Something Like Rain (Something Like... Book 8) (65 page)

“What about Daisy?”

“I’ll still see her. I’ll take trips up, or Lily will come back to Austin to see her family.

“And the Coast Guard?” Jason said, looking like a kid who had heard that Christmas had been canceled. In other words, adorable.

William chuckled. “They’ll have to manage without me. Come here. If you’re going to feel sorry for me, I at least want some snuggles.”

Jason gave him a hug, which felt good. People often said it was the thought that counts, and in this case it was trite but very true. Jason had been willing to turn his life upside down just to make William happier than he already was. Not many people were so generous, and now he intended to return the favor. William would dedicate himself to Jason’s happiness. “It’s just you and me again,” he murmured. “You’ve had to share me with the Coast Guard, with Lily, with a baby…”

“It hasn’t been easy,” Jason said, playing it up. “Does this mean I get to be selfish now?”

“Yeah.” William nuzzled their noses together. “I’m all yours.”

Chapter Twenty-eight

William was getting cold feet, and it wasn’t even his wedding! The big day was upon them, and in retrospect, they had been crazy to think they could handle this on their own. Despite the temptation to do so, they hadn’t allowed Marcello or anyone else to take over completely. The wedding was their gift to Ben and Tim, and they wanted to be responsible for its realization. That meant pinching every penny and calling in favors. At this point, half the guests were involved in setting up the ceremony. Greg was in charge of the decorations, having experience in staging a house to make it presentable for sale. Michelle was helping him, which was good because before she intervened, there had been talk of a mechanical bull. Kelly would be their photographer. William’s mother took the cake—literally—and even Caesar was involved, although at this point, William didn’t remember how. Wedding planner had once seemed like a joke profession. Now he respected anyone who could do this for a living without losing their sanity.

While all this activity was going on at Ben and Tim’s house, William was still at the apartment, reviewing a to-do list and making sure they hadn’t forgotten anything.

“I’m heading over there now,” Emma said, entering the living room of the apartment she still shared with Jason.

He looked up from the couch to see that she was wearing a tuxedo, her hair cut short and slicked back. He whistled appreciatively.

“This old thing?” Emma said, attempting a twirl and nearly falling over. “Pretend that looked cool.”

“You’ve got style!” William said. “Something tells me it’s not just the wedding you’re dressing up for. Who’s the lucky lady?”

“You’ll find out later. I’m on the way to the house. Need a ride?”

He shook his head. “I still have to get ready. I’ll see you there. Oh! Say hello to Jason for me.”

She shook her head. “You’ve been apart for what… one whole night?”

“That’s one night too many,” William replied.

After she had left, he continued working his way through the list, crossing out one item after another. Everything was done. All he needed to do was get dressed, pick up the cake, and head over to Ben and Tim’s house. He took a quick shower, trying to not get nervous about what else the day entailed. The life-changing event that had nothing to do with the wedding. When he was ready, he went to the dresser in Jason’s room. The left side was his. Inside the underwear drawer was a box, the very one he had once stolen. Black and velvety, it opened on a hinge. Jason had mentioned it recently, wondering where it had gone to. William asked a few casual questions, learning that the ring Tim had proposed to Ben with had once been in that box. The inside was currently empty, awaiting another promise, and another answer.

William took it and got ready to leave. Usually he would get on his bike, but he still needed to go by his mother’s house. Unless he intended to balance the cake on his handlebars, he would need a ride. Jason had the car, so he was stuck. William wanted to kick himself. He should have asked Emma to wait! He still could call her. Or someone else who might not have left already.

He grabbed his phone, sending a quick text.
Are you there yet?

I won’t be late,
came Kelly’s response.
Don’t worry.

Think you can pick me up? I need to run a few errands.

After today, you’re going to be so indebted to me. I love it!

That was as good as a yes. William sent him the address, then paced, occasionally taking out the ring box and staring at it, hoping for inspiration. He still didn’t know what he was going to say. Or what Jason’s response would be.

He met his ride downstairs, providing another address before remembering it wasn’t necessary.

“Won’t your mother be surprised to see me!” Kelly said with a smirk. “Especially since both of us are dressed up like we’re going on a date.”

“She has plans,” William said, brushing at the white dress shirt he wore. The pink paisley tie was supposed to make up for how plain it was. “How do I look?”

“Handsome as always,” Kelly said, but he didn’t seem to be flirting.

That was good, because William needed a favor, but first he wanted to feel out the situation. “You look good too. No date? The invitation said you could bring one.”

A smile tugged at Kelly’s lips. “He’ll be there.”

“Really?” William asked, a little confused. “He’s meeting you at the wedding?”

Kelly nodded. “He’s part of Marcello’s entourage.” He reached for his phone.

William tensed and kept an eye on the road. Then he looked at Kelly’s phone when it was handed to him. The guy on the screen was handsome, if a little gruff in appearance. “He’s not going to beat me up, is he?”

“Nathaniel? I’ll try to keep him in line.”

“Are you two serious?”

“I love him more than anyone else in this world.” Kelly glanced over. “That wasn’t meant to hurt you.”

“No, I get it,” William said. “I’m glad you found someone. That’s what I wanted to talk to you about. I haven’t told anyone this, but I’m going to pop the question.”

“Just to be clear, you’re going to ask for Jason’s hand in marriage?”

“Yeah.”

Kelly pursed his lips. “Couldn’t you have let me imagine, just for one minute, that you were distraught about me having moved on?”

William chuckled. “Sorry.”

“You’re not, and neither am I. I’m glad you two made it. This makes a better story. In the future, I’ll tell people that you left me for the man you would marry, not some floozy.”

William laughed outright. “Is that what you’ve been telling people?”

“Maybe. This is exciting news! When are you going to ask him?”

“Today. After the ceremony. I’m not sure when, exactly, but I was hoping you would be there.”

Kelly made a face. “My presence won’t be a mood killer?”

“Not like that,” William said. “I was hoping you could capture the moment on film. Assuming he says yes, I would like to have a photo to look back on.”

Kelly was quiet. “Do you want to hear something strange? Remember the charity ball? The shut-in?”

“Way back when? Yeah!”

“While you and Jason were…” Kelly shook his head. “While I was accepting that you and I couldn’t be together any longer, I had a brief conversation with someone I thought I’d never see again, but eventually, I did. That’s how I met Nathaniel.”

“Really?” William said, picking up the phone, but the lock screen had him blocked.

“I still use the same pin number,” Kelly said, eyes searching.

If this was a test, William hadn’t forgotten. He entered it, missing a time when they had been so close. Then he considered the photo again. “He does look sort of familiar.”

“He was your boss for the night.”

“No!”

“Really. He’s probably making one of the wedding waiters cry as we speak. Strange, isn’t it? You were falling in love with the man you’ll no doubt marry. I was doing my best to stop you, and in the process meeting the man… Well, we’ll see.”

“Would you marry him?” William pressed. “Pretend he asked you right now.”

Kelly’s leg started to bounce nervously. Then he nodded. “In a heartbeat.”

William laughed happily, eyes misting up. “Funny how life works out. Isn’t it?”

“Yes.” Kelly shot him a smile. “Yes it is.”

“Happy endings all around.”

“That’s the plan! You really don’t drive after all this time?”

“I do when I have to. Mostly I try to bum rides off of ex-boyfriends. Or take my bike.”

“You and that damn bike!” Kelly said with a chuckle. “Is it still the same one?”

William nodded. “Same one.”

His driver grew quiet when they reached their destination.

“Memory lane?” William asked.

Kelly nodded, then checked his watch. “We better hurry.”

They hustled inside, going first to the kitchen. Most of the refrigerator had been cleared out to accommodate the cake. His mother had done a wonderful job—three tiers, each decorated with blue and silver roses. She had even managed to find two grooms for the top, one wearing a white tuxedo, the other in black.

“You’re going to have to sit in the backseat with that thing,” Kelly said. “That way it doesn’t topple over if I hit an unexpected red light.”

“No problem.”

“Ready?”

“No. Just one more thing. I’ll be right back!” Without an explanation, William ran up the stairs to his room. There, in the same dresser drawer where he had kept his high school athletic awards, was one much more special to him. He opened a long blue case, revealing a yellow ribbon with red fringes. Attached to it via an ornate clasp was a golden disc. It depicted a survivor being pulled from choppy waters into the safety of a small boat. His lifesaving medal. William had felt extraordinarily proud to receive the award, and it remained his most treasured souvenir of his service. With Jason’s recent interest in the Coast Guard, and considering all that it symbolized—the four-year sacrifice of their time apart—he hoped it would make an adequate gesture.

Doubt stirred. Most hopeful suitors went to the mall and bought a ring. Maybe he should have done that too. But this would mean the same thing. When Jason saw the little black box, he would understand that this was a proposal. Hopefully. William opened the lid, having to remove the inlay to make room for the medal. Then he snapped it closed again, tried to calm his nerves, and went back downstairs.

Kelly was waiting for him. “Ready?”

William breathed out. “That’s a very loaded question.”

“Because of Jason?” Kelly’s smile was reserved. “If I were in his shoes, I know what my answer would be. You’ve got nothing to worry about. Except for getting the cake there in one piece.”

* * * * *

Crying at weddings. What a silly stereotype. He thought of all the wedding scenes in cartoons he had seen when growing up, and how without fail an anthropomorphic animal of some type would start howling, rivers pouring from its eyes. Now he was on the verge of doing the same thing. The setting was beautiful, the backyard barely recognizable after its magical transformation. Freshly planted white flowers created a natural pathway to steps—just three—that led to a small stage, an arch of twisted branches before it. An older man with graying temples waited there, ready to preside over the wedding, arranging papers on a small desk that would make this marriage as close to a legal union as possible, despite the law still excluding same-sex couples. The guests were all seated and waiting, anticipation growing. William was among them. The signal had been given! The grooms were going to appear at any time. As music started flowing from Jason’s guitar, all heads turned to look toward the house. Ben and Tim had always been a beautiful couple, but now they were stunning. And evidently not at all surprised, because they both wore tuxedos, Ben in white, Tim in black. Their walk down the aisle was slow, each of them distracted by family and friends gathered there, grasping hands or waving at people farther away. When Ben looked right at him, tears in his eyes, William couldn’t take it anymore. He started crying.

Funny how joy could overwhelm the body just as much as sorrow, but this felt much better. Having led them to the altar with his music, Jason took a seat in front of him, joining Michelle’s family. William reached out to touch him, massaging his shoulders, certain they had done a good thing. Jason placed his hand over one of his, squeezing it tight, no doubt overwhelmed by emotion himself. William tried to get himself under control as Ben and Tim spoke their vows, reading to each other the letters they had prepared. He hoped someone had the foresight to record a video of all this, because most of the words were lost on him. Those he heard only set him off again, especially when they exchanged rings.

Thank goodness boring paperwork followed next or he’d be completely overcome. While this took place, William looked around to see plenty of cheeks just as wet as his own. Jason had done a better job of holding it together, and was having a quiet conversation with Michelle. William waited for them to finish because he wanted to wrap his arms around him from behind and give him a great big hug.

“I guess we were in a letter-writing mood,” Tim announced from the small stage. They were facing the guests again. Tim handed a piece of paper to Ben. “Do you want to read this one?”

Ben nodded, accepting it. He consulted it briefly, then his eyes rose, seeking out someone in the audience. Jason. “To our future son…”

William covered his mouth with his hands. Two things had been long overdue, and it looked as though both would be resolved today. Ben and Tim were married, and now they would have a son. They’d had one for many years, or so it always appeared to William. Jason already had a family who loved and cared for him. Now, in the presence of a lawyer, they were making it official. Ben asked Jason to join him on stage, but he didn’t move. Not until Michelle said something to get him going. Then Jason walked stiff-legged up the aisle, as if in a dream. Ben and Tim embraced him. The audience burst into applause. William needed all of his willpower not to leap over the chairs and join them in a group hug. Before this could happen, they led Jason to the desk where more papers would be signed.