Wilde Love (Forever Wilde 6)

I explained to everybody about Miller coming to the door. “He did one of those ancestry DNA kits and discovered he’s a close match to me and an even closer match to a Matilda Marian in San Francisco. My sister. Since I’ve never had biological children, I explained it either had to be through my brother, Walter, or my sister, Matilda. It looks more like a match to Tilly.”

Doc cut in. “There are no records of Tilly ever marrying or changing her name. Miller’s mother was born to an anonymous unwed mother in a home in California. Tilly would have been eighteen at the time.”

“Has Miller met her yet?” our grandson Saint asked.

I sat up straight. “She refuses to meet him or acknowledge him. He came here in hopes I could help get through to her.” I paused for a moment, thinking about whether or not I was truly willing to help this kid. “His mother is dying. She wants to meet her biological mother if possible before she goes. Miller wants to do this for her.”

Silence descended.

“Well, shit,” Saint’s twin, MJ, said. “What are you going to do?”

“Go to California to see my sister,” I said with a sigh, wondering if I truly had the balls to confront her after all this time. “And try and figure out how the hell to say ‘sorry I disappeared, hey can you do this kid a favor’ when I get there.”

But then, of course, I chickened out again. Well, it was more like I put it off and put it off a little more until the kids took it into their own hands. I still wasn’t sure if Doc had anything to do with it or not, but suddenly I found myself part of a giant entourage of fellow Wildes flying to Napa for a vow renewal ceremony. I assumed part of the reason they’d selected Napa for the event was its proximity to where my sister lived.

Regardless of the reason behind the gesture, I was thrilled for a chance to renew my vows to Doc.

Several years before, he and I had raced to the county clerk’s office first thing in the morning on Monday, June 29, 2015, after the Obergefell decision in the Supreme Court. We’d grinned like loons while the clerk had processed our marriage license in front of half the town and Judge Timmons had performed the brief ceremony. When we returned home the farmhouse had been covered in rainbow banners, balloons, streamers, flags, and Wildes. Music blared from speakers on the front porch, and I’d recognized the song as “Same Love” since Felix had played it on repeat sometimes in his glass workshop. It had been an amazing day none of us would ever forget.

But now we were on a plane to California to renew the vows in an actual wedding ceremony, complete with fancy reception at a winery.

I looked at the snoozing man in the seat next to me. Doc’s blond hair had thinned, and laugh lines creased the skin next to his eyes under his glasses. He’d missed a spot with his shaver that morning, and I leaned over to kiss it softly. He still smelled like Old Spice after forty-something years.

“I love you,” I murmured into his ear before kissing him again on the temple. After sitting back in my seat, I reached a hand out to rest on his thigh and felt his own warm hand land on mine.

“Only because I give good head,” he murmured back.

“Gross! Oh my god. Stop.” Brenda’s voice cried out from the row behind us. “So gross. You’re eighty-five years old, for the love of god.”

Brenda with the dramatics. She was so easy to rile.

“Doc’s not,” I answered with a grin. “He’s a spry seventy-five. The man has a lot of life left in him, not to mention creativity and drive.”

“Jesus, Pop. Gag me. Max, give me your headphones. This has to stop.”

“Here you go, Mom. You think maybe Doc can give me some pointers? My last Grindr hookup—”

“La la la!” Brenda said loudly.

Doc held a fist over his head for Max to pound. “When we get to the hotel, find me a banana and I’m all yours.” After bumping fists with Max, Doc leaned over to doze off again on my shoulder.

After a while I realized Brenda was telling Max the story of the time she barged in on us while we were having sex. Thank god we’d been under the covers or it would have resulted in therapy for all.

I interrupted her story. “We tried to teach you guys not to ever barge in unannounced,” I said over my shoulder. “So you’re the only one to blame.”

“Hush, Pop. I’m telling the story. Even the dogs were mortified. All of them had their paws over their eyes and were whimpering.”