by J. K. Hogan
Nic took Justice’s hand and they turned to face their officiant, who stood with the calm waters of Lake Washington behind her. Nic and Justice shared one last sweet smile between them, before she began the ceremony. Nic couldn’t focus on her. Instead, he looked out over the water, as he and Justice had done together so many times, and he felt a peace he’d never known before.
Nic had the love of his life by his side, hand in hand with him, ready to become joined with him permanently. He had the water spread out in front of him; part of what had brought them together, their home. And Nic was certain that his dad was looking down on them as they started their new life.
Justice squeezed his hand gently, startling Nic out of his thoughts, and he realized it was his turn to speak. He looked into Justice’s deep green eyes, smiled with all the love he had in him, and said his line. “I do.”
* * * *
The reception was held on the San Valentino. It was almost embarrassingly small compared to most wedding reception venues, but they’d only invited a few friends to witness their union, so it was perfect for Justice and Nic. The day had been more about the two of them than whoever they might have invited to join them.
Justice liked the idea of having the party on the boat, because it was just a short walk down the hall to home —and to the start of their wedding night. He snickered to himself at what he had planned for Nic that night.
There was another motive behind his choice of reception location. He had a special surprise wedding gift for Nic, and he was practically bursting at the seams to give it to him. He, Rory, Amelia, and a few of their friends had worked long hours on this gift. Lara, who moved to Seattle shortly after Justice did due to a transfer at her job, even pitched in once or twice. Justice had bent over backwards trying to keep it a secret from Nic. At one point, Justice was almost positive Nic had convinced himself Justice was having an affair. Justice had managed to calm him down repeatedly, and had tried harder to hide his secret agenda after that.
Shifting in his seat, Justice nervously awaited the end of the speeches. They’d all been lovely, but he was itching to unveil the surprise. Finally, Samara finished her “best woman” speech, and Justice stood up to take the mic that belonged to the portable PA they’d rented.
All eyes rested on him, and he had a brief moment of panic before his eyes connected with Nic’s, and he immediately felt the calm wash over him. He was up here for Nic, and that was all he needed to soothe the storm inside.
He cleared his throat and glanced around the room uneasily because he was, after all, still Justice. “Um, hi everybody. Thanks for coming to celebrate with us tonight.” He took a deep breath and looked straight at Nic. “As y’all know, Nic and I had sort of a…whirlwind courtship, if you will. In the time that we’ve known each other, he’s become my rock, my best friend, my home. I think he may have literally saved my life…”
Justice almost lost it when he saw a tear roll down Nic’s cheek. Gotta keep it together, buddy. At least until the surprise —then you can lose it. “I thought long and hard about what I could get this man, this…” He choked back a sob… “this man who became my hero…that could adequately express my love for him.”
“Jus, you didn’t have to —”
“Ssh.” Justice had approached Nic, carrying the mic with him, and had placed a finger over Nic’s lips to silence him. “I’m not finished. Like I said, I thought long and hard, and when I finally figured it out, it was so obvious that I had to laugh at myself. It had been staring me in the face all along.
“So, to give Nic this present, I have to bring him to it…” He took Nic’s hand and tugged him out of his seat. “If y’all wouldn’t mind following me, you’re not gonna want to miss this.”
Nic laughed as Justice pulled him by the hand, out of the banquet room, down the hallway, and to the gangway, with their small flock of guests trailing behind. He led them off the boat, and down the long expanse of the pier. As they approached the part of the pier where the surprise was hidden, Justice stopped and allowed Nic to get a few steps ahead of him. Then he stepped up behind Nic and wrapped arms around him to cover his eyes.
“Hey!” Nic said, laughing. “What gives?”
“I told you it was a surprise. I don’t want you peeking until you can get the full effect.”
Nic teasingly pushed his ass back against Justice. “I think I’m getting the full effect right now.”
Justice chuckled and nudged Nic forward. “Settle down, Mr. Valentine. We’re almost there.”
Justice couldn’t help the rush of excitement that set his heart pounding, as he maneuvered Nic around the corner that led to slip fifty-two. He’d been working on this project for months, so he was used to seeing it, but he grinned when he tried to see it through Nic’s eyes. This was going to be epic.
“Keep your eyes closed,” he whispered in Nic’s ear, letting his hands drop.
Justice backed up, giving Nic some space. He knew his husband would need a little room to take it all. Husband, he thought with a grin. Hearing a few gasps from behind him, Justice motioned for the wedding party to keep quiet. “Okay, you can look now.”
Justice only had eyes for Nic, watching as he slowly blinked his eyes open and looked with disbelief at the fully restored Galeocerdo, fresh paint shining in the lowering sun.
Nic’s eyes grew wide and his jaw dropped. Astonished, he looked from the boat to Justice, and back to the boat. He began pacing the length of the craft, running his fingers along the flawless hull. He turned back to Justice again, eyes full of questions.
“What? How? Just…how?”
Justice walked up beside him and took his hand. “I did some research and found an antique watercraft restorer by the name of Jonathan O’Dowd. He has his own restoration business north of Seattle, and he agreed to send someone down and help us restore the ketch.”
“Us?” Nic asked breathlessly.
“Yeah, all of us. Me, Rory, Mom, Lara, plus a few of Rory’s friends pitched in for extra manpower. Mr. O’Dowd’s man replaced the mast, the sails that were damaged, and the engine. Then he directed us in cleaning up the more cosmetic damages.”
Nic ran a hand through his hair. “So this is what had you sneaking around.”
“I thought I was being stealthy,” Justice said.
Nic rolled his eyes. “You were so not stealthy. Had me worried there for a minute. But all this time, you were working on my boat.” Nic sobered and looked at Justice with suspiciously watery eyes. “This is beyond incredible. How could you even afford it?”
Suddenly self-conscious, Justice shrugged and blushed. “Had some savings.” He looked down at his shoes. “If there’s something you want to change, that’s cool. I just know how much this boat means to you. It was your dad’s pride and joy, and I couldn’t stand to think of it sitting in dry-dock as wreckage, and getting sold off for parts. I almost lost you in that wreckage, so I wanted to put it back together. Besides…um, this boat has some good memories for me.”
Nic smiled, then took Justice’s face in his hands and leaned in until their foreheads were touching. He took a couple of shuddering breaths before leaning back to look into Justice’s eyes
“You amazing, beautiful man. It’s perfect. This is such a wonderful gift…though you already gave me the greatest gift I’ll ever get. As long as I have you, everything else is gravy.”
Justice grinned, though tears were falling freely between both of them at that point, and fisted a hand in Nic’s shirt to tug him closer.
“I love you,” he whispered across Nic’s lips before pulling him into a kiss. He put everything he had into the kiss, gripping Nic’s jaw to angle his face just right, and plunging his tongue deep inside.
There was a rustle of clothing, then a throat clearing from behind them.
“So…ah, we’re just gonna…you know, go. Have fun guys!” Samara said with barely restrained laughter.
Where Justice would have broken the kiss, Nic just held him tight
er and waved blindly over his head. There were a few snorts and chuckles, the sound of retreating footsteps, and then they were alone. Justice felt like he’d been waiting his whole life for this.
Nic pulled away, only inches, and smiled at Justice. His clear blue eyes crinkled in such a way that reminded Justice why he’d fallen in love with the man in the first place. Nic always had a smile in his heart.
“I love you, too,” Nic said, placing whisper soft kisses all over Justice’s face. Then he swooped in for another earth-shattering stunner of a kiss, and wound his arms around Justice’s waist. He broke the kiss and moved down to suck on Justice’s neck, while his hand found its way past the waistband of Justice’s trousers. Justice shivered at the feeling of heat when Nic’s hand finally made contact with skin.
Nic stopped kissing and nuzzled Justice’s neck, then raised his head to nod toward the beautifully restored sailboat. “How about we go make some new memories?”
The look in his eyes left no doubt in Justice’s mind what kind of memories those would be. And Justice was so ready to start his wedding night with his husband.
“Sounds like a plan.” He clasped Nic’s hand in his own and gave it a squeeze. “Lead the way.”
THE END
Trademark Acknowledgement
The author acknowledges the trademark status and trademark owners of the following places and items mentioned in this work of fiction:
Xanax: Pfizer Inc
Taser: Taser International
Prius: Toyota Motor Corporation
Subaru Outback: Fuji Heavy Industries
Prada: Prada, Milan
Kindle: Amazon.com
iPad, iPhone: Apple Inc
Ford: Ford Motor Company
Grady-White: Grady-White Boats Inc
Camaro: General Motors
Emporio Armani: Giorgio Armani
Capris: R.J Reynolds
Honda: Honda Motor Company
Ralph Lauren: Ralph Lauren Corporation
Pikes Place Fish Market: John Yokoyama
Gortan’s Fisheran: Gortan’s of Gloucester: Nippon Suisan Kaisha, Ltd
The Canal: Northwest Events and Parties
North Face: VF Corporation
Sperry Top-Siders: Wolverine Worldwide
Six Flags: Six Flags
Chevy Volt: General Motor Company
Seatown Seabar: Tom Douglas
J.K. Hogan
J.K. Hogan has been telling stories for as long as she can remember, beginning with writing cast lists and storylines for her toys growing up. When she finally decided to put pen to paper, magic happened. She is greatly inspired by all kinds of music and often creates a “soundtrack” for her stories as she writes them. J.K. is hoping to one day have a little something for everyone, so she’s branched out from m/f paranormal romance and added m/m contemporary romance. Who knows what’s next?
J.K. resides in North Carolina, where she was born and raised. A true southern girl at heart, she lives in the country with her husband and young son, a cat, and two champion agility dogs. If she isn’t on the agility field, J.K. can often be found chasing waterfalls in the mountains with her husband, or down in front at a blues concert. In addition to writing, she enjoys training and competing in dog sports, spending time with her large southern family, camping, boating and, of course, reading! For more information, please visit www.jkhogan.com.
Also by J.K. Hogan
Fire on the Island (Vigilati, Book 1)
Blood in the Valley (Vigilati, Book 2)
