THE PHOENIX WEDDING: The Complete 6 Books Series

by CJ Bishop

  Angel picked nervously at the comforter. “Do you want me to go with you when you go to their house? Or should I stay at the motel? Me being there might make it worse.”

  Halting what he was doing, Dane stepped over and tugged Angel to his feet and into his arms. “We’re going to be married,” he said. “You’re going to be my husband, the man I’m going to spend the rest of my life with. You are my everything, baby. Either they accept us both, or neither of us. If they reject us, then that’s their loss.” He kissed Angel. “It would be nice to be able to share all of this with them. To share you with them, and have them be a part of our family. But that’s up to them. Because fuck if I’m going to give up anything just get back in their favor. I’ve lived without them this long. If they insist on living inside closed minds, then so be it. I’m reaching out to them as a favor to them.” He pulled Angel closer, his voice softening. “Because it would be a shame if they never got to know the beautiful angel who has made their one and only son so incredibly happy.” He kissed him warmly. “And made his life complete.”

  Angel smiled and kissed his chest. “Well, when you put it like that.”

  “So, you’ll go with me…all the way?”

  Laughing softly, Angel inched closer and pressed his lips to his throat. “We’ve been going all the way for quite some time now.” Dane chuckled and Angel raised his face, accepting the man’s kiss on his mouth. “Yes, I’ll go with you—all the way.”

  “You’re the best.” Dane hugged him hard and Angel grunted then laughed. “We should only be gone maybe a day and a half, two at the most. The wedding is this weekend, and there’s still things to get done beforehand, so we won’t take too much time getting down there and back.”

  “When will we leave?”

  “I got us a flight for seven tomorrow morning,” Dane said.

  “You already got the plane tickets?”

  Dane nodded. “Ordered them online. We can pick them up at the airport.”

  “So you knew I’d go with you?” Angel smiled.

  Dane nodded. “Of course,” he grinned.

  Gripping his shirt in fists, Angel stood on his tip-toes and kissed Dane’s mouth, smiling against his lips. “Of course, he says.”

  ♦

  Abel met Devlin for lunch that same Monday and knew by the look on Devlin’s face when he walked in the restaurant that he had news to relay. Devlin had said he would do a search of the Illinois death records to see if anything came up on Abel’s parents. Had he found something? Abel didn’t know how to feel about if it turned out that they were dead.

  Standing up when Devlin approached the table, Abel kissed him then they both sat down. Abel twisted his glass of iced tea on the tabletop and looked anxiously at Devlin. “Any news?”

  Devlin nodded but held off as the waitress came over and took their orders. Once she was gone, Devlin took his hands and said gently, “I found a death record for your mom. But none for you father.”

  Nodding slowly, Abel squeezed Devlin’s hands. “How did she die?”

  Devlin hesitated, then murmured, “Accidental drug overdose.”

  Releasing a long breath, Abel said quietly, “I guess I’m not really surprised. I expected it to come to that.” He met Devlin’s gaze. “But no records of my dad?”

  “No death records, no.”

  Abel’s brow knit. “Were there other records on him?”

  “I found a marriage certificate dated about six months after your mother’s death,” Devlin said. “He married a woman eight years younger than him, named Meg Hollins.”

  “How long ago was this?”

  “A couple years ago,” Devlin told him. “I did a search on Meg Hollins and found out that she worked at a drug rehabilitation center. My guess is that that’s where she met your father.”

  “So you think he did get help?”

  “That’s what it looks like,” Devlin said. “Of course, it’s only speculation.” He cleared his throat. “But…” he kissed Abel’s hands. “I do have a phone number and address for them. They were listed in the white pages, so it didn’t really take much to locate them.”

  Abel’s stomach did a funny little flip-flop at the thought of actually taking the next step. “Did you find out anything else about my dad? What he does for a living? Anything at all?”

  “No,” Devlin murmured. “That’s all I could find. But if you want, I could have Frank Avery check it out, get some more details for you.”

  Sighing, Abel shook his head. “No, it’s not necessary. If I decide to contact him, I’ll just call. Or go see him.” He laced his fingers through Devlin’s and looked at him with uncertainty. “I’m kind of scared to see him again. He wasn’t a good dad. Not back then, anyway. But if he cleaned up his life…”

  “Hey,” Devlin said. “If you do go to see him, I will be right there with you. Okay?”

  Abel nodded and smiled, nervousness still squeezing his gut. “I don’t think I could do it alone. I mean, I’m not afraid of him. I’m just…” he shrugged and mumbled, “…nervous scared, you know?”

  “Yeah,” Devlin murmured. “I get it, baby. Of course, you’re going to be nervous. That’s perfectly natural.”

  Clearing his throat, Abel admitted quietly, “I never told him.”

  “Told him what?”

  “That I was gay.” Abel withdrew one hand and raised his glass, taking a drink. “Most of the time, they ignored us, neglected us. We spent a lot of time at home alone, sometimes for days on end. There was no real interaction between us and them. And when they did acknowledge our existence, it was in a negative way. My dad never called Savannah by her name, but always referred to her as…” he swallowed thickly. “As a little bitch.” His throat began to hurt as a lump formed and he shook his head, his eyes stinging. “You know what. Forget it. I don’t want to see him. He doesn’t deserve to be acknowledged by us now.” He ran a shaky hand across his mouth and took another drink of tea, blinking back the tears.

  Devlin took one of his hands again and kissed it softly. “I’ll support whatever you want to do, Abel. But if there is a chance that he’s sorry for the way he treated you and Savannah…don’t you think he deserves a chance to make it right?”

  Abel lowered his eyes, his lashes thick with tears. “Even if he’s sorry for that,” he whispered. “It doesn’t mean he’ll want a gay son. Most fathers don’t. As if it’s some negative reflection on them or something.”

  “Listen, baby,” Devlin said softly. “Ultimately, it’s your decision. And whatever you decide, it’s okay. If you choose to go see him and he is still a bad father, that’s on him. You still have your family here who loves and adores you just the way you are.”

  “No one will ever mean more to me and Savannah than this family,” Abel whispered. “Or more than you.”

  Arriving home after lunch with Devlin, Abel had the house to himself. Savannah often did her studies with Maddy at Max’s place or the library. Before returning to the hospital, Devlin had given Abel the phone number and address he’d written down.

  Abel sat at the kitchen table with the piece of note paper and his cell phone before him. Twenty minutes passed as he refilled his coffee cup a few times and repeatedly started to make the call before quickly hanging up each time.

  His hand shook as he picked up his phone and tried again. His thumb rested on the end button and he waited for himself to hit it as the line at the other end rang. This time, he let it go through as his heart pumped hard and fast in his chest and he began to feel a little sick to his stomach. His thoughts scattered, racing all over the place, and he jumped a little when the line picked up.

  “Hello?”

  Abel’s throat closed, shock silencing him. Where he’d expected a man or woman to answer—the voice that filtered through into his ear was that of a young boy, possibly early to mid-teens. It was a quiet voice, hesitant, as if he wasn’t comfortable talking on the phone.

  “Hello?” he said again, uncertainty causing a slig
ht tremor in his voice.

  Abel swallowed. “Hello…is this Jim Evers’ residence?”

  “Yes,” the boy said quietly. “But…but he isn’t home.”

  “Is Meg Hollins…or Meg Evers…there?”

  The boy went silent.

  “Hello?” Abel murmured.

  “She’s…” a sudden presence of emotion thickened the boy’s voice. “She…died. In a car accident.”

  “Oh…” Abel whispered. “I’m sorry, I didn’t…I didn’t know.” He licked his lips. “Who are you?”

  The boy fell quiet again, then answered unsteadily, “Her son. Noah.” A brief pause, then he added hesitantly, “Who’s this?”

  “Abel…Uh, Jesse. Jesse Evers.” The name felt foreign to him now, like that of a stranger’s. “Jim Evers’ son.”

  The boy—Noah—was silent again. When he spoke, doubt permeated his words. “He said he didn’t have any kids.”

  Abel trembled. “He does,” he whispered. “Me, and a daughter, too.”

  “Y-You’re…” Noah stammered, faltered, then managed, “You’re…really his son?”

  “Yes.”

  “So you’re…you’re my…stepbrother?”

  Abel didn’t miss the sudden hopeful note in the kid’s voice. “Yeah,” Abel murmured. “I guess I am.”

  “Are you going to come here?” Noah asked nervously. “To see Jim?”

  “I don’t…” Abel rubbed his mouth. “I don’t know. I should talk to him first. If he said he didn’t have any kids, he may not want to see me.”

  “But I want to see you,” Noah blurted out unexpectedly, then instantly fell silent.

  “I…” An uneasiness knotted Abel’s gut. “I would like to meet you, too. But-”

  “Please come,” Noah whispered with a sudden tremor that caught Abel off guard. “Please…”

  Abel’s vision blurred without warning as the desperation in the boy’s voice gripped his heart. “Noah…” he said quietly, the sick feeling mounting. “Are you okay?”

  A shuddered breath escaped the boy and tears filled his voice as he whispered, “Please come.”

  When Devlin arrived home a few hours later, Abel was waiting for him with a packed bag and two reserved seats on a private jet for early the next morning.

  Chapter 7

  Troublesome thoughts lingered with Gabe on into Tuesday morning. When Cole went to the club, Gabe paid a visit to Max, finding him and Darius having morning coffee together, but no Horatio.

  “Good morning, Gabe.” Max stood up from the table when Gabe entered the kitchen. “Some coffee?”

  Gabe nodded and smiled. “Thank you.” He cast another nod at Darius and exchanged pleasantries.

  “You alone this morning?” Max asked, filling a cup.

  “Yeah. Cole’s at the club.”

  Max eyed him as he handed him the coffee. “Is this a casual visit or something on your mind?”

  Gabe tapped the edge of his cup, his answer stalling.

  “If you need to speak to Max in private,” Darius said. “I can leave you two alone.”

  “No,” Gabe shook his head. “It’s all right. It’s nothing ultra-sensitive.” He sipped his coffee and licked his lips. “Can I…?” he motioned to the table.

  “Yes, of course,” Max said. “Sit. Join us.”

  The two men took a seat and Gabe cleared his throat, started to speak, then glanced around. “Where’s Horatio?”

  “He’s flying Abel and Devlin to Illinois.”

  “Oh.” Gabe frowned. “What? Why?”

  “Long story,” Max said. “I’ll explain later. What’s on your mind?”

  Gabe took another drink of coffee and twisted the cup on the table. “How much do you know about Cole’s family? His past?”

  Shaking his head, Max replied, “Not much. He’s always been very private about his life before he came to the club. The most he’s said to me was that his parents didn’t approve of him being gay and basically kicked him out when he turned eighteen. I was under the impression that they wanted him to join one of those ex-gay programs, or something akin to that, and he refused. I think they basically disowned him after that. He didn’t say all that in so many words, but that was the gist of it.” Max sipped from his cup, a puzzled frown on his face. “Why do you ask?”

  “He basically told me the same thing,” Gabe murmured. “It just feels like there’s a lot more to it. Cole isn’t one to hold grudges, and after all this time apart from his family, it just feels off that he wouldn’t even consider trying to contact them again. Take the same steps Dane is taking, to at least see if they’ve changed. It just doesn’t fit with who I know him to be.”

  Darius sat quietly, drinking his coffee and leaving the conversation to Max and Gabe.

  “You think he’s hiding something?” Max asked.

  “Maybe not hidinghiding something,” Gabe said. “As in, keeping back details that could affect our relationship. But I think he’s holding something back. Something…of significance to him.”

  Max nodded slowly. “He has always been somewhat evasive when it came to his past.” He stared a Gabe. “Are you thinking he may have been abused by his parents?”

  “I don’t know,” Gabe sighed. “He doesn’t really exhibit the tell-tale signs of past abuse. But I don’t know, maybe. It feels like something else, though. It’s almost like…” he frowned, his brow knitting tight. “…when he does mention the past, like he’s…reciting scripted lines.”

  Max and Darius exchanged glances. “You think he might be fabricating his past?” Darius ventured.

  Gabe shrugged. “I don’t know. It doesn’t make sense to me. Cole talks to me about everything. We’ve never had a problem communicating. But when it comes to his past, he clams up and gets irritated if I ask too much. And that isn’t Cole.”

  “Do want my advice?” Max asked.

  “Of course,” Gabe offered a small smile. “That’s why I’m here.”

  Max nodded. “As long as you don’t feel that he’s keep back something of importance to your relationship,” he said. “Then don’t push him on the subject. When he’s ready, he’ll open up about it. But it’s clearly a touchy subject with him and if you press him too much, it could affect your relationship. Let him come to you. He knows he can talk to you. He just has to come to the place where he feels comfortable talking about this.” Max raised his cup to his lips. “For now, just focus on the wedding and making a life together. I have no doubt he will come around in time and explain everything to you. Right here and now…” Max smiled. “You have plenty to be joyous about. We all do. So don’t let this one thing ruin this amazing moment in your lives.”

  Gabe smiled. “I won’t.” He finished his coffee and stood up. “I’m going to head down to the club as well.” He stepped over and kissed Max on top of the head. “Thanks, pops.”

  “You’re welcome, kiddo,” Max chuckled.

  ♦

  “The whole notion of reconciliation with family is a nice idea,” Darius said after Gabe was gone. “But not all families are reconcilable.” He emptied his cup and left the table to refill it.

  “True,” Max nodded. “Take Adrian and his brother Tazz. Sadly, I think some people are truly lost causes.”

  Darius agreed as he poured fresh brew into his cup. His voice lowered with a personal note. “Sometimes the best thing to do is cut all ties and move on.”

  Max looked at him when he sat down again. “Are you speaking from personal experience?” Darius had never spoken of extended family on either his mother’s or their father’s side. “Do we have family out there that I’m not aware of?”

  He didn’t receive an answer right away as Darius blew on his coffee then took a drink. He set the cup down and cradled it in his palms. “Yes,” he admitted quietly.

  “Our father’s relatives?”

  Darius nodded and averted his eyes.

  “I didn’t know there was anyone but you,” Max said. “And our dad. Are you acquaint
ed with them?”

  “I know them,” Darius murmured but offered no more.

  Max recalled when he first met Darius, and the young man asking if it was easier to live openly in New York than where he’d grown up. He’d cited that those who were gay felt the need to hide it; not for shame, but mere survival. Darius hadn’t expounded on the subject back then, but now Max wondered how much more there was to it.

  “Do they know about me?” Max asked.

  “Maybe,” Darius said. “I don’t know. No one mentioned you to me. I only found out about you when my father had his outburst about me being gay.”

  Leaning forward, Max asked quietly, “Did something happen between you and some of our relatives? You don’t seem too fond of them.”

  Darius lowered his eyes. “They’re not good people, Max,” he whispered and looked up, troubled shadows behind his stare. “Don’t ever try to connect with them. Don’t let them know you even exist. And especially…” he pursed his lips anxiously and gripped his coffee cup. “…don’t let them know about your club or…your boys.”

  ♦

  Dane and Angel’s plane landed at McKellar-Sipes Regional airport in Jackson, Tennessee at about nine-forty-five Tuesday morning. Dane had a rental car reserved as well as a motel room. They got settled into the room, relaxed for an hour—during which they had some very hot and wild sex to release their tension.

  Following a long shower, they dressed to head out for Marion, Dane’s hometown, twenty miles east of Jackson. Though the drive was short, it seemed to take forever as both Dane and Angel’s nerves wound up tight again.

  “Still want to do this?” Angel asked quietly when they passed into the city limits of the small town.

  “Kind of late to turn back now.” A slight strain stretched Dane’s voice. On the outside, he was calm. But Angel knew he was feeling a powerful nervousness inside. This was a huge step for him that had a fifty-fifty chance of resulting in disaster; possibly a bit higher on the negative side.