Prologue

“They’re here!” Reggie’s excited cry traveled all the way up the stairs to where Arthur had me perched at the edge of the dresser in my bedroom.

I shoved at Arthur’s shoulder. “You insatiable beast. Now everyone’s gonna know what we’ve been up to. Let me down.”

He leaned forward and kissed me hard. “Not if we move fast. Come on.”

He helped me down the dresser, and we scrambled to get on our clothes. Arthur’s grabby hands on my ass didn’t make it easy. I eventually grabbed my shirt, and with one foot through my pant leg, hopped across the room to avoid him. I gave him a mock glare. “Now stay on that side of the room so we can pretend we weren’t making out.”

He grinned at me. “Is that what we are calling it now? Making it out?”

I groaned. “You gotta behave. That’s my best friend and his husband we are going to meet for the first time.”

He shrugged. “It doesn’t feel like the first time. The number of times you chat with Ollie on video-call, I’d say we know each other pretty well.”

“This is different. It’s in person, and I want everyone to get along. It’s not just them too but Ollie’s parents and sister. His dad can get pretty judgy sometimes. I just want everything to go well.”

With purposeful strides, Arthur appeared beside me and helped me finish buttoning up my shirt. He kissed my nose. “Don’t worry so much. Everything’s going to be just fine.”

I sighed. “You’re right. Let’s finish getting dressed.”

Deep in thought, we got our shoes on before heading for the door. I shook my head as we started down the stairs. We had been ready to host this Christmas family party, but Arthur had taken one look at me and had pounced. I had thoroughly enjoyed being cornered so there had been no objection from my end.

“Bailey, my love!”

We had scarcely reached the foot of the stairs when I heard Ollie’s shriek. My face lit up, and I barely had time to prepare myself for Ollie hurtling himself into my arms. A year ago, I would have dropped him like a hot brick, afraid Arthur would jump to conclusions about us. Given how much our relationship had grown and our trust in each other, I had no such reason to hesitate in grabbing my friend and twirling him like the diva he was. He looked damn good, purplish hair and all.

“I’ve missed you!” I told him, placing him back on his feet. I was almost near tears. Crap, I was crying because I hadn’t seen him in almost two years. Sure, like Arthur had said, we talked a lot on cam, but this was different. I got to see in person just how happy he was and how comfortable he was now around people.

Ollie brushed his hair one side, wearing a wide grin. Drew walked up behind him, placing his hands on Ollie’s slender hips. “I told you he was going to cry,” he stage-whispered, and I laughed, scrubbing the tears away.

“It’s nice to see you again, Drew.” Grabbing hold of Arthur’s hand, I quickly introduced everyone, including Gordon, Beau, and Charlie who the kids seemed to have taken an interest in. I could see why with the bags of gifts they each had.

Upon introducing everyone, I realized I had been worrying for nothing. Arthur was the perfect hostess, luring Gordon and Beau away to the kitchen for the Jamaican sorrel drink he had brewed for our guests. I wasn’t one for drinking, but even I liked it. When I first encountered him making the concoction, I had been dubious the red plants he boiled could amount to anything good, but it was rather delicious with just enough rum to give it a kick.

“I had to ship the plants directly from Jamaica,” I heard Arthur explaining. “Before Bailey, I was a bit of a drinker so it’s little wonder I was hooked on this drink when I visited the island during a cruise.”

Arthur winked at me as he led Gordon and Beau away, and I couldn’t stop staring at his broad back.

“I thought I’d never see the day you drool over somebody else but me,” Ollie said, his tone full of humor, and I snapped my gaze from Arthur’s back to him.

“You guys are so confusing,” Charlie said, shaking her head. “I don’t know how Drew manages this friendship without becoming crazed with jealousy.”

“It all boils down to trust,” Drew remarked, smiling from me to Ollie. “I’m a hundred per cent confident in our relationship.” He kissed Ollie swiftly. “But don’t lay it on too thick. You don’t want to make Arthur uncomfortable.”

Ollie rolled his eyes, “Okay. I’ll behave.”

Drew smacked his bottom hard. “Saying you’ll behave when rolling your eyes is hardly convincing.” He shook his head and started off in the direction Arthur and Beau had disappeared. “I’ll go have a drink of whatever Arthur’s serving so you two can catch-up. What do you say, Charlie? You’re old enough to drink now, right?”

“Darn right I am!”

Charlie and Drew moved toward the kitchen, and given the kids had disappeared, I figured they had gone back to their gadgets. Arthur spoiled them rotten, insisting that was his role.

“Let’s talk!” I grabbed Ollie’s hand and pulled him through the living room and out the glass sliding doors to the patio. The air was cool but there was no snow this year which I didn’t miss. We sat across from each other at the table, grinning at each other for a full minute before we started talking all at once.

“You look happy—”

“Your home is beautiful—”

We both stopped and laughed. “You go first,” he said.

“It’s just so good to see you in person,” I stated on a sigh. “I mean we spoke often, but it’s just different being in person. I’m so glad you convinced us to host you guys for Christmas this year. Arthur wanted to use his house, but I thought this would be perfect.”

“It is perfect. You guys are perfect together. I’m so happy for you.”

I was happy for us too. We chatted for almost half an hour, Ollie talking about his nursing and me recalling things I did with the kids. In the middle of our conversation, Drew poked his head through the door. “You guys okay out here?”

Both Ollie and I turned red because we had just been talking about him and Ollie wanting him to propose. Ollie had turned down his first proposal because he thought it had happened too soon, and now he was afraid Drew wouldn’t ask again.

“Yup, we’re all good,” I answered, when Ollie made no sign of answering.

“Ah, well, you guys need to step inside a bit. Arthur has a surprise for Bailey.”

My eyes widened. I had told Arthur he’d already done so much for me that he didn’t need to get me anything this Christmas. I should have known better than to think he would have listened to me.

I walked by Drew inside the house, but before Ollie could follow, Drew held him back. “Go ahead. We’ll be there in a bit.”

I glanced from Drew’s anxious looking face to Ollie’s curious one. Having no idea what was up between them, I shrugged and went to find everyone else. Arthur was waiting for me under the arch leading to the living room. I was right next to him when he pointed upward. I glanced up and laughed when I saw the mistletoe.

“I don’t remember that being there.”

“You don’t know everything that goes on in this house,” Arthur responded with a secretive smile. I wrapped my arms around his waist, his belly pressed to my abdomen.

“Like what?”

“Kids!”

I saw movement in my peripheral vision and turned to find the twins skipping up to us wearing big smiles. They held something behind their backs.

“What are you up to?” I asked on a nervous laugh, glancing at a smiling Gordon and Beau who were watching us from the sofa where they sat together. Beau was practically perched in Gordon’s laps, his arms draped around his husband’s neck loosely. Charlie rested her butt on the arm of the sofa beside them, and they were a picture of domesticated bliss. I hoped the twins would have a similar bond with Arthur as Charlie did with her step-father.

“We kind of have something to ask you?” Arthur said at the same time Drew and Ollie joined us in the living room. Ollie was beaming, his eyes starry, his lips kiss-swollen and his body was curved into Drew like he couldn’t imagine being apart from his lover. I turned similar affectionate eyes to the man waiting patiently to have my undivided attention.

“Ask away,” I told him.

He turned me to face the twins and bewildered, I watched as they both pulled their whiteboards from behind their backs. It was hard to read Reggie’s untidy scrawl, but eventually I made it out. I switched to the whiteboard Gina held up and gasped as her handwriting was neat for a child her age. I was able to make out her words immediately. Will You Marry Arthur?

My heart skipped a beat, and I had to re-read the message the kids displayed.

“Say yes!” I heard Ollie whisper in the background.

I didn’t need him to tell me what to say. My heart already knew that I belonged to Arthur.

“I know I probably should give you more time,” Arthur said, taking my hand. “And if you still want time, I’ll give it to you. But I feel you should know that I want you and the kids in my life. In my home. I want us to be a family.”

I gripped Arthur’s hands and turned to the kids. “Is this what you want too? To live with Author and have another daddy?”

Their heads bobbed quickly with no hesitation. “Yes!” Reggie shouted. “We’ll be the only kids in our class to have two daddies!”

“Can we, Daddy Bailey?” They had taken to calling me Daddy Bailey over the past few months. I didn’t mind the variation of them thinking of me as daddy but still keeping in memory their real dad. I felt less guilty that I was in the position my brother should have been in.

“I think yes,” I replied breathlessly, returning my eyes to Arthur who looked nervous about what my answer would be. I smiled at him. “Yes, I’ll marry you.”

Arthur expelled a loud breath and crushed me in his arms. “Thank God! I don’t think I could last through a second proposal like Drew just did.”

I glanced at Ollie in surprise. “You too?”

He nodded. “We should do a double wedding.”

He continued rambling about what he wanted for our ‘double wedding’, but I screened him out as Arthur’s head descended. “You’ve made me the happiest man alive, Bailey.”

“As you’ve made me.”

Long before our lips touched, I could feel his kiss…the kiss of his love. And I knew this was one time I would have to let Ollie down. Our wedding day wouldn’t be shared with another couple. It would be all about us. Because we weren’t Drew and Ollie. We were Bailey and Arthur. I loved who we were and what we had. A ready-made family with two children we both loved. Our love would be celebrated when we wanted it, where we wanted it, and how we wanted it.

 

 

The End