“I love you more than I ever thought humanly possible. And I will love you to the end of my days. With every breath I have, I will honor and cherish you, protect and love you, come home to you every night, and wake up with you every morning. I promise you this.”
Lincoln had to gather himself before he was able to speak, and the terrace was filled with anticipation until he got his words together. When he spoke, his voice shook with tears, but the smile on his face was practically blinding.
“Until you, I was scared to put myself out there. But the moment I saw you, I knew you were meant to be mine. And I knew that if I didn’t try, I’d regret it for the rest of my life. I know you don’t believe in love at first sight, and neither did I. But there you were, across the bar, and I knew with every fiber of my being that you were mine to love.
“That love has grown only deeper over the past two years.” Lincoln had to stop and gather himself again, and James pulled him a bit closer. He lifted one of Lincoln’s hands and kissed his fingers, and as my heart melted into a pile of goo, I saw Lincoln’s confidence surge forward. “I had more planned to say, but James, you said it all. You make me a better version of myself, too. I’m stronger because you support me and hold me up. I’m better because you love me. I’ll never take you or your love for granted. I will honor and cherish you, love and protect you, come home to you every night and wake up with you every morning. This I promise you.”
There was nary a dry eye in the house, mine included. And when the men exchanged rings and shared their first kiss as a married couple, the crowd erupted into ear-splitting shrieks of joy and applause. When the sound wound down, the men turned to face us, and the officiant crowed, “I present to you James and Lincoln Washington!”
The crowd went wild again. Lincoln pushed up on his toes to kiss James again, then they proceeded down the aisle. The party followed, two by two, and there was so much love and happiness in the small area that my soul felt full of it.
The officiant cleared his throat for attention.
“James and Lincoln request that you enjoy yourself with drinks and appetizers in the ballroom while they do, and I quote, ‘the picture thing’.” He paused for laughter and his grin was wide. “The grooms will join you shortly. Please celebrate.”
Then came the shuffling of feet as people began to move, but I hung back, waiting for everyone else to go out first, since I was in the back. A hand on my arm startled me, and I turned to find Monroe smiling down at me.
“It won’t take long,” he said, his voice low. “I’ll come find you as soon as we’re done, all right?”
“No worries,” I assured him. I placed my hand over his and gave a gentle squeeze. “Take your time. I’m not going anywhere.”
“You better not.” His glare was mock serious, ruined completely by the twinkle in those dark brown eyes. He was gone before I could offer up a witty retort, but that was fine. I chuckled and stood, then made my way to the ballroom. A glass of champagne sounded like a wonderful way to pass the time.
* * * *
True to his word, Monroe was back within forty-five minutes. The DJ was playing mellow instrumentals and the chatter was loud, but even though I’d found a few people to talk to in the intervening time, I was standing in a quiet corner when Monroe found me.
“Everything okay?” His voice held a note of anxiousness I didn’t understand, but I was quick to smile.
“Yes, of course. It was a beautiful wedding, wasn’t it?” I sighed happily
Monroe chuckled. “It was. So very them.” He crowded into my space a bit. Not enough to be overbearing, but enough to assure me he wanted to be close. Since I was fine with that, I allowed it. “I’m glad you’re here.”
I touched the lapel of his jacket. “Thank you for inviting me. I love weddings.”
“I guessed that.” Monroe covered my hand with his, and I thought he was going to hold it in his own, but he just moved it up a bit and pressed my palm against his heart. It was pounding a steady rhythm. “I’ll have to do some Best Man things throughout the reception, but I’ll always come find you, okay?”
It was my turn to step closer. Another inch or two and we’d be touching, but I kept that scant distance. “Don’t worry about it. Do what you need to do, when you need to do it.”
Heat flared in his gaze. I unconsciously licked my lips. Monroe started to bend down, but at the last minute, he caught himself and straightened. He cleared his throat, stepped back, let go of my hand, and offered me his arm.