Do not dare put that thing anywhere near that white suit! Just step away from the creampuff.” Tom looked downright menacing as he strode forward with his hand held out for the pastry I’d been about to scarf down.

Liam stepped in front of me and held up his own hand. “Tom, you need to breathe. The man is six months pregnant. If he wants a fucking creampuff, he has the right to it. Especially when we both know he’s probably not going to be able to eat at the reception for at least another hour or so. And even then, people are going to be bugging him.”

“There are other pastries here that do not contain filling or powdered sugar. Powdered sugar is as lethal as glitter, that shit gets everywhere.” Tom said as he reached around Liam to pluck the offending creampuff from my hand. He set it down, and whipped a package of wet wipes from his pocket.

Liam stepped aside with a sigh while Tom proceeded to wipe my hands and face like I was a child. I bit back a grin when I saw Liam slip over to the box of donuts. He quickly wrapped one in a napkin and slipped it into his suit pocket.

Tom turned to see what I was looking at, his eyes narrowing suspiciously at Liam. “Why do I have a feeling that you’re up to something?” Tom demanded.

Liam gave his most angelic smile, and held up both hands. “Hey, don’t look at me. I’m just here to assist, remember?”

“Exactly. And I think you should probably remember that particular part of your job description,” Tom muttered irritably as he pulled his phone out and began to tap at the screen.

“I mean, I’m pretty sure someone has to be paid to call it a job—but, I hear you, Tommy Boy.” Liam said.

Tom looked up from his phone a moment later. “Okay, the checklist is complete, and everything is right on schedule. Are you ready to get married?”

I gave Pierre’s pastries one last longing look, then nodded reluctantly. “If you say so.”

“Yeah, because that’s the kind of attitude your groom wants to hear,” Cecil laughed as he walked up to us.

“Am I the only one who sees how huge I look in this suit?” I rubbed both hands over my expansive belly, turning sideways to look at my reflection in the full-length mirror before turning back to Cecil to complain.

“And I’m starving, but Tom won’t let me eat any of those fantastic pastries that Pierre dropped off for me. For me! They were a gift! And the worst part is, he even brought my favorite cream puffs.”

Cecil grinned at my sorrowful pout. He reached over to the table beside me and picked up the cream puff that Tom had abandoned. Before Tom could stop him, Cecil held the creampuff up to my eagerly waiting mouth.

Tom threw his hands up in the air and stalked off muttering about pregnant groomzillas, but I didn’t care. I snatched the creampuff from Cecil and all but inhaled it in three quick bites.

Liam walked over and pulled the other donut from his pocket where he’d just stashed it, but I shook my head.

“Better save that one for me, just in case Tom tries to withhold food at the reception too.” I said sadly as I watched the napkin wrapped donut get tucked back away inside his inner pocket.

Liam snorted. “Oh, we all know that will happen. You gave Tom free rein to run your wedding? Yeah... You’re pretty much at his mercy. I would plan on a lot of posed photographs before he lets you get anywhere near the food.”

I sighed at Liam’s reasonable comment and held out my hand. “In that case, you better let me get my donut on.”

Liam laughed knowingly as he pulled the donut back out of his pocket and passed it to me.

“Don’t worry, Luke. I’ve got your back. Eat this and let Cecil help you get cleaned up enough to pass Tom’s inspection, and I’ll load up my pocket with another one, or two, if I can pull it off.”

I was so happy that I flung myself forward and wrapped my arms around Liam with a big hug. I pulled back a moment later, and looked over at the pastries with a calculating gaze.

“Better go with the plain glazed. Anything with filling or powdered sugar is likely to get nasty in your pocket.”

Liam nodded seriously, his eyes twinkling with suppressed mirth. “Good plan, Luke. I’ll take care of it.”

When he turned to go back over the pastry table, Cecil and I both sucked in a sharp breath of horror. On each shoulder of Liam’s black suit, was a perfect white handprint. Tom was right… Powdered sugar was just as bad as glitter.

* * *

I hadn’t been positive about having our wedding at the country club, but my breath caught in my throat when I stepped out onto the patio area and saw how beautifully it had been decorated.

Grazer stood in front of a white gazebo at the other end of a long aisle that had been created with a pale blue carpet runner. The guest chairs were covered with matching pale blue linen covers, and tied up in the back with big bows made of darker blue ribbons.

A harpist was set up off to the left, the perfect touch to the fairytale setting. Everywhere I looked, I saw flowers… and lights… and bows… and it was simply magical.

Sammy toddled ahead of me down the aisle in a baby blue dress with a matching bow in her hair. She held a tiny basket in her hand, filled with blue rose petals. At eighteen months old, she was really too young to be a flower girl—but Uncle Tom had insisted that she be part of the proceedings.

Several different shades of blue flowers were scattered in large clumps around the area, with twinkling white fairy lights winking around them. The same lights were also strung in and around the gazebo, and along the edges of the aisle that I was about to walk down.

Even though Grazer and I didn’t have much family between us aside from Sammy, the chairs were filled. Through my years of working for Ian and Cecil, their large group of friends had long ago adopted me as part of their family.

As I slowly walked down the aisle, I smiled to see Grazer squat down and hold his hands out to Sammy. She’d been getting distracted by the guests, but her Papa knew how to save the day.

I looked away from my little family, my eyes roaming over our friends. So many children, so many couples—but one big family. And Grazer and I were part of it.

Christian smiled at me over Liam’s head, while his brother Kent tipped his chin with a nod from where he stood with his arm around his own husband, Pierre.

Ezra and Hank had managed to attend, and of course, Scott was sitting there with Braden and Greg.

Milo and Rafe were sitting off to one side with Colin, Ian and Cecil. They must have been put in charge of everybody’s children for the event, because they were surrounded with all the munchkins.

Tom stood up at the front, his eagle-eyed gaze not missing a thing. He slipped me a discreet thumbs up, before my eyes flitted back over to Grazer. My soon-to-be husband looked so handsome standing there in his own white tux. The blue rose tucked in his lapel really made it pop.

Grazer stood holding Sam on his hip; his face lit up with joy as he watched me approach. Rev. Ray stood next to him, with a benevolent smile on his face as he waited for me to join them.

Right as I reached the front, Tom darted over and snagged Sammy from Grazer, then slipped back out of the way.

“Hey, sweetness. You’re looking good enough to eat in that white tuxedo.” Grazer took my hand, then leaned closer to whisper in my ear. “But that tux is going look even better on the bedroom floor tonight.”

We turned to face each other as rehearsed, while Rev. Ray began to speak.

“Grayson and Luke, I’m going to keep this short and sweet, just like you requested. We’re gathered here today in front of all your friends and family, to celebrate you—and more importantly, the union that you are making as you become husbands. If you would join hands, we’ll get right to it.”

Grazer and I reached for each other’s hands, threading our fingers together as we gazed at each other. Grazer had tears in his eyes to match the ones in mine.

“Grayson, do you take Luke to be your lawfully wedded husband? Do you vow to commit to him, to put his needs before your own, and to provide him a port in the storms of life?”

Grazer’s steel gray eyes lit up as he spoke in a husky voice. “I definitely do.”

“Luke,” the Rev turned his attention to me. “Do you take Grayson to be your lawfully wedded husband? Do you vow to offer him a support system, to be a best friend, and the one person he can always count on to be his corner?”

My voice quavered and I was blinking back tears as I nodded jerkily. “I do.”

“Alright, gentlemen. You may now speak the special vows you’ve written for each other. Luke, if you would begin?”

I licked my lips and took a breath. Looking into that beloved face, my prepared speech fled from my brain, so I simply spoke from the heart.

“Grazer, you and I have had many ups and downs on our crazy journey—but they all led us to this moment. Standing here in front of our friends, I want you to know that you are more than simply my best friend, lover, or the father of my children—you are my everything. I’m glad you asked me to marry you, because I wouldn’t ever want to live without you again. Not just because I wouldn’t want to, but because I physically couldn’t. The idea of not being with you is too horrible to contemplate. I know I wasn’t originally your type, and that’s okay. I don’t need to be your type—I just need to be yours.”

I watched his Adam’s apple move in that beautifully tanned throat as Grazer swallowed before speaking.

“Luke, I’m just going to toss this out here. I’m pretty sure I had some vows written, but I’m those are out the window, so I’ll just speak from the heart if that’s okay. I once called you a young pup, but most days I’m pretty sure that you’re the only grown-up in the room. You’ve given me love, you’ve given me a whole new life with a family of my own, but most importantly—you’ve given me hope. Hope that I can become a better man, just for having known you. You’re my best friend, the father of my children, and the only person that I could ever imagine wanting to spend a lifetime loving. And sweetness? You’re my only type now.”

Rev. Ray come held his hands up as though in invocation, or blessing over our union. “By the power vested in me through the laws of our great state, I now pronounce these two to be… Husbands… Life partners… Alpha and omega. Grayson and Luke, you may now kiss your groom.”

Grazer’s arms around my waist, pulling me close while mine moved up to loop around his neck. We stared at each other for half a second, then slowly brushed our lips together for our first kiss as husbands.

As our kiss deepened, our friends clapped and cheered. After our kiss broke, we turned around to face our friends. Tom rushed up with Sammy, and Grazer immediately took her and settled her on his left hip.

He put his other arm around my shoulders, and snuggled me up against his side. After we posed for a few pictures like that, we walked back down the aisle together—as a family.

Grazer guided me around the corner of the building, out of the sight of our friends for a moment’s privacy—or at least, as much privacy as a newlywed couple could have with a toddler along for the ride.

“I figured we could use a minute to catch our breath. Also, Liam asked me to pass you this.” Grazer reached into is jacket pocket, and pulled out a napkin wrapped donut.

I gleefully snagged from him, breaking off a small piece for Sammy before I all but shoved the rest of it in my mouth. After I gulped it down, I looked up to see Sammy nibbling on hers daintily while I looked at Grazer in dismay.

“I’m going to be a shitty husband, aren’t I? We haven’t been married five minutes, and I just totally snarfed that down without even offering you a bite.”

Grazer leaned forward and kissed my cheek. “Luke, I give you props for breaking off a piece for the baby. I’ve seen you around pastries lately—it’s no secret that you’re proprietorial about that shit. But hey, you’re eating for two. And I’m a big boy, I can find my own food without stealing yours.”

“Papa! Dada!” Sammy couldn’t say much yet, but she definitely had our names down now. We both followed the line of her little finger to see what she was so excitedly pointing out, only to see our friendly neighborhood bunny sitting in the manicured flower bed that wrapped around the building.

Grazer and I both looked at each other and grinned. “Egg!”

We walked over to the bunny, but only to have it race off, as usual, as soon as we got close. Grazer passed Sammy to me before he stooped to retrieve the egg. He held up the egg so we could admire the painting together.

The hairs on the back of my neck stood up, as I looked at the miniature painting that could easily have been a copy of one of the photos taken during our wedding. The wedding that had literally just happened.

In perfect detail, the painting showed Grazer and I as we stood proudly facing our friends, with Sammy on Grazer’s hip—exactly as we’d just done only moments before.

The backs of our friends heads were definitely recognizable too. Liam’s long dark hair that hung just past his shoulders, Pierre’s short blonde hair and perfect posture, Cecil’s curly hair... they were all depicted.

“I don’t know about you, sweetness, but I think Tom is going to be happy.” Grazer pointed to where Tom was shown standing a few feet away from us.

He’d been painted in profile, with a pleased smile spread across his elfin face. His ginger red hair looked so lifelike that it almost gave me the urge to reach out and ruffle it.

I looked at Grazer. “What are you waiting for, babe? An engraved invitation? Get that scroll out. Obviously, the message will be meant for our wedding day.”

Grazer rolled his eyes, but made short work of breaking through the bottom of the egg and retrieving the scroll. Sammy watched with interest as her Papa unrolled it and read the words aloud.

Grazer leaned over and kissed first Sammy’s cheek, then mine. He ruffled her silky curls, while looking into my eyes.

“Come on, sweetness. Let’s go back in and enjoy our reception, and spend this evening celebrating with our friends. I know better than to suggest we leave before you get your hands on that cake anyway. But once the cake has been eaten? Sammy gets to go to Uncle Tom so that Papa can finally see Daddy’s tuxedo hit the bedroom floor. How does that sound?”

I smiled back at my husband, lifting a hand to run it down his spotless lapel.

“I think that sounds like my idea of the perfect start to a perfect marriage.”