Tying the Knot - Ch. 3 (Sunny Hill Extra Story, Patreon Exclusive)) (Patreon)

Chapter One / Chapter Two

Chapter Three – Friendship Rings

“Are you sure you want to be lazy around the house instead of coming with me?” Jonathan asked while Maddox leaned over the lowered car window to give him a short kiss.

“It’s your time with your bestie, and by how mysterious Ray was over the phone, I can only assume that he only wants you. This time.”

Jonathan chuckled. “Come on, you know Ray will always be your number one groupie. Only because he was so bent on us becoming part of your group of popular kids, I managed to… let’s say, lower the bar.” He gave his fiancé a long and suggestive once-over.

For the sake of the joke, Maddox pretended that he didn’t get it. “What do you mean? I’m not enough for you.”

“Oh, babe, you are,” Jonathan drawled. “But I had to get off my high horse to see you better.”

“That reminds me,” Maddox said and dropped his eyelids, as his gaze became slightly unfocused. “You need to teach me how to ride. Properly.”

“Properly, of course,” Jonathan said smoothly. “Make sure you don’t get into any trouble while I’m away.”

“Your mom promised to take me to the country club. I’m practicing drinking tea with my pinky raised already.”

“She just wants to show you off. Since Rusty has been so terribly elusive, dodging her attempts to sink her talons into him, she’s focusing on easier prey this time.”

“You did not just call me easy,” Maddox said with a teasing smile.

“But we both know you are,” Jonathan teased him back. He put his hands on the wheel and offered his best smile. “Are we turning into one of those sickly sugary couples who make people embarrassed with their excessive displays of affection?”

“I hope so. But there’s no one around, and I commend you, darling,” Maddox said, using a phony accent, “for deciding to get a driver’s license and giving up on being chauffeured around like a snotty kid.”

“Hey, it’s not my fault I was spoiled,” Jonathan replied in a similar fashion. “And the only reason I did it is not to embarrass poor Mr. Simmons with the sort of conversation going on between us.”

“Yeah, totally. Come on, go see your bestie, and make sure to get back as quickly as you can because I’ll surely miss you.”

“Have fun at the club with mom. And stay out of trouble.”

“Why do you keep saying that? Are you expecting trouble?”

“You’re a gorgeous guy, and you’re new.”

“And? It’s not like I’m going to hit a leather bar from the eighties with your mom in tow.” Maddox narrowed his eyes. “What aren’t you telling me?”

Jonathan sighed. “You could stumble into Drew there. Not that it’s a given, but it might happen. If he’s being a snotty bastard, just be the bigger person.”

“Ha! I recall quite well the exemplary correction you applied to him when he was being a snotty bastard in the past.”

“Well, yes, but one of us being the focus of all the gossip in town once is enough, I’d say.”

“Okay, for you, I’ll be that bigger person. In case he dares come near me, which I doubt. Your mom might just kill him on the spot with her laser eyes.”

Jonathan laughed. “Yeah, that might happen, I agree. Now I should really go.”

“Wait,” Maddox called out and stuck his head inside the car. “It’s dangerous out there. Take this with you.”

Jonathan didn’t really mind another sanity-melting kiss from his soon to be better half. He indulged in it for as long as they could manage without getting light-headed. “See you soon,” he whispered against Maddox’s moist lips. That had to be how couples deeply in love felt; even though he was happy to see Ray and spend the day with him, he felt as if he was already missing his fiancé.

***

Although they had gotten to know each other better during his stay with the Hamiltons, Maddox had to admit that Jonathan’s mom still low-key intimidated him. Still, he had the Kingsley tribe to represent, as his own mom had told him on more than one occasion, which meant that he had no reason to believe or feel himself lower class when compared to his wealthy future in-laws.

Unlike Jonathan, Francine preferred being chauffeured around, so Mr. Simmons was at the wheel, as always. Maddox could hardly believe that he had now adjusted to having another, quiet person present during the conversations that happened inside the luxury vehicle. But he was, and he wasn’t the type to pretend he was something or someone he wasn’t. That meant that honesty was the way to go.

“I haven’t been to many country clubs in my life,” he said.

Francine smiled and patted his knee briefly. “You’ll get used to it. And, to tell you a secret, I decided to take you with me for selfish reasons. While I encourage you to have fun once we’re there, be prepared for the secret signal.”

“Secret signal?”

“Yes. I have to deal with a certain number of obligations, but some of the people I’ll meet there have a tendency to encroach on my time, a commodity that is always in short supply. Therefore, all I ask is for you to come to the rescue when needed. As for the secret signal, I will discreetly wave.”

“Okay, I can do that.”

“How is job-hunting going?” Francine asked pleasantly.

Nonetheless, Maddox felt like his spine had just turned straighter at the drop of a hat. “To be honest, I haven’t progressed very much on that front.”

Francine nodded as she looked straight ahead. “Beginnings aren’t easy. Never. I can tell you that from experience.”

“You look like someone who has always had everything figured out.”

“Of course. That is easy. It comes with age. The more you do something, the more prepared for it you are. It is called experience. But now, I want to ask you, Maddox, how keen are you on a career in business?”

“It is what I majored in. I can’t say that I was crazy about studying everything we were taught in college about it, but I made my choice, and it would not be wise to switch gears all of a sudden, right?” He had no idea why he was talking about such things with Francine, but he found it easy to do so. She definitely didn’t look as intimidating now that she had admitted to needing his help to get out of boring social situations at the club.

“No one says that you have to do a one-eighty. But you strike me as a people person, Maddox.”

“I hope you’re not going to suggest that I should work in retail. Not that there’s anything wrong with that. Dealing with people is, actually, something I enjoy. That’s the not-boring side of things. But being nothing but a numbers person… I have to say that I’m not particularly thrilled about the idea.”

Francine turned her head to give him a small understanding smile. “Then why not choose something that really speaks to you?”

“Like what?”

“That is for you to figure out. But here’s a small piece of advice. Even in the field you majored in, there may be positions tailored for someone with your skill set and preferences. Not a lot of people can say that dealing with others is what they like best. Actually, they shy away from it because it can be a tough area.”

“Okay, Mrs. H. I think you gave me something to think about. Thank you.”

“Happy to be of help, Maddox. And don’t forget what family you’re marrying into. If you ever need anything, for me to introduce you to the right people for example, I’m here. And yes,” she added, putting one hand up, “I’m well aware that you children want to succeed on your own. But you may find obstacles along the way that you don’t have to deal with alone. That is all I’m saying, and I’m leaving it there.”

The car slowed down, which meant that they were close to their destination. Maddox took in the imposing gated entrance and the perfectly manicured lawn on both sides of the road Mr. Simmons was driving the car on.

“Are my clothes really okay?” he asked.

While he wasn’t in his usual jeans and tee, he still felt a bit too casually dressed for the occasion.

“Don’t worry. You are perfectly fine. And you will be. This is also a good opportunity for us both to relax. I hope you didn’t forget your swimming trunks. The pool is truly marvelous here.”

“How am I going to see your secret signal if I’m frolicking in the water?”

“I will be around and make sure to get your attention if the situation becomes dire. But I want you to have fun,” Francine added. “You two boys spend too much time cooped up indoors.”

Maddox hoped his blushing wasn’t that apparent. He and Jonathan had every reason to spend time indoors, but he wasn’t going to talk about all that with his future mother-in-law.

***

“JJ,” Ray exclaimed and pulled out his earbuds as he turned after Jonathan had patted him on the shoulder quite energetically because his bestie seemed lost in his own world. “You came!”

“Come on, you didn’t think I’d miss meeting you before the wedding. Weddings,” Jonathan corrected himself. “Are Hanna’s parents and yours really okay with this arrangement?”

“We were so keen on it from the very start that I don’t think they even dared to imagine that we’d tie the knot anywhere else in the whole world. Actually, they were all excited by the news.”

They were walking down a busy street at a leisurely pace and people were moving faster than they were, which made them feel like an obstacle in the course of an unstoppable river. Ray immediately wrapped one arm around Jonathan’s and began pulling him in a direction he seemed urgent to go in.

“To tell you the truth, JJ, I need your help like crazy.”

“With what?”

Ray gave him a knowing look and wiggled his eyebrows. “Choosing the right rings.”

“Ah, I see. And shouldn’t you be shopping for those with Hanna?”

“Not for her and I,” Ray said. “I’m talking about friendship rings. For you and I.”

“Oh, Ray,” Jonathan said and laughed, “why didn’t you say so? Well, it’s really good that Maddox insisted on not coming with me, because he would have felt left out.”

“I’m sure he and Rusty can do the same, but it’s my idea, I came up with it first. Also, please tell Maddox not to be jealous of me because I’m already taken. Although, I should point out that I saw you first--”

“And decided that we should be best friends.” Jonathan laughed as he recalled his first meeting with Ray. “Is it just me or have you put some meat on your bones lately? I know it’s not my cooking, because that always seemed to be going into a black hole by the quantities you used to ingest in my presence. For the record, not that I ever minded.”

Ray appeared quite excited by his little observation. “I have put some meat on my bones! I mean, you know how girls get when the big day is not far away. They want to get in shape and start eating less so that they can fit into their wedding gowns and all that. Not that Hanna needs it. I’ve told her, over and over, that she’s perfect. I think she believes me, so that’s a win. However, I did notice that I didn’t look very well in my tux, so I started working out.”

“Good for you, Ray! Your effort’s paying off because, obviously, I noticed. Don’t turn into a gym rat, though. That’s a slippery slope, I hear,” Jonathan joked.

“The only worry, in my case, is about me slipping back into my old ways,” Ray shot back and laughed. “Now, what sort of spirit animal do you think we share, JJ?”

“Is that the theme you’re considering for our friendship rings?”

“Something like that,” Ray admitted. “I mean, that’s what I would like for myself. If you have a different idea, just tell me, and I’ll bow to your wisdom.”

“I think I’ll go with you on this one. I had no idea you had such a specific goal in mind when you asked to meet. And I was prepared to calm your pre-wedding jitters. They’re natural, according to online advice and not only.”

“No jitters here,” Ray assured him. “I can barely wait to get married. Can’t you?”

“True,” Jonathan agreed. “I see that you know exactly where we should be going. Should I trust myself to your capable hands?”

“Completely. I’m in charge of this operation, and I promise you won’t be disappointed.”

***

Maddox was now starting to believe that the whole secret signal thing had been nothing but a ruse on Francine’s part to force him to have some fun. Not that he wasn’t. Actually, it felt nice to swim around in that huge swimming pool and indulge in sweet drinks provided by the poolside bar, all on Francine’s tab, of course.

His future mother-in-law was surrounded by a colorful group of ladies, of all ages, shapes, sizes, and dress codes, apparently. Francine was chairing an impressive number of committees, and a significant number of them, as Jonathan had told him, dealt with charity. Maddox was quite sure he wasn’t the only one having a bit of fun and a sweet drink on Francine’s tab. The people at the table looked focused on impressing the lady in charge and convincing her that their projects deserved her attention first and foremost.

From time to time, he swam closer to their table at the edge of the pool to take in those people’s body language. Maybe he was a bit conceited, but he believed he knew who was genuine in the conversation and who was less so. Francine maintained the same vague pleasant smile on her face that gave nothing away. She’d be a tough poker player if she ever thought of picking up the sport, money-making as certain commercials made it out to be.

His regular inspections also took place because he wanted to keep his part of the bargain by giving Francine the opportunity to signal at him that she needed rescuing. Nothing of the kind had happened so far, which, of course, made him wonder what sort of motivations rented rooms in his soon to be mother-in-law’s aristocratic head.

He swam away, enjoying the water and the sun. Jonathan was with Ray now, having fun with his bestie, but he wasn’t having that bad a time himself, either. Of course, it would have been more fun with Jonathan by his side, but seeing how they were still within the boundaries of a pretty conservative space from what he could tell, that would also have meant that public displays of affection would be frowned upon.

“Maddox Kingsley,” someone said and Maddox looked up to a pair of shiny dress shoes, then up a pair of dress pants in a light color, up a white shirt with rolled up sleeves, until his eyes finally landed on Drew’s square jaw.

“Yes, in person. Do I know you?” Maddox asked, meaning it half as a joke, half a way of keeping out of trouble’s way, since Jonathan had insisted.

Drew crouched and touched the water briefly with the tips of his fingers. His other hand was busy holding a cocktail. “Come on, man, don’t be like that. I just want to ask you something.”

Maddox sighed. “Okay, shoot. What do you want to know?”

Drew winced and made a face as if he were trying to figure out a nice way to say whatever it was he wanted to say. “It looks like my invitation got lost in the mail.”

“Your invitation?” Maddox said slowly. “What invitation?”

“To the wedding. Your wedding.”

“Ah, I see. Well, it must have happened because no one sent you an invitation,” Maddox said in as a neutral tone as he was capable of. “Don’t tell me you’re hung up on such things. It’s not going to be your usual kind of party.”

Drew threw him a sullen look. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

Maddox breathed out slowly and carefully. “It’s not going to be your usual high-class shindig. And it’s not only one wedding, but five.”

Drew nodded and he looked into the distance, offering Maddox a clear view of his profile. Maybe it was only his imagination, but the guy looked sort of worn out. “I still wanted to see it with my own eyes,” he said eventually in a low, monotone voice.

“See what? Jonathan getting married?”

Drew nodded and a muscle twitched in his jaw. “To you.”

“It’s been a while since you two were… doing that kind of thing together,” Maddox said, choosing his words carefully. “Just let it go, man. He’s not into you.”

“Yeah, I get it. Despite what you may think, I’m not an idiot.”

“I’ve never said you were an idiot. Only that I think you realized it all too late.”

“Realized what?”

Maddox pushed himself away. “That Jonathan is worthy. Of everything.”

Drew looked like he wanted to continue talking, but Maddox turned and looked at Francine’s table. His future mother-in-law was waving at him. That was his cue that she needed saving. And he didn’t mind at all that he had a reason to interrupt what he believed was going to quickly turn into an uncomfortable conversation.

TBC

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