It was Xander’s turn to try to hold back his emotion. He failed miserably, but no one cared. There were a few sighs throughout the group as Xander pulled Bennett into his arms. When the men separated, the minister hurried through the final steps of the ceremony, since it seemed like we were going to lose the two husbands-to-be to another kiss before the long-awaited official one. I felt myself choke up when the minister declared them husbands and finally gave them permission to kiss. The crowd burst into applause, causing Bear and Boo to begin barking.
“Okay, let’s take this party inside,” Lucky announced a few moments later.
“Um, just a second, please,” Xander said after managing to pry his mouth off his husband’s. “I know you all are cold, but if you will indulge me and my…” –he looked at Bennett adoringly– “husband, there’s a question I need to ask a special someone.” All eyes looked at Bennett in confusion, but Xander was looking at Lucky. With one hand holding Bennett’s, he walked down the few steps of the gazebo and came to a halt before the young man who was watching him curiously.
“Lucky, I’ve been waiting for this moment almost as long as I’ve been waiting to marry your father. Now, it won’t be official until we go to the courthouse next week, but it doesn’t really matter because you’ve been my son from the moment you sat right over there” –Xander motioned to a snow-covered picnic table by the pond– “and made us a family.” Xander pulled out a sheaf of papers from his jacket pocket. “These are adoption papers. They’ll tell the world what we already know. That you’re as much my son as you are Bennett’s. What do you say?”
Lucky stood frozen in place for several beats and then he pushed into Xander’s arms. He didn’t actually answer Xander out loud, but the way he was clinging to him and nodding emphatically was answer enough.
Xander held him for several beats, then addressed the crowd. “You heard my son. Let’s get this party started!”
Chapter 25
Oz
At one point during the wedding reception, I was tapped on the shoulder by one of the servers while I was talking to Aiden and Ash.
“Holy shit, you’re Laird,” she squeaked.
I did a double take and stared at her. It was the first time in almost two months I’d been recognized in public. And I wasn’t even in public, really.
“Oh, hah. No. But I get that a ton. Like you wouldn’t believe,” I said with a big fake grin. The last thing I needed was to have my precious anonymity stripped away from me here in Haven.
“But,” she said, squinting her eyes at me. “You look just like him.”
“Believe me, hon. If I was, I’d be living it up somewhere fancy like Miami or wherever it is models like that spend their winters. LA? Do I even want to know? Probably somewhere way warmer than this place. My mom jokes all the time about how I should try to dye my hair and join one of those look-alike companies in Vegas, I get this so often.”
Shut up, Oz.
“Oh. Oh, weird. That’s… yeah. It’s uncanny,” she said, looking at me in disbelief.
I shrugged at her and turned back to Ash and Aiden as if it was no big deal. Aiden’s eyes were assessing while Ash’s were wide and worried. I made small talk until I was sure the server had disappeared back toward the kitchen.
“Fuck, close call,” I said.
“Has that been happening a lot?” Aiden asked.
“No. Ever since I cut and dyed my hair, I haven’t been recognized at all. And you know what? It’s been so nice. I forgot what it was like to just be… I don’t know… normal.”
“Well, don’t get used to it,” he said with a grin. “Once Fashion Week happens, you’ll go back to getting stopped in the streets no matter what your hair looks like.”
I felt a familiar rumble of nerves in my gut. “Yeah, about that. I kind of wanted to discuss some things with you while I have you here.”
Ash asked if I wanted him to leave the two of us alone.
“No, of course not. Maybe you’ll have some good ideas too,” I said.
Ash looked taken aback. “Me? I don’t know anything about managing fame.”
Aiden and I both laughed. In the short weeks since Ash had signed a record deal, his first single had gone viral and people were trying to book him left and right. It was only a matter of time until he was the one the caterer was stopping rather than me.
Aiden leaned in and kissed his fiancé. “Then maybe you should just listen and learn, babe. It’s going to be you soon enough.”
I began telling them about my incredible time in Haven, how I’d loved the design and volunteer projects I’d done and enjoyed being a part of a small community.