At Peace (The War Trilogy #3) (12 page)

We have a delicious three-course meal ahead of us, or at least that’s what we’ve been told. As everyone is finishing up their salad, Lizette stands and starts tapping her butter knife on her wine glass to get everyone’s attention. As the conversations die down, I turn slightly in my chair to look up at my sister-in-law, who is standing next to Dennis.

“Since Duke already said his piece during the ceremony, I think it’s only fair that I get to say a little something.” She smiles and places her hand on Dennis’ shoulder. “Dennis and I didn’t have the greatest childhood. I relied mostly on Dennis to basically keep me alive. He’s served as my brother, mother, and father for as long as I can remember. When I turned eighteen and was able to move out of our parents’ house, he joined the Marines. He wanted to make something of himself and to become a better provider for me. He ended up doing multiple tours in Afghanistan and Iraq. When he finally came home for good, he was a changed man, mentally and physically. I didn’t know this guy. What I did know was that he wasn’t
my
brother who signed up to join the Marines all those years ago.

"The day I met Tucker was the first time in years that I saw Dennis smile and laugh. Slowly, I watched as my brother came back to life, and I started to recognize him again. I got to see the light brighten in his eyes that I thought was gone forever. His laugh became more and more frequent; it wasn’t just a distant memory anymore. I have only one person to thank for returning my brother to me, and that’s Tucker.”

Lizette’s eyes meet mine and she gives me a watery smile. My throat clogs with emotion and I try to swallow past the lump. Fuck my emotions today; they’re all over the place.

“Tucker, I love you and appreciate you more than you know. I’m so honored to be able to call you my brother-in-law. I could not have asked for a better person to be the one to take care of my brother for the rest of his life. Congratulations, and I wish you both a lifetime of love and happiness. Cheers.”

Lizette raises her glass and everyone follows suit, clinking their glasses together before taking a sip. I stand, along with Dennis, and give Lizette a huge hug and tell her how much I love her as I blink back tears.

When we sit back down, Dennis’ hand finds my knee under the table. I look over to find him smiling adoringly at me. I lean over and give him a light lingering kiss. Throughout dinner, the conversations are happy and joyous. I’m having a hard time listening or getting involved in any of them because my focus is solely on Denny. I can’t take my eyes off of him. His beard is trimmed up nice, his green eyes are sparkling more than ever, the smile on his face seems to be a permanent fixture, and his dark hair is freshly cut and slicked back, making him look suave. His large hand remains on my thigh for the remainder of dinner, making the only thing I can think about is how I’m going to get him out of his tux sooner rather than later.

After dinner, the DJ starts playing some dancing music, starting with the
Cupid Shuffle
. Line dances always get people onto the dance floor. Well, it gets Duke onto the dance floor anyway. For some odd reason, he knows the dance and is dancing on the lawn by himself. Eventually, Lizette, Nicole, and Arianna go and put him out of his misery by joining in.

About an hour into the drinking and dancing, Regina proclaims that it’s time to cut the cake. As Dennis and I make our way over to the small round table on the porch where the cake is set up, I glance over at him. He’s got a devilish grin on his face so I know he’s planning on smashing the cake into mine. We stand next to each other and hold the knife together as we cut the bottom layer of cake. We cut two pieces and each take one. Everyone is standing at the bottom of the porch stairs yelling for us to smash the cake in each other’s faces. I turn to Dennis, cake in hand, and can’t help but laugh at the mischievous glint in his eyes.

“I’m going to kick your ass,” I warn him.

“I’d like to see you try,” he goads.

Stupid me unknowingly put my back to the stairs. I should have known better because the next thing I know, someone is grabbing me from behind, smashing
my own
cake filled hand into my face just as Dennis smashes me with his. The place is roaring with laughter as I sputter. I swipe the cake from my eyes to find Dennis doubled over, laughing hysterically. When I turn to see who fucking grabbed me, I find Duke standing there with an innocent look in his face.

“What?” he asks, as if he did nothing wrong.

“You dick! I’m going to kick your ass for that!”

He bursts out laughing and takes off down the stairs. I try to take off after him but end up slipping on icing and falling flat on my face.
Sonofabitch!
I roll onto my back and just lay there, covered in cake and icing. Dennis comes over, tears streaming down his face as he tries to breathe. He’s clutching his stomach as he laughs harder than I’ve ever seen him laugh before. It looks good on him.

“Are…are you okay?” he asks, gasping for air.

“Peachy,” I mutter dryly.

He holds out his hands for me and I take them, letting him drag me to my feet. “Come on, let’s get you cleaned up.” His laugher slowly dies, but the giant smile on his face stays.

He wraps his arm around my waist and leads me into the kitchen. He walks me over to the sink and starts looking through drawers until he finds a dishtowel. He turns back to me, blinks, and then bursts out laughing all over again.

“Mmm hmm, keep it up, Chuckles. See if you get any tonight,” I mumble, crossing my arms over my chest.

“Aw, come on, you have to admit, that was really fucking funny.” Dennis grins, the corners of his eyes crinkling. Damn, I love seeing him so fucking happy.

I cock an eyebrow at him that has him snickering. He starts wiping the cake and icing from my face. I watch him as he does so. “I love you,” I blurt.

His eyes flick to mine. The smile on his face softens as he says, “I love you, too.”

When he finishes cleaning off my face, avoiding my mouth completely, he tosses the towel on the counter and presses himself against me. I drape my arms around his neck as he brushes his lips over mine. I suck in a sharp breath and wait for him to do more. Dennis drags his tongue along my bottom lip, licking away the icing that he left there.

“Mmm, you taste delicious.” His voice is low and seductive, sending shivers of pleasure down my spine. My cock hardens in an instant, and his obviously does, too, as it’s now pressed firmly against mine between our bodies. 

He presses his lips harder against mine and swipes his tongue into my mouth. I hum my approval and glide my tongue along his, tasting the sweetness of the icing on his tongue. The kiss turns heated very quickly and soon I’m panting as Dennis kisses his way down my neck.

A throat clearing has us both whipping our heads around to the back door. Beau is standing there, eyebrow cocked with Gia in his one arm, while he covers her eyes with the other hand.

“Not the time for that,” he scolds half-heartedly. “Still have more partying to do.”

Both Dennis and I groan in disappointment.

“Sorry. You might have gotten away with it had this one not pooped.” Beau chuckles as he walks through the kitchen and out of sight up the stairs.

Dennis sighs and takes a step back. Both of us have to readjust the tents in our pants.

“To be continued,” Dennis scowls.

I grunt in agreement then take my husband’s hand and lead him to the door so we can enjoy the rest of our reception with our friends and family.

~ Epilogue ~

~ Ten Years Later ~

~ Tucker ~

“Babe! We’re gonna be late!” I call up the stairs of our two-story home.

“I’m coming!” Dennis yells, coming down the steps a minute later.

He looks nice in his dark jeans and blue polo shirt. He grabs his wallet, phone, and the keys that I’m holding up on his way to the garage where we get in the car. Dennis backs out of the garage a little faster than I’m comfortable with, but hey, we’re running late.

“She’s gonna kill us if we’re not there in time,” I mutter, sending my husband of ten years a sideways glance.

“I’m sorry! I had to take a dump! I’d rather not shit my pants when we go out,” Dennis huffs.

I chuckle and drop my head back to the headrest. “Yeah, I’d rather you not do that either.”

About nine years ago, Dennis and I decided to leave New York City and follow Beau, Lizette, and Gia to New Jersey. Beau and Lizette wanted a more suburban atmosphere to raise Gia in. When Dennis asked about moving so we could be closer to them, I was all for it. It actually put me closer to Selene, Max, and my dad - who ended up moving to Philly to be closer to them, too.

So we found a house two blocks away from Beau and Lizette. I was able to find a new job in the area almost right away. Dennis, on the other hand, had other ideas. He wanted to open his own business. He was done working in a bar as a bouncer. So with the help of Duke and me, he opened up a self-defense studio. He trains everyone from young kids and women, to men of all ages. It’s great for him. He knows how to fight and he’s patient, which makes him a good teacher. He’s had the business for eight years now and it’s doing fantastic; every class is full, and he’s constantly getting new clients.

Duke and Arianna are still in New York because her cupcake shop is booming there and it would be silly for them to leave. But it’s okay; we see each other plenty with weekend trips twice a month.

We pull into the school’s parking lot and park. Luckily, it doesn’t seem like we’re the only ones who are running a little behind; there are some other people making their way into the school auditorium. We look around until we spot Lizette and Beau, who saved us seats close to the front. We sit just as the lights turn off and the curtain comes up. We clap as the cutest little kids make their way onto the stage. They are dressed in costumes for
Little Red Riding Hood
.

I spot our girl, who is playing Little Red, and catch her eye. She gives me a huge smile and a small wave before she has to turn back to say her lines. It’s funny how kids this young can be so dramatic. The play is only twenty minutes long, but it’s cute as shit and totally worth sitting through. When it’s over, the kids line up across the stage and take a bow. Me, Dennis, Lizette, and Beau all stand and cheer, clap, and whistle for the cutest little girl with the curly brown hair.

After the curtain closes, we make our way back stage with Lizette and Beau. It’s a bit hectic back there with all the parents looking for their kids. We finally see her when she calls, “Daddy!”

She races toward us and throws herself into my arms. I scoop her up and give her a big bear hug. “Hey, sweetie! You did great up there!”

“Thanks!”

I then hand her off to Dennis who gives her a big hug and a kiss on the cheek. “Yeah, Addison, you were fantastic!”

“Thanks, Daddy D.”

Addison Parrish-McCoy is our bubbly little six-year-old princess. We had her via surrogate. We mixed our sperm together, so we’re not sure which of us is her biological father. And honestly, she has features from both of us. Her eyes are actually a greenish-blue and are the most stunning set of eyes I’ve ever seen. She has brown curly hair and the cutest little nose. She’s on the taller side for her age and skinny as a rail. We like to call her String Bean, which she detests. She’s beautiful and no matter what, she’s mine.

She’s got an extremely outgoing personality and she’s pretty damn funny. She calls Dennis, Daddy D, and I’m Daddy T. She doesn’t care what anyone thinks and does her own thing, which is something I love most about her.

“Hi, Aunt Lizzie, Uncle Beau,” she says as she gives them a hug.

“Hey, Cutie,” Beau says, giving her a hug and a kiss on the top of her head. “You did awesome.”

“Totally! I love your costume,” Lizette adds.

“Thanks! Where’s Gia and Boo Boo?”

“They’re still in school,” Beau tells her.

She frowns. “Dang.”

Boo Boo is Beau Jr. Addy came up with the nickname when Beau Jr. was born. She was only one and a half and couldn’t really pronounce Beau too well, so she called him Boo Boo and it stuck.

“Don’t worry, you’ll see them later. They are going to come over for dinner,” Dennis tells her.

“Yay!” She jumps, pumping her fists into the air.

“Come on, let’s sign you out and get outta here,” I say, dropping my hand to the top of her head so I can steer her in the direction of her teacher. She giggles the whole way.

~ Five Years Later ~

~ Dennis ~

I knock on the door of the principal’s office and wait for the, “Come in.” I open the door to see Principal Winters sitting behind his desk, leaning back in his chair, arms folded over his chest. Addison is sitting in a chair to the right of his desk, up against the wall, her head down, wringing her hands together. Her dark curly hair is an absolute mess and is that…is her shirt ripped? I frown hard. When Principal Winters called at 12:30 pm and said that I needed to come in for an immediate meeting about Addison, I thought maybe something was going on with her grades or she was having a problem behaving in class.

“Mr. Parrish-McCoy, thank you for coming in so quickly. Please, close the door and have a seat,” Principal Winters says as he stands from his chair.

I close the door behind me and move toward his desk; we shake hands and then sit. I glance over at Addy, but she refuses to look up. “What’s going on?”

Principal Winters, who is probably around my age at 51, laces his fingers together and sets them on top of his desk as he leans forward. “Addison was in a fight. A fist fight. With a boy from a different sixth grade class.”

My eyes widen in shock. “A fist fight?”

Principal Winters nods. “Yes, she banged the kid up pretty good; gave him a bloody lip and a black eye.”

“Addison!” I admonish, turning my astonished gaze toward her.

She finally lifts her head and I can see the tears running down her face. One cheek is bruised and she has a scratch on her chin. “He was making fun of you and Daddy for being gay,” she grits out through clenched teeth. I can see now that she’s not crying because she’s in trouble, she’s crying because she’s still angry.

“In her defense,” Principal Winters starts, “The boy did shove her first and when she refused to continue the argument, he punched her in the face. So she was only defending herself.”

As much as a relief it is to hear that she didn’t start it and was defending herself, I’m still sick to my stomach about the fact that she had to deal with this in the first place. I rake a frustrated hand through my hair and turn back to look at the principal.

“So what happens now? Is she getting suspended?”

“Since this is her first offense and she didn’t actually start it, no, I’m not going to suspend her. The other boy did receive a 3-day in-school suspension and I plan on having a lengthy talk with his parents about acceptable behavior. I will not tolerate that type of hate in my school.”

“Thank you, Mr. Winters, I appreciate that.” I give him an appreciative nod.

Over the last fifteen years, Tucker and I have only had a few run-ins with bigoted, closed-minded people. Society has changed a lot and being gay is mostly accepted now. But there is always going to be someone who hates you for whatever reason.

“Addison can have the rest of the day off.” Principal Winters hands me a manila folder filled with papers. “I had her teachers send me what homework she is supposed to do tonight.”

I stand as I take the folder from him. He stands also. “Thank you again,” I say and shake his hand.

“You’re welcome.”

“Come on, Addy, let’s go,” I say softly and wait for her to stand.

She slowly gets to her feet, slings her backpack over her shoulders, and comes to stand by my side. I put my arm around her shoulders and lead her out of the office. Once we get out into the hall, I stop and turn her to face me. She’s tall enough now that her head comes up to my chest. I duck my head to catch her eyes.

“Hey, are you okay?” I ask, keeping my voice soft so she doesn’t think I’m mad at her.

She shakes her head and tears flow more rapidly down her bruised face. My heart shatters into a million pieces. I hate it when she cries, especially over something like this. I wrap my arms around her and pull her into a hug. Her arms band tightly around my waist. A sob escapes her and I squeeze my eyes shut. I can’t stand that she’s so upset by this. I press my lips to the top of her head and stroke her hair.

“It’s okay, Sweetie. Don’t let what he said hurt you like this, it means nothing. He doesn’t know us or our family; he’s just a stupid kid.”

“There is nothing wrong with our family,” she hiccups.

“No, there’s not one damn thing wrong with our family, and you know what? I bet he knows that, too, and is just jealous because he doesn’t have as good of a family as we do.”

She nods against my chest.

“I’m glad you stuck up for yourself,” I tell her.

“I only did what you taught me to do.” She sniffs and loosens her hold on me.

I take her by the shoulders, giving them a reassuring squeeze. “And that’s just fine.”

She swipes the tears from her face with her sleeve then does her nose. I make a grossed out face that has her giggling. “What? I don’t have a tissue.”

I roll my eyes, put my arm back around her shoulders and start for the exit.

“Come on, Snot-face.”

That evening, Tucker walks into the kitchen from the garage door at his normal time of 5:30 pm. I’m cooking dinner while Addy is sitting at the kitchen table doing her homework. Tucker hangs his keys on the little hook on the wall next to the garage door before coming over to me.

“Hey, babe,” he says, giving my ass a swat and my cheek a kiss.

I smirk. “Hey.”

Even though we’re older now, and we’ve changed in many ways, we’re still fucking hot as hell for each other. My hair is starting to gray, and Tucker, the bastard, doesn’t have one gray hair yet. I’m getting suspicious, though; I think he’s dying it behind my back. Neither of us is as muscular as we used to be, but we’re still fit, especially for our ages. And of course, we’ve got more creases around our eyes and mouths, but I like to believe that’s from all of the laughing and smiling we do, not because we’re older.

Tucker then turns toward Addison and goes over to give her a kiss hello. Before either Addison or myself get a chance to say anything, he pops a kiss on her bruised cheek from over her shoulder. She yelps and flinches away from him. I quickly turn and find him looking down at her in concern. He smooths her hair back away from her face. His eyes widen when he see the big deep purple bruise on her cheek.

“What happened to your face?!” The alarm in his voice has me moving to stand next to Addy.

“Addison got into a fight at school today,” I tell him.

“What?!” A rush of emotions flashes over his features and I hold up a hand to stop him from overreacting.

“Hang on. A boy was teasing her about us being gay. He shoved her, and when she tried to walk away, he punched her in the face. She fought back, giving the kid a black eye and a bloody lip.”

Tucker’s mouth works as he tries to think of something to say. He huffs his annoyance and paces away. He turns back around and shoves his hands on his hips. “Is she in trouble at school?”

“No. The principal was really great about the whole thing. The other kid got a 3-day in-school suspension.”

Tucker nods. After a tense moment, he moves to sit down next to her at the table. He turns his chair to face her and rests his forearms on his knees. Addy is watching him with caution, not sure of what he’s going to say to her. But I know Tucker, and he’s not mad, at least not at her anyway.

“Are you okay?” Tucker asks gently.

“I’m better now,” Addison replies quietly.

“You know, I’m actually surprised that it took this long for something like this to happen. And you should know that it’s not going to be the last.” He gives her a pointed look.

Addison nods. “Yeah, I know.”

“It sounds like you handled it very well and I’m proud of you for that.”

I smile and drop my hand to Tucker’s shoulder. That was exactly what I was hoping he would say. He sends me a wink and I give his shoulder a squeeze before going back to cooking dinner. Tucker and Addison talk more about what happened while I finish up dinner. As soon as the food is on the table and we’re all seated, the fight is forgotten and we move on to talk about happier things.