Epilogue
“THEO! WE’RE going to be late!” Ollie hollered up the stairs. Ever since their kid turned ten, he took forever to pick out what to wear. Ollie figured he must get that from Allison, because he and Ty never took that long. “You don’t want to keep Ty waiting on his big day, do you?”
“It’s not like they can start without you, Dad. You’re the mayor.”
Unfortunately, the attitude was probably Ollie’s fault. “Which is why it’s important to be on time.”
Finally the door at the top of the stairs opened and Theo stepped out, looking nervous. He was wearing his nice new back-to-school jeans and the sneakers he’d begged for—the ones Ollie had pretended not to see the price of when Ty immediately said yes. He didn’t care if Theo was going to outgrow those shoes in two months, and if Ollie pointed out that inevitability, Ty would just say they’d donate them to Goodwill and someone would be glad to have them.
Ollie had learned to pick his battles.
But along with the jeans and shoes, Theo had put on the Nats jersey they’d gotten for his birthday.
“Do you think he’ll like it?”
Theo had done a lot of growing up, but his nature hadn’t changed. He was still a sweet kid. Sweet… with a definite sassy streak. That he got from Ty.
“I think I’m going to have to listen to the two of you bicker about baseball all night again,” Ollie said wryly. “And when you wear each other out, I’ll tell you why you’re both wrong. Come on, let’s go.”
Theo thundered down the stairs like an entire herd of elephants and preceded Ollie into the garage.
They’d been in the house on Peach Blossom Street for three months. Ollie half couldn’t believe how long it had taken for Ty’s father’s estate to go through probate so he could sell the family home, and half couldn’t believe they hadn’t been here longer. The bright, cheerful two-story, with its stereotypical white picket fence in front and the in-ground pool Theo loved in back, already felt like home. Three bedrooms, two baths, a two-car garage, and a sun porch on the back of the house that Ty and Theo had turned into an homage to the old games room. They filled it with books and a card table and that ancient couch that was so perfect for midday naps.
Ollie clicked the button to unlock his car, opened the door, and slid behind the wheel.
The Corolla had gone to the big auto dealership in the sky last winter. Ollie had intended to buy himself a nice, sensible used car, but unfortunately he both took too long and forgot he had a birthday coming up, and before he even had time to go looking, Ty had bought him an electric BMW in fire-engine red.
Ollie wanted to protest, but then he drove the car. It was like flying while keeping four wheels on the road. Pick your battles , he reminded himself. And then, when they went house-hunting, he made Ty agree to a strict budget and a mortgage, so that they could be equal partners in home ownership.
Ollie suspected he could pay off his share of the house with the BMW, but if he looked into it, he might be tempted to do it, and he really did love the car.
He backed out of the garage and turned left onto the street.
After a prolonged discussion, the council had eventually voted to put the new firehouse not on Main Street, where the garage might occasionally be blocked by traffic, but a quarter mile outside the town proper, just outside Ty and Ollie’s new subdivision. It had taken both significant political maneuvering and intense fundraising to get the new station up and running and equipped. Perhaps the biggest surprise for Ollie, apart from how much he enjoyed getting that done, was the fat check Alan Chiu had cut for the project.
People really could change.
“Are Grandma and Grandpa coming today too?”
Case in point. “They wouldn’t miss it, bud.” His parents had become some of Ty’s biggest champions. Ollie didn’t know how exactly, and he didn’t care. He’d never told Ty what his dad had implied about him at the diner a hundred years ago, and he’d take that secret to his grave. In this case, what Ty didn’t know wouldn’t hurt him. He’d been hurt enough.
But now ?
Ollie pulled into the station parking lot and turned off the car.
For the past two years the town had operated a satellite EMS and firehouse out of the pole barn on Ty’s father’s property. While sifting through the mountain of paperwork in the office, Ollie had discovered it was actually a separate parcel and registered in Ty’s name. But now the new station was finally ready, and it seemed like the whole town had turned up for the grand opening. Right now they were waiting outside, held at bay by a fancy velvet rope Ollie had unearthed in the town hall basement, but as soon as Ollie was ready, they’d drop that and invite everyone inside.
Not that the festivities would last long. The crew had a job to do, after all.
“Dad! Hurry up!”
Oh, now Ollie was the one causing a delay?
“The cops are going to eat all the donuts before we get there.”
Ollie was pretty sure his son did not have a future in politics.
He pocketed his keys, ducked under the thick yellow ribbon tied across the garage doors, and walked into the station.
Every surface in the bay gleamed. The cherry-red ambulance, engine, and ladder truck bore the station number, three, in the same font as Ty’s new tattoo.
The tattoo wasn’t for the station, though—it was for the three of them.
Up above, the station housed a barracks room and rec room. On the main floor, the open-plan kitchen and gathering area was set up to welcome visitors once the ribbon had been cut. But Ollie didn’t see what he was really looking for until—
“Beady!”
Theo saw him first.
“Oof!” Ty said as he caught Theo up in a swinging hug. “Hey, you made it. Oh, that shirt, really?”
Theo was still giggling when Ty put him down. “I wanted to look my best.”
Brent appeared at Ollie’s elbow. “Beady?”
“B.D.,” Ollie explained. “Bonus Dad.”
“Only title more important than ambulance commander .” Ty released Theo with a ruffle to his hair and swept Ollie into a kiss instead. “Unless you’ve changed your mind about First Gentleman—”
“I am not running for president,” Ollie said for the hundredth time. “And no one would call you a gentleman anyway.”
Brent laughed. “All right, I’ll leave you three to it. We’ll be waiting outside whenever you’re ready, Mr. Mayor. Or should I say First Gentleman of Station Three?”
“Second Gentleman,” Ty and Ollie chorused.
Ty’s lips twitched as he explained. “Uh, ’cause I’m not the captain.”
“Of course you’ve had this conversation before,” Brent said. “In your own time, boys.”
He left, and Theo took one look at Ty and Ollie, made a face, and then followed him. “You promised no kissing,” he reminded over his shoulder.
That had become a common refrain in their house too, usually delivered in a long-suffering manner, but with an indulgent smile.
“We lied.”
Now that they were alone, Ollie gave Ty a proper once-over. His paramedic uniform suited him infinitely better than the nerdy baseball coach windbreaker (though he still wore that to high school games). “Looking good, Ambulance Commander Kent.”
Ty walked his fingers up the buttons of Ollie’s oxford shirt. “You’re not so bad yourself, Mayor Kent. You’re gonna give this town a thrill, huh?”
“In a minute,” Ollie said. “Right now I’m gonna thrill my husband.”
“Be still my heart,” Ty joked.
Ollie had never yet managed to kiss the smile off his face, but he didn’t think the novelty of trying would ever wear off. “Come on,” he said at last, “before Theo starts a rumor we’re getting to second base in here.”
“As if I’d ever.” Ty took his hand as they turned toward the bay doors. “Everyone knows you have to save that for under the bleachers.”