“Yep.” He propped a foot on the bed and cuffed first one leg and then the other.
“And we’re…uh…we’re gonna get married?” I handed him one of my shirts.
“Yep.” He shrugged the shirt on over his shoulders and reached for a button, then paused. “You’re not getting out of it, Bascopolis, so don’t even think of trying.”
“Oh, what, you’ll slap me with a breach of promise suit?”
“Damned straight. You can’t play fast and loose with my heart.” He stood there with his hands fisted on his hips.
The shirt hung open, and I slid my arms through it and around him, drawing him against me, caressing the warm flesh of his back, scarcely aware of the scar any longer. “I love you, Wills.”
“Theo.” He wrapped his arms around me and held tight. “I knew you loved me—all the things you’ve done for me—but it was worth the hell these past two days were just to hear you say those words.”
“You never pushed me for them.”
“If they aren’t given freely, what good are they?”
“That ‘if you love someone let them go’ thing?”
“Kind of. Only I have no intention of letting you go. Ever. So get used to it. I’ll hunt you down and tie you to me if I have to.”
“Bossy bottom.”
“Maybe, but I’m your bossy bottom.”
“Guys! Sometime in this century, please?”
“In a minute, Tim!” With a final kiss, I let Wills go, and we buttoned our shirts. “It’s a good thing white socks and oxfords don’t look too bad together.”
“You just want to see me in white socks.”
“This is true.” I sat on the bed and tied my running shoes. “Babe, when did you want to get married?”
“Since I did the asking, you get to do the choosing, but just so you know, I don’t believe in long engagements.”
“Soon, then.” I chewed on my lower lip. “I’d like to ask my family to come. I don’t know if Poppa will, but I’d like to ask.”
“Whatever you want, babe.” He was grinning.
“What?”
“We’re getting married.”
“Yeah, we are. Let’s go tell Tim and Cris before Tim breaks down the door.”
* * * *
Over dinner we discussed the wedding—who to invite, the most convenient location to have it in, where we’d go on our honeymoon, where we’d be registered—”No, I’m kidding, babe!”
“I’m not. How does Bed Bath & Beyond sound?” He was flushed and happy.
“It sounds…Wills, whatever you want is fine.” I was pretty giddy myself. Compared to what I’d been feeling only a few hours before…well, there was no comparison.
“Stay the night with us,” Tim suggested as I packed my carry-on.
“Thanks, but…” Wills exchanged a glance with me. He hoped to make the drive in nine hours.
“We have to go.” Our bed was waiting for us. I couldn’t wipe the smile from my face. It was going to be our first time.
“Well, we’ll expect an invitation to the wedding.”
“You’ve got it. Thank you, Tim, for everything.” I hugged him and kissed his cheek.
“You’re welcome. I wish you would have let me buy you champagne to celebrate, though.”
“Another time. Wills doesn’t drink and drive.”
“All the more reason, then. You’d have stayed over.” He turned to Wills. “I’m glad we were finally able to meet.”
Wills offered Tim his hand. “I wish Theo had talked to me first, but I’m glad he has a friend like you to go to. Thanks for being there for him.”
“Glad Ah could. Ah’ve always looked on him as family. You make sure you’re good to him, you heah? The next time he comes runnin’ to me, Ah’ll tear off your head and piss down your neck.” Tim let his hand go, and Wills flexed his fingers and shook them out. Surreptitiously, Tim did the same.
“There won’t be a next time. I take care of what’s mine.”
“Hey, I’m right here. Don’t talk about me as if I weren’t.”
Wills smiled, that lopsided grin, and touched his tongue to his upper lip. “Is everything packed?”
“Yes. And Miss Su is in her bag and ready to go.”
“You sure you want us to keep all the toys Tim bought for her?”
“Yeah, Cris. She’ll have something to play with when we let you guys kitty-sit.”
“Oh, we get to kitty-sit?”
“You’re her godfather, Tim. Who else would we leave her with when we go on our honeymoon?”
Wills wound his fingers in mine and gave a brief squeeze, then released them and picked up Miss Su’s bag. “Ready, babe?”
We went down the stairs and through the Pub. As Tim had said, it was quiet, with only a handful of men sitting around the bar.
“We’ll take over in a minute, Tom.”