His First Surrender (Stonewall Investigations Miami 3)

It was my dad. “Ready, Sammy?”

“Ready,” I said, straightening my suit and looking once more in the mirror as an unmarried man. In a few minutes, I’d be walking down that aisle toward the man of my dreams, surrounded by family and friends. I couldn’t be any happier. After everything we had been through, this moment felt all the sweeter.

Hazel and my dad left the room. My mom hooked her arm, and I looped mine through it. We walked through my house, my mom saying some encouraging words but nothing really registering. I was nervous and excited and on the verge of freaking the hell out. As much as I enjoyed the spotlight when I was behind my computer screen, things changed when the attention was turned to me in the real world.

We crossed through the living room, toward the massive sliding glass doors that were left open. The piano set up outside filled the air with its soft music. I could hear the chatter of all the wedding guests start to lessen as they realized I was about to step out.

“I love you, Sam. And I love Rocky, too.” My mom whispered it, and then we started to walk, crossing the threshold. Everyone turned in their chairs, but I couldn’t really see any of their faces. The only face I could focus on was straight ahead of me, his bright blue eyes working as dual lighthouses, guiding me toward him.

We walked down the aisle, every step feeling as if I bounced on a cloud. I managed to look into the crowd, spotting two faces that surprised the living heck out of me.

I gave a small wave and an excited smile in Icey and Silk’s direction. My two besties from across the country. We had met in person about a year ago, Icey living in Texas and Silk living in Portland. Icey’s real name was Frank, and Silk’s real name was Meredith, although we still called each other by our screennames. They beamed in my direction, Icey holding Silk’s hand as Silk dabbed a tear from her eye.

The walk down the aisle felt like it took only a couple seconds. It surely took more, but dream-time must have worked differently.

This had to be a dream. It had to.

As my mom handed me to Rocky and he grabbed my hand, I knew it couldn’t be a dream. It was better than a dream.

It was real. This was all real. I looked up into Rocky Hudson’s eyes as we stood in front Hazel, who had gotten her officiant license for today’s special occasion.

Rocky mouthed an “I love you” that almost made me break out crying. I mouthed it back, both my hands in his. He held on to my heart, too. From the moment he knocked on my apartment door all those years ago, this story had been set into motion. It had been a roller-coaster ride getting to this moment, but one I would happily ride over and over again.

So long as it always ended in this moment.

With my husband, Rocky Hudson, slipping a ring onto my finger, our future solidified in unbreakable amber.

* * *

ROCKY HUDSON

Married. I was married to the love of my life. My husband.

I kissed him, my husband, over and over, a smile on both our faces, our bodies fitting as perfectly as the rings fit on our fingers.

The sun had already set, but the party was only just now starting to kick into high gear. The open bar had people walking in zigzags and shaking their asses on the dance floor without a care in the world. I walked through the dance floor, getting grabbed and pulled into a twerking contest with Holly and Andrew, who both busted it down way better than I could have ever done. My knees cracked in protest the second I tried to get as low as they were, making their booties clap to the beat. I laughed and admitted defeat, leaving the two behind so they could cause an earthquake all on their own. Declan, Andrew’s partner, took my place in the twerk circle. He also surprised me with how well he moved his ass, but then I remembered he lived with Andrew and thought they must have had plenty of practice sessions together. It wasn’t long before Shiro was dragging his boyfriend, Nick, onto the dance floor, a bunch of Sam’s family following them after Shy had captured all their hearts with a story of the holiday cruise that led him to his prince.

Literally. Nicholas Silva was the prince of Spain. Shy had moved to Spain a few years back and opened up his own agency, so him flying with Nick across the world to our wedding really meant a lot.

By a long table sitting under the shade of a tall palm tree and holding all kinds of different sweets was Zane and Enzo, their three-old daughter, Lily, reaching for the castle of colorful macarons with determination in her large green eyes.