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Chapter Twenty-Five

Cade

“This is your decision. You’re the planner,” Cade heard Ford complain… again. He was exasperated, but it was his wedding— his and Jackson’s .

Cade hated to beat the dead horse, but he’d never experience his own wedding of the likes he’d planned for his lovers. Adult adoption just didn’t have the same panache as holy matrimony , but he wasn’t going to complain. He’d accepted it just as the other two men he loved, and it was too late for sour grapes.

Of course, he wasn’t going to allow Ford to puss out on wedding plans. “No, Branford, it’s not my decision. I’m the planner. You’re the groom. You’re walking down that aisle tomorrow, not me. Now, do you want the chairs in straight rows or in a semicircle?”

That was the other thing. The wedding of about fifteen had grown to about thirty with the surprise arrival of a lot of people from Fairytails , the Chicago Breeze team, and the few people Cade had invited—his mother and a couple of her friends along with Ash. He’d tried to track down any of the kids from the shelter, but he’d had no luck. It was okay. It wasn’t his wedding.

“Why do they have to have a place to sit? The ceremony takes all of two minutes. Can’t everyone just stand?” The snap in Ford’s voice was annoying.

Cade sighed. “Remember when we had the discussion regarding the service? You two chose a more traditional ceremony. Dr. Fellows sent the three readings over email, and I printed them off for you and Jackson. You picked the same one, and that’s what we’re going to use. The vows are traditional, but there are recitations and songs, Ford. I talked to both of you about all of this.”

Cade was trying very hard to hold back the acrimony from his voice. If it was my wedding… he thought before he stopped himself.

“God, okay. Just… whatever you want, Kincade. I’m not the planner, okay? You’re the planner.”

Before Cade lost his temper, Katrina jerked his hand. “Patience is a virtue, darling. Let’s just operate off the idea this is the wedding you’d like to have and go from there. Obviously, the man doesn’t care, so use your own judgment. So, thirty people. How about we just split it into three rows of five on each side of the aisle and don’t specify groom or groom, okay?”

After everything was in place except the flowers, they left the loft and went back to Katrina’s building. The rehearsal was to be in the community room there, which was about the size of the loft, with the sit-down dinner being held at Katrina’s penthouse.

It had been Cade’s idea to keep Jax and Ford—mostly—from the wedding space until it was time for the ceremony so they’d both be surprised. He’d gone so far as to ensure Jax stayed in the spare room of Katrina’s apartment that night, about which Jax didn’t know, and Ford was staying in the suite with Sela and Carlotta.

He’d enlisted help from Griff and Owen Hatch to sort the clothing, both of whom had gone over and above expectations to help him make it a special day for Jax and Ford. He still had plans to spend the night at his mother’s place to give them a proper wedding night whether they liked it or not.

Cade went to his mother’s lush en suite bathroom to take a shower, hoping to lose some of the anxiety he was feeling regarding the fact they’d kept it from Ford about the arrival of his older sister and her daughter.

Cade prayed the blond hadn’t lost touch with her for reasons he hadn’t told them because it could be awkward, but when he discussed the idea with Katrina, she’d been supportive. It was why he loved her so much.

A loud knock came on the bathroom door as he was shaving, so he opened the door to see Ashton standing there in a nice gray suit, looking quite handsome. “You look amazing, little brother. How was the flight?”

“It was fine. I need to thank Ford for the first-class ticket. It was really cool to get to fly by myself. How about you? You ready for this fancy stuff?” Ash leaned against the bathroom door jam.

Cade finished shaving and washed his face before he turned to his little brother. “I’m ready for all this shit to be over. Who else is out there? I need to shower.”

“Miss Rina and a few of her lady friends were having cocktails. She sent me back to see if you wanted a glass of wine.”

Cade laughed. “I’d love a glass of something white. I’m really nervous about this.” It was nice to confide in his little brother.

“I’ll be back.” The young man left the room. Cade stepped into the shower stall, wishing the night was over. Hell, he wished it was the next Monday when they’d be on their way to Italy with all the drama behind them. Less drama would be his new motto for the New Year…which was still several months away, but Cade knew for a fact that time went by too fast. It would be upon them before he knew it.

Everyone was meeting at Katrina’s penthouse to go up to the club room in an orderly fashion. Ford was sitting on the couch speaking with one of Katrina’s friends about a new installation at some gallery in Chicago when Cade saw Jax enter the room alone.

He hurried over to him. “Where’s Sela?” His voice was high-pitched, matching his level of anxiety over the surprise.

“The kid had to pee. They’ll be out in a minute. How’s the bride?” Jax joked.

Cade chuckled. “Being a bitch. I swear I wanted to strangle him today. He was totally being an ass regarding the setup of the room, and I was about to walk out. If it wasn’t for Mom, I’d have just gone to a bar.”

A tug on his hand had him glancing down to see the beautiful Carlotta Thomas standing next to him with her doll in tow. He knelt and smiled at her. “It’s a pleasure to meet you and your dolly. What’s her name?”

“Ava. Thank you, Uncle Cade. I always wanted one.” The girl handed the doll to Jax and hugged Cade around the neck.

He pulled away and smiled. “You’re welcome. You ready to surprise Uncle Ford?” The excitement coursing through him was evident in his voice.

She nodded, so Cade ushered her and her mother behind Jax’s large frame. He gave the doll to Griff who was standing nearby, and he led the brigade forward. When he stopped in front of Ford and the woman with whom he was deep in discussion, he cleared his throat.

Ford looked up and smiled, seeing Jax. “Ah, my groom. Let’s get his show on the road.”

Cade winked at Jax, who stepped aside to reveal Sela and Carlotta.

The surprise on Ford’s face wasn’t really a surprise. The fainting, however, surprised everyone.

When Ford’s beautiful, blue-gray eyes opened, Cade smiled. “Maybe we underestimated how you’d take the surprise?”

Ford laughed as he sat up. “I… as we grow old together, Kincade, please don’t do that to me again. I’m nowhere near ready to die.” Ford’s shining eyes said it all. He was happy.

Cade offered him a bottle of water and followed his gaze over to the large chair where Sela and Carlotta sat with Jax standing behind them.

Ford hopped to his feet and hurried over to the chair, dropping to his knees to wrap his long arms around his sister. Jax walked over to the couch and sat down next to Cade, taking his hand. “I think we made a touchdown with this one.”

Cade laughed and kissed his cheek just as Katrina walked in with a lovely woman following behind her. “Jackson, this is my friend, Dr. Penelope Fellows. She’s an Episcopal minister, and she’s been kind enough to agree to marry you and Branford. We need to get upstairs for the rehearsal so the caterer can begin the setup down here.”

“Of course, Rina. It’s a pleasure, Dr. Fellows.” Jax greeted the woman with a hearty handshake.

After that, Cade’s mother moved around the room as the consummate host, ushering everyone to the elevators so the rehearsal could commence. He could see Ford hadn’t left his sister’s side, and he was thrilled. It was everything he and Jax hoped the reunion would be.

Once everyone was in the rehearsal space, the reverend clapped her hands for attention. She had a sweet smile which fascinated Cade. She exuded kindness and love, which made him happy she was the person marrying Jax and Ford. It was perfect.

“I’d like to thank you all for coming to support Branford and Jackson. I like to have two run-throughs if that’s agreeable. Of course, I’m a traditionalist, so I’m going to ask Kincade to stand in for each of the grooms as we go through it. So, let’s get started.”

Griff lined up the small number of people who were part of the ceremony. Sela stood at the back with Ford while Cade’s mother took his arm as she would Jackson’s for the ceremony the next day. The music playing was the song they used to kick off the fundraiser for Rainbow House, Somewhere Over the Rainbow, but Cade knew it wasn’t the traditional song Ford and Jax had chosen.

Carlotta walked slowly down the aisle with her doll before Sela followed behind with Ford. When they reached the end of the makeshift aisle, Rina hooked her arm through Cade’s elbow. “Well, come on.”

When he glanced up to see Branford Thomas in all his handsome glory, standing there waiting for him, he couldn’t stop the tears. Once he reached the end of the aisle with his mother, she kissed his cheek and turned to Ford. “You take good care of him.” She dabbed her eyes and stepped away. Ford nodded and grasped Cade’s hands, settling the two of them to face the minister.

“Dear friends, we gather here today to join these two in the blessed union of souls. I was given a few practice texts to estimate the time for the actual reading at the ceremony, so bear with me. This is a paraphrase from the official ruling of Judge Vaughn Walker in California when Proposition Eight was overturned.

“ They seek the mutual obligation and honor that attend marriage… seek recognition from the state that their union is ‘a coming together for better or for worse, hopefully enduring, and intimate to the degree of being sacred.”

“Join hands,” the Reverend instructed the men standing before her.

Cade turned to face Ford and smiled, taking his hands. She continued. “Repeat after me. I Branford Xavier Thomas, take you, Kincade Seiler-Hayes to be my spouse. I promise to honor and cherish you. I promise you my fidelity and my love until the end of my life, so help me God,” the minister said. Ford looked into Cade’s eyes and said the words, rocking Cade to his core.

“Kincade, repeat after me,” the minister said and repeated. He obediently, but quietly, repeated the vows, feeling the tears fall. It was like it was his own wedding.

“Rings?” the minister asked after Cade finished. Cade saw Carlotta walk forward with two rings, handing them over with a bright smile.

Dr. Fellows took each ring, smiling at the child. “These rings are a symbol of God’s never-ending love for us as these two will have never-ending love for each other.”

She held out her hand and Ford picked up a ring Cade had never seen. It was a thin band, as was the other one the minister was holding in her hand. “With this ring, I thee wed,” Ford told Cade as he slipped the thin band onto his finger.

Dr. Fellows turned to Cade and offered the larger, thin band. “With this ring, I thee wed,” Cade repeated.

“I’m pleased to pronounce the two of you eternally joined. Blessings to you both. You may kiss your spouse.”

When Ford swept Cade up in his arms, it was a total surprise. He returned the kiss and when they pulled away, everyone clapped as they headed back down the aisle. Once they reached the back of the club room, Jax walked over to kiss both of them.

“Okay, my turn,” he stated. Cade slid off the ring to hand it to him, but Jax stopped him. “I have my own.”

That was totally puzzling, but Cade felt too damn good to question it. He felt like he was floating on air.