by Jessie G
“You really believe that, don’t you?” Red sounded awed. “Don’t you know I had to borrow your strength to do it?”
“You’re only proving my point. You may have borrowed what you needed, but you gave back so much more. That give and take, that’s us making all these amazing changes together. That’s what partners do. They work together to build each other up, encourage each other, support each other, and love each other.” Bull tugged Red forward until they were almost kissing. “You say I’m fulfilling all of your dreams, well, you are the fulfillment of all my dreams. Everything else is just a bonus.”
Red closed the distance, taking his mouth in a kiss that wiped out everything else—their friends and family, the music and laughter—and brought into sharp focus the only thing that was important. They were blessed to have such a wonderful support system, but the real miracle was in his arms, his to hold and love every day.
“Now it’s a party!” Ty cheered, someone whistled, and Red smiled against his mouth. Since he wanted to celebrate every second of having Red in his life, Bull could only agree.
Chapter 8
I now pronounce you Jon and Ian Connor
Red fidgeted with his tie and was just reaching for his phone to check the time when there was a knock on the door. Somehow he and Bull wound up in separate dressing rooms after the breakfast Paul arranged and Javier had been keeping him company—and laughing at him—for the last hour. An hour. What guy needs an hour to get ready? Not him and not Bull. Even if he hadn’t showered and shaved before they went down to meet the others, he still wouldn’t have needed an hour to get ready. Changing from his shorts and tee to his wedding clothes had taken five whole minutes. The other fifty-five had been spent pulling his hair out.
The door opened before he could reach it and then Bull was standing there. It was almost a year ago that he saw him for the first time. Tall and built like the truck he drove, the visible skin of his muscular arms and neck were covered in tattoos, and his brilliant green eyes were filled with so much love. Manly and huge, Bull was everything he ever wanted and everything he didn’t even know to ask for.
“Ready?” The voice matched the package, deep and dangerous, but he didn’t hesitate to take the hand that Bull offered. Was he ready? He was pretty sure he was born for this exact moment. The moment when he became Ian Connor, Jon’s husband.
Bull kissed his hand before tucking it in the crook of his arm and leading him out of the room, with Javier and Owen following behind. He thought he would be nervous having all of the attention focused on them, but in that moment he didn’t see the photographer and videographer trailing them, or even the smiling faces of their friends and family as they walked toward the officiant. How could he notice anything when Bull looked at him like he was everything?
Red was so engrossed in looking at Bull that it took a minute for him to realize they were standing in front of Lisa, the officiant they selected to marry them. After speaking with some of the people Paul suggested, they arranged to meet her halfway for coffee, just so they could get a feel for each other. She was both professional and comfortable, with an infectious smile and an obvious passion for her job. Now, seeing her standing there smiling at them with affectionate amusement, he felt the last of his nerves disappear.
She must have seen that he was truly ready because she cleared her throat and looked at everyone gathered behind them. “I can’t tell you how honored I am that Bull and Red chose me to preside over their ceremony today. In trying to come up with the right words to express the depth of love and devotion that I see between them, I looked back at the other couples I’ve married. Now, I’ve been doing this quite a few years, and I can honestly say that I believe all of my couples have been in love. But what I see here before me, the absolute serenity that comes with knowing you found the other half of your heart and soul, I don’t think I’ve ever seen that so openly expressed. There is no pretense here, none of those safeguards we use to protect our hearts, no doubts.”
Lisa tilted her head curiously. “There always seems to be last minute jitters. Cold feet. Whatever we call them, it’s that moment of doubt where a couple does that little internal check. Is this really the person I want to spend the rest of my life with? I’ve always thought it was understandable. After all, marriage is a huge commitment. The promise to love someone no matter what—good times and bad, sickness and health—is huge! But I knew when I met them that they were different, that I was in the presence of a truly special couple, and I will do my very best to honor that.”
Red sensed Bull looking at him and turned his head. Just like that Lisa’s voice became background noise. All the love and serenity that Lisa claimed to see in them was reflected in Bull’s eyes. Suddenly he knew exactly what Bull was trying to say on the bus, about doing this together. There was no pretense, safeguards or doubts, because they had opened themselves up to each other so completely. The strength he once believed he borrowed from Bull was actually a neverending loop between them, enabling them to battle the demons of their past and take refuge in each other’s arms. They were better men because they were together. They were whole because they were together. Pretense and doubt would shake the foundation that they had built together and that was something neither of them would ever risk.
Lisa said she didn’t know anyone else who had that, but they did. Ty and Chase, unequivocally. Alaric and Davin, absolutely. Clay, Evan and Tory, without a doubt. Maybe they had different ways of showing it, but their foundations were solid and unshakable because they worked at it together every day. That’s what Saul, Javier, and Kyle were working toward, and it was so simple, so glaringly obvious, that he suddenly knew exactly what Chris was looking for in Owen.
Owen once told Bull that they were all looking to them as the benchmark. That if their relationship could last, then maybe there was hope for the rest of them. The growing friendships with Ty, Alaric, and Clay’s families suddenly exposed them to possibilities they never considered. Everyone knew that part of the draw for Owen was Chris’s strength, but that had to be a two-way street, so of course Chris would want to know if Owen was capable of creating that foundation with him. Probably not the best time to have that revelation, but the way Bull’s smile changed to a knowing grin let him know they were on the same page.
“Am I the only one that just saw them have a whole conversation with their eyes?” Lisa’s voice was louder, as if she were trying to get their attention. “I sure hope they got that all on video, it was my best speech yet.”
There was some commiserative laughter behind them and Red found himself grinning. Being called out like that would have embarrassed him once upon a time, but now he knew how precious their connection was and he would never be embarrassed by that. “I’m sure it was beautiful.”
“All those adoring glances and silent conversations are a pleasure to watch, but try to do this next bit out loud, okay?” She shook her head in amusement. “Bull and Red told me they weren’t interested in traditional, so at this point I’m turning the floor over to them.”
Red felt the flutter of nerves as he took Bull’s hands. They talked about getting new rings, but he didn’t need anything more than the one Bull gave him when he promised him forever. That was the ring he wanted to wear, and the ring he wanted to see on Bull’s left hand. “It makes me a little queasy to take that ring off your right hand. Even though I know it will only be for a second, it just feels wrong, so I’m going to get that out of the way first.”
As quickly as he could, Red transferred Bull’s ring to its permanent location and breathed a sigh of relief. “I guess I forgot what I was supposed to say when I did that, but you know. I’m marrying you, with this ring, because you are it for me. Lisa said she didn’t see any safeguards between us, but we both know I had them. Huge walls that weren’t going to come down willingly. You not only scaled those walls, you obliterated them, refusing to let me hide from you. You gave me your strength and showed me my own. Together we are strong, together
we are whole, and together we have everything even if we have nothing else. There are a thousand, a million reasons why I love you, but it all boils down to that.” He had a whole speech prepared and someday he’d let Bull read it. These words poured out of him completely unscripted, heartfelt and true, and they were everything he wanted Bull to know. “You are it for me, Jon Connor. My heart and soul, my safe haven, my cheerleader, my partner, my best friend, and my lover. The only person I want to take this journey with.”
There were a few sniffles behind them, but Red couldn’t look away from Bull. Gently, he reached up to brush the tears from Bull’s eyes and Bull gripped his hand, holding it against his cheek. In his wildest imaginings, he couldn’t have dreamed up someone who would look at him like that. Bull laid himself bare, sharing everything without reservation. The love and lust was there, but so was the vulnerability that eased his own. It was easy to say that he took his strength from Bull, it seemed to ooze from his pores, but Red knew that he was the only one that really saw it for the façade it was. Bull needed him, took strength from him, and trusted him without reservation.
“After this, I never want to see my ring off your finger.” Bull turned his head, placing a gentle kiss on Red’s palm before bringing their hands down between them. There was a slight tremble in Bull’s hand as he transferred Red’s ring to his left hand. “You know I have a beautiful speech in my pocket that I spent hours writing.”
“Me too.” And Red couldn’t wait to read it, someday. Now he just wanted to hear the words that were in Bull’s heart.
“When I saw you for the first time—stranded on the side of the road, heat exhaustion wearing you down—you had this look of defiance about you. That strong jaw clenched, chin up, every muscle tensed, because no matter what, you were not going down without a fight. You were gorgeous and strong, and not at all intimidated by me.” Bull laughed softly. “Owen said we haven’t been free since we set eyes on each other and he’s right. You were it for me in that moment and I’d be ashamed of the lengths I went to that day if I wasn’t standing here with you now. That’s how sure I was that you were everything I’d been searching for and that feeling has only grown every day since. This isn’t the beginning of our new lives together, it’s just another step on the path we took a year ago. I’m honored to be the man who gets to love you, cherish you, protect you, and keep you every day of our long lives.”
Red knew there was more to do before Lisa gave them the green light, but he’d heard everything he needed to hear. As far as he was concerned the words were said, the rings were on the correct fingers, and he was Ian Connor. That deserved a kiss, didn’t it? Bull must have thought so too, because he leaned in and placed a soft, chaste kiss on his lips. “I know I’m skipping ahead, but I had to do that.”
Red chased him as he started to pull back, taking a second kiss. “Now she can be mad at both of us.”
“I knew you two were going to be trouble,” Lisa whispered as she wiped the tears from her eyes. “Okay, let’s make it official. Do you, Ian Jones, take Jon Connor to be your husband? Do you promise to love, honor, and cherish him for all time?”
“Yes, absolutely, I do.” Red nodded hard and fast, making sure there was no doubt of his answer.
“And do you, Jon Connor, take Ian Jones to be your husband? Do you promise to love, honor, and cherish him for all time?”
“Damn straight I do,” Bull declared, tugging him closer. “Can I kiss him now?”
“You just kissed him!” Lisa rolled her eyes. “Jon and Ian, you have exchanged your marriage vows in front of your relatives and friends, and sealed them with your rings. By the power vested in me, I now pronounce you spouses in life. Please, get on with the kissing so I can properly introduce you to your guests.”
Bull had Red’s mouth before Lisa finished speaking and Red wrapped around his husband, needing to be as close as their clothes would allow. There was clapping, cheering, wolf whistles, and even the boat taking vacationers between parks blared its horn in celebration. It was everything. Bull was everything.
Lisa just laughed and called over the revelry, “It is my absolute honor and privilege to present our newlyweds, Jon and Ian Connor.”
Chapter 9
Hello, husband
“Everyone looks like they’re having a good time.” After the ceremony, they walked around Crescent Lake, their guests in tow, taking pictures and just basking in their new status as husbands. Mickey and Minnie were waiting for them on the makeshift dance floor on Crescent Beach, dressed in their own wedding finest, and Red would happily admit he was just as excited as the kids. He couldn’t wait to see the pictures and video.
The excitement of the character visit died down and everyone drifted to the tables where the wait staff was waiting to take drink orders and pass trays of hors d’oeuvres. Bull nodded as he sat back and tugged off his tie. “Of course they do. We throw a cool party.”
Red grinned and reached up to open the top buttons of Bull’s shirt. “Hello, husband.”
Those green eyes lit on him and strong hands tugged him close until he was sitting in Bull’s lap. “I like the sound of that.”
“It does have a really nice ring to it,” Red said agreeably. He sat still as Bull returned the favor, tossing both their ties on the table before settling back in the chair. “Did I see a ring on Davin’s finger?”
“And a matching one on Ric’s? Yep, looks like they beat us to the punch.” Bull shrugged. It wasn’t a race after all. “I admit, I’m not really surprised that they did it on the down low.”
“No? I was expecting some big blow out gala with the full red carpet treatment.”
“Naw.” Bull unbuttoned his cuffs and rolled up his sleeves, giving Red a glimpse of the artwork he loved. “Ric only likes to pretend he’s that snobbish. They’re much simpler than that, and I’m not surprised that he didn’t want to share their day with anyone. Especially Ric’s overbearing relations.”
Red nodded and looked at the group that had come out to celebrate with them. Everyone they wanted with them had said yes, without question or hesitation, and had done whatever they had to do in their own lives to make this weekend happen. It only solidified what Bull had been telling him for months. They would all be there for each other, no matter what. “I love our family.”
“I love you.” Bull gripped his chin and pulled him around for a kiss. “I know you think you’re the only one unused to this, but most of our guys are still adjusting to being part of this group.”
Having seen that firsthand, he could hardly dispute Bull’s claim. Of the thirty guests surrounding them, only a few were real blood relations. Yet they were all a family, not just to him and Bull, but to each other. He was truly in awe of the environment Bull had built for them. “You brought most of them together.”
“And you and I will keep them together.” Bull smiled at the waiter who put a small platter on the table with a selection of their chosen hors d’oeuvres. “Those bacon-wrapped shrimp things look delicious.”
Taking the hint, Red picked one up and hand-fed his husband. His husband. Yeah, he was probably going to think that a thousand more times before it fully sank in. “Good?”
Instead of answering, Bull kissed him, sharing the lingering flavor. They normally didn’t consider food foreplay, but he couldn’t deny that bacon-flavored Bull was addicting. Red knew they could sit there for the next four hours, hand-feeding each other and listening to the happy murmurings of their guests, and be quite content.
“Mind if I sit for a minute?” Tommy pointed to Red’s vacated seat.
“Take a load off, Pops.” Bull grinned when Tommy glared good-naturedly. “Too soon?”
“That’s the best of the list he’s come up with, Tommy,” Red teased. “You might want to get used to it.”
“I don’t want to know.” Tommy looked at them for a quiet moment before nodding his head, as if approving of what he saw. “Would I be out of line if I told you how proud I am of you?”
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“No, it’s not out of line,” Red assured him softly. “It means a lot that you feel that way.”
“Good.” Tommy nodded and looked around, seemingly unsure what to do or say next. Finally he stood and offered his hand to Bull. “I’m gonna go for broke here and tell you to take care of my boy, okay?”
“Count on it.”
They watched him walk away and Red sighed. “It’s getting better, right?”
Bull smiled encouragingly. “I think it is.”
“How about we get this party officially underway?” The DJ’s voice saved him from having to continue that conversation. The awkwardness was getting tiresome and he was ready to be over it. It was something they’d have to deal with sooner rather than later, but at least he didn’t have to think about it now. “Red asked that we get their song out of the way first—his words, not mine—and says you guys better not leave them out there dancing alone. So, what do you say, can we fill up the dance floor so I can see these guys in action?”
Bull tugged him up as the others started making their way over. As the first strands of “Everyday” by Rascal Flatts began to play, Bull pulled him close and nuzzled his ear. “It’s just like the bathroom, Ian.”
“With thirty of our closest friends,” Red pointed out.
“Well, yeah,” Bull acknowledged. “But they aren’t looking at us, are they? They’re too busy looking at the man in their arms.”
Red could have been snarky and pointed out that there were a couple of woman on the dance floor—three to be exact since Craig had brought his cute librarian—but he knew what Bull was trying to do. And he was right. No one was paying them the least bit of attention—they were all engrossed in their partner. “Chris and Owen look good together.”
