by Lynn Stark
He was reaching for a pan as he ran the recipe in his head when he realized Colt had come back.
“Did you forget something?”
Colt nodded and smiled as he reached into his pocket. “I know a collar would not be your thing, so I chose this for you.”
With his heart in his throat Gilly took the box from Colt. He tore the paper from around it and his breath caught. He opened the box, revealing a gorgeous Rolex watch. Taking it out, he examined it closely and found the inscription on the back.
We love you.
Tears stung his eyes. He sniffled and looked up at Colt. Only then did he realize that the other three had returned. They were all grinning like idiots. Idiots he loved with all his heart. He swallowed the huge lump in his throat. “I really should scold you for spending so much. But I won’t.” He put the watch on, admiring it. “Thank you. It’s beautiful.”
Bliss and Clarissa squished him between them as they hugged him, each kissing a cheek. “You have to take ten minutes to meet us at the courthouse at one o’clock. We’re getting the licenses for our marriage.”
Nodding, Gilly looked around. “Okay. One o’clock.”
They left after Avery and Colt got a kiss of their own. When they were gone he looked to see Angel and Alex making kissy faces and wiggling their eyebrows at him.
“Get back to work, you goofs.”
“No problem, lover boy.” Alex chuckled as they finished cleaning the kitchen before taking the boxes of candy out.
Angel threw one more kiss and winked.
They worked silently and efficiently right up until it was time to open the doors. The display cases were filled with an assortment of gourmet chocolates, as well as a dozen different kinds of chocolate cookies and cupcakes.
The two people they had hired to wait the ten tables and booths were there half an hour before opening. Gilly stood in the doorway separating the area behind the counters and the kitchen watching as Angel went over their duties. He was bright, cheerful, and energetic. Judging by the smiles on the women’s faces they weren’t immune to his positive energy. That was a good thing. He wanted the café to be a pleasant place to work. There wouldn’t be any screaming or angry, temperamental chefs. He’d had enough of the drama, even though he’d given as good as he’d gotten over the years. He wasn’t anyone’s doormat. Now he was his own boss and his employees were a big part of whether the chocolate shop would be a success or failure. Customers would be drawn in by the positive atmosphere. Gilly was counting on it. And could anyone be more positive than Angel, he wondered with a grin as the man gave everyone the final motivational pep talk?
As Angel went to the door to open it to the men and women waiting in a huddle outside, Colt, Avery, Clarissa, and Bliss returned, coming through from the back. They stood at the doorway of the kitchen as Silver’s Chocolate Café began serving its very first customers. The women blew kisses while Avery gave him two thumbs up. Colt winked, giving him a wolfish grin which made his cock twitch. Oh, he sure didn’t need that distraction! Then they were gone and he was greeting his customers, pride and happiness nearly overwhelming him. Every dream he’d had so far for his new future was coming true.
As the hours passed Gilly didn’t think his day could get any better. Customers came and went. Free samples were handed out. Sales were excellent. Compliments were freely and generously given. He believed he glowed as much inside as he did on the outside.
Then the bell rang over the door and three people walked in the door, nearly causing him to drop the tray of Angel’s chocolate, double chocolate chip cookies.
Angel snatched them away, glaring up at him, which Gilly barely registered as he hurried around the end of the counter. The trio was grinning broadly as he threw himself upon them. His mother and father laughed and hugged him while his oldest sister gave his curls a hard but loving yank.
Gilly pulled back, but didn’t let go of his parents’ arms. “I can’t believe you’re here! Why didn’t you let me know you were coming to Silver?”
His sister Della gave his curls another yank. “Seriously? What kind of surprise would that have been?”
“We decided to come out for your grand opening.” John Southerland looked around, nodding. “Looks like a real nice place. It has a good feel to it.”
His mother inhaled and grimaced. “Just breathing in here will make me put on ten pounds.” She laughed and hugged Gilly again. “Where’s the gift, John?”
A bag was held up. “It’s right here, Marla dear.” He handed a familiar bag to Gilly. “We thought we’d bring a bottle of your favorite wine. Actually, we brought an entire case. The rest are in our room at the Silver Star Hotel.”
The Southerland family had owned and operated a winery in upstate New York for over a hundred years. The wine was some of the very best produced. Out of all their children, Gilly was the only one who had chosen not to continue in the family business.
Gilly smiled and held up the bottle. “Thanks. I appreciate it.”
Angel came up and snatched the bottle out of his hand. “You have your own wine? Why didn’t you say so? We could be selling it here with your magnificent chocolates!”
The guy should be a used car salesman, Gilly thought, fighting back a grin. Angel knew how to get what he wanted and he saw the sale of the family’s wine in his café in the near future. Gilly made introductions, not surprised when his mother all but smothered the small man with huge hugs and kisses. A grinning Angel soaked it up like a sponge. Not much had been said about his past, but Gilly didn’t believe it had been a good one. Obviously having a motherly woman’s attention was not something he was adverse to. Alex shook hands with his family. After that he took them to the back to inspect the kitchen and production area.
“Chocolate-covered rose petals!” The suggestion was shouted and came out of nowhere.
“No.”
Angel was going to be the end of him, Gilly thought, but chuckled when his parents and sister looked at Angel as if he had lost his last marble.
“Angel is very creative and enthusiastic. If it’ll hold still, Angel will dip, spray, or dredge it in chocolate.”
“Will not!”
“Are you telling me you weren’t the one dipping cucumber slices?”
“It might have been me,” Angel said, looking everywhere but at Gilly. “Well, gotta go dip more strawberries. They’re selling like hotcakes.”
He was gone in a flash, leaving Gilly with his family. “Come on back out front. I’ll get you a table and you can have some of Angel’s hot cocoa.”
Once his family was taken care of, steaming cocoa and a plate of cookies and cupcakes on the table in front of them, Gilly excused himself, telling them he had an appointment to keep.
Gilly was grinning like an idiot as he walked across the street to the sidewalk around the park. He followed it to the left, heading toward the tall, red brick Victorian-style courthouse at the end of the large square. The golden cupola gleamed brightly in the rare winter sunshine. There was a bounce in his step and his happiness grew with each one he took.
When he entered the courthouse his four lovers were there waiting for him. Clarissa and Bliss took his hands as they began climbing the stairs, Colt and Avery following. There wasn’t a single doubt in his mind that he was doing the right thing. His future was with these four people.
His new life was truly beginning.
Chapter Twelve
Colt knew they were up to something. It was a sixth sense he had developed significantly since meeting Clarissa and Bliss. It was his birthday and he guessed they had a party planned for him. A smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. He wouldn’t do anything to interfere. He would let them have their fun, continuing to believe that they had gotten one over on him.
The morning of his fortieth birthday had started off very well. Birthday blow jobs were high on his list of pleasurable things. His four lovers had taken turns lavishing him with lustful sucks and licks to his cock and balls. It had take
n every ounce of his self-control to keep from coming. They had been very determined to drive him wild with lust and he had reaped the benefits of their efforts.
When a warm, wet tongue licked him adoringly on the hand, Colt looked down into gentle brown eyes and smiled. “How did I get stuck puppy sitting?” he asked with gentle amusement. “Joey, get the ball.”
Joey went obediently to get the tennis ball he had brought in with him. He had trotted beside Colt as they walked into the realty office, head and tail up. Ms. Jersey had about had a cow as she stared at the happy dog. Colt didn’t know why she was upset. After the incident with the horse anything else should have been mundane. She had stared at the dog in horror, but other than fiddling with the crisp white bow at her throat, she hadn’t said a word. He had even dared her with a look, but she hadn’t risen to the bait.
Taking the slobber-covered ball, Colt tossed it to the end of his large office. They played for several minutes before Joey decided he needed a break. He flopped down beside Colt’s chair, panting.
Getting up Colt went into the kitchenette hidden behind a sliding door, he took a bowl out of the cupboard and filled it with water. “Come on, get a drink.”
Colt shifted his focus to business after that. Birthday or not, he had work to do. It kept him occupied for several hours. The only breaks he took were to walk Joey. The happy dog trotted at his side once again without the benefit of a leash. Icy wind shoved at him as he walked the dog to the house where he had grown up, rather than to the park. The yard was actually larger and was fenced.
Ellen, the housekeeper, came out to greet him and wish him a happy birthday. Though she was an employee, she was also a close friend. She teased him about now having a dog, which he took with good grace. She congratulated him on finding his partners, hugging him and kissing his cheek.
Joey ran around them in the snow, barking and playing as they talked. Christmas was soon approaching and he thought they might give a party as grand as his parents, grandparents, and other ancestors had given in the past. Though Clarissa and Bliss would normally make arrangements for a party, Ellen was in charge of everything involved with the Redford mansion.
After asking if she would be willing to take on a party at the mansion, and getting a resounding yes, Colt called to Joey and walked back to his office.
It was after six o’clock before he had finished for the day. Colt stretched after standing and reached for his jacket. Slipping into it, he pulled his cuffs into place then smoothed his tie before buttoning it. Joey was at the door and ready to go by the time he had his winter coat on.
He was locking the front door when his cell phone rang. His mouth twitched as Bliss begged him to come to the park. So, he was about to discover what the pair was up to.
Even though he tried to guess what they had planned, it never occurred to him that he, they, would be married in the park. Score one for the brats, he thought, laughing.
Snow-covered trees sparkled with the thousands of lights strung in their branches. They were always decorated with the white lights, but additional strands had been hung, draped over the main path to the gazebo. People were standing on either side of the path, all grinning, some laughing outright. Colt nodded to those he passed as he walked toward the steps. At the top his four loves were waiting for him. Avery and Gilly were dressed much as he was in a long black wool coat. Bliss and Clarissa were wearing matching white wool coats. On their feet were bright-red, patent-leather stilettos. He could only guess what his brats were wearing beneath the coats.
As someone caught Joey by the collar and held him, Colt climbed the stairs. He could almost hear the collective intake of breath from those watching. The citizens of Silver were there, surrounding the gazebo, ready to witness his marriage to his lovers, his commitment to four very special people. He shuddered as he again recalled how close he had come to never experiencing this.
But that was in the past. He had made the right choices and now he was here more than ready to recite the vows which would bind them together for the remainder of their lives.
Logan MacMillan was standing there, talking to the minister. “I take it you’re my best man?”
They had known each other forever. Logan was the closest thing he had to a brother, though they knew each other a little more intimately than that. They had been lovers, too, in their teen years.
“You really need to control your brats,” Logan said as he nodded his confirmation to the drawled question. “I was in a perfectly good scene with Ryan when I get a call that today is the big day. Now let’s get this thing over so you can warm their bottoms.”
The minister cleared his throat. “Please, Logan, let’s try to keep this ceremony as sacred as possible.”
Big, bold, and without an ounce of conscience about teasing Colt about his sex life in public, Logan just laughed and took his place beside Colt. Gilly stood on the other side of two women. Avery stood beside Gilly. After some discussion they had decided Colt would be legally married to Clarissa.
He would take part in a commitment ceremony with Bliss and the others. The laws of state didn’t yet recognize the ceremony. But within Silver they were as binding as a traditional marriage. They allowed people who loved each other to commit to one another for a lifetime with a written contract and a ceremony, whether it was a same-sex couple or a ménage partnership. Most people in Silver called it marriage and saw it as such. Either way, they would be bound together for life.
“Damn, the rings!” Colt was always prepared, but he hadn’t been prepared for this. The rings were still at the jewelers.
“I’ve got them,” Logan growled. “Let’s get this thing moving along.”
“Stop being a jerk.”
“Yes, Logan, stop being a jerk,” a soft female voice said.
Colt knew that voice. It was Peaches, Logan’s wife. He gave his friend a smug glance, chuckling as he saw a sheepish expression cross the guy’s rugged face. He knew Logan wasn’t being malicious. They always messed with one another. But he wasn’t above watching the guy getting put in his place by a woman half his size.
The minister cleared his throat. “Let’s do this. It has to be ten degrees out here and I’m definitely not wearing the right long johns.” The crowd shouted and whistled as they heard this, causing the man to turn bright red. Then he was clearing his throat and performing the ceremony. The five people before him gripped one another’s hands.
Within minutes he and Clarissa were married. There was some regret that he couldn’t legally marry Bliss, but she had stated quite firmly that she was more than happy to be his wife in spirit. She knew he loved her and that was enough.
There were brilliant smiles and tears as they stood in front of the cheering crowd. Colt kissed each of his partners, holding them close, staring into gray, brown, and blue eyes. The love he saw in them was enough to cause emotion to rise up. His heart pounded in his chest as he told each how much he loved them. Another few seconds and his badass persona would be trashed forever. Tears were that close.
With the distraction of a surprise wedding wearing off, the cold was finally making an impression on Colt. With a wave to friends and neighbors, he hustled his lovers down the steps of the gazebo and toward the large white SUV idling illegally at the curb. He swore when he saw a grinning Sheriff Grayson Evans tucking something under the windshield wiper.
“That better not be a ticket, asshole.”
The sheriff had some form of OCD which drove him not to overlook even the most minor infraction of the law.
“Nothing less than what you deserve.” Grayson tipped his black western-style hat to Bliss and Clarissa then sauntered away.
As the others climbed into the warm interior Colt snatched the envelope, frowning as he got in behind the wheel. Turning on the interior light he opened it, grinning as he pulled out a card signed by Grayson, his wife Marley, and his partner Roarke. There were some colorful scribbles in crayon, their twins having signed it as well.
Colt
handed the card and envelope over to Clarissa, who had all but crawled under the dash where the heat was blowing out. She looked at the card and read the inside.
“Aw, isn’t that just the sweetest? The babies signed it.”
“Just to put it to Grayson, I will be sure our babies can write their names by the time they are the same age.”
“Oh, lord. He’s going to be one of those fathers,” Bliss teased, taking the card. He looked in the rearview mirror before putting the SUV in gear. She was squished between Gilly and Avery, obviously trying to warm herself. “But you’ll be the best father ever, Colt. I have no doubts about that.”
“No doubt I will be,” Colt agreed with playful confidence. “Now, since there was a wedding, I will hazard a guess that we now must to proceed to the community center?”
Bliss began giggling in the backseat. “Yes, of course. Everyone would be very disappointed if we don’t show.”
“And afterward? What have you two brats planned for a honeymoon?”
“We’ve had the lodge readied.”
“Very good. Now, tell me, were Avery and Gilly part of your devious plan?”
Clarissa shook her head. “No, we couldn’t tell Gilly. The guy is too straight an arrow. He’d feel honor bound to tell you.”
“What about Avery?”
“The guy would spill his guts the moment you looked at him.”
“I would not have!” Avery huffed, indignant. “I know how to keep a secret.”
“Duly noted.” Colt chuckled and turned into the packed parking lot. He drove up to park next to the huge building. People were pouring into the place. As he opened the door he heard the band playing at what he suspected was full volume. “One hour. Not a minute more. I have a couple of brats to discipline.”
There was one thing about the people of Silver that never failed. They knew how to throw a party. When Colt had asked how they had managed to get everything ready so quickly Bliss had explained how she had sent out text messages to a chosen few. It cascaded from there, one call leading to several more.
