Chapter 29: Epilogue — Jack

Jack picked up the smoky gray kitten that was attacking his shoelace and held her against his chest. “They sure are getting big for only being nine weeks old, aren’t they?”

Calvin looked over from the bookshelf he was stocking and stuck out his bottom lip in a mock-pout. “They’re growing up so fast, Jack. We’re going to run out of excuses not to start finding them new homes soon.”

Jack covered the kitten’s ears and shushed his boyfriend. “I don’t want them to get any ideas. I say we keep all six.”

Calvin rolled his eyes, but Jack could see the corners of his mouth twitch. “You mean seven, counting Darren. That’s… a lot of cats, Jack.”

They had already had this discussion more times than Jack could count over the past nine weeks, and Jack knew Calvin was right, but he just hadn’t planned on falling so hard for the little fluff balls.

“Maybe we can compromise…” Jack said. “You can tell people you have three cats and I’ll say I have four. Then it doesn’t seem so bad.”

Calvin laughed. “You’re impossible. You know that, right? And you also know that I’ll never say no to you when you look at me like that. But right now we should really be going over the to-do list for this weekend. Do you think people will come out for the sales tax holiday?”

They had already had this discussion more times than Jack could count, too. But he knew Calvin was counting on him for reassurance, so Jack nodded decisively, just like he had every time before when Calvin had asked.

“Silver Lake has never had one before, so I think people are pretty excited about it.” Jack set the cat back down and couldn’t help but grin when she immediately pounced on his shoe again. “It’s all my mother has been talking about ever since they announced it.”

“I hope you’re right. I thought it was a great idea until Trenton spoke up at the meeting and agreed we should do it…” Calvin frowned, a small line creasing his forehead. “Now I’m wondering if there’s some downside I hadn’t anticipated.”

“Not one that I can think of,” Jack said, shrugging. “Besides, maybe Trenton has finally just come to realize you know what you’re talking about. Maybe he’s turning over a new leaf.”

Calvin snorted. “I think it’s more plausible that we keep seven cats forever at our house.”

Jack knew anything Trenton-related was a sore spot for Calvin, but he sometimes wondered if the grumpy, smarmy coffee shop owner might have a more sensible side hidden away somewhere.

Very well-hidden, maybe.

But less likely things had happened in Jack’s life lately, so he wasn’t ruling out the possibility of Trenton seeing the light.

“I just might hold you to that idea,” Jack said. “But I’d like to go back to something else you mentioned…”

“Yeah?” Calvin asked, half-turning back from the bookshelf. “What did I say? When?”

Jack reached down to subtly pat the pocket of his jeans as he walked around the front counter toward Calvin. “Just a minute ago. You were saying how you couldn’t ever say no to me when I looked at you a certain way.”

“Oh, God,” Calvin gave him an apprehensive look. “Is this about the cats again?”

“No,” Jack grinned, then schooled his features to give the best puppy dog eyes he could muster. “Was the look something like this? I need to be sure I’ve got it right.”

“Close,” Calvin laughed. “But this new look is pretty irresistible, too, if I’m being honest. So… come on. Just hit me with it. You know I’m gonna give in eventually to whatever it is.”

“I hope so,” Jack answered, going down on one knee as he fished the small black box from his pocket. “Because I’ve been waiting for the right time to ask this question for a while now. But since you’ve given me your word, I think I’d better go ahead and do it.”

Jack paused for a moment as he watched Calvin’s eyes flick from Jack’s face to the box in his hand and back again. He tried to hold the puppy dog look for as long as possible, but it was too hard not to break into a wide smile when he saw Calvin’s eyes light up the moment it all registered.

“Oh my God,” Calvin whispered. “Jack…”

“Calvin, have I told you today how much I love you?”

Calvin nodded. “Yes? I mean… yes, you definitely have.”

“Well, good.” Jack grinned as he took his boyfriend’s hand. “Because you deserve to hear it every day. All day.” He brought Calvin’s hand to his lips and gave it a quick kiss. “I was such a damn fool to walk away from you when I had the chance to kiss you the first time. That mistake cost me ten years that I could have spent with you.”

“Jack, it’s okay—”

“No, babe. It was dumb.” Jack took a deep breath. “I was scared. Scared and confused and lonely. I had pretty much given up on ever finding someone who could make me feel that same chemistry, that same spark I had only ever known with you.” He snorted. “Again, dumb. But I guess I had to make a bunch of mistakes before I realized what I’d been doing wrong. Because when I came back here a few months ago, I realized that the person I’d been looking for had been right here all along. I finally realized that I’d been looking for you, babe.”

“I never gave up hoping that you’d come back.” Calvin dashed at his cheeks with his free hand. “And then you did.”

“Then I did,” Jack repeated. “And thank God I did, because otherwise I might have never realized how amazing love can be. Real love. True, meant to be, happily-ever-after love. You made me feel the kind of love I never even believed existed. You made me happier than I’ve ever been, and I thank my lucky stars every single night when I lay down next to you that I get to call you my boyfriend.” Jack swallowed hard, his throat suddenly tight with emotion. “And now, Calvin Ryan Berry, I hope you’ll do me the honor of walking down the aisle with me, so I can call you my husband.” He slipped the ring onto Calvin’s finger. “Calvin. Babe. Will you make me the luckiest man in the world all over again? Will you marry me?”

“Oh my God, Jack—”

“Remember,” Jack interrupted, grinning. “You already told me you can’t say no to this face…”

“And I meant it,” Calvin said, laughing through the tears that were spilling over his cheeks. “I promise you I’ll never say no to you, Jack. Nothing would make me happier than to be your husband.”

“So…” Jack quirked an eyebrow. “That’s a yes?”

“Yes,” Calvin said. “Yes, yes, a thousand times yes. Forever yes.”

“Perfect,” Jack said, standing up and pulling Calvin to his feet before giving him a long overdue kiss. “I love you so much, babe.”

“I love you, too,” Calvin said, beaming up at him with those sparkling eyes. “You make me so happy.”

“And I can’t wait to make you my husband. I want to tell you—to show you, to prove to you—every day how perfect you are for me, Calvin. I don’t ever want you to doubt that.”

“I don’t, and I won’t.” Calvin tipped his head up and gave Jack a quick, sweet kiss. “Because we’re perfect for each other. Perfect together.”

Jack closed his eyes and leaned his forehead against Calvin’s.

He was absolutely right.

They really were perfect.

Together.

Forever.