Their Reason Read online

  “It’s going to be crazy hard to arrange a last minute wedding there,” Red pointed out, trying desperately not to get his hopes up. “And ridiculously expensive and…”

  “We’re only doing this once, so who cares what it costs?” Bull powered on the laptop and dove into his pancakes while he waited for it to boot up. “As for it being last minute, we’ll let them know we’re flexible. That we’ll take anything they’ve got available. This is going to work, Ian, I promise.”

  Bull’s promises had a certain calming effect on him. If he was confident that it would all work out, then Red had no problem setting aside his doubts. He pulled his chair closer to Bull so they could both look at the laptop and let himself get swept up in the planning. They ate and clicked through all the possible options on the site. Everything from ceremony and reception venues to flowers, food, cakes, photography, and entertainment.

  “Don’t look at the price,” Bull warned when he choked over the starting price for one of the packages. “I’m it for you and you’re it for me. If making you a Connor costs us a hundred dollars or a hundred thousand dollars, I consider it money well spent.”

  Before he could say anything, Bull thrust a notepad and pen at him and started going through the options again. By the time nine o’clock rolled around, they had a pretty good idea of what they wanted and what they were willing to accept to get it done quickly. Sounds of the garage coming to life below filtered up to them as they drifted into Bull’s office to make the call. Saul had agreed to cover things, and for sure he was curious as to why, but they had no plans to tell anyone until the arrangements were solidified.

  As they waited on hold, the theme from Cinderella sounding tinny through the speaker phone, Red could only look over at Bull in wonder. “We’re really doing this?”

  He was going to be Ian Connor. He, the scrawny throwaway, was going to be a husband, brother, and uncle. For real. He would have a family name, not some generic label given to him in an orphanage. Tommy had asked him, offered to jump through whatever legal hoops were necessary to give him the family name he’d been denied, but he’d brushed him off. As stunned as he was that they were actually making the plans, Bull had promised him forever and had given him a ring, and Red knew he’d refused Tommy’s offer because he was just waiting for this moment. Despite accepting Tommy and Craig, he’d long ago given up the dream of being part of his birth family. This right here, being part of Bull’s family, meant so much more. They had no obligation to him. They welcomed him with open arms, accepted him for who he was, liked and loved him with no hesitation.

  “Disney Weddings, my name is Paul, how can I make your dream wedding come true?” The male voice coming through the speaker made him jump a little and Bull grinned. Yes, those green eyes promised, they were really doing this.

  “Morning, Paul,” Bull responded to the kind voice. “You can help us get married.”

  The man chuckled. “I’ll do my very best. Can I start by getting your name and the name of the bride?”

  Oh. Red looked at Bull and felt the ground shift beneath him. Sure, Florida had passed the marriage equality law, but did Disney have to abide by it? Bull’s confident smile never faltered when he said, “I’m Jon Connor and my husband-to-be is Ian Jones.”

  There was a pause on the other end, a little hitch of breath, and when the man finally responded they could both hear the smile in his voice. “It will be my pleasure to help you and Mr. Jones arrange the perfect wedding day. And, please, forgive the slip. It’s a habit I’m desperately trying to break.”

  “No worries,” Bull assured and Red breathed a sigh of relief. First hurdle overcome, now if only the rest of the call would go so smoothly. “Paul, I’m gonna cut to the chase here. We aren’t looking for big or fancy, or anything that involves a lot of time or planning. We’re looking for intimate, thirty guests max, and fun.”

  “And fast,” Red rushed to add. “Like, this month.”

  “Intimate and fun I can handle. Fast, though, hmm…” Paul hesitated and they could hear him tapping away on his keyboard. “Did you have a date in mind?”

  “No,” Bull answered. “You tell us when and we’ll be there.”

  Paul hesitated again, then tried to be the voice of reason. “I understand the desire, but are you sure your guests will be able to drop everything on such short notice?”

  “Those who can be there will and those who can’t will be missed. Either way, we’re ready now.” Bull’s response seemed to take the wind out of Paul’s argument. This guy didn’t know them and didn’t know those closest to them. Yeah, it would take some arranging, but Red couldn’t think of a single person on their list who wouldn’t drop everything for Bull. After all, he’d been dropping everything for them for years. “Any day, any time, midweek, weekend—you give us our options and we’ll go from there.”

  “Okay, let’s see what we can do.” Paul’s voice didn’t sound all that encouraging, but Bull continued to smile confidently. There was more tapping, some curious humming, and every second felt like an hour. “Well, okay, wow, this is totally unexpected, but we did just have a cancellation that would be perfect for you.”

  Red never thought he’d feel happy for someone else’s misfortune, but the little lick of excitement couldn’t be denied. “Really?”

  “Yeah, okay, let’s go through this and see if it works.” Paul did a little more tapping before saying, “It’s a Friday, the twenty-second of May. Does that work?”

  “Sure, like we said, we’re open,” Bull responded as Red jotted down notes.

  “Right, right. Okay, we can do the ceremony at noon at Sea Breeze Point. It’s our gazebo on the shore of Crescent Lake at the Boardwalk Hotel. Then we can follow that with a reception on the other side of the lake in the secluded Crescent Cove. The short walk around the lake is a favorite for taking pictures. If you’re on our website, I can send you links to both venues so you can check them out.” Again, Paul was tapping away. “As I mentioned, this was just cancelled, and the couple had reserved a block of rooms at the Beach Club, which is also on that lake. If you’re interested in taking this over, I can hold that same block of rooms for your guests. How many rooms do you think you’ll need?”

  Red glanced over the list quickly and said, “Thirteen, including ours. Can we have them from Thursday to Monday, since it’s a holiday weekend?”

  “That’s doable,” Paul agreed, the surprise still clear in his voice. “Honestly, I’ve never had this situation happen before. I mean, we’ve had people cancel, though it’s rare, but not where we had another couple fit so perfectly into the spot so quickly.”

  “It was meant to be.” Bull gave him a heated look and Red knew he wasn’t just talking about the seemingly easy arrangements. They were meant to be. It was just that simple.

  “The couple also arranged for a special viewing area for IllumiNations, the fireworks at Epcot. Would you want that as well?”

  “Absolutely.” Bull leaned forward to look at Red’s notes and nodded. “We’re on board with all that. What do you need from us to get this locked down?”

  “Well, we still need to discuss food, flowers, linens, photographers, music…”

  Bull cut him off quickly. “Paul, keep it simple. We’re not fancy. The wait staff can walk around with trays of hors d’oeuvres, but I like the idea of a buffet for the main course. Fancy but not too fancy. Oh, and an open bar of course.”

  “Right,” Red agreed when Bull trailed off. “Flowers and linens should be vibrant, not white. A photographer and videographer are a must. As for music, maybe some Joe Satriani for the ceremony.”

  The continuous tapping stopped when he did and Paul asked, “Have you decided on your first dance song?”

  Dance? He’d never danced a step in his life, didn’t have the coordination for it. He’d make a fool of himself and Bull. “Uh…”

  “Okay, I’ll have our DJ get in contact with you directly to work on the song list.” Paul easily moved them forward when
he didn’t continue. “Do you have some children in the party? Will you be wanting a visit from Mickey and Minnie?”

  There was no way to hide the rush of excitement that made him wiggle in his chair. Bull just laughed at him and nodded. “Of course, all the kids will love it.”

  Red blushed and ducked his head. He was so totally going to love it and if that made him the biggest kid of them all, well, that was okay. Bull loved him just as he was.

  “We have an amazingly good starting point. Let me get your contact details so I can start sending you information and put all the right people in contact with you, then we’ll talk numbers.” For a minute there Red forgot about the cost and felt another spike of apprehension. He just knew their intimate, fun, fast wedding was going to break the bank. “Just between us, because you’re basically agreeing to take over a cancelled wedding almost exactly as is, I can offer you a pretty sizable discount.”

  Bull’s smile was brilliant, full of smug confidence, and Red could only grin back. It all worked out just as Bull promised. Just as all of Bull’s promises always did.

  Chapter 3

  You’re my best friend

  Javier took the bench across from him and looked around curiously. “We’re hitting the hard stuff, huh? No frozen yogurt for us tonight.”

  “Shut up.” Red balled up his napkin and threw it across the table.

  Javier just laughed at him and dug into his ice cream. “So, come on, spill it. What’s got you practically wiggling in your seat?”

  Was he? Probably. It’s entirely possible he’d been wiggling all day. Bull’s determination to lock in the deal had them holed up in the office for hours talking to everyone Paul said they needed to talk to. Paul had sent them a checklist of things to consider, then they crossed off the stuff they didn’t care about and tackled the rest. By dinnertime, they were confident that everything they cared to have at their wedding was being worked on by someone. Hefty discount aside, the cost was pretty sizeable, but Bull reasoned that they had plenty saved. That he, the guy who once couldn’t get a job outside of McDonald’s, now had three jobs and could afford to indulge.

  Seeing his bank balance always baffled him. They had a joint account for living expenses, but Bull had been adamant that he maintain his own accounts so he would always have his independence. Having it meant the world to him at the beginning, but now he wasn’t so sure it mattered. Keeping their money separate had been a symbol of the life he was always striving for. One where he could take care of himself, where he was not dependent on anyone and didn’t have to settle for unsafe living conditions or meager meals because he couldn’t afford better. That life was long over and holding on to that symbol was like holding on to the fear that his new life would somehow be taken away from him. He would never let that happen. Bull would never let that happen to him.

  “Earth to Red.” Javier waved a hand in front of his face. “Come on, man, you’re scaring me now. What’s going on?”

  “Bull and I are getting married.” Blurting it out hadn’t been his plan, but the words just couldn’t be contained.

  “Of course you…wait, like, you-set-a-date married?” Javier gaped at him. “Really?”

  “Really. That’s what we were doing all day. We have a date and a place, the whole thing.” Red looked down at his ice cream again. “Well, almost the whole thing.”

  “When, where…and what do you need? I’ll help any way I can.” Javier jumped up and ran around the table to grab him up in a hug. “A wedding!”

  Red couldn’t help but laugh at Javier’s enthusiasm and happily accepted his friend’s embrace. When all the guys in the garage accepted him, he was relieved, but Javier was the first one that was really his friend and the only person he would ask this of. He waited till Javier was seated again before saying, “You’re my best friend, Javi.”

  Javier flushed and ducked his head. “You’re gonna make me cry, stop that.”

  “Then get your tissues ready, ’cause I invited you here so I could ask you to be my best man.” Red watched the words sink in and had to grin. That happy smile transformed into a look of shock and the spoon clattered onto the table. “Will you stand up for me, Javi?”

  “Are you…fuck, man…really? Me?” Javier shook his head in disbelief. Before he could respond, Javier was up and around the table to grab him up in another hug. “Ian, it would be my absolute honor to stand up for you.”

  They were both crying then and Red ignored the curious glances from the other tables. He felt too happy to care what anyone else thought. They clung to each other, laughing and crying, and Red knew he didn’t need any symbols to prove how far he’d come. He had Bull, he had Javier and all the guys from the garage, and he had the whole Connor clan. They were better than separate bank accounts any day.

  “Okay, okay, I’m blubbering all over you.” Javier pulled back and grabbed his face, planting a big, wet, sloppy kiss right on his mouth. “Don’t tell Bull or my men.”

  “Never,” Red promised, laughing again as Javier took his seat.

  “Tell me everything. When, where, what can I do to help? Oh my god, I’m repeating myself! We’re getting married!”

  “And we’re going to Disney World,” Red whispered. Javier squealed and did his own wiggling. “We were on the phone with them all day. Another couple had just cancelled and it was perfect for us. May twenty-second is the date. The ceremony and reception will take place outside on Crescent Lake, which I guess is just outside Epcot. Uhm, we have rooms blocked off for the five days, which is like a minor miracle because it’s Memorial Day weekend. We’re still working out things like food and the cake and music and…oh man, we have to pick out a song for our first dance. I can’t dance!”

  “With Bull guiding you? It’s going to be perfect.” Javier just grinned. “Now, five days? We’re all staying there five days?”

  “Yep. The wedding is on Friday and Bull worked out a package deal for park tickets to come with your rooms, so yeah. We’re going to all the parks!” Red glanced away again. He’d never planned a wedding before, much less what Paul called a destination wedding, and apparently their guests were supposed to pay for their own rooms. Like, were they supposed to invite people and tell them they had to pay their own way? Most of them wouldn’t bat an eyelash at it, but he worried about Chris and Liam. Everyone knew Chris was still sending money to his mother. “Paul, he’s the guy at Disney, gave us a number so you can each call to reserve the room you want.”

  “Of course.” Javier peered at him curiously, obviously sensing his discomfort. “That’s normal.”

  “I guess, I mean, do you think everyone can afford it?” He didn’t want to mention Chris specifically. “We’re going to put on the invitation that we don’t want gifts or anything. Just having you guys there is all the gift we need.”

  “Red, listen, no matter what, we will all be there. If anyone has trouble footing the bill—” Javier looked at him meaningfully, knowing exactly who he was worried about. “—Saul will work it out with them. That’s not something you need to worry about.”

  “But I do.” He couldn’t help it. Had he been invited to a wedding like this a year ago, he wouldn’t have been able to afford to attend.

  “No, no. You’ve taken on Bull’s caretaker attitude, worrying about all of us instead of yourself and each other. Not this time, little brother, not this time.” Javier shook his head sharply. “Don’t take this the wrong way, but you’re projecting a little. Chris does send money to his mother and sometimes things are a little tight, but when they get to that point he works odd jobs until he’s back on track. He will do whatever it takes to be at your wedding, trust me. And I promise it won’t come down to asking Saul for help. That freaky foursome takes care of each other and they would never miss this.”

  He knew Javier was right. After all, Owen would be Bull’s best man, and if Owen was going to be there, Chris was going to be there. Where Chris went, Liam followed and Billy had no choice but to go along. Not that
they all wouldn’t want to be there, he knew they would, but yeah, that was the way of the freaky foursome and having it pointed out to him made him realize how unfounded his fears were.

  “You’re right.”

  “Of course I am.” Javier pushed aside his empty ice cream cup and folded his hands. “Now, I need all the details. Don’t leave a single thing out. Are you wearing a white tux?”

  “Come on, get real. Didn’t you once tell me we fuck like rabbits? Now I’m supposed to wear virgin white?” He could only laugh at the image. “I was thinking a black suit and a green tie. Deep, emerald green like Bull’s eyes.”

  “Oh.” Javier sighed and sniffled. “That’s perfect. And Bull can wear a red tie.”

  That was exactly what he was thinking. “Yeah. Is that corny?”

  “So very corny…and perfect,” Javier agreed. “Owen’s going to stand for Bull, I assume? Are we going to have the same colors, or maybe just black, or…”

  Red shook his head. Black and white was just so blah. “I don’t know, I mean I don’t want it to look like Christmas, but I don’t want it to be boring either.”

  Javier patted his hand and nodded. “We’ve got time to play with colors. Tuxes or suits?”

  “Suits or maybe just vests over a dress shirt. A tux would be too fancy for us.” Just thinking about some traditional tux made him cringe. They weren’t boring and they weren’t traditional.

  “I like the idea of just vests.” Javi’s eyes shone with excitement. “It’s still dressy but after the ceremony we can roll up our sleeves and be a little more casual.”

  Red nodded enthusiastically, envisioning it in his head. “Right. And the reception’s on the sand, so shoes off, cuffs rolled…more us, don’t you think?”

  “Absolutely,” Javier agreed. “Maybe Owen and I don’t even need to wear a tie, and you only need to wear yours for the ceremony. Really give it that semi-casual effect.”

  “Oh, yeah, I like that.” He more than liked it, he could see it and couldn’t wait to talk to Bull about it. There was no question that his future husband would be all over the casual dress option. His future husband. “Holy shit, Javi, I’m getting married in three weeks.”