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After that, the night was a mix of our usual friendly banter, trivia questions, and congratulations from well-wishers who’d heard the news that we weren’t just dating but were engaged/married. There seemed to be a bit of confusion over our status, but that was to be expected. I was a little confused too.
I leaned in asked Wes, “Which are we, anyway? Married or engaged?”
He grinned. “Both, baby. We’re both.”
I laughed, feeling a little ridiculous, but in a good way. In a way that only Wes could bring out. Maybe most people wouldn’t want to do things backwards, getting married impulsively andthengetting engaged, but we’d never been like most people. Wes was my bro and my fiancé and my husband. He was my everything, and it didn’t really matter when or how it happened, only that, against all odds, he wasmine.
Garrett Rafferty stopped by the table, a tall, hulking presence as he waited quietly until we finished our conversation to turn to him. Then he smiled, his voice surprisingly soft. “I heard the rumors, but I wanted to wait until you were officially telling people. Congratulations on your engagement.”
Wes grinned and stood to give him a quick hug. “Thanks, man.”
Garrett squeezed my shoulder. “If you ever need anything, you just let me know.”
He was smiling, but there was a seriousness to his tone of voice. He was giving us a message of support. He’d have our backs if needed.
I didn’t know Garrett well, but he was Tucker’s longtime friend and living with Hunter’s brother. He wasn’t a man who gave his word lightly. I knew that if we ever needed backup, he’d be there for us, and that made it a little easier to accept the few disappointed faces in the crowd.
“Don’t I get an introduction?” Fisher asked, a playful pout in his words.
I took one look at the way he was gazing at Garrett. “No. Nope. Not happening, little fish.”
He huffed in annoyance. “Rude.”
Wes laughed. “Kevin would claw your eyes out. Don’t even think about it.”
As he spoke, Garrett’s boyfriend sauntered up and tucked himself under Garrett’s arm. “Whose eyes am I clawing out?”
“No one’s,” Garrett said. “We’re all friends here.”
Kevin narrowed his gaze at us all in suspicion, a little intimidating even dressed in a jean skirt and lavender sweater, or maybe he was intimidating because of that. No one had faced more scrutiny in our small town than Kevin, who was a femboy who often wore feminine clothing and moonlighted as a drag queen.
“If you say so,” he finally said in a tone that promised he’d get all the details out of Garrett later. Then he turned a sunny smile our way. “So, hey, welcome to the club.”
“What club is that?” Wes asked.
“The Hot Gossip of the Week Club,” he said with a grin. “I remember when Garrett and I had everyone stirred up.” He sighed dramatically. “They forgot all about us and moved on.”
He was joking, but I appreciated the reminder that the attention would pass, because I really could do without all the stares.
Garrett chuckled. “I don’t miss it.”
“I won’t either.” I glanced at Wes. “But it’s worth it.”
Wes smiled softly at me. “Yeah, it is.”
The truth resonated in me, gaining strength as the night went on. I had nothing more to fear.
Wes and I were free to love one another, and no one and nothing would ever stand in our way again.
EPILOGUE
SIX MONTHS LATER
WES
I was just steppingout of the bathroom after a shower, steam billowing out behind me, when Beckett rushed into our bedroom. We’d moved into an actual house three weeks ago, and we’d chosen one with a large owner’s suite with an attached bathroom—and space for a large,sturdybed that we hopefully wouldn’t break.
Beckett was sweaty and panting for breath, his T-shirt sticking to him, his red hair darkened at the temples, and his cute freckles standing out against deliciously flushed cheeks.
