Squared Away (Out of Uniform 5)

“He’ll do it on his own schedule,” Isaiah said with a laugh as they pushed through the doors leading outside to the interior garden. Kathy had sent him some pictures via email—it was a green lawn with decorative plantings and a circular stone patio. The small garden courtyard would be perfect for their little group—Him. Mark. Dylan. The kids. Bacon. Ben and Maddox. More than could comfortably fit at the courthouse, but not so big...

Whoa. Isaiah pulled up short as he got a good look at the garden. Which was neither that tiny nor sparsely populated with guests. At all. What looked like most of Mark’s team was there, all looking impressive in dress uniforms, which had to be Ben’s doing. And there were other people he knew too—Lydia and Jane and their kids, the Katz family, even Tony and Lonzo and his childhood bestie, Bree. Our village. The one they’d both been so resistant to go find had somehow found them, surrounded them and the kids. All that was missing was—

“I could have used a little more notice.” A dry, deep voice came from behind him. “Had to do a rush order at the dry cleaner’s. Aunt Louise isn’t going to forgive you for the lack of shopping time either.”

“Dad.” Isaiah’s heart leaped up somewhere near his sinuses. “Mark called you?”

“Mark came to see me,” his father corrected. “Said you wanted to send me a text after, but that he wanted something better for you. Said he wanted to surprise you with this.” His father gestured at all the guests filing into the wooden folding chairs. “Said you two needed my support.”

“We do.” Isaiah had to grit his teeth hard to keep tears at bay. “I know you’re going to think that this is too hasty or that we’re not right for each other or—”

“How about you let me say the words?” His father shook his head. “Yes, it’s fast. But he does seem rather genuine with how he cares about you and the kids.”

“He does.” Isaiah really did believe that.

“And I think our family’s had enough strife and heartache. I’m not here to argue. Let’s have some good news. I’m not going to lie—I’ve got reservations, but I love you.”

“Thank you for coming.” Isaiah gave him a hug. First one since...he couldn’t even remember when. His dad was solid, a pillar of strength right when Isaiah needed it most. They might have their differences, but he’d come through for Isaiah and that meant something.

He was, however, going to give Mark a piece of his mind for meddling. And then there he was, walking to the center of the stone courtyard with Bacon and Ben, all three an imposing sight in their dress uniforms. The last time he’d seen Mark dressed up like this had been the funeral, such an awful, somber day. It felt right that the spring that had opened so terribly was closing by coming full circle to where they’d first started. A wedding.

Isaiah would trade just about everything to have Cal here, to have his and Danielle’s blessing, to let them know that they’d made it here, back to what started six years ago because of them. God, he missed them both so much. And for the first time since the tragic news, he felt gratitude. Thank you. Thank you for finding each other so I could find Mark.

He headed toward him—they’d driven up together with the kids, splitting only to get changed and so Mark could meet up with Bacon and Ben, so they were hardly doing the whole “don’t see each other” tradition. Besides. He couldn’t wait another moment.

“There’s a lot of people here,” he accused.

“You like people.” Mark shrugged, cheeks going pink. “Far more than me. And I’m not responsible for all of it. Tovey and Bacon took the ‘you can tell people’ a little too literally.”

“You didn’t know your team was coming?” Even that cranky guy they’d met at the home improvement store was there on crutches, uniform full of medals gleaming.

Mark shook his head. “Guess Tovey sold them on free food and theme park tickets.”

“They came for you. Because you matter to them. Because they care about you, not Wizard.”

“I didn’t give them enough credit. I seem to make a habit of that.”

“You’re getting better,” Isaiah said, because he was. Mark was working on trust, same as him. They’d figure it out together, figure out how best to include their village.

The officiant was the pastor from Maddox’s church, who’d ridden up with the two of them, something that made Isaiah smile—big bad Ben delivering the pastor and the cupcakes Maddox had baked. “Are we ready?” she asked.

Were they? Isaiah gulped. This was a huge thing. Biggest thing he’d ever done. And it might be spontaneous and hurried, but at the same time, he’d secretly dreamed about a moment like this for years. And here it was. Their moment. Their happy ending—no. Happy beginning. Despite everything that had happened, everything that remained uncertain, he really did see this as the first day of the rest of his life. This is forever, he told Mark with his eyes.