Page 20 of Ropers Can't Tie Knots
God, even I don’t sound convincing, but Gabe keeps a smile on his face.
“Gabe, do you take this man and promise to be faithful? To love him and cherish him for all the days of your life?”
“I do.”
Gabe smiles at me and if you’ve streamed a show online and it has that random buffering moment where you hang on the last word of the scene in anticipation of what comes next…that’s how I feel. But with less anticipation and more anxiety.
“Do you plan to exchange rings?” The man breaks my thoughts and I nod. “I have one, yes.”
Turning to Jackson, he hands me the same gold band I bought Gabe earlier this week.
“If you wish to say anything personal, you can do so now. If not, just repeat after me.”
“Um, nothing personal for me, sir.”
Gabe offers me his left hand as the justice speaks. “I give you this ring as a sign of our union.”
“Gabe, I give you this ring as a sign of our…union.”
The word union makes me stumble and remember what Jackson and I talked about earlier. Should I think about sex while we’re exchanging vows? Thank god nobody can hear what I’m thinking.
“I have a ring as well,” Gabe says and turns to Riley.
“What?” Realizing how that sounds, I correct myself. “I mean, you shouldn’t have Gabe. I thought we were just keeping it at one?”
He winks at me, and I think he’s enjoying this. “Sometimes I don’t listen.” He whispers.
“Repeat after me, Gabe.” The man says and Gabe bites at his lip as the justice gives the same line he gave me.
Gabe grabs for my hand, which I haven’t even lifted, and slides the same thin gold band I got for him on my finger.
“Hunter, I give you this ring as a sign of our union.”
The ring fits perfectly, and while it looks foreign on my finger, it doesn’t feel like I thought it would. There’s no burning skin, so there’s that.
“By the power invested in me by the town of Kissing Ridge and the province of Alberta, I now pronounce you husband and husband. You may now kiss.”
Maybe it’s the word kiss, or maybe it’s because Gabe smells and looks amazing, or possibly because it’s the societal expectations ingrained in me. No matter the reason, it’s what I do.
With a hand on his hip and the other behind his head, I kiss Gabe. His lips are soft and part immediately with his tongue sliding next to mine like we’ve practiced for this moment.
My fingers flex on his hip as I tilt his head and get lost in everything Gabe. Kissing him is easy, and he presses against me while kissing me back with barely contained want. It’s right there on his lips and I can taste it as sure as anything.
And this is why I’ve kept my distance from Gabe since we met. One kiss and it’s like your first time with sugar. You want more.
It’s not until someone clears their throat, I think it’s Jackson, that I step away.
“Sorry about that. Kinda got carried away.”
“S’okay,” Gabe murmurs.
We sign the marriage certificate with Jackson and Riley, and in another few brief minutes, we’re outside. My thoughts are a confused jumble, and my lungs burn for more oxygen.
The day is still the same outside as it was when we went in.
But I’m not.
seven
