.”
“I’ll always keep my promises to you, Ethan,” Jack said, meaning it. “Every single one.”
“I know.” Ethan took his hands. “I’m going to love you forever, Jack.”
Jack squeezed Ethan’s hands, running his thumb over the heavy gold band on his finger as he smiled down at him. “Loving you forever is the only thing I want to do.”
Epilogue Part 2
Ethan
“The only thing you want to do?” Ethan teased, his heart so full it felt like it might burst. The entire morning had been the most perfect moment of his life, and he didn’t want it to end.
It wasn’t going to end. He was going to be Jack’s husband.
But now? As a small crowd of people started to come out of Magic Beans to see what was going on, Ethan wanted the rest of their not-ending to happen in private. Jack had showered him with so many gifts—so much love—that it was almost overwhelming, and on top of a million different shades of “happy” and “love” that were flowing through him at the moment, Ethan was feeling equal parts blessed… and horny.
“Babe, I want to do whatever makes you happy,” Jack said, heat flaring in his eyes that was all the sweeter because of the love there, too. He didn’t need any more prompting than that, though, and as he led Ethan back inside and up the stairs to their apartment, Ethan couldn’t he
lp teasing him a little more.
“I’m pretty sure we’ll both be happy if the rest of this morning goes like I’m hoping it will, Jack.”
Instead of answering, Jack just closed the apartment door with one hand and pushed Ethan up against the wall, kissing him breathless.
“This morning has already been the best one of my life,” Jack said when he finally came up for air, making Ethan’s heart do a slow roll in his chest.
He smiled against Jack’s lips, loving every single thing about the man in front of him. His mind, his body, his big, beautiful heart. “We’re going to make it last forever. You and me, Jack.”
“Do you know what else I’ve been wanting forever?” Jack asked playfully, his hands roaming over Ethan’s body like they belonged there.
Which, as far as Ethan was concerned, they did.
Jack didn’t wait for an answer, just laid down a line of kisses that started at Ethan’s jaw and ended just above his collarbone, at that spot on his neck that made him melt every single time Jack’s lips brushed against it.
“Forever?” Ethan finally asked, or… tried to ask. The word came out as more of a moan than a question as Jack’s hands moved lower, finding Ethan’s ass and cupping and squeezing it to pull him closer.
“Well,” Jack leaned back a little and grinned. “Maybe not forever. But this morning, when you were taking so long to get ready—”
Ethan gasped in mock outrage, even as a delicious, tingling heat started building up inside him, thickening his cock and making every inch of his skin feel like it was about ten times more sensitive.
“—it occurred to me that it’s been a while since we…” Jack waggled his eyebrows suggestively, kneading Ethan’s ass to let him know exactly what he was talking about.
Ethan laughed. “It’s been since last night, Jack.”
Not that he was arguing. On the contrary, he was already arching his back and pressing himself against Jack, loving the feel of Jack’s muscles, pinning him into the wall. Jack’s strength, taking what was his. And Jack’s rock-hard body that housed the sweetest, most reliable heart—the one that belonged to Ethan, now—wrapped around him.
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