Chapter 16
Jon
On Tuesday evening, Kyle’s phone rang. Jon was wiping down the kitchen counter after he had finished loading the dishwasher, and since Kyle was upstairs putting Wyatt to bed, he went searching for the phone.
Locating it on the end table, he saw Ben’s photo on the screen and answered the FaceTime call.
“Hi, Ben.”
“Hey, Jon. Ready to be a married man?” The wedding was the coming weekend.
“I am.” Jon chuckled.
“Is Kyle there?”
“He’s just putting Wyatt down for the night, but he should be back shortly. Is there something I can help you with?”
“I’d rather tell you together,” Ben said.
“Hmmm, it sounds like you and Rob are up to something.”
“Who, us?” Ben sounded innocent, but Jon could see Rob laughing in the background.
Just then, Kyle came down the stairs. “Who are you on the phone with?”
“Your dad and Rob,” Jon replied. “We’re on FaceTime.”
“Hi, Dad. Hey, Rob,” Kyle said, waving. “What’s up?”
“About this weekend …” Ben started.
“Is everything okay for the wedding?” Kyle sounded like he was about to panic.
“It’s not that,” Ben reassured him. “Everything is all set. It’s actually more about after you get married.”
“Whaddya mean, after we get married? We’re staying for the weekend and then coming home on Monday.
We agreed that we’d postpone the honeymoon for a little while.
” There had been so much happening in their lives lately—the death of his cousin Mike and his wife, then the holidays, and now the wedding—he and Kyle didn’t have time to plan one more thing and had decided to wait and take a small honeymoon vacation after things had settled down.
Plus, adding Wyatt to their lives had depleted some of their savings, and Jon knew that Kyle was stressing a bit about that.
“Yeah, well, some of us didn’t think that was a good idea.”
“Dad,” Kyle said evenly. “What did you do?”
“Um, well …” Ben looked chagrined.
“Oh, for God’s sake, just tell him,” Rob said in the background. They could both see Rob smiling broadly.
“Originally, Rob, Sam, and I thought about sending you guys on a cruise out of Boston, but after you shared your idea about maybe moving in the not-too-distant future, we came up with something better. We’ve booked you for five nights at the Bradley House Bed and Breakfast in Hawthorne Bluff.
After everything that’s been going on, you guys need this break.
Plus, you can get a feel for what Hawthorne Bluff has to offer. ”
“Wow!” Kyle and Jon said simultaneously. “But Dad,” Kyle continued, “we’ve got to get back for work.”
“No, you don’t.” Ben smiled deviously. “With Neil and your Uncle Mike’s help, we got things arranged so that you both have next week off.
” Neil and Kyle worked together, and Jon was a paralegal in Mike’s office, so of course they had resources at both places of employment.
“And Rob and I will take care of Wyatt. It’s all settled. ”
“I don’t know what to say, Dad.” Kyle spoke quietly.
Jon could hear the emotion in his voice.
Rob and Ben were both quite well-off, but most folks would never know that.
They lived a nice but fairly modest life and always managed to take care of their family and friends in various ways.
They’d already paid for all the wedding arrangements, and now they were providing a honeymoon for Kyle and Jon. Unbelievable.
“I do,” Jon chimed in. “Thank you, guys. We don’t deserve you.”
“Yeah, thank you both,” Kyle added.
“We’re happy to do it. Hell, you’re my son and my new son-in-law. And you both totally deserve it,” Ben told them. “Originally, I wanted to wait until you were here to tell you, but then Rob reminded me that you both needed to pack for the extra days.”
“True,” Kyle agreed. “I wouldn’t want to run out of clothes in an unfamiliar place.”
“Thanks, Rob,” Jon said. “Although I guess we could’ve just stayed in our room the entire time, and then we wouldn’t really need any clothes, right?”
They all chuckled, then Ben said, “Um … TMI, Jon.” Which led to another round of laughs.
“If I remember correctly, isn’t Hawthorne Bluff the place you and Rob went for a few days right before the wedding?” Jon asked.
“Yeah, I was acting like a crazed bridezilla, constantly second-guessing myself and driving Ben and Sam bonkers,” Rob explained. “They conspired to whisk me away for a couple of days, and I must say, we both fell in love with the town.”
“It’s a gorgeous little place just south of Plymouth,” Ben continued. “Which makes it only about an hour away. The town center is filled with quaint little shops, and the surrounding scenery is just beautiful.”
“I remember you talking about it after you spent the weekend there,” Kyle said. “You think it would be a nice place to raise Wyatt?”
“Absolutely,” Rob declared. “And it’s also very queer friendly, which gives it added appeal in my book.”
“It sounds perfect.”
They chatted for a few more minutes, then rang off, knowing they’d be together on Friday.
“Wow,” Jon said thoughtfully. “Your dad and Rob are really amazing guys.”
“That they are, sweetheart. That they are.”
Sam had once again booked them on a morning flight from DC to Rhode Island, so they walked into Rob and Ben’s home at lunchtime on Friday. Sam was already there, pulling a dish of baked ziti out of the oven.
“Lunch is ready,” she told them.
“It smells delicious,” Jon commented, rubbing his hands together in anticipation.
While they ate, Ben reminded them of the weekend’s schedule.
“Matthew should be here around four today, and Judge Sampson said she’ll be here by five at the latest.” Neil, who was Kyle’s witness for the ceremony, had a conflict and wasn’t able to fly in until that night.
Matthew would stand in for him at the rehearsal and then head to the airport to pick up Neil.
“The rehearsal should only take a few minutes, and then we’re having pizza delivered for dinner afterward. ”
“That sounds great, Dad. Thanks again for everything that you and Rob have done for the wedding. It wouldn’t have happened without you.” Sincerity colored Kyle’s words.
“Jon,” Sam chimed in, “I’ve got a car picking up your mom and Bernie at the airport this afternoon. They’ll come here for the rehearsal, and then they’re staying with me.”
“Thanks, Sam. And I confirmed the spa appointment yesterday, so we’re all set with that,” Jon told them. He and Kyle were going for a couple’s massage the next morning.
“And the ceremony is at three under the pergola, followed by a reception on the deck,” Rob picked up the conversation. “Once everyone is gone, you can relax for the evening, then drive to Hawthorne Bluff on Sunday after breakfast.”
“I still can’t believe you guys got us a honeymoon. I know I speak for Kyle when I say we can’t thank you enough for everything,” Jon said.
Saturday morning arrived cool and bright.
The weather forecast called for sunny skies, with a high of 68°F.
A perfect day for an outdoor wedding. After a quick breakfast, Jon and Kyle showered and headed to a local spa for their couple’s massage.
Wyatt was playing happily on the floor of the family room, sitting on a play mat and babbling to his stuffed elephant.
When they returned almost two hours later, the relaxed and smiling guys found Wyatt asleep in Rob’s arms as he slowly rocked back and forth in the rocker near the expanse of windows overlooking the deck and backyard.
“How was the massage?” Rob asked.
“So good,” Jon replied. “It’s exactly what we both needed. I haven’t felt this relaxed in ages.”
“How long has the little guy been out?” Kyle queried.
Rob glanced at his watch. “Only about a half hour. He’d been playing, but as soon as I sat down, he lifted his arms and said ‘up,’ so I picked him up and started rocking. He was out within a minute.”
“I can take him if you want,” Kyle offered.
“That’s okay. I don’t mind. If you’re hungry, there’s some chicken salad in the fridge.”
“That sounds good. Wanna sandwich, sweetheart?” Jon asked Kyle.
“Sure. Thanks.” Kyle smiled. “We can get ready after lunch. Folks will start getting here soon.” Kyle’s Uncle Mike and Aunt Ellen were flying in that morning and were scheduled to land any moment.
They, along with Neil, Matthew, and Sam, would be showing up by one o’clock, and the rest of the guests—just a few close friends of Rob and Ben—would start arriving around two.
“The caterer will be here between one thirty and two,” Rob told them.
“They’re doing most of the prep work at their facility and will just need to do some last-minute heating and arranging once they arrive.
” They’d decided on a simple buffet of hot-and-cold hors d’oeuvres along with a self-serve bar of beer, wine, and soft drinks.
“It sounds like everything’s under control,” Jon concluded. “Yeah, it’s a perfect day for a wedding!”