The Boyfriend Cruise
Page 19
“Do you love him?”
“Yes, I do.” But you haven’t told Nathan yet.
“So you trust him and you love him. What reason would you have to worry?”
“Dad, it’s more complicated than that.”
“No, it isn’t. Love and trust? Those two things are at the heart of everything. Once you have that, everything else falls into place.”
“It does?”
“Yes. When I met your mom, I didn’t have any money. I was in college, and she was a waitress. We lived above that bookstore, remember?”
Josh nodded. He’d heard this story before, but not in this context, so he listened intently.
“Did you know your mom never had a dining room table until we got the Hampton Street house?”
Josh thought about their first house, but his memories were vague at best. The large suburban brick home his parents lived in now was the house he’d called his childhood home.
“I could never afford to give your mother a dining room table,” Dad went on. “We got married, then had Luke, you, and Clare. I was a resident, working all the time, and we were struggling to pay off my student loans. But when we were able to build our dream home, Mom was so excited to finally have her first dining room table. With matching chairs. When it was delivered, she was so excited that it made me cry. I felt like a failure that I’d never been able to give my wife a stupid table.”
“Dad, you’ve given all of us everything,” Josh said, startled by the story.
He raised a finger on point, his graying brown hair fluttering in the tropical breeze. “That’s what Mom said. She was confused why I was upset. And I told her that she sacrificed everything for my career. She gave up college to raise you kids, but I couldn’t even give her a table. She just laughed at me. She said she didn’t sacrifice anything because she had everything she wanted. Love and trust. Me and you kids. So when you think love and trust aren’t the most important things?” Dad’s voice cracked a little. “Lemme tell you something, Josh. Love and trust are a lot more important than a dining room table.”
Chapter Eighteen
“HAVE YOU seen him yet?”
“No,” Clare and Aaron both said, sounding annoyed.
“We will let you know when we see him,” Clare said.
“We know we’re looking for him,” Aaron added.
After Josh talked to Dad, he’d searched for Nathan.
He had to tell him that he loved him!
But none of the crew on the island had seen him. Josh didn’t see him on the ship when he searched the common areas. In the Aruba Lounge, Roxy had been cleaning the counter for the evening rush. She hadn’t seen Nathan either but said she’d let Nathan know Josh was looking for him.
The pitying look Roxy had given him didn’t ease Josh’s worries.
Josh needed to talk to Nathan desperately.
To apologize and tell him he was sorry for going silent. That he loved him too, and he wanted to give their love a chance.
Assuming Nathan still wanted him after the way Josh had treated him.
All through dinner, Josh could barely eat, picking at his food and lying to Mom that he’d had a big lunch. He hadn’t eaten anything since dinner last night with Nathan and his family.
Dinner took forever, and the Christmas music was grating on his nerves! If he had to hear “a-rum-bum-bum-bum” one more time, he would snap.
This damn ship was not that big. Nathan must be intentionally hiding from him. That had to be it.
“Nathan will be onstage, so you can talk to him afterward,” Dad said as they headed to the ballroom for the Winter Wonderland Extravaganza. Dad squeezed Josh’s shoulder and smiled. “Trust me, son. It’ll work out.”
Josh’s stomach knotted, and his heart pounded when he entered the ballroom. Nathan’s name was still on the sign outside. It was a Christmas variety show, and Brian the wizard would be the emcee, and Nathan would be singing several solos.
They found some empty seats, but just before they sat, Raoul insisted they move to a table in the front row. Josh saw Dad slip Raoul a tip and a wink.
Well, Dad did like good seats.
Nathan can’t ignore me if I’m right up front.
But you’ll deserve it if he does.
The lights dimmed, and Brian filled the spotlight onstage. “Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to our Winter Wonderland Extravaganza,” Brian announced. He had something sparkling on his fingertips, and Josh wondered if it was magic of some sort.
The sprites came out first, Penelope right in the front.
“Oh, this is gonna be good,” Dad said, rubbing his hands together and sharing a smile with Luke.
Mom and Ramona exchanged disgusted glances.
So they had noticed their men’s crushes on Penelope.
As the sprites danced and flitted about the stage, Josh allowed himself to enjoy the performance and appreciate the sleight of hand and the subtle blending of magic with reality. Several of the dancers flew across the stage, wearing angel costumes. Everyone marveled at the special effects, but Josh watched it with a different eye. Like he was the only one in the room who knew the surprise ending of the movie, seeing all the clues no one else noticed.
Hiding in plain sight, Nathan had called it.
Josh studied the audience. The fairies at a nearby table all had glorious wings, some even opening and closing like butterflies at rest. How had none of them noticed that before? And the two very hairy men in the corner he kept seeing in the pool had to be werewolves. Maybe he would ask Nathan.
As if thinking the man’s name made him real, his voice came over the loudspeakers.
When Nathan glided onto the festooned stage, there were quite a few excited whispers and giggles among the men and some of the ladies in the audience. The lights dimmed, a spotlight illuminating Nathan, and the sparkle and glow of trees behind him looked like a magical Christmas Wonderland indeed. The air sparkled with snowflakes that never really fell, but just caught the light. But Josh could only see Nathan.
Nathan truly was captivating.
Incubus charm.
But there was more to it.
As Nathan broke into an angelic version of “The First Noel,” Josh studied him. Those lips and that tongue made such beautiful music, but they had also made beautiful love to Josh. His smile was brighter than the glowing North Star hanging from the ceiling. The delicate waves of his golden hair more glorious than the ribbons swathing the trees onstage. The sparkle in his green eyes prettier than the twinkling lights. There was nothing but absolute perfection standing on that stage.
And he loves me.
Josh still couldn’t wrap his head around that.
And he hoped he hadn’t screwed it up too badly by being the worrier his family had warned him not to be.
When the last refrain faded, it was as if a spell had been cast on the audience, and everyone took a collective sigh. Quite a few people dabbed the corners of their eyes with tissues. The stage lights shifted, now twinkling all white and gold.
“Ladies and gentlemen, thank you all for attending our concert this evening,” Nathan said, his smile dazzling. “We have several more performances for you to enjoy. But if you would allow me a moment of personal indulgence, there’s someone special I’d like to dedicate a song to.” He gestured to the back of the auditorium. “Charlie, do you have my song ready?”
The entire time Nathan had been on the stage, his gaze had not once alighted on Josh.
But suddenly their eyes met.
“Josh Gilbert,” he said into the microphone, “this is for you.”
Mom, Ramona, and Clare grabbed each other’s hands, squealing with delight. Luke whipped out his iPhone, as if on cue. Aaron grabbed Dad’s arm, his mouth a gaping cavern as he muttered, “O-M-F-G, Mr. G!”
Josh was so stunned he couldn’t move.
The familiar notes of Billy Joel’s “Innocent Man” filled the auditorium.
As Nathan sang each word, he never looked away
from Josh.
Josh felt the weight of every set of eyes upon him as the audience figured out he was the recipient of the love song. Luke standing in the aisle filming it all was probably the first clue, Josh’s hands over his mouth in shock, the other.
Josh’s heart pounded in his chest, and his eyes watered. Unable to believe Nathan was singing his favorite song, he brushed a tear away.
More kept falling.
Nathan hit every note more powerfully and intensely than the original version, causing goose bumps all over Josh’s arms.
Nathan’s asking me to take a chance on love…. He loves me!
He was grateful most people didn’t listen to the lyrics of songs with an ear to understanding how much they said about a person, because every word Nathan sang was like opening a door to Josh’s heart. His old fears of being hurt, or ending up alone because of an inability to take a risk, all of that had disappeared in the face of the man he loved. It had felt good and right that he open up his body, his heart to Nathan, from the first moment they met. And when Nathan smiled at him, Josh knew his heart was in good hands.
Gasping in surprise, Josh sat up straighter when the spotlight followed Nathan walking to the end of the stage. He thought he heard Mom squeal—though it could’ve been Aaron—but his pulse was pounding too loudly to be sure, his attention riveted to Nathan.
He’s walking toward me!
Josh shot a nervous look around the room, knowing everyone was staring at him, but his gaze went quickly back to the man serenading him, all but pleading for Josh’s love in the face of Josh’s doubt.
It was pure magic.
Nathan seemed to float across the floor, the words of the song both sorrow and joy, both pleading and full of understanding. All of it wrapped around Josh like an embrace. Nathan blurred a little bit through Josh’s tears.
He wiped his face, and when he opened his eyes, Nathan stood right in front of him, singing.
Nathan reached out his hand to Josh. Unable to do anything else, Josh took it as the last line of the song washed over the crowd.
“I love you, Josh Gilbert,” Nathan said as the notes of music faded and a hushed silence fell over the ballroom.
Gazing deep into Josh’s eyes, Nathan knelt on one knee and said into the microphone, “Will you make me the happiest man in the world and be my husband?”
The entire audience exploded with cheers. The loudest hoots and whistles came from the Gilbert table.
Josh couldn’t speak. His blood thundered in his ears, drowning out the roar of the audience.
He only had eyes for Nathan.
Nathan stared at him, waiting. He lowered the microphone to his lap, his face suddenly nervous. “Hon, you didn’t answer. Will you marry me?” he whispered.
“Yes!”
“He said yes,” Nathan announced into the microphone, and the cheers grew louder.
Josh threw himself into Nathan’s arms, crushing the microphone between them and sending static through the sound system. Josh wasn’t sure, but he thought it was Dad who had the smarts to take the microphone from Nathan as they stood and embraced.
“Sorry, I just…,” Josh muttered.
“I love you. That’s all that matters.”
“Love and trust, that’s all that matters,” Josh whispered in his ear. “And I love you.”
And when Nathan kissed him, there was not another sound in the universe but their two beating hearts.
Nathan pulled back and pressed their foreheads together. “You probably think I’m crazy planning all of this when you were mad at me, but….”
Josh quickly placed a hand on Nathan’s chest. “I wasn’t angry. Never angry. There’s just a lot to think about. But I do love you. That I know.”
“Say it again, please?”
Josh grinned. “I love you, Nathan Bradshaw.”
“I’m glad you finally said it, but I have to confess. I already knew that before I proposed.”
“You did?” Was detecting love an incubus talent?
“Yes, a little birdie told me.”
Josh shot a look at his mother, and she threw up her hands. “Don’t look at me! I’m just as surprised as you are.”
Dad stepped forward, looking chagrined. “Honestly, son, I’m the one who meddled this time. But by your smile, I don’t think you can be that upset with me.”
Josh’s eyes got huge. “You? What did you do?”
Dad placed a hand on Josh’s shoulder and the other on Nathan’s, smiling back and forth between them. “Son, I’ve never seen you happier than when you’re with Nathan. And after our talk today, I went looking for him. I hope you don’t feel that I betrayed your trust, but I told Nathan some of the things that we talked about. Told him that you loved him but might need a romantic gesture to get you out of your own head. The proposal was all Nathan’s idea.”
“Mr. G saves the day,” Aaron said, wiping away his happy tears too.
Laughing, Josh threw himself into his father’s arms and hugged him tight. “Thank you, Dad! Thank you so much, for everything!”
“Well! I get in trouble for meddling, and he gets hugs,” Mom griped good-naturedly.
Wiping away his tears, Josh hugged his mother next. “I’m still not happy about that fishing pole, but thank you for bringing me on this cruise.” He grinned at his whole family. “Thank you all for being so awesome to me.” Then he looked at Nathan and smiled, his eyes watery. “To both of us.”
IT FELT like an eternity before Josh and Nathan were finally alone. Between all of the congratulations from strangers, the gloating from the Gilbert women that the “boyfriend cruise” had become the “husband cruise,” and Josh’s begrudging thanks for their meddling, they’d had a hard time making their escape to privacy.
“I thought we’d never be alone,” Nathan said from behind him.
Josh scanned his room card, and Nathan’s eager hands pressed on Josh’s back, all but pushing him through the unopened door. He looked over his shoulder at his boyfriend—no, his fiancé. “Nathan, would you like to come into my room and stay the night?”
“Yes, please.” Then Nathan thrust his hard cock against Josh’s back.
Josh whimpered. “Hold on, I gotta get the door open,” he said, suddenly breathless with want, as he fumbled with the handle.
They tumbled inside and quickly shut the door. Nathan had Josh in his arms before the latch clicked.
“Wait.” Josh placed both hands on Nathan’s chest, stopping a kiss.
Worry creased Nathan’s brow. “You don’t want…?”
Josh laughed. “Oh, we’re doing it. But we won’t stop once we start, so I need to say a few things first.”
Nathan nodded and put his hands to the side, stepping back.
Josh chuckled. “Don’t look so serious. It’s all good, I think.” He gently patted Nathan’s chest, Nathan’s heart racing beneath his palm.
“Okay.”
Josh turned to walk all the way into the stateroom but drew up short with a gasp.
Instead of two beds, one giant king-size bed filled the center of the room. The creative towel origami the staff usually made was replaced with a sprinkling of red rose petals. Three gorgeous overflowing bouquets of flowers sat on the end tables and the small table in the sitting area. There were candles all over, but they must’ve been bewitched, because the flames did not flicker in the cool ocean breeze wafting in from the wide-open patio doors. A bucket with a bottle of champagne and two glasses sat on a serving cart laden with cheeses, breads, chocolate-dipped strawberries, and gourmet pastries.
Josh faced Nathan. “Did you…?”
“Nope.”
“How did it happen?”
Nathan was grinning. “Magic.”
“I could get used to this.”
“But you wanted to talk to me first. Should I open the champagne?”
Though Josh knew they had a few things to straighten out, tonight they were celebrating. Celebrating love and trust and a wonderful re
lationship he never thought possible. “Yes, please.”
Nathan walked over to the serving cart and expertly popped the cork, then filled a sparkling flute for each of them. He handed one to Josh.
“A toast.” Nathan held up his drink. “To finally knowing true happiness.”
Josh’s face crumpled. “Aww, you’re gonna make me cry again.”
“As long as they’re happy tears, I’m okay with that.”
“They’re very very happy tears,” Josh said, and they clinked glasses.
After a fortifying swallow of the sweet, sparkling beverage, Josh studied the carpet, hoping to see the words he needed to say lying there. Eventually, he looked up at Nathan’s pensive face.
“I’ve never been in love before,” Josh began.
“I haven’t either,” Nathan whispered.
He tipped his head to the side. “You mean every….” He didn’t want to say “conquest,” so he just left the statement hanging. “You never loved any of them?”
Nathan shook his head. “No. Only you, Josh.”
“Wow.” Josh set his glass down. “Then that makes what I’m about to say either really stupid or smart. I don’t know yet.”
Josh walked toward the open patio doors, not going outside but leaning on the jamb. The curtains fluttered around him in the breeze. The rush of the waves filled the air, and very faint sounds of music wafted down from the deck above. It was late, and the moon hung in the sky like a Christmas ornament full of glowing magic pixies, its light and the stars reflecting across the vast expanse of sea.
Nathan joined him, but unlike Josh, he boldly stepped onto the balcony. He took a deep inhale of the crisp sea air, then turned and leaned against the railing to face Josh. He’d removed the bow tie from his tuxedo and popped the top few buttons. The moonlight silvered his golden hair, and he looked ethereal, something made of magic, inhuman. It almost hurt Josh to look at him, he was so beautiful.
And he loves me.
“Thank you for the song. That was so romantic,” Josh said. Clare and Ramona had made a few comments to Aaron they thought Josh hadn’t overheard about the Billy Joel song not being a good choice for a proposal. Aaron had insisted it was just right, because he understood not only Josh’s love of the song, but Josh himself.