Nic poured his best scotch into four tumblers and ginger ale into a fifth for Jason. The men he'd invited to his house laughed in the background. He carried the tray with their drinks to the sectional where they'd all gathered.

"Thank you." Christian took his drink and one for his husband, Jared.

Nic waited for Jacob and Jason to take their glasses and set the tray down, retrieving his.

Jared took a sip and made an appreciative noise. "This is the good stuff. What's the occasion?"

Nic caught a quick smile from Jacob who blanked his face quickly, but not fast enough. So much for the women not telling anyone. He cleared his throat. Dammit, he could feel heat rising to his cheeks. Just blurt it out, man. "Right. I asked Jade to marry me, and she said yes."

Nic expected congratulations, not utter silence and vacant expressions.

Finally, Jacob lifted his glass. "Congratulations, Nic. To the bravest, or most stupid, motherfucker on the face of the planet."

"Here, Here!" The other three raised their glasses in unison.

"Oh, fuck all of you. You knew!" An explosion of laughter detonated at Nic's outburst. "I should have known."

"Jacob told us on the way over. Congratulations, man." Jared, his best friend in the fucking world, hugged him hard enough to crack a rib.

Jason spread his arms out. Nic backed away. "Boss-man, no offense, but…” He pointed at Jacob. “I've seen you make that monster turn purple with a hug. I'll take a handshake."

Jason laughed and extended his hand. "Congratulations. You deserve all the best."

After Jason's bone-crunching grip, Nic shook his hand up and down. "Man, how is it you don't break that wife of yours?"

"Practice, my friend. Lots and lots of practice." Jason smirked and raised his tumbler. Jason's taunt launched another round of good-natured laughter and several off-color remarks.

"Congratulations, Nic. I'm glad my sister had the sense to say yes. You're the only motherfucker alive crazy enough to try to make her settle down." Nic thumped Jacob's back when the man throttled him with a hug.

"Thanks, man. I think?"

"I'm happy for you." Christian extended his hand.

Nic reached for it and brought the man into him for a hug. "I only hope I'm half as happy as you and J are, my friend."

Christian's eyes found his husband, and he leaned into Nic and whispered, "You will be. The Kings aren't easy to bridle, but once you do, they learn manners pretty quick."

Nic laughed and pulled away before Jared could give him the stink-eye. He loved Jared like a brother, but the man was jealous as fuck. Well, shit, it wasn't just Jared, all the Kings were territorial as hell.

"So, the ulterior motive to inviting you here and giving you the good scotch was to ask each of you to be groomsmen." Nic lifted the glass to his lips and watched his guests.

"Absolutely."

"Sure."

"Be happy to do it."

"You got it."

The responses tumbled out at the same time.

"Have you settled on a date?" Christian asked as he sat down on a loveseat.

"Ah... yeah. Christmas Eve." Nic sat down, which was a little awkward when his prosthesis caught on the carpet, but he was used to making quick changes in his balance.

"Hell, you've got over a year to sweat her backing out." Jared laughed.

Jacob snorted, "That's what you think," into his tumbler.

Nic shook his head. "No. Christmas Eve this year, and she wants to get married at the ranch as a surprise to Miss Amanda, so none of you can tell her this shit is happening."

Jason sat down in one of the huge recliners, dwarfing it immediately. "Keep something from my mother? You do realize she is the one who raised us, right? The woman has this..."

"Spidey sense." Jared finished.

"Damn straight. She knew if we were in trouble before we did. She's going to know." Jacob nodded his head. "Doesn't matter if we keep our mouths shut."

"Right. She'll know." Jason looked at his soda. "But, I won't tell her." He lifted his glass. Slowly all the others lifted their tumblers. "If she finds out, it won't be from us. Whatever it takes." Jason proposed.

"As long as it takes." The echo died out when they all took a drink of the liquor.

"So, who's making the betting pool?" Jacob asked.

"A pool for what?" Christian looked from Jacob to Jared.

"For when Mom finds out. I'll do it. Starting when? Today?" Jared looked at his watch.

"No, yesterday, that's when Jade told Jewell and Tori." Nic laughed. "I want yesterday."

"We have twenty days. Nic's got yesterday. How much per day?"

"Twenty bucks a day." Jason threw out. "Get Adam, Justin, Joseph, and Chad in on this too."

"Hell, you know the women are going to want in." Jacob laughed as he stood and headed back over to the scotch bottle. "This is going to be epic."

Nic laughed and tossed back the last of his liquor. "Hey, wait. I need another groomsman. I know Justin and Chad, but not well enough to have them stand up for me." Nic shrugged.

"Your younger brother?" Jared asked.

"He's spending the holiday with Carmine. I don't want to pull him away and give Carmine another reason to hate me." Carmine still blamed both him and Jade for their mother's death. There was a canyon of issues separating them, and they wouldn't be solved in three weeks.

"You should ask Gabriel." Jason's suggestion came as Jacob poured two fingers into Nic's glass.

"Do you think he'd do it? I mean, it's Christmas Eve. I'm sure he has plans with his family." Nic would love to have Gabriel stand with him. The man was the reason he was in the room with his new family in the first place.

"You won't know until you ask him." Jason reached for his phone and unlocked it. He pushed a button and extended the device to Nic. Calling Gabriel appeared on the face of the screen. Well shit. No time like the present.