“The bed is lonely,” Charlie complained.
I turned and received a kiss. When I tried to say something, Charlie pointed above the door at the mistletoe. “I’m not standing under it,” I said.
“Preemptive kiss,” he claimed, then took another.
“You two look good together,” Clay said, entering the kitchen to put his cup into the dishwasher. He gave us a wistful smile. “Though it does make me wish Trish was here.”
“She’s coming in the morning, right?”
Trish worked overnight for the Gianettis, stocking shelves and doing general cleaning. It was where she and Clay met, in fact, when he stopped in one night, desperate for a coffee fix. It wasn’t much as far as a job went, but they paid her well, and she said they treated her like she was valuable, and she appreciated that.
“She should be here by five. Mr. Gianetti told her she could have the night off, but she said there wasn’t anyone else to work. She can’t wait. She’s never been to a big old gay wedding before. I told her the two of you would be dressed up in lavender tuxes, with enormous pink boutonnières. I don’t know if she thinks I’m serious or not, but the look on her face was well worth it.”
Charlie shook his head. “I’m so glad I’m going to be a member of this family,” he stated. “You all are awesome.”
A quick shrug of his shoulder, a grin, and Clay announced he was going to retire for the night.
I nudged Charlie. “He’s going to be up at four, trying to get the rest of us to wake up and open gifts.”
“You know I outgrew that, right?” Clay said again, but not too convincingly.
His indignation made me laugh. I had missed Clay during the holidays. He had a warm, giving spirit. Mom had told me the sheriff’s office ran a Toys for Tots drive every year, and Clay spent hundreds of dollars to ensure that every kid in the area who needed a happy holiday would find something under the tree with their name on it. As proud as I was that Clay was the sheriff, the fact that he grew up to be a decent human being was even better.
CHAPTER TWENTY
“NERVOUS?” CLAY asked as he straightened my bow tie.
“How can you tell?” I shot back, then ducked my head. “Sorry.”
He reached out and rubbed my shoulder. “There isn’t anything to worry about. Charlie loves you,” Clay reminded me. “Hell, seeing the two of you together, I might even be a little jealous. Trish doesn’t look at me like that. What’s your secret?”
“It’s the whole gay thing, of course.”
He gave me a smirk. “Do you think if I switch to men, you’ll get credit for it?”
“I might! And I’m so close to earning that toaster, that would go a long way.” I laughed at his expression before Clay wrapped me in a hug.
“Thank you for asking me to be here with you.”
It was going to be a small ceremony, only family and the judge. I was so hyped by what lay ahead, my pills barely took the edge off. Mom was here, as was Clay—who was going to act as my best man, even though it was a civil ceremony, and he’d brought Trish with him. Charlie’s sister had come to stand with him, and she had been crying buckets before we’d even gotten inside the courthouse. Charlie’s parents had flown in, and when I first met them, his mother hugged me and his father nearly broke my spine. I loved them right away.
I’d invited Dr. Rob, but he’d declined. I wasn’t upset about it, but I would have felt weird if I hadn’t at least let him know he was welcome. Mr. Gianetti and his wife had come. He was surprised when I asked, but he had kept me well-stocked with groceries for years. Plus, I got to meet his family. It was fun watching Mrs. Gianetti fuss over her husband, and despite his complaints, I knew he loved her.
“I’m glad you said yes,” I told Clay. “Having you here makes me a little calmer.”
“It’s not too late for us to jump in the car and head for Canada,” Clay reminded me. “We could become lumberjacks or Hungry Jacks or something.”
That made me chuckle. “For the first time in my life, I feel like I belong somewhere. Charlie’s incredible, and having him up at the house with me has made it into a home. And having him here makes me feel… I’m not even sure how to express it.”
“Maybe complete? I know the pills help, but you seemed much calmer around him even before you started taking them.”
I thought back. “Yeah, complete is a good word. My touchstones used to be my books and things. But now, if I need reassurance, the first thing I do is look for Charlie. He’s always able to ground me with a touch.”
A knock on the door had me drawing in a deep breath. The moment I’d been waiting for—and fearing—had finally arrived.
“Showtime,” I said, my hands a little shaky.
“It’s fine. Just us. Remember that. Everyone in that room is your family.”
We stepped into the hall. There wasn’t anyone around since it was the holiday, which made things a little easier. As we entered the room, I saw everyone turn toward Clay and me. They all smiled, and Mr. Gianetti gave a small wave, which turned into him wiping his eyes. Then my gaze was drawn to where Charlie stood. He’d chosen a charcoal gray suit and burgundy tie. He looked so handsome standing there, waiting for me. He grinned when he saw me, and I felt my body heat.
At the front of the room stood the last man I’d ever expected to be presiding over a marriage between two men. Judge Hamlin had always seemed to be a bitter, homophobic old man when I had him as a teacher, but when he saw me, his eyes twinkled.
“Matthew, it’s very good to see you out and about,” he said. “I’m honored I was asked to officiate this wedding.”
Clay urged me forward. When I stood next to Charlie, he reached for my hand.
“I know this is a civil ceremony, but if the two gentlemen don’t mind, I have something I’d like to say,” Judge Hamlin said.
Charlie’s brow furrowed, and his grip tightened slightly. “Okay.”
“Thank you.” Judge Hamlin turned his attention to the sparse number of people with us and cleared his throat. “I’ve known Matt since he was my student in high school. I could stand up here and wax lyrical about what an amazing person he was, but I won’t do that. Each and every one of you knows exactly what kind of person he is. When he withdrew from the community, we were the ones who lost out. His capacity for giving was one of his best features. He always stood up for others. Never had I seen him talk down to anyone, with maybe the exception of his younger brother.”
Everyone laughed, and Clay got up and waved, which made them roar.
Judge Hamlin stood there and waited for the people to calm down before he continued. “Matt constantly reminded me of why I became a teacher. Yes, I rode him harder than anyone else, because there was so much potential in him. And then, in a moment, someone he’d trusted, someone he’d tried to help, snuffed it out.”
I tried to draw away from Charlie, but he held fast, his eyes locked on the officiant. I could see the anger in his gaze, and feared he was about to say something, but Judge Hamlin spoke again.
“At least I thought they’d snuffed it out. You see, Matt proved himself to be a strong individual in the most trying of times. He pulled himself up, dusted himself off, and forged a life. It’s not one most of us would choose for ourselves, because it wasn’t an easy one. He had only himself to rely on. However, if there is one thing I can say with absolute certainty, it’s that if you ever needed a person to put your faith in, Matt would be the one.”
Warmth flooded my body. Choices I wished I had made no longer seemed relevant. Today was the only thing I needed to think about.
“And now,” Judge Hamlin continued, “he stands here with another man who is a recent addition to our community. Someone who helped Matt blossom once again. And they’ve asked me to be a part of the melding of their lives. I can honestly say, never in my years as a teacher, as a lawyer, or as a judge, have I ever been so proud to be here while a member of our family comes home again.”
Charlie wrapped me in
his arms and whispered, “Wow. I’m marrying a celebrity.” When he stepped back, he turned to Judge Hamlin. “Thank you for what you said. It’s great to know that people think so highly of Matt.”
Judge Hamlin’s voice cracked a bit when he said, “I wanted to be there for him, but respected his wishes to be left alone. In hindsight, it was a failure on my part. I’m sorry for that, Matt.”
“Thank you,” I replied.
“Okay, I think these two men have waited long enough to be married! So, are you both ready? Who has the rings?”
“I do,” Clay replied.
“Great. I’d say join hands, but I see that’s already accomplished,” Judge Hamlin said, nodding toward us. “Matt, today in front of those gathered here, you’re adding another branch to your family tree. When we graft one onto the other, it takes a lot of love, careful tending, and faith for it to grow strong enough to help support the whole. Do you think the man who stands beside you possesses the maturity, wisdom, and stamina to help your tree grow?”
“Yes. I do.”
Judge Hamlin winked at me. “I thought you might.” He turned his attention to Charlie. “Charles Carver, you’re here today to accept this branch for your own tree. It’s been tested and proven its strength, but it’s also a bit frail. Do you have the internal fortitude to help it flourish and once again blossom like it should have all those years ago? Yours is the toughest job, because this branch will depend on you in ways you might not have discovered yet. Do you think the man beside you possesses the character, the intellect, and the love to help your tree grow?”
“I do.”
“Then by the power vested in me by the great state of Maine, I happily pronounce your trees grafted.”
“Still on the horticulture kick?” Clay teased.
“Hey, it works for trees and for people,” I replied.
“Okay, now the two of you can go ahead and kiss. And make it a good one, because there will be pictures you’re going to have to see for the rest of your lives.”
Charlie pulled me toward him and wrapped a hand around my neck. He held me close, whispered he loved me, then brought our mouths together. While I heard the clicking of cell phones and cameras, nothing distracted me from pouring every bit of love I possessed for this man into my kiss. When we parted, we were surrounded by our family, who’d come to congratulate us. I was delighted they’d been here to share this moment.
Nothing could be more perfect than this place, this time. For so many years I hid away, afraid of the world. Charlie, who now had his arm wrapped around my waist, had brought me back to life again. He’d shown me that some things are worth fighting for.
He’d shown me I was.
“We have a reception at the hall across the street,” Mr. Gianetti told me. “The boys are over there setting it up, and when you’re ready, we’ll go on over and eat.”
“You’re not getting cheesecake,” Mrs. Gianetti admonished. “There are some perfectly good berries on the buffet. Eat as much of that as you want.”
He glared at her, then grinned when she pinched his cheeks.
“I love you, you know.”
The way he smiled, I could tell he did.
We went to the hall Clay had rented. Mr. Gianetti’s sons, all four of them, had just finished setting everything up. There were bowls of shrimp on ice, serving dishes with fried chicken, pork chops, breaded mushrooms and cheese sticks, onion rings, rows of pastries, ice cream, and the most beautiful cake I’d ever seen, with two miniature grooms atop it.
“Wow,” I said, which I knew was the understatement of the year. “This is amazing.”
Mrs. Gianetti came over and pulled me against her. “Theo thinks of you like one of his own, you know. If one of the boys was to get married—and God, please let it be soon—this would be his gift to them too.”
“But this is a lot of food for so few people.”
She shrugged and let go of me. “Theo believes food is a great equalizer. From kings to paupers, everyone eats, he says. So one person or one hundred, he’s going to make sure you never forget this night.”
As she said that, Mr. Gianetti strode over and kissed her on the cheek. He had a thick slice of cheesecake in his hand. She frowned at him, but when he gave her a smile, she melted.
“One piece,” she said, wagging a finger at him.
“Yes, dear. Of course. I would never have more than one.”
She turned to me. “He thinks I didn’t see the other one he ate when he was at the dessert table.”
He scowled at her, then smiled and kissed her on the cheek. I laughed, because even I could see the amount of love between them.
“You’ve got a great family,” Mr. Gianetti said as he and his wife walked away. “You ought to be proud.”
And I was.
When I glanced at my watch, I was surprised—but happy—to see how much time had passed. It was already after six, and I had been able to keep myself calm by focusing on other things. Like watching my family and Charlie’s mingle. His mother had mine in one corner of the room. They both had their phones out and were making aww faces, so I guessed they were sharing pictures. Charlie had danced with everyone at least once—including Clay, at Trish’s urging—and they’d been laughing when they left the dance floor, hand in hand. Clay had even given Charlie a hug before he grabbed Trish up in his arms and carried her out so they could share a dance.
As I watched them, seeing the love that was almost palpable between them, Teresa swooped in. “Congratulations. You’ve got yourself a good man.”
“Don’t I know it,” I told her, watching as Mrs. Gianetti loaded up a plate for Charlie, whose eyes went wide at the amount of food she was giving him.
“I have to tell you, I have never seen this side of Charlie before. I thought he and Mitch were in love, but seeing him with you? That dreamy expression he gets whenever he looks at you?” She shrugged. “He never once had that with Mitch. But Charlie is ever the gentleman. I didn’t know that Mitch had cheated on him. Charlie said they agreed to some mutual time away. I just assumed they’d get back together. This Charlie? The one you married today? He’s a way better man.”
“Thank you,” I said, my throat a little dry. “He makes me better too.”
“You’ll be good to him, right?” she asked, then bit her lip.
“Of course. I—”
Her parents came walking up to us. “Ignore Teresa. She likes to think of Charlie as her baby. Welcome to the family, Matt,” Gail said, giving me another hug.
The whole lot of them seemed to be huggers, and it was something I would need to get used to.
“The ceremony was beautiful. I like the judge.”
“Yeah, I thought he hated me when I was a kid. Live and learn, I guess.”
“You look like a man who could use some saving,” Charlie said as he strode over to us. He held out his hand. “Can I have this dance?”
“If you don’t mind risking broken toes, yes.”
He led me out onto the dance floor and took me in his arms. “This night? It’s pure magic,” he said. “I’ve pinched myself at least a dozen times to prove I’m not dreaming.”
I wouldn’t tell him I’d done the same.
As the evening wore down, Charlie and I went out, enjoying the nip in the air. The sky was a tapestry of stars against a black backdrop. The moon hung pendulously overhead, so big and bright you would think you could actually reach out and pluck it from the sky.
“Well, Mr. Bowers, how do you think it went?”
I turned and gazed into his eyes. “I think the phrase you used said it best. Pure magic. A year ago, if you had said I would be standing up in front of a group of people, saying I would gladly take someone’s hand in marriage, I would have scoffed and then said you were wrong. Now? I swear I can’t remember a time when you weren’t a part of my life. It’s like everything else is the dream, and now reality starts from here.”
He bent down and kissed me again. That light-headed, dizzy f
eeling I got when he did? I hoped never to lose it.
“You know, if I hadn’t gotten home that night, I would have married Mitch. I would have played at being happy, but I wouldn’t have been. And knowing he was cheating while we were together? Makes me wonder if he would have stopped if we had gone ahead with a wedding.”
“I don’t know the answer to that. But his loss? It’s my gain.”
“You always know the nicest things to say,” he said, kissing my neck.
“Well, when you have a writer in the family, you tend to pick up a few things.”
He laughed, and his breath fogged the air.
“I’m getting cold,” I told him. “Can we go home so you can warm me up?”
“I think that’s the best idea I’ve heard today.”
We walked back to where Charlie had parked at City Hall. I didn’t want to catch a ride with anyone else. The night was simply too perfect to let it go by. He held my hand the whole way home, being attentive and sweet. It felt wrong of me, but I was glad his ex was a lying cheat, because he’d given me a gift. I briefly wondered if it would be in poor form to send a thank-you card. I decided it probably would be, but the idea still made me smile a little.
He drove us back to the house, and when we got inside, he pinned me against the door and kissed me as he undressed me. An owl hooted from one of the trees, and the wind had picked up a little, but the night couldn’t be better.
“I need you tonight, Matt. I want to fall asleep in your arms. I want the first day of our new life to be special.”
“Sounds good to me!”
“No, you don’t understand. I need you. Every bit of you has to surround me, and make me yours. Show me what it’s like to be married to the man I love.”
I hesitated, and he must have known what was in my mind.
“I don’t mean sex. I mean intimacy. I just want you to touch me. Please?”
“That sounds good,” I said, taking him into the bedroom and watching as he began to strip off his clothes. Though they were our good things, we threw them haphazardly about the room. Decorum had gone out the window, and it had been replaced by a deep, gnawing need to simply be together.
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