Christmas Gift (Believe Book 3)

by Shea Balik

  Since there were five other families going through the adoption process that day, the judge had done the others first. But when he got to them, he’d surprised the hell out of Cabot, who had insisted, since he wasn’t actually adopting the kids today, that he sit behind them instead of in front of the judge next to Patrick, Liam, and Maya.

  “I understand that I’m to have the honor of creating one more family today,” the judge said to the room.

  The door opened and Cabot’s friends and employees came streaming in, but Cabot hadn’t noticed as his full attention was on the proceedings. Patrick glanced over his shoulder to give the man he loved a smile. Cabot returned it, but it fell from his face when he heard the judge speak again.

  “But I have been informed that the family of three I was to unite, would like to become a family of four.”

  Cabot gasped, his face losing all its color as a look of dread flashed through his eyes. Patrick couldn’t help but grimace as guilt washed over him for allowing Cabot to think this was anything but a happy occasion.

  It hadn’t occurred to him that the man might fear the judge finding out about him. For all of his planning and meticulous organizing this day, he’d never thought Cabot would be clearly tempted to bolt from the room.

  “Mr. Cabot Spencer,” the judge’s voice boomed out. Patrick could hear the happiness in the man’s tone, but it was obvious by the way Cabot shook as he stood up, he thought only the worst.

  Refusing to let this go on a moment longer, Patrick surged to his feet, standing as close as the thigh high wooden bannister would allow him, next to Cabot. “It’s okay, love,” he reassured.

  Thankfully, the judge’s next words straightened everything out. “Mr. Patrick Fisher contacted me and made a request that I am truly honored to fulfill.”

  Cabot’s gaze shifted to Patrick in askance, but the judge continued before Patrick could say anything.

  “Unfortunately, I’m unable to make you Liam and Maya’s legal dad today, Mr. Spencer, as our legal system just doesn’t move that quickly.” The judge smiled at Cabot as he said, “However, I am able to not only grant Mr. Fisher custody of Liam and Maya, I will have the joyous pleasure of marrying both of you gentlemen today. Making the four of you a true family.”

  Cabot stood there with his mouth open, eyes wide in surprise, staring at the judge as if he’d sprouted two heads. “What, now?” Cabot finally choked out when he realized the judge was expecting him to say something.

  Patrick couldn’t help but let out a nervous laugh. He really should have thought this through better. It was one thing to want to surprise Cabot, but he hadn’t meant for the love of his life to think he was ruining Liam and Maya’s lives, to being told he was going to be handed his family by the judge in one ceremony. It was apparently a bit much for Cabot to take in as he continued to look from the judge, to Patrick, back to the judge, then back to Patrick.

  Those beautiful blue eyes were so damn confused, Patrick knew he had to do something quickly or he would risk being the one to ruin this day. “Okay, in hindsight, I shouldn’t have surprised you this way,” Patrick told him. “I just wanted to do something special for you because you’ve brought so much joy into my and the kids’ lives.”

  Great, now he was babbling. It’s what he tended to do when he wasn’t prepared. All those years of obsessing over planning even the smallest of detail in his life and it didn’t help when he really needed it to.

  “You did this for me?” Cabot asked him.

  Patrick nodded. “For all of us, really. I wanted this moment to be about us becoming a family.”

  Tears rolled down Cabot’s face and Patrick was praying with everything he had that they were happy tears. Reaching up, he brushed his thumb across Cabot’s cheek to wipe them away. “Please, tell me this means you still love me and want to marry me. Because if I screwed this up…”

  Lips landed on his, effectively shutting him up. Relief welled within him as he pulled Cabot closer. Catcalls and whistles filled the courtroom, but Patrick didn’t care. This was the man he wanted to spend the rest of his life with - nothing could compare to that.

  “If you two gentlemen would like to come up for air, we could get on with the ceremony so you all can become one happy family,” the judge said with laughter in his voice.

  Okay, so there was something just as important. In the grand scheme, a ceremony was just that, but it was the significance of making Cabot, Liam, and Maya his that had him ending the kiss, taking Cabot’s hand in his, and walking him to the center of the courtroom so he could join Patrick and the kids.

  Then he gestured for the kids to join him and Cabot as they stood in front of the judge. Liam and Maya raced over to them and huddled close. Patrick felt whole.

  “I will start this auspicious event by asking Liam and Maya, do you want to stay with Patrick and Cabot? To have them as your new parents?”

  “Yes, sir,” Liam squeaked out.

  But little Maya barely got her voice to a whisper as she said a simple, “Yes.”

  Then judge smiled at them and nodded. Then he looked up to Patrick and Cabot. “Patrick and Cabot, do you promise to care for Liam and Maya, to watch over them, protect them and love them?”

  As one, they said, “Yes, your honor.”

  The judge’s keen eyes landed on Cabot. “And do you, Cabot Spencer, wish to join with this man, Patrick Fisher, as his husband?”

  Cabot’s gaze landed fully on Patrick even as he answered, “I do.”

  For the next few moments, all Patrick saw were those amazing blue eyes staring back at him with so much love, it nearly brought him to his knees.

  “And do you, Patrick Fisher, wish to join with this man, Cabot Spencer, as his husband?” the judge asked.

  “I do,” Patrick said without any hesitation. For this man was everything to him. His breath, his heartbeat, his very soul.

  “Then by the power vested in me, I pronounce you a family.”

  Patrick’s knees did wobble a bit at hearing that. Even as his lips pressed against Cabot’s, each of them reached down for one of the kids and lifted them up into their arms. Tiny arms wrapped around them, as they all held onto each other for several long minutes.

  All of them were crying, but this time, Patrick knew they were tears of joy. For they had been given the greatest gift of all – each other.

  CHAPTER 19

  The cheers that had erupted in the courtroom after the wedding/adoption ceremony had been another surprise. Cabot hadn’t even noticed his friends had been there. Then again, he’d been so damn terrified that because of him the judge would deny Patrick the right to adopt Liam and Maya, that he wouldn’t have noticed if a herd of elephants had come tromping through.

  His head hit the wall of the employee bathroom in the back of the bakery, where his employees had set up a surprise party complete with a wedding cake and adoption cake. “That’s it, Patrick, right, ugh,” Cabot groaned as he glanced once more at the doorknob to make sure the lock was engaged.

  Reassured that no one would walk in on them, he gave into the sensations of having his husband tonguing his balls as his fingers worked to open Cabot up. He’d been too damn horny to wait until tonight to get his hands on the man who had just made all his dreams come true.

  He hadn’t even been able to wait long enough to cut the cakes or greet everyone. How could he when all he’d been able to think about was getting his new husband alone. There would be no honeymoon, not when they had a brand new family complete with two kids to consider. But that didn’t mean Cabot hadn’t wanted to consummate his marriage.

  The thought of having to wait until the kids went to bed, seemed like an eternity. So, the first chance he had, he’d asked Micah to keep an eye on the kids. Then he’d fisted his hand in Patrick’s dress shirt and dragged him into the back. But the room had already started filling with his employees who were putting out what looked like a feast.

  Knowing they’d get no privacy there, he’d considered the
walk-in fridge, but there was no way he was willing to freeze his balls off. So, he’d chosen the next best option, the employee bathroom.

  Cabot thought he’d have to convince Patrick this was a good idea, but the moment he shut the door, his new husband – damn, but he was never going to tire of saying that – was all over him. It was good to know that Patrick wanted him just as badly.

  His hips arched out from the wall as Patrick’s mouth slid all the way down his length until the tip touched the back of the man’s throat. “Fuck, baby. Don’t stop,” he moaned out.

  Patrick was a master at sucking his dick. Cabot attributed that to the fact that he was detail oriented. Anytime Cabot gave an indication of him liking or not preferring something, Patrick seemed to catalog it and either repeat the action or move on.

  Whatever the reason, Cabot was right there on the cusp of coming down his husband’s throat, which was tempting, but not what he wanted. Threading his fingers through Patrick’s hair, Cabot tugged to get his husband’s attention.

  When those caramel eyes gazed up at him, Cabot nearly lost it. The sight of Patrick’s mouth opened wide around Cabot’s cock was too damn alluring. But he wanted, no needed, more. “I want you inside me,” he said as he struggled to find his breath.

  The sound of Patrick popping off his dick had Cabot groaning as his hips thrust forward again when his prick tried to find the warmth of the man’s mouth once again. But Patrick was already surging to his feet.

  Spinning Cabot around, Patrick placed a hand between his shoulder blades and pushed Cabot so he was leaning forward against the wall, with his ass sticking out. He felt Patrick’s foot along the inside of his, encouraging him to spread a little further.

  The sound of the condom wrapper being opened was the only thing Cabot wished would change. But they hadn’t had a chance to get tested yet. Life had been busy with two kids, Christmas, and, you know, an adoption and marriage ceremony.

  Warm breath blew across Cabot’s ear just before soft lips kissed the edge. “I love you, my husband,” Patrick whispered as he pushed forward, the head of his cock stretching him open as he slid deep within Cabot’s body.

  The forward motion didn’t stop until Patrick was balls deep. Another kiss was placed just behind his ear. “Mine,” Patrick said possessively.

  Cabot didn’t mind. He felt the same way and he’d be sure to show the man that night when they did go to bed.

  As sweet as the moment was, neither of them was prepared to draw this out. Not only were they too damn horny to hold back, but they had a bakery full of guests that would come banging on the door any minute.

  Patrick held Cabot’s hip with one hand and had wrapped the other across his chest. Then he pulled back and thrust in just how Cabot liked it, hard, so he would feel the man even when they were done.

  On the second thrust, Patrick hit his sweet spot and Cabot was seeing stars as his body tightened with the need to come. He was right there, on the edge. All he knew in that moment was Patrick. The man who had given him the world on a silver platter.

  “I love you,” he cried out, his head turning just enough for their lips to meet in a sloppy kiss.

  Then he was flying as his orgasm rushed through him. His ass clamped down on Patrick tightly even as he painted the wall with his seed. Seconds later he heard his husband cry out and his hot release filled the condom.

  A fist pounded on the door. “Time’s up. The kids are getting worried that they can’t find you,” Micah called out.

  Guilt swamped him. He couldn’t help it. “What were we thinking?” he asked Patrick as they both quickly cleaned up and got their clothes back in order.

  Patrick pulled him close and gave him the sweetest kiss, full of love and adoration. “That we just got married and needed to show each other how much we love each other.” He pressed one more quick kiss to Cabot’s lips before taking his hand and heading for the door. “But now it’s time to show the world, and our kids, that we are a family.”

  Patrick was right. He wasn’t going to feel guilty for needing his husband. Smiling so big his cheeks were already aching, he walked hand in hand with his husband, to find their family and celebrate this day.

  That twinge of guilt resurfaced when they walked out of the bathroom to find two teary-eyed kids waiting anxiously for them. But he refused to let the situation devolve any further.

  “Who is ready to party and cut some cake?” he asked them.

  Those tears quickly turned to smiles and laughter at the announcement of cake, as Cabot knew it would. Wow, maybe he was better at this dad thing than he thought.

  When Maya took his hand as they headed out of the kitchen and into the dining area, Cabot was on top of the world. He had no idea what he’d done to get lucky enough to find Patrick and the kids, but he was going to be thankful every damn day that he had them in his life.

  “Congratulations,” everyone cheered as they walked into the dining room, hand in hand, as a family.

  Two large cakes were on display and Cabot couldn’t help it as tears sprang to his eyes at the sight. For they represented so much more than just flour and sugar. It was about the friends and employees who cared enough to make them. As well as the distinction of such a special day.

  But most of all, it represented love. From those who were sharing this day with them, to the two kids who were beginning to think of him as their dad, to the man who had given Cabot the world when he had said three simple yet extraordinary words. ‘I love you’.

  All of it meant that Cabot had truly found the place where he belonged. His home.

  And what better gift was there in life than that?

  CHRISTMAS DAY

  “Merry Christmas,” Cabot murmured as Patrick opened his eyes to find the man smiling at him. Those blue eyes held all the love in the world for Patrick, making him the luckiest man in the world.

  “Merry Christmas,” he whispered as he leaned in for a kiss.

  There was no heat in the act, just a sharing of their love for one another. That was something Patrick would never tire of sharing with this man.

  “How long do you think we have before the kids wake up?”

  No sooner had Cabot said the words than they heard Maya’s very loud whisper to her brother. “Do you think Santa came?”

  Patrick and Cabot were grinning. They might have gone a tad overboard with the gifts that year. But who could blame them?

  “Do you think we spoiled them too much with all we bought?” Cabot asked as if reading Patrick’s thoughts.

  They had. There was no way to deny it. But in Patrick’s mind, they deserved to be spoiled. “Maybe, but it was important to us to do this for them, so, in a way, we were also spoiling ourselves.”

  Patrick couldn’t remember ever having as much fun as the two of them had picking out the kids’ gifts. They’d pretty much played with everything they’d bought. Even last night, exhausted after all the shopping and wrapping, they’d had to stay up most of the night to put together two bikes, a scooter for Liam and a pink electric Jeep for Maya.

  Then there had been the gift for the whole family, an air hockey table, which had resulted in Patrick and Cabot playing until four that morning. But neither of them were about to complain that they’d only gotten a couple of hours of sleep.

  “Do we have to wait for dad and papa to wake up, or can we go downstairs?” Liam asked.

  They’d started calling Cabot papa last week when it had been too confusing to say dad to both of them. Cabot had been the one to suggest an alternate name and the kids had liked papa the best.

  “I think we better get up if we want to see their faces when they go downstairs,” Cabot said as he rolled over and got up.

  “Wait for us, you two,” Patrick called out, knowing they would convince each other it was okay to head downstairs without their dads.

  There was a huge, dramatic sigh from Maya. “Can you hurry? We want to know if Santa brought us anything.”

  Both of them grabbed ro
bes instead of trying to get dressed when they heard Liam whisper, “I bet he didn’t. He already gave us two dads, so he probably didn’t think we deserved more.”

  Patrick’s heart broke at hearing that.

  Cabot reached out and squeezed his hand. “It will take time, but one day, they will know they deserve everything this world has to offer.”

  Patrick sure hoped so. Maybe today would help. Not that he was planning on spoiling them all the time, for that wouldn’t necessarily help, but he would ensure they always felt loved. But today? Today, he was going to spoil them rotten.

  Opening the door with Cabot’s hand in his and phone in the other with the video already recording, he pointed the camera at his two children. “Who’s ready to see if Santa brought us some gifts?”

  Both kids were jumping up and down in excitement. “Can we go downstairs now?” Maya asked.

  “Let us get down there first so we can film your reaction,” Cabot told them as he led Patrick, who was still recording everything, down the stairs. When they got to the bottom, Cabot called up to them, “Okay, you can come down.”

  For such little kids, they sure knew how to make a lot of noise as they pounded down the stairway. The moment they turned the corner to the living room, they stopped dead in their tracks. Then twin squeals burst from them.

  “Santa came,” Liam shouted.

  “I told you he would,” Maya shouted back as they each went for their new bikes with the big red bows on top of the handlebars.

  Then Maya raced back to Patrick and Liam. “It’s pink,” she told them. “Santa knew my favorite color was pink.” Just as fast as she’d come over to them, she ran back toward her new bike with training wheels.

  Liam was already sitting on the seat of his. “Look Dad, Papa, I got a bike.” That’s when something else caught his eye and he scrambled from atop of the bike and raced to the electric scooter standing against the wall.