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Chapter Twenty-Three

Ford

Ford scratched his head as he sat in Robin and Leslie Zacks’ living room. “How could you not know William O’Malley was a part of the O’Malley crime family?” He stared at his friend, waiting for an answer.

It was easy to see Robin wasn’t happy with his visit, but Ford needed to know how the hell his once best friend could have set up Cade with the son of an Irish mobster as his lawyer. It was all unbelievably confusing.

Robin sighed heavily. “Look, Branford, your little threesome thing was never gonna work, and Les’s cousin is Liam O’Malley. He went to Northwestern, and he’s a decent guy. He wasn’t in on the mob shit any more than Les, and I thought you’d be happy your little plaything had a decent guy to move on to so he wouldn’t continue to hound you and the walking, talking prick. You picked Delacroix back in college, okay? I just thought it was a phase but the two of you are still together so apparently, I underestimated things.” Robin sounded much like Ford’s own family before he stopped talking to them.

He rose from his chair and put down the mug of coffee he’d been offered when he arrived unannounced. “Okay, then. Sorry to inform you, but your little plan didn’t work—we’re still together and O’Malley is going to prison because he was in on the family business. Best of luck to you and yours.” Without waiting for a response, he headed toward the door.

Ford no longer wanted anything to do with the woman he’d once thought of as his best friend. If she cared about him, she’d have known Jax and Cade were good for him, and she’d have been supportive.

Some might say Ford was trimming the fat in his life. Getting rid of the people who weren’t supportive or who were only looking after their own interests. Maybe it had been too long since Ford had taken stock of those around him. As he was leaving Robin’s house, he felt good about his decision. It was time to cut bait.

He hopped into his rental car and drove down the gravel road, having reversed the GPS directions. He’d be back at the airport in time to fly back to Manhattan, and he was happy to have had the time alone.

Jax had wanted to come with him to avoid the hell of planning the wedding, but Ford had told him taking the trip to speak with Robin was something he had to do alone. As he thought about it, he hadn’t even seen the baby, which didn’t hurt his feelings either.

After Robin told him the truth about her motivation for doing what she’d done, he was bothered. How could his best friend give him the name of a mob lawyer for Cade to use? He’d expected a lot more from Robin, but as he’d learned firsthand, one didn’t always know people the way they believed they knew them. It made trust more precious, in Ford’s opinion, and he’d never forget the lesson.

His phone chimed as he drove to the entrance of the rental car return. He put the device in his pocket and hopped out of the car, presenting his rental agreement to the attendant. He hadn’t brought luggage because he didn’t plan to stay any longer than necessary.

“Here you go, Mr. Thomas. The shuttle should be here in ten minutes,” the young man said. Ford thanked him, handing over a ten for his trouble.

He walked over to the small building, taking a seat under the shade of the awning. He took a sip of water and pulled out his phone. There was a text from Jax.

This or this. That or that. I’m gonna spank you when you get back. You ok? JD

Ford laughed. He wasn’t surprised the big man was losing patience. The wedding was in two days, and everyone was aflutter about the arrangements. Ford wasn’t sorry to have skipped the madness.

What’s wrong now? There will be about fifteen of us, right? It can’t be that difficult. Love U.

After he sent the Send key, another text came through. Not surprisingly.

Please, please, tell him to pick a tux. The one he had for the Rainbow House party isn’t appropriate, but he disagrees with me. I’m trying to make it classy. Cade

That message made Ford laugh even harder because Jax had argued that his tux from the fundraiser should be good enough for the wedding because Cade’s tux worked, and Ford’s tux worked. Unfortunately, Jax’s tux wasn’t exactly wedding material. The man was headstrong, Ford knew, so he was sure Cade was about to pull out his pretty, mahogany hair.

When the shuttle pulled up, Ford hopped aboard and told the man his airline and flight number. After he got through security, he took a seat outside the gate, relaxing a little. The fight to get to where they were in their lives hadn’t been easy, but it was worth the struggle. After the wedding, they had one more hurdle, but things were already in the works for everything to lead them toward their happiness.

The hour-long flight was uneventful. Ford took a nap, dreaming about his birthday, which had been glorious.

“ Okay, Lucky and I have made up a dance for you. Your favorite dinner is in the oven, and just like you wanted, the three of us have fucked all day. So, get ready because we’re about to entertain you.” Cade and Jax removed robes to reveal matching briefs.

They were tie-dyed in spring colors, and Ford laughed as the two of them, Jax still in his brace, danced to a Justin Bieber song. Jax tried hard to keep up, but his brace kept him less than light on his feet. Ford didn’t care. It was the best gift he’d ever received.

They’d bought him an expensive messenger bag to replace the one his parents had given him when he graduated from high school, and that night, they went out to the back patio and used the old bag as a base for a fire to roast marshmallows for s’mores instead of a cake. It was the best birthday Ford remembered having in his life.

“Please put your seat up, Mr. Thomas.” The flight attendant touched his shoulder to wake him. Ford scrubbed his hands over his face to shed the last vestiges of sleep because he was anxious to get back to Katrina Hayes’ new penthouse. He’d only been inside for an hour before he went to JFK for the short flight to Burlington. He was looking forward to the weekend for many, many reasons.

As Ford walked out of security, he saw a sign with S. Thomas printed across it. He’d scheduled a car service, but he didn’t see another sign, so he decided to check in with the driver. “Are you looking for B. Thomas perhaps?”

The man glanced at his phone and then at Ford. “You’re not a woman, right?”

Ford laughed. “Not so far as I know.”

The man led him out of the airport. Ford hopped inside the waiting car and sent a text to Cade and Jax to let them know he’d be there within the hour. He hoped they hadn’t come to blows over the wedding arrangements. It was only the first step to the happy life they were planning, after all.

One in front and one in the back was the perfect way to dance in a hot Manhattan club. The three of them weren’t wearing shirts, and they were grinding into each other. It was their bachelors’ night, and a few of their friends from Chicago had flown up to party and support them.

There were no penis necklaces or straws or cakes. It was bottle service at the table and dancing like it was the last night of their freedom. Ford guessed that was true. He and Jackson would take the walk on Sunday afternoon in a loft in SoHo. A friend of Katrina’s was officiating, and Monday, the three of them would appear in family court in Chicago for the finalization of Kincade’s adoption. Ford prayed it went as smoothly as he’d imagined.

“Let’s get a drink,” Cade suggested as he led them off the floor. Ford and Jax didn’t hesitate to follow.

“Do you mind getting us a round?” Cade took Griff’s arm to head to the bathroom. Owen Hatch grabbed Griff’s other hand as the three of them danced off together toward the men’s room.

Ford ordered four tequila shots and beers, along with three strawberry daiquiris. He turned to Jax, Brady, and Cleveland. “Thanks for coming, guys. We appreciate it, don’t we, Cajun?”

Jax kissed his temple and reached for the tray of drinks as the twink walked up to their table. “I’ve got it, hot stuff. Thanks.” Jax handed the young guy a hundred-dollar tip. The boy’s face lit up, which wasn’t a surprise. Ford didn’t know if the kid knew of Jackson Delacroix, but he was damn happy to get that bill as a tip. In Ford’s drunken opinion, if the kid didn’t know Jackson, he was missing out on knowing someone incredible.

“Here’s to the men we love. The beautiful men who remind us how much we’d be missing if we didn’t know them. They might give us hell on occasion, but we’re better for having them in our lives. Here’s to love.” Jax held up his shot and they touched glasses before they downed the liquor and sucked the limes.

The three men laughed as Cade, Owen, and Griff returned to the table, each plopping onto their partner’s lap. Of course, Ford spread Cade over his lap and Jax’s. The rest of the night was incredibly fun, and when the seven of them stumbled out of the bar near sunup, they were giggling—every one of them.

Ford, Jax, and Cade fell asleep the minute they got to their hotel, having snuggled up to each other after Ford turned the A/C down to sixty. It would be much more comfortable for the three of them sleeping in a cool room after the fuel of all the alcohol they’d consumed started to burn off, he was certain.

Ford’s eyes sprung open at the feeling of his hard cock encased in a hot mouth. He looked down to see Jackson’s red head bobbing up and down on him as Cade was slowly fucking Jax from behind. He was still a little bleary-eyed, but the sensation told him he wasn’t sleeping.

“ Fuck, yes !” Ford hissed as he ran his fingers through Jax’s longer hair. Jax was moaning, which meant Cade must be hitting his prostate, and the sensation was about to send Ford over the edge. He wondered how long they’d been at it, but it wasn’t the time to ask questions. It was time to ride the wave of pleasure, and he was going to take it to the end.

“ Fuck, I’m coming,” Cade groaned as he stopped pumping. Jax didn’t stop sucking, but Ford knew he was coming as well because Jax’s efforts became more vigorous, which always ended well for Ford. He let himself go, pumping his hips into Jax’s mouth. Feeling himself let go in the mouth of one of the men he loved always made him happy.

Ford heard a smack on an ass, and it wasn’t his. “Showers, shaves, shits, and shampoos.’ Cade peeled off the condom, tying it off.

Ford laughed. “Is that in any particular order, sweetheart?”

As Cade was about to answer him, there was a knock on the door. “I’ll get it.” Jax hopped up from the bed and pulled on a robe. Cade pulled the covers over Ford before he scurried into the bathroom. Ford hated it had to be that way with Cade hiding, but until Jax was out of the public eye, it was necessary.

“Hi, may I help you?” Ford heard Jax ask.

“This is for Mr. Thomas,” the bellman told Jax as he handed over a fancy-wrapped box with a blue, satin ribbon tied into a bow. Jax reached over to the desk and took a bill out of Ford’s wallet, handing it to the man before he closed the door.

Jax strolled over to the bed, bowed, and handed Ford the box. “Mi’ Lord. I’ll be using the other bathroom to perform some of my maintenance responsibilities.” Jax walked out of the bedroom and into the sitting area of the suite, closing the bathroom door behind him.

Ford searched for a card but didn’t find one, so he hurriedly untied the bow and opened the box, which was filled with small, wrapped packages. He took them out one by one and lined them up on the bed. There were small tags attached to the bow of each package, so he picked up the first one. The small tag read, Old .

The package was soft as he squeezed it, so he hurriedly ripped off the bow and paper, discovering a champagne-colored silk handkerchief with an elaborate “T” embroidered on it in a beautiful, bronzed-taupe color. It must be from Cade because he was the only person Ford knew to be thoughtful enough to find something of the sort. He also guessed it made him the “blushing bride,” but he didn’t care.

He picked up the next package, which was a long, narrow box. The tag read, New . He hurriedly ripped off the paper to reveal a long, black velvet box. He opened it to see a beautiful watch. It had a rectangular face with a gold bezel and case body, and a mother-of-pearl face with a diamond at the twelve marker and sapphires at the three, six, and nine markers. The hands were gold as well, and there was a date wheel. The band was thin, brown leather, and the watch had a masculine, yet delicate, look to it. It was beautiful.

He held it, feeling some scratches on the back. He turned it over to see the date engraved on the case back. It was stunning. He put it back in the velvet box, picking up the next package, which was another box, but it was perfectly square.

He shook it, hearing it rattle. He saw the tag on top read, Borrowed , so he tore it open, excited to see what was inside. Much to his shock, it was his grandfather’s World War II dog tags on the original chain.

Ford had no idea where they’d come from, but he was starting to worry. How would Cade have come into possession of the dog tags?

He quickly picked up the last package with the tag, Blue . It was soft as well, so he opened it quickly, finding a blue, silk garter with white trim. There was a tiny, gold D hanging from it, and that really had him puzzled.

Cade came out of the bathroom with a towel around his waist, steam invading the bedroom from what must have been a scorching shower. He walked to the bed.

“What’s all this?” He picked up the handkerchief to examine it.

Ford chuckled. “You know damn well what it is, sweetheart. I’d be offended at having been labeled the bride if this watch wasn’t so exquisite. Did you get Jax one to match?” Ford handed the watch to his young lover.

Ford saw the stunned look on Cade’s face as he examined the watch and then looked up. “Bix, this didn’t come from me. It must be from Jax in honor of your wedding. It’s customary to buy a gift for the spouse-to-be. I got the two of you wedding gifts, but nothing this fancy. I’m a man of limited means.”

Jax came out of the other bathroom with a towel around his waist and another around his neck as he dried his hair. “What’s wrong?”

Ford looked at Cade to see he had the same look on his face… one of disbelief.

“These things. This is amazing, Jackson.” Cade walked over to take his hand, leading him to the bed. Jax perused the torn paper and the gifts Ford had carefully lined up on the bed.

The big man picked up the dog tags and read them, glancing at Ford. “Who’s this?”

“My grandfather, Silas Branford Thomas. He fought in World War II.”

Jax placed them gently in the box from which they’d come. “That’s cool.” With that, he went to the dresser and grabbed a pair of boxer briefs, pulling them on.

“Where’d you get them? They look authentic, Lucky.” Cade picked them up and examined them again.

A puzzled expression crossed Jax’s face. “Baby, I didn’t do this. I’m not that romantic. I wish I was, but that’s something our Cade would do, not me.”

The three of them stared at each other, unsure of what to do or say. It was truly a mystery.