Ignite (Unbreakable Bonds 7)

More golden lights had been set around the hall and in the bushes, twinkling in the waning spring light. Blue and white flowers graced the tables, all covered in pristine white tablecloths.

Ian had been planning his wedding for a long time, and Rowe secretly believed he’d put it off because he enjoyed the planning part of it so much. That and he wanted to be married on the perfect date. No anniversary for anything, just a day of their very own to celebrate. He’d picked May for that reason.

And now he was already heavily involved in planning their friend Snow’s wedding.

Snow and Jude sat next to them, and Rowe noticed their hands were under the table—probably entwined as well. Their whole group had turned into a bunch of lovesick fools—and he couldn’t be happier about it.

He had never expected to find love again after the loss of his wife more than three years before. On the drive to the wedding, he and Noah had taken a short detour. The house he bought with Mel was only a few short blocks from the park. Since the fire, the old house had been torn down and a new one that looked nothing like his old home had sprung up in its place. There was a twinge of sadness that the house she’d loved was gone, but he knew she was still with him.

And she’d be happy that he’d found Noah.

Noah had swept back into his life and shown him it was good to live again. God, he thanked the stars daily for the man.

“So, when are you two tying the knot?” Snow asked Rowe, his usual smirk in place. The music had started again, and people were milling about or dancing.

Rowe felt Noah flinch, and his gut clenched. What was that about?

Did Noah want to get married? They’d never talked about it before. And until this moment, not one of his friends had been insane enough to broach the topic.

Marriage was not on Rowe’s list of things to do. He didn’t feel they needed it. Rowe had already been married, and he’d loved having that with Mel. But then, once he’d decided that he wanted to be with her forever, marriage had felt like a natural step. He knew he wanted to be with Noah forever, but for some reason marriage wasn’t necessary.

But he didn’t know how Noah felt. Not really. The man had worried in the past that Rowe would want to go back to a woman, and he couldn’t be more wrong. He loved Noah with a fierce passion that would last for the rest of his life. That was never going to change. They didn’t need marriage to prove their love was strong and real.

Of course, Noah had never been married before. Maybe it was something he wanted. Something he needed to feel complete. And would he want kids to go along with that marriage? Lucas had an adorable little girl. Snow was starting to talk adoption with Jude. Ian was going to have a herd of kids, no doubt. For most people, the natural progression of a relationship was marriage and kids. It was normal to want those things.

A growing uneasiness churned in Rowe’s stomach. He didn’t want those things at all. What if Noah did? What would happen to them?

He realized Snow was still waiting on an answer, and he forced a laugh. “Our knot is pretty damn tied already.”

Noah grinned and tightened his fingers on Rowe’s.

Ian and Hollis got up to dance and Ian looked so dazzlingly happy, Rowe felt the prick of tears behind his eyes. He blinked them away. Only Ian could bring up this kind of emotion. If anyone deserved happiness, it was Ian. He’d had a horrible time as a teenager and young adult, and it was only because Rowe and his friends had become attached to him so fast that they were able to get him out of the life he’d been sold into. Yeah, sold.

His parents had been the worst sort of losers imaginable. Now, he looked up at his much bigger husband with so much love, Rowe felt it from across the room. And Hollis was looking right back at him the same way. Like he cherished the man. He should. Ian was pretty damned special.

“I didn’t like Hollis at first, but he’s turned out to be a stand-up guy,” Snow said.

“None of us liked him at first because he was so obviously interested in Ian, but it turned out great. Ian couldn’t have found a guy more perfect for him.” Rowe lifted Noah’s hand and kissed his knuckles, telling him silently that he felt the same about them. He glanced up to find Noah’s blue eyes watching him closely. He stared back, wondering how Noah felt about the marriage conversation. Had he hurt the man by brushing it off?