Sweet and Sexy

by Jeff Adams

  “Good evening. I’m Simon Miller-Roberts and I’m honored to offer the toast to Leo and Matt. I’ve known Leo most of my life. We grew up not too far from here, and lived close enough that we saw each other almost every day. A few years ago he officiated my wedding and I’m thrilled to be here today as he begins a new phase of his life with Matty. I met Matty at the same time Leo did. It was an exhibition hockey game that Leo, my husband, and I came to Pittsburgh to play. Leo and Matty were teammates, and between the game and after party they got to know each other.

  “Over the past decade, it’s been great to watch these two grow in so many ways. They’ve had their challenges, but they knew they wanted to be together and they’ve made adjustments so their lives can go the direction they want.

  “In the past few months, they’ve completely made over their lives. It’s a challenge they took head on and I dare say they’ve only grown stronger as a couple as a result. Matty’s completely changed careers—and for the best, as far as I can tell based on some of the amazing food we’ve had tonight. Leo’s still doing what he loves, but he’s also joined Matty in his business. I have no doubt their evolution will continue now that they’re formally joined together.

  “To my friends, and on behalf of all of us gathered, I wish you the best future possible. Congratulations on your marriage.”

  Simon raised his glass, came over to us, and clinked both of our glasses before raising his glass to the crowd. “To Leo and Matt.”

  “Leo and Matt!” the crowd echoed back.

  I was so proud to stand next to Matty in this moment. We locked hands and eyes. As he drank, I saw that he’d teared up, which made me well up, too.

  “I love you,” I said as we finished our drinks and both dabbed at our eyes with our handkerchiefs. “Shall we do this?”

  He nodded and set his glass aside. He grabbed up the knife and I joined him. The baker had coached us on this earlier. We placed the knife above the middle tier and made the cut so we extracted a triangle-shaped piece. We’d decided I’d feed Matty first. I held the piece of chocolate orange cake up and he took a big bite. As planned, there was no cake shoving. We wanted to keep ourselves tidy and dignified.

  I put the piece back on the plate and Matty fed me in the same way. While I was chewing, though, he went off script and pulled me in for a kiss. We ended up sharing cake. It was wonderful and we laughed as the joy of the moment overtook us. The crowd loved it and applauded.

  Simon handed us napkins since we’d gotten a little messy, despite our best intentions.

  “Good job, guys.” We got quick hugs before Simon rejoined Alex.

  “Thank you all for being here,” I said once I regained my composure. “We’re glad you could celebrate with us. Please enjoy some cake, more drink, and the band.”

  The band started up with “I Won’t Give Up,” the song that played right after he proposed. I looked to him and he raised his eyebrows.

  He’d planned this. He reached out and I took his hand. Unlike when we were at the rink, this time we knew exactly how to dance to this.

  After a few songs, Ben came up to us. “Can I steal you two?”

  I knew what was about to happen. I hadn’t told Matty about it because I didn’t want him to get freaked out in advance. This could sometimes be daunting for new spouses. As we exited into a smaller room, Matty shot me an inquisitive look and I just grinned back. My mom and dad, my dad’s mom, plus Sean, Eric, Ben and Sam were all here. My dad held a bottle of scotch and there were nine glasses on the table in front of him.

  I shook with excitement. In some ways, this was even more important than the wedding, because this was about family.

  “We wanted to grab you two before it got too much later. Matt, there’s a tradition in the Morris family that dates back to my great-great-grandfather. It’s a toast to welcome a new member to the family and it’s a toast for family only. I know Tina and I are thrilled to share this with you.”

  Dad poured as he talked. “Of course this is no longer the same bottle that was first used, but this has been in the family since Tina and I were married and it’s an honor that we’ve been able to share it with each of our sons’ spouses.”

  Dad held up his glass. “Matthew, we welcome you to the Morris family today.”

  Mom raised hers. “We embrace you as another son, and will always be here for you.”

  Grandma continued. “I welcome you into my extended family and wish you the very best in life.”

  “To my newest brother,” said Eric, “I promise to look after you as I do with the rest of these crazies.”

  “To my brother-in-law,” said Sean, “I’ll be here when you need to ask for advice about what to do with your Morris brother because I’m well versed in dealing with them.”

  Everyone smiled and sometimes chuckled at what was said, because each of us were responsible for our own toasts no one knew what was coming. Only Mom and Dad had the traditional words.

  “To my husband,” I said, going in my place as middle brother, “welcome to the clan. You’re surrounded by one of the best families you’ll ever find and I’m happy to share them with you.”

  “Glad to have you officially in the fold, Matty,” Ben said. “It’s about time you got here.”

  I couldn’t help elbowing Ben as he stood next to me. He was always the one with the snarky comment.

  “It’s really good here, Matty,” Sam said. She was the last to go since she was married to the youngest. “I’m glad I get to be a newbie with you.”

  Everyone raised their glasses and tapped Matty’s before we all clanked together.

  “Welcome, Matt,” we all said together.

  Matty looked overwhelmed. “Thank you.” He moved around the room and hugged everyone. “This means so much.”

  When he got back to me, I put my arm around his waist so he’d be close.

  “So this is where you disappeared to during Ben’s wedding,” Matty said, and I nodded. “This is an amazing tradition.”

  “Okay, back to the party,” Ben said suddenly. “Come on,” he grabbed Sam and headed for the door, “let’s dance.”

  We weren’t in the ballroom long before Matty’s mom and dad approached. His mom had been great throughout the process of planning. His dad was always where he needed to be for wedding events, but it was clear there was a rift between him and Matty. I hated it, but Matty seemed to deal with it okay. I think it was because everything else was going so well.

  “It was such a beautiful day,” Matty’s mom said. “Leo, I love your family. Your brothers are great. They had me dancing like I haven’t danced in years.”

  “Thank you. They can be a handful sometimes, but they’re good guys.”

  “Son,” his dad said. “Congratulations. You’ve got a good man here. I’ve known that since we first met him.” His dad reached out to shake my hand. “I hope you have an excellent time on the cruise.”

  In the morning we’d go to Miami, and then onto a cruise that would take us around the Caribbean. It was going to be a heavenly seven days. We were excited to be going on our first cruise. I looked forward to disconnecting from real life for a while.

  “Thank you,” we said together.

  “We need to be going,” his dad continued. “I’ve got an early flight tomorrow.”

  “Thanks, Mom, for all your help with this.” Matty said as he hugged her. They both looked happy.

  Matty stepped up to his dad next and was offered a hand to shake. There was a tiny waver in his face with the disappointment of not getting a hug.

  “Thanks, Dad. Have a good trip. We’ll catch up when we’re all back in town.”

  As they departed, I wrapped Matty in a hug from behind and swayed a little to the music. His brief bout of melancholy broke as he suddenly spun around and twirled me before getting us back into the music.

  “I love you, Leo Morris.”

  “And I love you, Matt Blackwood.”

  Chapter 18: Matt

  B
usiness was good.

  The time I was away for the honeymoon only seemed to intensify people’s desire for mac and cheese. There’d been a constant stream of messages on Facebook and Twitter asking where the truck was, even though I’d posted a lot leading up to the trip that the truck would be on vacation. Even before the honeymoon, the random days I’d taken off were met with disappointment as fans couldn’t find the truck for lunch.

  Matty’s Mac, which was Leo’s branding idea, had a slow start in April, but by the time the wedding rolled around in July the truck was covering its daily costs and was on track to recoup startup costs by the end of the year. Startup was lower than expected, too, because when I was in the market for a truck I came across the Mac Attack truck. It was outfitted with everything I needed and I was able to get it for a song since the owner was looking for quick cash.

  Working the truck was a blast. I had no idea I could have so much fun going to work. Mornings were spent in the kitchen prepping pasta, shredding cheeses and getting the day’s ingredients ready to go. Leo helped with all that, unless he had early team stuff scheduled. He was also on the truck a few days a week since it was the off-season. Because his was the primary income right now, he had to keep whatever schedule the Penguins required. But when he could, he was with me doing whatever was needed.

  I had a couple culinary students who helped out, too. I paid them a little, but they received class credit. It was a win for everyone.

  I’d never been happier where my career was concerned. I loved cooking and talking with the customers. Plus, it was all mine.

  I spent most days parked downtown with a couple other food trucks. Jenny ran a vegan truck, Nick did burgers and Duke served Thai bar-b-cue. Since we each offered very different food, competition wasn’t an issue. I also had a deal with each of them that if they sent people over to get a side dish, I’d kick them back a dollar. I took a fifty percent loss on the sale, but it was great for word of mouth.

  It was a gorgeous summer afternoon, mostly clear with a few fluffy clouds wafting by. It wasn’t too hot, either. Since late May I’d learned how to deal with the heat because the truck could bake—lots of water, ice cubes down the back of my shirt and sometimes just sticking my head into the small fridge.

  “Mr. Blackwood, good to see you,” Leo said from the order window. “What can I get you?”

  “I’d like to see Matt if he’s free for a couple minutes,” he said, “and an order of the mac nuggets with bacon and scallions, please.”

  “Matty, your dad’s here if you’ve got a second.”

  This was unexpected. He’d been to the truck a few times since we parked near the office a lot. But this was the first time he’d flat out asked to see me. Usually we yelled things back and forth while I worked. We were getting along okay since the wedding, but I had the sense he didn’t completely understand why I’d gone the direction I had.

  “Hey, Dad,” I called from my cooking area. “One sec and I’ll turn things over to Leo.”

  “Great. I’ll wait at the benches.”

  “Are you as surprised by that as I am?” Leo asked as he put the order ticket in place above my work station.

  “Yeah. Wanting to talk? Middle of the day? Very strange. We’re supposed to go over for dinner next weekend, so I’m even more surprised. You’d think he’d say whatever then.”

  I dished up a couple bowls of today’s special—mac with pepper jack, crumbled Angus beef, bacon, tomato, and crispy kale on top. It was a sort of deconstructed bacon cheeseburger. Leo took those to the window while I started Dad’s order. We were past the lunch rush, so I had a few minutes that Leo could handle things solo.

  “The only thing cooking is Dad’s and the timer’s on for those,” I said as I washed my hands. “Holler if you need me.” Toweling off, I kissed Leo, grabbed a couple Cokes, and went outside.

  “Hi, Dad,” I said, offering up one of the sodas, which he took. “What’s up?”

  I popped open my soda and drank it down as I took a seat on the same bench as Dad.

  “I had a craving for the mac nuggets. Someone brought them back from lunch and I caught the smell.”

  I smiled. Dad liked my cooking. He’d first tried it at the wedding and seemed surprised I could do it despite my time in the kitchen as a kid.

  “And,” he continued, “Margaret showed me a copy of Pittsburgh Magazine this morning. She’s got a friend there, and she snagged an early issue. There you were with two pages about the truck. I wanted to come say congratulations.”

  I hadn’t even seen the magazine yet. It wasn’t due out until later in the week.

  “Hey, guys.” It was Leo with Dad’s order. “Thought I’d run this one out personally.”

  “Thanks, Leo,” Dad said, happily accepting the steaming order.

  Leo didn’t stick around, heading back for the truck.

  “You’ve built a pretty great thing here, and quick. It wasn’t that long ago you and I were arguing about you leaving. You know, when I come for lunch and it’s not Leo at the window, I sometimes order quietly so I can watch you work. You’re quiet, focused, but look happy. That’s good. I know it’s hard to believe, but I love what I do, too, including how much I work.”

  He blew on the food in his hand, cooling it down before he took a bite. When he finally popped one of the mac nuggets in his mouth he chewed slowly. It looked like he was really savoring it.

  “I’m sorry,” he continued, “that I tried to force you to stay with the firm. Clearly this is a better fit for you, and you do it well, or you wouldn’t be in the magazine. I’m going to reinstate you to the will. Obviously you won’t get the business, which you certainly don’t need. And who knows, maybe the truck grows into a restaurant and then several.”

  “Or maybe it just stays a truck.”

  “Also a possibility.” The way he cocked his head as he spoke told me that he didn’t grasp why it would stay as it is. “I’m sure you’ll make the right decisions on that.”

  “Thanks, Dad. That means a lot. Maybe we could talk business sometime? I’ve got some questions about some of the choices I’m making.”

  “I’d love that. I don’t know food, but I know business in general. I know a few people in restaurants, too, if that helps.”

  “Cool. I…”

  “I think you should get back,” he interrupted, “you’ve suddenly got a line.”

  I turned and saw six people at the window.

  “Does it always just crop up like that?” he asked.

  “It can. It can go from nothing to a crowd without warning or reason.”

  Dad leaned in and gave me a quick hug. It’d been a long time since I had one of those and I didn’t know what to make of it. I liked it though, it made me feel comforted in a way.

  “Go make some great food,” he said. “And I’m going to get back in line for another round of these to take back to the office.”

  He held up the container that was half empty as he popped another nugget in his mouth.

  “I’ll put the order in, don’t worry about the line.”

  He smiled and nodded.

  I got half way back to the truck before I stopped and jogged back to Dad.

  “Did you forget something?”

  He looked around for what it might be.

  “Yeah,” I said, placing a hand on his shoulder. “Just wanted to say I love you, Dad.”

  He placed his hand on mine and there was a light squeeze.

  “I love you, too, Matt.”

  We held that position for just a moment before I got back to work. I didn’t really know how to process that exchange except just to be happy. I knew he liked the food, but I didn’t know he’d change his mind about some of the things he’d done when I left the firm.

  There was still a ways to go with the truck to get to long-term success, but it was awesome that he thought I was on my way. I looked forward to his advice, too.

  Back in the truck, I gave Leo a quick kiss as I headed back to th
e cooking area. He had a couple things going that I tended to, and then started working on the next order.

  “Everything okay out there?” he asked, giving me a couple more tickets.

  “Very,” I said, going in for another kiss. “I’ll tell you about it when we hit the next break. Can you give me a ticket for another round of nuggets for Dad?”

  “Will do.”

  He nodded and kissed me back before going to the window to get the next order.

  Not only was I a happily married man, I was a happy business owner, too. I was lucky to have Leo to help me score both goals.

  THE END

  * * * *

  Author’s Note:

  Shortly after Hat Trick came out in 2013, I started getting requests to give Leo and Matt their own book. For those who don’t know, Leo was a best friend to the leads in Hat Trick, Simon and Alex. Leo met Matt in that book and their relationship continued throughout the series. I’d debated about writing a book that chronicled the start of their relationship, going back into the Hat Trick timeline and either starting from where the met or maybe the summer after, when they’d have time to really get to know each other.

  When J.M. Snyder approached me about doing a story for the Love Wins series, it made me wonder what would life look like after Leo and Matt completed school and were settling into adult life. Make the Right Choice picks up with Leo and Matt after they’ve been together for just over ten years. They’re in their late twenties. They’ve had their advanced degrees for a couple years and many of their siblings and friends are either married or getting ready to be.

  If you haven’t read the Hat Trick trilogy, no need to worry. I’ve kept spoilers to a minimum (although there are a few) and I give you the background you need about Leo and Matt along the way. If you’re already familiar with these guys, I hope you enjoy this look into how their relationship has evolved since the trilogy.

  Cheryl Wray has been a close friend since college and, for me, is one of the finest examples of a Christian I know. She’s kind, loving, and compassionate and, along with her husband, has raised three amazing daughters. I’m grateful she read one of the key chapters to make sure I’d done justice to the conversation it depicted. Thank you, Cheryl, for being such an incredible beacon of light and hope.