AJ’s Fire (Hampstead Valley #3)

Epilogue

AJ

There he stood, the sun flaming reds and oranges as it woke up behind him, looking a little nervous, which surprised me. We’d gone to the courthouse, Casey and Emily there to witness, sworn to secrecy until we could tell our families. That part was so reminiscent of the early days of our relationship that I felt a little nostalgic pang for those two clueless bros who didn’t understand why they felt so terrible every minute they were apart. We hadn’t been apart for a day since before that first Easter, since before we’d come out.

We’d decided that a big, public wedding was not for us, and though we knew we’d be disappointing Jackson’s mom and Nat, like everything else in our unexpected relationship, we were doing things our way.

I stood on the dock in my formal uniform, and Jackson worked his way to me. No music, no flowers, no witnesses. Like we’d started this crazy adventure, we sealed the deal at a cabin by a lake in the woods.

He stood in front of me and took my hand, and I think we both realized at the same time that we hadn’t really planned beyond that point. We smiled at each other, and Jackson spoke. “I’ll go first?”

“Okay,” I croaked, emotion getting the better of me. He caressed my cheek and leaned in to kiss me, but I leaned away. “Gotta say our vows first.”

“Right, because we wouldn’t want to break the rules.” We looked around at our witness-free wedding on a pier, but all I could see was the sparkle and fire of the sunrise and the beauty of the man in front of me.

“Okay. You ready? Here I go. Alexander Jeremy Gordon: Nothing’s changed. Not a damn thing has changed since the day I met you. You filled up my world that day, and you remain my whole world now. It amazes me how you can be my whole world, and yet I still get to be my own person. You love me for who I am. You want me for who I am, and I love you for all that you are: my rock, my best friend, my love. I knew the day we met that we would grow old together. Did I picture it like this? No, but I pictured it. You, me, forever. And now I get to have it all with you. Love”—he leaned in—“sex. A true partner, and maybe, someday, a family.”

Oh, we hadn’t talked about that. We were a great team where Vera was concerned, though. I had a brief thought that she would be upset to not be able to attend my wedding, and I knew that that would be the reason that eventually we would have to allow Nat and Mandy to throw us some kind of party.

“So, AJ Gordon. Keep not changing with me, in sickness and in health, in good times and in bad, and all that stuff.” I laughed. “I pledge myself to you, my husband. My love.”

“Oh, wow. I have to go now.” I let out a heavy breath.

Jax laughed and squeezed my hands in encouragement.

“Jackson Dorso, you are the love of my life.” I released one hand and made a fist in front of my stomach. “The day I met you, my stomach did this swooping thing, like it was suddenly on fire. A smarter man would have known right then and there that the feeling was love. Like you, I felt our connection right away. I always wanted to be with you. And now, we don’t ever have to be apart. Even when it’s Christmas Day, and we face the wrath of Natalie Marchetti-Gordon and Mandy Dorso, we choose each other. We always choose each other. I choose you to spend my life with, to wake up with each morning, and to hold each night. I choose you to laugh with and cry with. I choose you for the fun and the heartache. I choose you …” He’d said it, so I would too. “To start a family with and to grow old with. Riley Jackson Dorso the Second, you are my best friend, my husband, my fire, my love.”

We kissed then in our dress blues, the water lapping below, the sun rising overhead.

“That was really beautiful, Aje.”

“Right back at you, cari?o .”

Jamie and Devon’s wedding was the next day, and we packed up our dress blues and grabbed the garment bags that held our clothes for the wedding. Jackson gave me a look. The look.

“No time, babe. I can’t be late for my brother’s wedding. I’m the best man!”

“But we have to consummate our marriage,” my husband insisted.

“ Cari?o , we got married days ago,” I reminded him.

“Doesn’t count!”

We headed the rest of the way to Hampstead without venturing to the hot tub, or the bed for that matter, once again.

The next two days were a flurry of family and activity, and I barely got to spend any time alone with Jax until he dragged me from the dance floor at Jamie and Devon’s reception and rushed me out of the banquet hall.

“Look what I found earlier.” He raised his eyebrows as he spirited us up a set of stairs and down a hallway, where a row of doors boasted individual, unisex bathrooms. We were alone and he pulled me into one of the rooms before I could protest.

My back was against the wall as soon as the door closed behind me. Jackson held me firm, his body flush with mine, lined up in a way that was so familiar and yet so exciting every time.

“Are you regretting our choice?” Jax asked.

“Not for a second,” I assured him. “You should have seen my brother earlier. I thought he was going to faint.”

He kissed me then before mumbling into my mouth, “I’m gonna make you faint.” He was on his knees and pulling me out in practically the same motion.

“Jax!”

“Husband,” he insisted.

“Husband,” I repeated. “We really shouldn’t …”

He swallowed me down until his nose was tickling my pubic hair. He pulled off quickly to respond, “It’s a rule, AJ. A literal rule of marriage. I’ve been waiting two days!”

He sucked and licked and moaned until I was moaning right along with him, thrusting my hips and fucking his face until I came with a roar, screaming his name, much to his consternation.

“Shhh.” He laughed.

Jackson fluttered kisses around my thighs and happy trail. As he’d predicted, I was a bit lightheaded, so I rested my head back for a second and could have stayed like that forever. Instead, after I caught my breath, I gently tipped his head up.

“Your turn.” I put my hands under Jackson’s arms, and he stood. I worked his pants open and pulled them down slightly before lifting him onto the counter. My mouth was on him a moment later, and I worked him over until he was pleading with me.

“AJ!”

I pulled off. “Husband?” I teased.

“Suck me off, husband!”

Jackson came with a grunt, lifting my head to kiss me quickly, savoring the taste of himself on my mouth, which I knew he loved.

We looked at each other in the mirror as we straightened up.

“We’re a bit disheveled,” I commented to the Jackson in the mirror.

“I mean, we have been dancing.” He shrugged.

As the evening came to a close, Jackson and I walked back to my dad and Nat’s house, his head resting on my shoulder, surrounded by members of my family.

We passed my dad and Vance, who was in charge of a sleeping Vera since Jamie and Devon had already left. We caught up to Nat.

“What’s up with you two?”

Jackson’s, “How does she do that?” was drowned out by my, “What are you talking about?”; or so I hoped.

Nat latched on to Jackson’s arm, taking him away from me. “You almost missed brunch yesterday even though you told me weeks ago that you both had the time off, so don’t try to tell me you were at work. And you just seem … different.”

“Nat …” We were in front of our house. I looked at Jax. He quirked a small smile my way and nodded to me.

“Fine!” My tone may have been exasperated after a very long and joyous day. “Everyone in the living room.” I was suddenly nervous.

Vance walked past, looking somewhat pale and anxious himself in the light of the foyer, a sleepy Vera now walking next to him, clinging to his arm. “Vee and I are going right to bed. We’ll catch you guys tomorrow.”

For once, Vera was too tired to protest, and Vance was never one for big gatherings. He’d stuck it out with us the whole night, which was more than the family could have asked for. I watched him march up the stairs and tried not to worry about him.

Nat wrangled everyone else into the living room. “Where’s Josh?”

“Left hours ago,” Hunter muttered. “It’s like she can’t even keep track of her own kids.”

Everyone took a seat, Jackson flopping down on a love seat, leaning his head back and shutting his eyes. I stood by the fireplace.

Jackson opened his eyes and saw me. “Oh!” he said and jumped up. “We’re really doing this?”

My sister Hilary watched Jackson join me and take my hand. “Oh God, are we planning another wedding, you two? It’s my first year at the firm; I don’t know how much more time I can take off.”

I looked down at Jackson's hand in mine, holding them up to cup in my other hand. “We’re not planning a wedding, Hilary. We’ve already eloped.”

“You’re married!” Nat shouted. I had never seen her lose her cool like that.

I looked at my husband. “We’re married.”

A flash went off. “Don’t, Hunter! We don’t want to ruin Jamie and Devon’s big day!”

“Look around, bro. Day’s over. Even if I text the family group chat, you know Devon and Jamie won’t be looking at their phones tonight.” Hunter raised his eyebrows before he began tapping out a message.

A few seconds later, an image of two very happy, very sweaty, very exhausted looking firefighters showed up in our family group chat.

Hunter : This day in Marchetti-Gordon history, both Gordon boys are married.

The End