A Beautiful Disaster

by Marguerite Labbe

  Chapter Thirty-Four

  IT TOOK more effort and planning than Dakota wanted, but he managed to get Brenden into the car and headed to the courthouse. It was a good damn thing they were in a rush because the idea made Dakota’s palms sweat and his throat dry up. Holy fuck, he was getting married. This was unreal.

  Then he’d think about permanently being with Brenden, having it all official, and the little episodes of panic eased up. Partners for life. It didn’t get better than that.

  One small hitch. Brenden didn’t know. At this point, Dakota wasn’t sure how to broach the topic. Brenden had given him several lectures about jumping into plans without talking to him first.

  How the flying fuck did he get himself into these situations?

  It was all Brenden’s fault. If only he’d accepted his proposal the first time. Though maybe Dakota shouldn’t have called him a jackass, even if he was being one. Brenden had even asked him to call him out on his jackassery when it happened. Looking back, though, he should’ve refrained.

  Then after they’d talked to the family and aired out their relationship, Brenden had morphed into Dr. Manhattan. He was everywhere at once, doing everything at once, with no time for Dakota to pull him aside to have this conversation. Dakota hadn’t been any less busy, but he’d still managed to carve out the time to make the arrangements.

  Brenden was so damn lost in his to-do list and laptop he hadn’t even noticed they were in Annapolis a day early or that Dakota had booked a damn romantic suite at the hotel. He’d plunked down his bags without looking around and gotten right back to work until Dakota hustled him out the door for the courthouse. At least Brenden’s tendency to always dress like he was at an office kept Dakota from having to figure out a way to get him into something suitable. Dakota had even ironed a nice shirt and slacks. Still no comment from Brenden.

  “There is steam coming out all your orifices, you’re thinking so hard. Just like a Warner Brothers toon.” Brenden glanced at him and then out the window with a frown as Dakota pulled into the crowded parking lot of the courthouse. “We don’t have time for side trips. We have a meeting in twenty minutes and—”

  “This is that meeting. I’m the one who put it on your calendar.” Dakota braced himself for the storm to come and didn’t look at Brenden. Because if Brenden gave him his signature prissy expression, Dakota would not be responsible for his actions.

  “That explains the lack of detail. I’ll admit I was confused by the all caps IMPORTANT note but haven’t had time to track it down. I figured I’d remember why when I got to it,” Brenden said in a smooth voice. When Dakota stole a peek at him, his expression was too bland. “So what’s it about? Are you sure it’s going to take a full thirty minutes, because I have a hundred things I could put in this timeslot.”

  He should gag Brenden, throw him over his shoulder, and set him down in the courtroom. Only then he’d have to explain it to the judge, and once he ungagged Brenden the man wouldn’t stop yapping at him for days. He owed him an explanation before he completely blindsided him. But now that the moment was here, Dakota didn’t know what to say.

  Dakota tightened his grip on the steering wheel and concentrated on finding a free spot as he mentally lined up his arguments. He had to prove to Brenden he was serious about getting married. But Dakota had no idea how to say how much he wanted this. Okay, maybe not so much the ceremony, but the forever. That piece of paper that told the world they belonged to each other legally.

  “So, you remember when I proposed to you and—”

  “Wait a minute, are you telling me ‘I’m thinking of marrying you, jackass’ was your idea of a proposal?” Brenden asked, incredulous, and Dakota winced.

  “Okay, so it could’ve come out better than that. I’m sorry. I was freaking out at the time.” Dakota parked the car and clung to the steering wheel. He had about ten minutes to convince Brenden to do this. Yeah, ten minutes was more than enough time… he hoped. Dakota could be persuasive when he wanted something. “And you turned me down flat. Hurt my little heart.” Dakota stole a glance at Brenden to see if he was buying this. “I think it’s still bruised.”

  “Did I?” Brenden asked in a dry voice and raised his brow. He was not at all reacting the way Dakota expected him to, and it was throwing off his game. Where was the sympathy? Mixed in with the glances at his phone because Brenden was in crunch mode. Instead, Brenden studied him with his full attention, tapping his fingertips together.

  Dakota narrowed his eyes. “You know why we’re here already, don’t you?”

  “How could I possibly know?” Brenden laid his hand on his chest with an innocent air. “Since you’ve told me jack shit. So why are we here, Dakota?”

  Dakota couldn’t decide if he was irritated or relieved. After all this worrying and trying to find the right words, it was unnecessary because once again Brenden had figured out his angle ahead of time. At least he wasn’t pissed when he would have every right to be. “When did you figure it out?”

  “Figure what—” Brenden pressed his lips together in a familiar line when Dakota shot him a hard stare.

  “You and I are going to be the only couple in history that’s going to have a finger-pointing, jackass-name-calling argument minutes before our wedding,” Dakota warned.

  “Oh no. No, no, you owe me the words, Dakota.” Brenden turned and drilled his finger into Dakota’s chest, his eyes sparking with heat. And dammit, if he kept looking at Dakota that way, he was going to kiss him right here and they’d be late. “You don’t get to sneak a wedding on me after I told you how I felt about one without some attempt to coddle me into it.”

  “But you were lying out your asshole about not wanting to get married!” Dakota waved his hand toward the courthouse. “And if you didn’t want to, you would’ve fucking shut it down the moment you discovered my plan. You didn’t, so that means I was right. You do want to get married.”

  “I wasn’t lying. I was trying to process where we were. So I meant it at the time. But that doesn’t excuse you from not trying to talk about it. Especially after all your blather about secrets.” Brenden crossed his arms and stuck out his chin. “I do want to marry you, but I want the words,” he said in a cool voice.

  Brenden had a point. Dakota hated it when he had a point. And the irksome thing was it was all his own fault for thinking he was being so clever. “Even if I suck at the words?”

  “You don’t suck at words even if your ways can be clueless and Neanderthal. You’re not clubbing me over the head and dragging me off to your cave as your mate.” Brenden turned a baleful eye on him. Sometimes Dakota swore the man could read his mind. Like he knew all about Dakota’s gagging and dragging thought. Even if he wasn’t serious. “When we go in there it’s going to be quick and to the point. Wham bam and done. Which is okay and totally you, but dammit, you’re going to say something sweet to me first, Dakota Alexander Nye.”

  Dakota knew Brenden well enough to gauge when he was genuinely upset and when he wasn’t. Brenden was screwing around with him, mostly. There was a little bit of deserved irritation under his demeanor. As he would say, it’s the principle of the matter. Dakota sighed, trying to find the words to say how he felt.

  “It turns me on when you get all prissy like that,” he said to stall for time.

  “Those aren’t the kind of words I’m talking about!” Brenden swatted his arm. “You say stuff like that all the time!”

  “Christ, okay, it was a joke. You’re making me sweat here.” Dakota mopped his forehead and upped the AC. He was going to do this right. He turned and took Brenden’s hands. Brenden’s eyes lit up with amusement as he squeezed Dakota’s in return. He really was going to make Dakota ask him.

  “You annoy me and I annoy the hell out of you because we do everything so different. We look at the world completely opposite. And there are days when people wonder why we haven’t killed each other yet.” Dakota paused and Brenden’s brow rose. Maybe that hadn’t been the best start, bu
t he wasn’t complaining.

  “The truth is, once I realized what a friend I had in you, I never wanted to let you go. We accept each other’s odd quirks and exasperating habits because we understand and love each other. No matter how mad you are at me, you’re still going to stick by my side and I’m going to stick by you. We’re ride or die, always.”

  Brenden’s eyes softened, and he opened his mouth, but Dakota shook his head. That wasn’t enough, even if Brenden would accept it. Even if he was still struggling with the right words. Dammit, he was going to get this right.

  “Hold it, I’m not done, okay?” He waited until Brenden nodded and then plunged ahead. “I want more than that. More than the day-to-day knowing that we’re partners. I want the whole world to know that without question.”

  Again Brenden opened his mouth and Dakota laid his finger over his lips. For a man who wanted sweet words, he was awful impatient to talk himself. Dakota wanted it all out there before he got caught up in Brenden’s response. He had one chance to get this right before they met with the judge.

  “I want to marry you, Bren. I want to make you a Nye so everyone will damn well know we belong together for life.” Dakota gave Brenden a crooked grin. “So please, dammit, will you fucking marry me?”

  A stunned expression crossed Brenden’s face, and his eyes sheened with tears. “You want me to take your name?”

  Dakota squeezed Brenden’s hands as relief swept through him. In his own inept way, he’d said what Brenden needed to hear. “Yeah, I do. Screw that bastard who gave you your name. You belong with us. With me.”

  “And you say you don’t have a way with words. I love you.” Brenden framed his face and leaned in to kiss him. He sat back, pulled out a handkerchief, and wiped his eyes. Brenden was the only man their age who carried a handkerchief, laundered and ironed. It was ridiculous and perfectly him, and Dakota never wanted that to change. “Okay, I’m ready.”

  Dakota shook his head and pocketed the keys. Wow, they were really doing this. Excitement battled back the nerves. “You never did tell me how you figured this out.”

  Brenden chuckled and exited the car without an explanation. Dakota came around to take his hand again. Brenden looked so pleased with himself. “Well, the appointment on my calendar was suspicious, and I’ve had years to get used to your ways. So I did some digging. I may have dragged Aden into it as well for some discreet investigation. Turns out, he was in on it.”

  Aden. He should’ve known. Dakota moved Brenden in the direction of the courthouse. The clerk had been very specific about the time, and he didn’t want this screwed up because they were two minutes late. “I remember you predicting a disaster when I suggested moving in with you,” Dakota teased.

  “It was a disaster.” Brenden smiled. “Kent Island was a disaster. Talking to Trev and Evelyn was a disaster, and that initial proposal, oh boy, but you know what?”

  “What?” Dakota asked, searching his face. At least he hadn’t included the wedding in that list, though they hadn’t managed to make it into the building yet, so the possibility was still there.

  “It was a beautiful disaster.”

  Dakota grinned. Those two words summed them up rather well. “I’ll take it. Let’s get going before the ceremony is added to that short and notorious list.”

  Brenden gave Dakota a look of amused affection. “Aren’t you forgetting a few key important items?”

  “No, trust me on this. It’s all lined up. I may not have your attention to detail, but I can wing events like nobody else.” Dakota tugged Brenden’s hand before he could come up with any more issues to harp on. They had ten more minutes.

  “What about witnesses?” Brenden teased as he went along. “Those are necessary.”

  “Aden and Julie are waiting for us. Which if you’ve talked to him you already knew. Stop stalling.” Dakota picked up his pace. “And we’re going to be late if we don’t move. You hate being late. Being late for the wedding has to be on the top of your don’t-do list. We can have a small party with the rest of the family when they’ve gotten used to the idea.”

  “What about rings?” Brenden asked in a too-smooth voice.

  Rings. Dakota froze midstep. How the fuck could he forget about rings? Weren’t they a crucial element? He scowled at Brenden in a panic. “How can I be expected to remember every mushy ritual there is?” He threw up his hands as Brenden watched in amusement. “I got the judge and the wedding certificate and the witnesses. Come on.”

  “It just so happens, I have a couple on me.” Brenden slipped two small boxes out of his pocket and handed the blue one to Dakota. “You know how I like to anticipate.”

  “When the fuck did you find time for this?” Dakota demanded as he tried to open the box with fumbling fingers.

  “I am an excellent multitasker.” Brenden grinned and slipped the lid off the box in his hand, revealing a plain, solid band that suited them both. “I hope they meet with your approval. That’s mine and this is yours. They match except for one small detail. I know how you like to put your mark on things.”

  Dakota got the lid off and stared down at the band, his eyes stinging. Just like Brenden to remember the details. Because mushy or not, yeah, he wanted his ring on Brenden’s finger. “What’s the difference?” he asked as he pulled out the band.

  “Look on the inside,” Brenden suggested.

  Dakota tipped the ring up to the sunlight, and there, engraved in cursive script: Dakota’s. His throat tightened until he couldn’t speak. Yeah, Brenden remembered. He caught Brenden in a rough hug before he could get all teary too. “I love you, Bren.”

  Brenden’s arms tightened around him, and they held on to each other until a shout caught their attention. Aden waved from the door. “Are you two idiots coming or not?”

  “Oh God, we can’t be late.” Brenden grabbed his hand this time and ran as Dakota tried to slip the ring back in its box. He gave up and held it in his fist. He wasn’t going to let go of it until it was on Brenden’s hand where it belonged.

  Julie waited in the coolness of the lobby, and standing next to her were Trev and Evelyn. Dakota swallowed hard and searched their faces, for half a second feeling like a teenager who’d gotten caught crawling out of the window. He had not expected them to be here. “Hey, Aunt Evelyn and Uncle Trev.”

  He shot Aden a questioning look, and Aden shook his head. “They were waiting when we showed up. I didn’t tell them.”

  “Brenden called us,” Uncle Trev said. “He wanted to give us the chance to come or opt out. Zach’s flirting with the clerk and stalling, so we’d better hurry.”

  “We’re family, right?” Aunt Evelyn said in the same tone she’d used a hundred times when she reminded Dakota or Brenden of that fact. She straightened the collar of his shirt and gave Brenden an approving once-over. “You think we wouldn’t be here for you two? I’m not missing out on seeing my boys getting married, even if they’re far too adult for me to keep calling them my boys.”

  Dakota winked at her and squeezed Brenden’s hand. “We’ll always be your boys, Aunt Evelyn.”

  They hustled through security and down the hall to where Zach waited. Dakota eyed the courtroom doors. Everything would change after they walked through there, but for the first time in a long time, Dakota looked forward to the future with anticipation. It would be a change, but it was the right change for them.

  “Well,” Dakota said as they paused in front of the doors. “You ready?”

  “That’s my question for you.” Brenden gave him a serious, searching look. “Are you ready?”

  “Oh hell yeah.”

  Chapter Thirty-Five

  BRENDEN HAD been up since before dawn, too wound up to sleep. The events of the last several weeks and the final hours counting down to the con kept pulling him out of his dreams. He’d finally given up, left Dakota sleeping, and moved to the sitting room with his laptop and a carafe of coffee.

  He started by checking his emails and prioritizing tasks.
There were the usual last-minute snags to smooth out, flight delays to check, schedules to tweak, notifications sent out regarding the alterations. He put in a solid hour and then turned to make his checklist for the morning. Vendors with the larger spaces arrived last evening to set up their tables and nooks. It sped up from there. There were a few stragglers who’d contacted him about setting up this morning, and he’d given them a two-hour window that he’d cleared with the hotel.

  He wanted to be on-site long before the first one showed up and check out the convention space again. Dakota would tease him because he’d checked it all out before they’d gone up to their room last night. But several issues could’ve arisen between now and then.

  Brenden tasted his coffee and found it had gone cold. Grimacing, he got up to toss it, rubbing his thumb against the band on his finger. He was a married man. To Dakota, the self-avowed bachelor-player for life. A warm glow filled him, banishing his nagging thoughts about the convention. He was the luckiest bastard on the planet.

  He heard Dakota’s familiar step a moment before his arm came around Brenden’s shoulder in a half hug. “What are you thinking about so hard at this godawful hour of the morning? The sun isn’t even up yet.”

  Brenden turned his head and kissed Dakota’s arm. His husband. He never would’ve believed in this possibility last spring. He’d tortured himself with the want of it. He’d thought it was an impossible hope. Now look at him. He was free to express his feelings to Dakota anytime he wanted to.

  “You and me.” Brenden smiled as Dakota’s other arm came around him.

  “What? You mean you’re not contemplating everything we have to do and everything that could go wrong?” Dakota teased.

  “Did that already.” And he’d be right back at it soon, but not this moment. Brenden turned to face him. Dakota’s hair was sleep rumpled, and the edges of his morning scowl still tugged at the corners of his mouth. “Now I’m taking a moment to relax and think about us. How happy I am and a bit mind-boggled.”