“You're hating this, aren't you?” Adam asked, both amused and concerned.
John gave a start. “What?”
“The crowd,” Adam clarified.
“Oh.” John's brow furrowed as he looked around, almost as though he hadn't even noticed all the people in the room. “Yeah.”
Adam frowned. John was acting weird. If anything, the man looked nervous, but Adam couldn't begin to guess why. Before he could say anything, he heard theclinkof a knife against glass, and looked up to see Laurie rising from his chair, getting everyone's attention.
A grin took over Adam's face as excitement crashed through him. Speeches meant dinner was almost over and the singing and dancing would soon begin. Trevor darted over from the stage and handed Laurie a cordless microphone, then hurried back to his post.
“Hello, everyone,” Laurie called out once the room fell silent. “I'm Laurie, Everett's kid brother,” he introduced himself, clapping Everett on the shoulder, sitting beside him. “I'm so glad Ev asked me to be his best man. I mean, why wouldn't he?I'm awesome.” Everyone laughed, including Everett, who shook his head. “But it meant I'd get to reminisce about how Everett and Morgan met. I didn't get to witness their actual meeting, but to hear Everett talk about it, it sounds like a fairy tale story of love at first sight. This man walked into a coffee shop to escape a sudden downpour of rain, and locked eyes with this sweet, beautiful boy from across the room.” Laurie paused. “Did I mention Ev had always been straight until he met Morgan?”
Everett blushed and covered his eyes even as he chuckled. “Laur.”
Laurie laughed. “But really, it was fate. Ev and I had just enjoyed an amazing bottle of wine at dinner when, a few days later, the winery from which that bottle came just happened to come up for sale.” Laurie waved his arms, indicating the space around them. “So of course, Everett had to come down and check out the property for himself, only to run right into destiny. Except my normally impetuous brother decided to play it safe for once, and actuallywalked away.” The crowd gasped. “But fate was having none of it. And neither was I. So as soon as Ev finally pulled his head out of his ass and realized Morgan was it for him, I drove him back down here and made sure he got his happy ending.”
Everett laughed again and reached up to lightly punch his brother in the arm.
“And because of that,” Laurie continued, “because you introduced this die-hard city boy to this quaint little town, I found my own happy ending, too.” He turned to Nicky, seated on his other side, and brushed his knuckles down the boy's cheek, then reached across Nicky and squeezed Griff's hand. Laurie turned back to Everett, giving him a cocky grin. “So thank you for that.”
The crowd laughed.
Laurie waited for the sound to fade, then his smile sobered. “But, in all seriousness, Ev, you're the best big brother a guy could ask for. And after all you've been through, everything you've lost, I think all of it was leading you right here. Right into the arms of a boy with a smile that can light up a room.”
Now it was Morgan's turn to blush.
“Morgan,” Laurie continued, “you've brought light and joy into my brother's life, and I'm proud to call you part of my family. Everett, you're an amazing big brother, an incredible man, and you deserve every happiness in the world, and I'm so glad you've found it.” Laurie paused. “No, you know what? It's not a happy ending. It's a happy beginning. Because this is the start of the rest of your life, and I know it's going to be fantastic.” Laurie picked up his wine glass. “To Everett and Morgan.”
Everett shot to his feet and pulled his brother into a bone-crushing hug. Adam joined the crowd in a cheer, then felt his heartbeat ramp up when Everett sat back down and Laurie handed off the microphone so Adam could have his turn.
Adam looked down at John, who gave him an encouraging nod.Holy shit. He was actually nervous. Adam never got nervous on stage, but this felt different.
“H-Hey, everyone,” Adam began, clutching the microphone with both hands. “I'm Adam Barnes, and Morgan is one of my best friends in the world. Like Laurie, I got to be part of Everett and Morgan's beginning. In fact, I even got to witness the moment they met. Watching Everett come into the coffee shop, dripping wet, and seeing the look on his face when he first spotted Morgan.” Adam chuckled. “I was standing behind the counter, watching the two of them shyly flirt with one another. I'd never seen Morgan light up quite like that. He was absolutely giddy.”
Morgan squeezed his eyes shut and laughed.
“And then I got to see Everett come back to the coffee shop, looking for Morgan, except Morgan wasn't working that day. And Everett left again without offering up so much as his name, let alone a way to contact him. For a while there, it seemed like they'd missed their chance. But then Everett gave up everything—his business, his life, everything he'd built up in the city—to come down here and start over, all so he could build a new life with the boy who'd captured him completely by surprise.”
A series ofawwws sounded through the room.
Adam turned to Morgan. “Mor, you're one of the nicest people I've ever met. You had faith in me when anyone else might have simply kicked me to the curb. I'm honored, beyond words, to call you my friend. To have you in my life. And to get to be part of this day. To witness your happiness. Because you deserve it. You deserve every bit of the joy you've found with Everett, and I know the two of you will weather any storm, no matter how rough, because your love is one of the strongest things I've ever seen.”
Morgan blinked rapidly and swiped at his eyes with the back of his hand.
“Everett,” Adam continued, “you've given Morgan love and companionship, strength and support. You've made our little family grow, and added to the safety that we all feel.” Adam knew he was being vague, wanting to keep the words toned down for the sake of those in the crowd who might not get their kink, but he saw perfect understanding in Everett's eyes. The man gave him a grateful nod, and Adam went on. “Thank you for making Morgan so happy. And thank you for letting me be part of this incredible day.” Adam picked up his wine glass. “To Everett and Morgan.”
“To Everett and Morgan,” the crowd cheered.
Adam took a sip of his wine, then quickly set down his glass and gave Morgan a hug before he straightened back up andclutched the microphone again. “And now,” Adam continued, stepping away from his chair and heading towards the stage. “If you'll all please join me in welcoming them for their first dance as a married couple.” Adam jumped up onto the stage and fitted the microphone into the stand. “Ladies and gentlemen, Mister and Mister Everett and Morgan Scott.”
The crowd cheered as Everett and Morgan stood up and moved, hand-in-hand, out to the center of the dance floor as the band began to play “Something Just Like This.”
Adam poured everything he had into the song, grinning all the while. He lost himself inside the music, feeling light and happy and grateful.
And when he gazed across the room and saw the way John was looking at him, Adam's heart felt so full, he thought it might burst.
This might have been Everett and Morgan's day, but Adam was pretty sure he himself was the luckiest guy in the world.
