Page 46 of Surrender Your Heart

“Gram was saying that trying to plan a wedding can be overwhelming,” Ava chimed in. “How’s your plans going, Xavier?” She gave him a pointed look as we all looked in his direction.

“I’m thinking Vegas,” he said smartly, causing us all to laugh. “What?”

“Gram was just saying the same thing,” I told him.

“Maybe we should all take a field trip to Vegas so the engaged couples can get married at once,” Brandon suggested, earning a pinch from his wife. “Ow, baby. I was just trying to be helpful.”

I visited with them a little longer before the urge to check on the food and circulate struck me. The food looked plentiful and I was just about to head over to visit with Chase and Gray who had turned purgatory into an excuse to make out when my eyes landed on JJ and Miller. Gone was the tension that I witnessed between them during Thanksgiving.

Miller had his back to one of the posts dividing the main bar from the game areas. JJ was standing so close that their chests were almost touching with one of his arms braced on the post over Miller’s head. JJ lowered his head and whispered something that made Miller smile wickedly. Miller’s smile faded from his lips when JJ stood up straight and looked at him. I couldn’t quite make out the expression on their faces, but I would have sworn that something more serious than just sex was happening between them.

“They look like two men who are trying to fight the inevitable,” Jack said, as he wrapped his arms around me. “I recognize that look on their faces, because I saw it plenty of times when I looked at my own reflection in the mirror. The ship is going down fellas,” Jack said, but only loud enough for me to hear, “it’s time to sink or swim.”

“You have to wonder why they fight it so hard.” I rested my head back on Jack’s shoulder, letting his warmth sink into my body. “I don’t understand those two. It’s not like we don’t all know they’re screwing around. What do they have against monogamous relationships?”

“I can’t say for sure, because I don’t know them that well,” Jack replied. “Maybe they’ve been really hurt in the past and that is their defense mechanism or maybe they just can’t really see themselves sleeping with the same person for the rest of their lives.”

“Hmm, pity,” I replied.

“I have a feeling there is a lot more to them than any of us know. I’ve noticed a lack of conviction lately when they spew their disgust over our committed relationships. It’s not quite as venomous as it used to be.” Jack’s chuckle vibrated my back.

I kept watching them for a few minutes, unable to look away. I watched as JJ started to touch Miller’s face, but stopped at the last minute. Miller watched JJ’s hand as it lowered to his side and then looked back into JJ’s eyes. It looked to me like Miller was challenging JJ, daring him to do something or make a move.

JJ didn’t strike me as the kind of guy to back away from a challenge and he proved my point when he pressed his body completely against Miller’s and lowered his head for a kiss. This wasn’t a peck on the lips kind of kiss either; it was a no-holds barred, melt your toes kind of kiss.

“Looks to me like they’ve decided to swim.” Jack whispered in my ear.

I RECEIVED Aphone call from Joseph a few days into the new year. I could tell by the sadness in his voice during his greeting that Jeremiah had passed away before he even said the words. He hated to tell me the news over the phone, but a massive ice storm pounded the New England states making it impossible for him to travel to D.C. to tell me in person. He assured me that Jeremiah had died peacefully in his sleep sometime during the night, holding the picture of him and granddad over his heart like he had every night since I gave it to him.

My heart broke for Joseph, because I knew how much it hurt to lose someone you loved so much. Joseph thanked me repeatedly for giving that photo to Jeremiah, because it clearly broke through the disease to trigger a happy memory. Jeremiah was able to have happiness the last weeks of his life and it meant more to Joseph than he could express.

Even in the sadness, there was a glimmer of rightness that my granddad and Jeremiah were together again, which was confirmed in my heart when a bright ray of sun pierced through the heavy, gray clouds. I talked to Joseph for a little while longer, letting him talk about the man that his grandfather was and how much he would miss him. We made tentative plans for Liam and me to travel to Vermont in the spring so that we could have a private remembrance for the two men.

I stared out the window for a long time after we hung up, watching the sun shine down on the Potomac. Tears of sorrow and joy slid down my face as I said goodbye to two great men, but rejoiced in their reunion. “Surrender your heart, Big Jack.”

Liam found me standing in the same exact place when he came home from registering at culinary school. I told him about the phone call and how Jeremiah died holding the photo to his heart. I held Liam while he cried for two men he hardly knew at all. That was my Liam – my Ace of hearts. I couldn’t wait to make him legally mine.

“Ace, we agreed to talk about setting a wedding date after the holidays,” I reminded him, once he stopped crying. “What are your opinions on Vegas?”

He pulled back and looked at me, a smile slowly spreading across his face. “I’ve never been.”

“Hmmm, I think we should rectify that immediately. It’s beautiful there this time of year. No snow. No slush. No dreary, gray skies.” I looked into his hazel eyes so filled with love and promise. “What do you say, Ace?”

“Let’s do it.”

The End!!