by Sasha Goldie
Tyler leaned forward and tucked a hankie into Corey's hand. He blotted his eyes and sniffed before saying his vows.
"I've had a rollercoaster of a life. All I ever wanted was independence. With you, I have all the independence I can handle, but I'm lucky enough to share it with my best friend. I never imagined my life could turn into what it has, and it's all thanks to you. You think I'm strong, but I'm here to tell you I pull strength and wisdom from you. Thank you for asking me to be your husband. I'm so glad you did."
This time Brady needed the handkerchief.
Not long after, Brady kissed his groom, and the hall erupted in applause and cheers. Everyone came out to see their favorite Three Lakes police officer marry his true love.
As the grooms walked back down the aisle, grinning from ear to ear, my eyes were on Tyler, being escorted by Ian. Nate and I shuffled our way to the aisle and watched our men go past us. Following them into the entryway, I grabbed Tyler's hand and pulled him to me. He wrapped his arms around me and smiled. "Hey, you," he said.
"That was lovely. You and Corey did a great job."
He beamed with pride. "I can't wait to dance with you at the reception."
I had to let him go for a while so they could take pictures, but I waited patiently to the side, smiling at him. He was full of life, sass, zest. The cowering man from a few months before was gone thanks to good loving from me and a load of therapy. He still had moments of anxiety or fright, but he had learned ways to cope with them.
I'd never been prouder of anybody in my life.
After the pictures, I took his hand and followed the rest of the wedding party to the second room at the event center. It was really just a big barn with two sections. At one point it had been a train depot. Either way, it was the perfect wedding setting. People apparently book it from all over the state.
We walked in first, joining the rest of the guests, who stood and applauded as Corey and Brady entered the room.
"Thank you," Brady said, shushing the crowd. "Please, take your seats and they will serve dinner."
I had a seat beside Tyler, as Nate did with Ian, at the wedding party table.
"Here we are," Ian said, looking around the table. "The only gay men in Three Lakes. We're like a club."
He squeezed Nate's hand. "We have a little announcement."
Nate beamed, excitement written all over his face. I fully expected them to announce their upcoming nuptials, but they surprised me.
"Nate's sister has a friend due to give birth any day. The family she lined up to adopt her baby split up and backed out of the adoption. Her sister thought of us, and the stars aligned. We're going to be fathers, in a matter of days."
Both of them already had the beaming pride all parents seemed to share. We all congratulated them and shook their hands. "I call dibs on the shower," Corey said. "I'll start planning it as soon as we get back."
"We need everything," Ian laughed. "We're going to Bend after the reception to buy..."
"Everything," Nate said.
We all laughed, and I took Tyler's hand. One day, I wanted children. We'd talked about it, and he agreed. We wanted to be late-in-life fathers.
Carson cleared his throat and took Max's hand. "We have an announcement of our own."
"You're pregnant," I declared, looking between the two of them and eliciting another laugh from the table.
"No, not yet. Except maybe with more puppies. No, I've asked Max to marry me, and he said yes."
Once again, the table cheered and congratulated. "I've got your wedding shower," Corey declared. He loved to throw a party. I laughed at his excitement.
The food was delicious, but the company made the night memorable. I finally got to dance with Tyler.
He led, and pulled me close as he maneuvered me around the dance floor.
"Are you happy?" I asked him. It was a little soon for us to plan our own wedding or children, but the place we were in was pretty fabulous.
"I'm ecstatic," he murmured, his head resting on mine. "I've never been this happy in my life."
"That is something I can totally agree with," I said as we swayed to a song I'd never remember again.
As I pulled his lips to mine, I arched back and pressed my hips into his, giving him an idea of what I had in mind for the evening.
Based on the feel I got from him, he had the same ideas.
29
Tyler
One Year Later
Patrick proposed to me at a candlelit dinner. As we swayed to the music of the live band, I remembered the night. We'd had a wonderful night out, dancing and dinner. Then, instead of going home, he'd asked me to take us to the diner, where he'd arranged for the then-empty apartment to be filled with fake candles.
Ever since the fire, we never used the real thing.
Soft music played, and the ring box sat in the middle of the floor among the candles. My eyes went to it instantly. "Is that what I think it is?" I asked.
He smiled, lowering his eyelids demurely. "If it's not, I'm going to be upset."
Taking my hand, he led me to the center of the room, then bent over and picked up the ring box. Going onto one knee, he opened the box, revealing a diamond-studded band. "I've been in love with you since before you knew me. I love your humor and sass, your bossy attitude, and your total devotion to your friends and family. You're everything I could want in a partner. Will you marry me?"
I dropped to my knees beside him and tried not to cry. "Of course I will," I whispered. "Took you long enough to ask."
I'd asked him once, several months before, and he said no. It had hurt my feelings at first, but he'd been quick to tell me he wanted to be the one to propose. After that, he must've waited a long time so I'd be surprised.
I had been.
Now, at our engagement party, I reminisced on our time together. It had been a wonderful year with him. I couldn't wait to marry him. "Why don't we elope?" I asked.
"Because the town would riot."
I snorted. He wasn't wrong.
Someone tapped their champagne glass, and the room quieted, and the band stopped playing. I stood behind Patrick, my arms around him.
My Aunt Daisy stood and waved at everyone in the large room. She tried to speak, but nobody could hear her, so the band handed her a microphone.
"Hello, hello," she said, ducking her red face. The woman could gossip with half the town all day without breaking a sweat, but hand her a mic and suddenly she was stage-shy. "I'm Daisy."
"We know you!" a voice shouted from the crowd.
It helped break her nerves. "I know that was you, Carson, don't think I don't." She wagged her finger at him, and the crowd laughed.
"Duke and I have a gift for the happy couple." Duke waved from his spot at the table. No way she'd get him out there to dance.
"After thirty wonderful years running the diner and parts store, we've decided to retire. We've been saving for a long time, and have a nice little nest egg built up."
Everyone applauded, no one harder than me. They deserved every moment of their retirement.
"Most of you know Duke and I were never blessed with children of our own. Then when my sister died, her daughter became like our own daughter. Then Tyler came. The grandson we never thought we'd have."
I blew her a kiss, loving that woman so hard it brought tears to my eyes.
"We want to give you the diner," she said, eyes on me.
My jaw dropped. We'd talked about me taking over someday, but I'd always expected to buy it from her, or inherit it from my mom or when she died. I never thought she'd just hand it over.
"I don't know what to say," I said, walking close enough for her to hear me.
"Just say thank you," she said into the mic, and the room erupted into laughter.
I threw my hands out and shouted with a huge grin on my face. "Thank you."
Get ready for book 1 in my new Gamble Security Series, Protecting His Innocence
Available Soon!
; Protecting His Innocence
Get ready for book 1 in my new Gamble Security Series, Protecting His Innocence
Available Soon!
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Healing His Heart
Love In Three Lakes: Book 4
Sasha Goldie
© 2019
Disclaimer
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.
This is a work of fiction. Names, places, characters, and events are all fictitious for the reader’s pleasure. Any similarities to real people, places, events, living or dead are all coincidental.
This book contains sexually explicit content that is intended for ADULTS ONLY (+18).