THE PHOENIX WEDDING: The Complete 6 Books Series

by CJ Bishop

  Noel shrugged. “I don’t know,” he mumbled.

  “Would it bother you if he were?”

  “No.” No hesitation. A troubled look came over his face as he watched the pups wrestle on the grass.

  “Is something wrong?”

  Noel shrugged again. “I just…I don’t know who I’m supposed to like. Girls…or boys.”

  “You’ll like who you like,” Axel said gently. “It doesn’t matter. If you’re gay, you’ll like boys. If you’re not, you’ll like girls. Or you might like them both. Any way it turns out is okay.” Axel thought he knew what was troubling Noel. Because he was transgender, maybe the boy was afraid if he liked boys then it meant he was really a girl and not a boy. Axel touched his shoulder tentatively. “I know why you had to go to the hospital. And it doesn’t change how I see you, or how Clint or anyone else sees you. You can trust this family to love and support you, no matter what. If they had cause to turn on anyone, it would be me. But instead, they accepted me as one of their own.”

  Raising his eyes, Noel frowned. “Why you?”

  “It’s a long story,” Axel murmured. “Someday, I’ll tell it to you. Though I don’t know if you want to hear it. It isn’t a good a story. Not until the end, anyway. You wouldn’t expect a story like mine to have a happy ending.” He smiled, his eyes drifting to Clint, catching the cowboy’s stare. “But it did.” His voice lowered, softened. “The best.” He looked at Noel and squeezed his shoulder. “And that’s what really matters…how your story ends. I know you’ve been through hell. Believe me, I’m well acquainted with hell. But that part of your life is over now, and you’re surrounded by people who care about you and want only good things for you and Noah.” He smiled warmly. “So even though you have your whole life ahead of you, you’ve already acquired a large portion of your happily ever after. And when the right person comes along – boy or girl – they will complete it.”

  “It’s true.” Abel approached and sat down on the grass. The pups ceased wrestling and bounded onto Abel. “Help! Wild dogs attacking me!” Abel laughed.

  Jules and Reuben ran over and tumbled down on the ground, immediately drawing the puppies’ attention who abandoned Abel and jumped on the little boys.

  “You saved my life,” Abel told them.

  Giggling and fighting Jonah off his face, Jules sat up. “They’re not wild dogs, silly.”

  “They seem pretty wild to me,” Abel countered.

  “Me, too,” Axel confirmed.

  Jules rolled his blue eyes then looked at Noel. “What’s your name?”

  “Noel.”

  “He’s my brother,” Abel explained to the little boy. “And Noah, too.” He nodded toward the other twin.

  Jules’ focus shifted to Noel’s feet. “Hey,” he grinned. “You have cowboy boots just like me.” He stuck out his feet.

  “And me.” Axel kicked one foot out.

  Jules giggled. “And Clint and Cory.”

  “We’re going to have us a whole gaggle of cowboys pretty soon,” Axel laughed.

  “I’m starting to feel like the odd man out,” Abel chuckled. “I don’t have boots or a hat.”

  “Do you have a hat?” Jules asked Noel.

  Noel shook his head.

  “Actually,” Axel held up a finger. “That’s not true. Clint went shopping yesterday.”

  Noel brightened. “Shopping?”

  “Wait here,” Axel grinned and crawled to his feet. “I’ll be right back.”

  “We’re coming with you!” Jules exclaimed when Axel started across the yard toward his and Clint’s house. Jules grabbed Reuben’s hand, and the two scrambled to their feet and raced after Axel, passing him by with the two puppies hot on their heels.

  ♦

  “Are you having a good time?” Abel scooted closer to Noel and sat cross-legged.

  “Yeah,” Noel said quietly.

  “I’m glad.” Abel smiled and glanced toward Axel as he walked away across the yard. “Axel’s pretty cool, don’t you think?”

  Noel nodded, a small smile on his lips. “Yeah. I like him.”

  “Those puppies are pretty crazy, huh?” Abel chuckled.

  “Uh-huh.” Noel plucked at the grass. “They’re cute.”

  “Yeah, they are that.”

  Noah joined them and sat down beside his brother. Noel relaxed a little more once Noah was at his side again.

  “So, are you enjoying yourself?” Abel asked Noah. “I see you met Zoe, Donald, and John.”

  “They’re pretty cool,” Noah smiled softly.

  “I’m glad you like them. They’re good people.” Abel glanced toward the porch. Clint was watching them. Ever vigilant. Abel looked at the boys. “I had an idea, but I want to run it by you two first before I talk to Clint and Axel.” The boys stared at him curiously. “Shortly after the wedding, Devlin and I will be going on our honeymoon. We’ll probably be gone a week or two. What would you guys think about staying out here with Clint and Axel while we’re away? We don’t want to leave you in a situation where you don’t feel comfortable, so if necessary, we can postpone the honeymoon until you feel more comfortable with the family.”

  A smile played around the edges of Noah’s mouth, and he looked at Noel. “Do you want to?”

  Noel nodded, his eyes brightening.

  “Great.” Relief washed through Abel. He was looking forward to his and Devlin’s honeymoon, having Devlin all to himself for a little while…but he couldn’t enjoy the time away if he felt like Noah and Noel didn’t feel comfortable and secure with whoever they were left with. “I’ll have to talk to Axel and Clint to make sure it’s okay, but I’m almost one hundred percent sure they’ll be thrilled to have you. In fact…” he looked at the porch again and motioned to Clint. “Why don’t we just ask them now?”

  Clint left the porch and approached. He sank to his heels next to Abel. “Everything okay?”

  “Yeah,” Abel said. “I just needed to ask you something, concerning the boys here.”

  Clint frowned, uncertain. “What?”

  “Well, Devlin and I will be away on our honeymoon for a couple weeks, and we were wondering if the boys could bunk with you and Axel while we’re gone.”

  Noel ducked his head and picked at the grass, clearly nervous as if Clint might not go for the idea. Noah gazed anxiously at the cowboy.

  “Not a problem,” Clint murmured, and Abel noticed a pleased gleam in his jade eyes. “We have plenty of room.”

  Axel returned with the little boys and two puppies. “Plenty of room for what?” He bent over and hugged Clint’s neck and rested his chin on the top of his cowboy hat.

  Abel smiled. “I was asking if Noah and Noel could stay with you guys while Devlin and I went on our honeymoon.”

  “Yeah?” Axel grinned. “Absolutely. That’d be awesome.” He straightened up and smiled at the twins. “We have something for you.” He motioned to Jules and Reuben who stood with their hands behind their back, giggling softly. “Go ahead, give it to them.”

  The two children each produced a black cowboy hat and ran over to Noah and Noel, plopping the hats on their heads.

  Abel laughed. “Cool! Now you’re full-fledged cowboys.”

  “Yeah!” Jules grinned and jumped around excitedly. Reuben was a tad more reserved but displayed his own level of excitement as well.

  A grin spread across Noah’s face as he adjusted the hat on his head. “Cool.” His eyes glowed as he looked at Clint and Axel. “Thank you.”

  Noel pursed his lips, barely suppressing a smile. He touched the hat. “Thank you,” he whispered.

  “This is great,” Axel chuckled. “I’ll have three cowboys in the house instead of just one.” He eyed the twins teasingly. “No shoot ‘em up gunfights, okay?”

  Jules laughed and drew his six-shooters, squeezing off rounds, caps snapping and smoking.

  “Shit,” Clint laughed low and grabbed Jules, tickling him. “This is the wild cowboy.”

  Squealing, J
ules wriggled around then hugged Clint’s neck, kissing his face. “Can I stay with you, too?”

  “Maybe,” Clint smiled. “We’ll see.”

  “And Reuben, too?” He looked excitedly at his new friend. Reuben smiled shyly. Jules released Clint and ran over to Rueben. “You can wear my hat.” He plucked off his hat and placed it on Reuben’s head. “And have one of my guns.” He handed him a six-shooter. Reuben took it slowly, a soft smile on his cute face as he gazed at Jules.

  Clint chuckled quietly. “You know a cowboy is smitten when he lets another man wear his hat and hold his gun.”

  Laughing softly, Axel lifted Clint’s hat from his head and placed it on his own, then leaned down, hugged his neck again and kissed his cheek. “Yep.”

  Growling deep, Clint reached back and grabbed Axel, dragging him around in front of him. “Wasn’t talking about me, boy.”

  Yeah, right, Abel thought with amusement; that cowboy was about as smitten as a cowboy could get.

  Chapter 9

  “Aw,” Cory chuckled. “We may have a case of puppy love, and I don’t mean Cowboy and Jonah.” The others laughed and agreed as the men on the porch watched Jules hand over his hat and gun to Reuben.

  Nolan observed the children with trepidation in his heart. They were quite young; if Jules didn’t see Reuben again, he would surely soon forget about him…wouldn’t he? And the same for Reuben? But not for you. His eyes drifted to Grid and held briefly as the young man stared back. And walking away from Samuel and Caleb? Their whole family? Nolan felt like a part of this family; more so than he did his own flesh and blood family. It cut to the core of his heart to consider leaving them all behind.

  “What did you want to tell us?” Horatio asked Nolan, seriousness seeping in. He looked at Samuel. “What did you mean when you said she can’t do this to him?”

  Samuel nodded at Nolan to explain.

  With growing anxiety, Nolan took a seat and explained his past relationship with Patrice and how his family had practically forced him into an engagement with her. Patrice had developed an obsession with Nolan and grew jealous of more than just other women, but his dedication to his studies and passion for law. He didn’t tell them the entire truth as to why he broke off the engagement—against his family’s wishes—but gave them the bulk of it. The final straw had been his and Patrice’s first time having sex. He’d known then that something was wrong, and not just because he wasn’t in love with her. Though he hadn’t admitted it at the time, deep down he’d recognized the fact that his sexual problems with her were because he wasn’t attracted to women. That bit of fact he kept to himself as he spoke to the group of men.

  “Both our families have wanted this marriage since I was in law school,” Nolan said. “Until now…” he looked out at the yard where Reuben and Jules were playing with the puppies. “…they had no leverage.”

  “Why did they wait until now to use your son against you?” Horatio asked. “He’s what, about four-years-old?”

  “Yes.” Nolan shook his head. “I don’t know why they waited.”

  “And you can’t fight them in court?” Caleb asked. “You’re a great attorney. I don’t see how they can legally keep your son away from you unless you marry her. It isn’t like you abandoned him. You didn’t even know he existed until just a few days ago.”

  Nolan sighed. “You don’t know what I’m up against. My father’s firm is one of the largest and most powerful in the country. Patrice’s family is made up of attorneys and politicians. Together, they are an unstoppable force. They get what they want, one way or another.”

  Clint returned to the porch and silently took his seat.

  “I think we should consult Jensen,” Horatio said. “Get you together with him and his team. He’s used to taking on the big boys. If anyone can help you find a solution, it’s him.”

  Nolan rubbed his eyes and stood up, his stomach knotting into a tight ball. “She said if I tried anything behind her back, she would take Reuben away and I would never see him again.” He squeezed the back of his neck and walked to the porch rail. “You don’t know her. If I fight her, she’ll do everything in her power to make sure Reuben is out of my life for good. Just being here today…if she found out…”

  “Why would you being here be a problem?” Caleb asked.

  Looking at him, Nolan murmured, “Both our families are fiercely anti-gay.” He glanced at Samuel. “If they knew I worked with a gay man…associated with gay people…and was exposing Reuben to them…” He shook his head. “I would lose him.”

  “So if you marry her…” Caleb frowned. “You couldn’t…associate with any of us anymore?”

  “No,” Nolan whispered.

  “What about Nick and Christian’s cases?”

  Nolan felt like shit; Caleb was counting on him to appeal their cases. “I would have to remove myself as their attorney. But I would make sure you had a suitable replacement.”

  “No,” Caleb said tightly. “We need you.”

  “Caleb…” Max touched the young man’s shoulder. “We’ll figure this out.” He addressed Nolan. “Talk to Jensen. In can be a discreet, private meeting. No one has to know about it.”

  Nolan hesitated.

  “You wouldn’t just be fighting for yourself,” Horatio said softly. “But for your son as well. What do you think it’s going to do to this sweet, innocent little boy for him to grow up under the influence of bigot attitudes? He would become the same as them.” He looked out at Reuben and Jules happily playing together. “That would be a tragedy,” he murmured.

  Nolan agreed. He didn’t want that for his son. But if he lost Reuben altogether, he wouldn’t be in his life at all to help combat such hateful influences. Nolan gripped the porch rail, his gaze resting forlornly on his young son. “I’m scared,” he whispered. “I fell in love with my son the moment Patrice told me he existed. If she takes him away from me…it’ll kill me.” He hung his head, his eyes stinging. He glanced to the side, and Grid was staring at him, a soft anguish on his handsome face. More than anything, at that moment, Nolan wanted to feel the young man’s arms around him, holding him so tight…so secure. He wanted to take Grid home with him, make love to him all night long, and just forget for a time how dangerously fucked up his life really was.

  ♦

  Noah had told Devlin and Abel that he didn’t know if he was attracted to boys or to girls. That all changed the instant the beautiful blond-haired young man emerged from the house and walked out on the back porch. The impact hit Noah from across the yard and his heart raced, quickening his breath. His sudden elation was thwarted when a young woman followed him out of the house.

  “Hey,” Maddy spoke up. “Chris and Miranda are here.” He waved to them and motioned them over.

  Nervousness squeezed Noah’s gut until he felt lightheaded. His head ducked as the guy—Chris—approached with the girl. Noah wanted to look up, just gaze at his lovely face, but instead stared at the grass, heart hammering in his chest.

  “I didn’t know you were going to be here,” Maddy grinned.

  “Well, we just came out to talk to Samuel about some catering stuff,” Chris said. His slightly deep voice made Noah’s chest tickle and heart race faster. “And to make sure you and Savannah don’t forget to come by the restaurant this evening.”

  The girl, Miranda, said excitedly, “Wedding cakes to decorate.”

  “Oh no, we didn’t forget,” Savannah laughed.

  Noah shifted next to Maddy, thought about slinking away before his knees buckled, then was suddenly the center of attention as Maddy introduced him and Noel to the newcomers.

  “Oh, hey, you haven’t met Noah and Noel yet,” Maddy said. “They’re Savannah and Abel’s brothers.” Maddy looked at Noah. “Guys, this is Chris and his sister, Miranda. They own a restaurant in the city, and are catering the wedding.”

  His sister? Noah’s elation returned, spiking fast.

  “Brothers?” Chris looked at Savannah. “I thought Ab
el was your only brother.”

  “Not anymore,” Savannah smiled.

  Chris held out his hand to Noah. “It’s nice to meet you.”

  Noah looked up slowly, feeling the heat in his cheeks as he tentatively grasped Chris’ hand. Up close, the guy looked about Abel’s age. And Chris stared back at him like he was a child. Though he was fifteen, Noah knew that both he and Noel looked closer to thirteen. His extremely adolescent appearance had never bothered him before, he hadn’t cared that people thought he was younger. Until now. Suddenly, he wished he looked older.

  “Nice to meet you, too,” he mumbled. Chris turned to Noel and offered the same greeting. Noah gazed at him while Chris’ attention was on Noel. There was no question in his mind; he definitely liked boys. At least, this boy…even if he was too old for him and would probably always see Noah like a kid, a “little brother” type.

  Noah felt eyes on him and glanced around. Maddy, Savannah, and Miranda were watching him, amused looks on their faces. Noah instantly blushed and ducked his head.

  Clearing his throat, Maddy said, “Noah, why don’t you and Noel come to the restaurant with us? It’s really cool, and you could help us with the cakes.” He smiled. “Chris could give you a tour of the place…”

  Noah knew he was teasing him, and his face flushed hotter, but he didn’t mind so much. And the thought of spending the evening hanging out with Chris thrilled him. Noah swallowed nervously and looked at Noel. “Do you want to go?”

  Noel smiled and nodded. “Yeah.”

  “Great,” Chris grinned. “The more, the merrier.”

  Had Chris noticed Noah’s attention? Noah didn’t think so. Did he want him to? Noah smiled at him shyly. Yes—he did want him to.

  ♦

  Abel leaned close to Axel as they walked back to the porch. “I think Cupid’s working overtime today,” he chuckled and nodded toward the twins. “Did you see the way Noah was looking at Chris?”

  “I saw it,” Axel laughed quietly. “Adorable.”

  “Well, at least Noah knows what gender he’s attracted to now.”