Page 213 of Nothing Special X: The Last Stand

He spoke about families not always beginning with blood, about adopted love that defended and endured.

God kept his eyes forward.

Mostly.

He caught Day wiping his face with his thumb and glanced away before his own resolve betrayed him.

Then Curtis and Gen said their vows.

Gen went first, voice shaking but clear. “You weren’t a part of my plan,” he told Curtis, making him smile around his tears. “But you’re the best thing God blessed me with. The God, not my conceited brother.”

The guests laughed.

“You loved me when I didn’t fully know what it meant to be loved. You made me brave when I was scared, strong when I was tired, and certain when I doubted myself. I promise to choose you first in every season, every ordinary morning, and every impossible night. I promise to be your home, your constant, and your husband. For the rest of my life.”

“That was really good,” Curtis smiled, crying openly now.

They all laughed again.

The pastor nodded with a soft grin. “Curtis.”

Curtis took a breath, then another. “I didn’t know anyone could love me the way you love. I didn’t know if I’d be able to have a forever. I used to think I’d be lucky if life gave me one person who stayed, and then somehow, I got two dads, a whole terrifying family of uncles, and you.” His voice broke. “You look at me, you hold me, you love me, like I’m your entire world. So I promise I’ll spend the rest of my life making sure you never regret that. I promise to love you loud when you’re watching Sports Center, and you wish I’d be quiet.”

Everyone cracked up. A few of Genesis’s guys from work whooped as if Gen had vented to them about that more than once.

Curtis chuckled wetly. “I promise to dance in the kitchen when I cook, sing obnoxiously in the shower, overpack for vacations, and keep flooding our porch with Amazon packages.” He paused, his lip trembling. “And I promise to hold your hand when life gets hard. You’re my favorite miracle, Genesis Godfrey. And I promise to be a good husband and love you with my whole heart. Forever.”

Everyone clapped as if those were the best damn vows they’d ever heard.

The rings came next.

The vows sealed.

The pastor smiled at them both. “By the authority given to me, and before God, family, and every soul gathered here to witness this moment, I now pronounce you married.”

Curtis made a tiny yelp of victory.

“You may kiss.”

Gen barely waited for the words to finish. He pulled Curtis in, and Curtis went willingly, arms flying around his neck as the entire ranch erupted.

Then they broke apart, laughing and crying, then turned to face the crowd as husbands.

The reception opened with food, music, and enough liquor to pour generously throughout the rest of the night.

The catering company had come out of Savannah, according to Bull, and was the most sought-out caterer in all of Georgia.

Rotisserie chicken, baked red snapper, shrimp and grits, green beans, macaroni and cheese, yeast rolls, smoked turkey, mashed potatoes, sweet potato casserole, peach cobbler, and banana pudding, all Gen and Curtis’s favorites.

The band played low jazz through dinner, softly enough that the guests could carry on talking.

Glasses clinked. People laughed. Curtis made it six minutes before leaving the sweetheart’s table to hug the kids from his rec center and more of his guests.

Gen followed him, smiling as if he’d already accepted that marrying Curtis meant sharing him with every person he encountered and couldn’t help but love him.

The Ravens stayed through dinner, mostly at their table. After Saint returned from his horse ride, Curtis leapt into his arms as though they were best friends and made him promise him a slow dance before he left.

Meridian finished his drink and stood not long after the party got into full swing. The others rose with him, quiet and synchronized.