If Wishes Were Horses
Page 9
“I know.”
He could barely hear Angel’s whisper. Brandon slowly pushed the door closed, then took a couple of steps toward Angel. He held a second rose, this one white. “The white rose stands for marriage. When they’re given together”—he laid the white next to the red—“they represent unity.”
“That’s… I didn’t know that.” Angel reached out to touch a petal.
“I wanted you to know how much it meant that you were going to surprise me tonight.” Brandon stepped closer. “But I also wanted to make sure we did this right.” Smiling at the confused expression on his lover’s face, Brandon leaned over the table far enough to see the kids. “Okay, you know what to do.”
When Trey and Marisa popped up, Angel jumped. “Holy sh—cow. Where did you two come from?”
Giggling, Marisa scurried around the table, carefully holding a red rosebud. Trey circled the table in the opposite direction and came to a stop in front of Angel. He held a white rosebud.
Angel brought his hand up to his mouth, and Brandon saw a shudder go through the lean frame.
Marisa looked at her brother, who nodded and took a deep breath. Together, they spoke as they offered the flowers to Angel. “Angel, will you marry us?”
“OH, GOD.” ANGEL’S voice shook. “Brandon.” His eyes burned, and he blinked several times. Hesitantly, he reached for the roses.
“It’s okay, Angel. They won’t stick you.” Marisa’s voice was earnest. “They don’t have any thorns.” She tilted the flower she held. “See?”
“I think we surprised him, sweetheart.” Brandon slid his hand over Marisa’s curls, then tugged Trey into his side with his other hand.
Angel cleared his throat as his gaze bounced between Brandon and the children. “You did.” He couldn’t seem to speak above a whisper. He swallowed hard as he accepted the two small roses. His vision locked on the buds, and he raised them to his nose for a delicate sniff.
“You gonna look at me, sugar?” Brandon had moved so that he and the children were grouped around Angel in a half-circle. “Are you going to tell us what your answer is?”
Angel blinked against the wetness he could feel building. He nodded as he looked at Brandon. “I-I wanted to do this right, and I messed it up before—”
“No, you didn’t. Well, not really.” Brandon gave Angel a half grin. “When we looked in on Maria and Danny a few minutes ago, they looked happy as can be. And anyway, we’re all here now to do this as a family.”
“C’mon, Angel—say yes!” Marisa hopped from foot to foot.
Even Trey had a smile on his face. The boy usually frowned at anything he deemed gushy or touchy-feely, so Angel was gladdened to see happiness showing.
“Okay, mi’ja.” Angel bent to pick up the little girl. She wrapped her legs around his middle, and he hugged her tightly. “Okay.” He tilted his head upward and stared at the man he loved. “Yes. Yes, I’ll marry you. All of you. Especially you, Slugger.”
Loose Id Titles by JM Cartwright
Brainy and the Beast
If Wishes Were Horses
JM Cartwright
“JM Cartwright is a polished professional who works all the time. Well, maybe not all the time... but paying the mortgage and buying dog food keeps JM pretty busy.”
Makes me sound kinda stuffy, doesn't it? :>)
I'm a Midwesterner by birth—lived briefly in the Pacific Northwest—and I dream of the Appalachians and someday sitting on a veranda looking over one hundred acres of paradise.
Writing stories about lovers butting heads, making each other crazy, laughing and loving is what I like to do.