Tying the Knot - Ch. 10 (Sunny Hill Extra Story, Patreon Exclusive) (Patreon)

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Chapter Ten – Last-Minute Jitters

“Rise and shine, sleeping beauty.”

Someone was pulling at the blanket covering him, so Maddox’s self-preservation instinct kicked into gear, making him grab the edge of the thing just in time to pull it back. He turned his back to the offender, needing extra sleep so badly that not even his sexy fiancé could do anything to convince him otherwise.

“You made your bed, you lie in it,” Jonathan purred, and it took Maddox a few moments to understand his mistake.

Jonathan glued himself to him, and a wandering hand went between his butt cheeks, teasing the crack with obvious intentions.

“Hey,” he protested.

“You left yourself wide open,” Jonathan whispered into his ear and then licked the shell, just a smidge. “Therefore, you have no one else but yourself to blame for what’s coming to you.”

Maddox snickered and hid his face in the pillow. “I couldn’t care less.”

“I see. That means that I’m allowed to do anything I want to you.”

“Anything,” Maddox drawled, still hoping that he could go back to sleep for five minutes more at least.

“Okay then,” Jonathan breathed out and suddenly slapped Maddox’s ass hard.

His eyes popped open, and any hope of getting a little more shuteye went down the drain. Jonathan removed himself from him and, when Maddox turned, he noticed that his soon-to-be better half was fully dressed. Not only that, he was wearing a knowing grin, as if there was something he knew and couldn’t wait to share.

“What?” Maddox drawled and then promptly yawned. “What did the tomcat swallow this morning?”

Jonathan gave him a long once-over that raised goose bumps everywhere on Maddox’s skin. “I won’t use dirty words this early in the morning.”

“Oh, yeah?” Maddox shielded his face from the first rays of morning filtering through the tall window. By how Jonathan stared at him as if he were about to swallow him whole, he had a pretty good idea about the way he looked, lying on the bed, with only the blanket turned rope thrown over one leg. He wouldn’t mind it at all if Jonathan decided to come over and play, but seeing how he was dressed to the nines, that appeared to be a very slim possibility.

“I see that you already forgot that we’re supposed to get your tribe here today,” Jonathan said.

Maddox’s eyes grew wide. “Oh, fuck. Is it today?” He straightened up and climbed out of bed, managing somehow to trip over himself. Jonathan hurried to catch him. “Where is my head?” he murmured as he traipsed to the bathroom, grunting when his darling slapped his ass again. “And why didn’t you say anything earlier?”

“I thought you’d be ready by now,” Jonathan replied. “And I distinctly remember saying these precise words to you: Babe, we have to get ready to go help your family come here today. At which, you replied: Five more minutes. That happened,” he added, checking his wristwatch with an elegant move, “exactly thirty minutes ago.”

Maddox rolled his eyes and disappeared into the bathroom. He wasn’t the type to forget important things such as driving part of his family to Jonathan’s parents’ sprawling estate, right? So how come he forgot? No, not like forgot, but more like… Well, he’d felt a bit tired, to be honest.

Without wasting one more precious minute, he brushed his teeth quickly, examined his face in the mirror and walked out of the bathroom to face the music.

***

“I can drive,” Maddox said petulantly as Jonathan climbed behind the wheel without even asking him what option he preferred.

“I know, but you still look like you just got out of bed.” Jonathan leaned over once Maddox got in and stole a quick kiss from him. “Don’t get me wrong, that means absolutely delicious and ready to swallow, but I don’t think you and driving would be good pals right now.”

Because there was a several-hour drive in front of them, they couldn’t afford losing time, and Jonathan getting them up that early made complete sense. Sure thing, his family could load themselves into their cars and come here, but Jonathan had been adamant about helping with the whole tribe, since there would be so many people involved.

Still, Maddox was a bit pissed that Jonathan could look so fresh at the break of dawn, while he was fighting sleep like it was his mortal enemy. “Why are you dressed like that?” he moaned.

“It’s casual enough,” Jonathan replied. He wore a suit. Yeah, a bit casual, because he wasn’t wearing a tie, but still. Maddox was in jeans and a tee.

“Who are you trying to impress? I’m already yours.”

Jonathan beamed at him upon hearing those words. “Thank you for confirming it. I was worried there for a moment.”

“How can you be so chirpy at this hour? You and the sparrows are the only things up and going right now.”

“To tell you the truth,” Jonathan said as he took them out the main gate, “I’m excited to see your family again. Since they’re so numerous, I feel like there’s never enough time to get to know them all.”

“Trust me, they’re not as pleasant once you get to know them. They’re nosy, loud, and they also love you already. Don’t try to make me feel bad by radiating your usual golden boy persona.”

“Hmm, why does it seem like you have something crawling up your ass?” Jonathan teased him in a playful tone. “I know for a fact that it’s not me since you were the one on top last night.”

“You spent me, what can I say?” Maddox said, still feeling a bit grumpy. Jonathan’s sunshiny attitude was slowly getting to him, but even that was a little bit annoying. He was the sunshine guy. Jonathan was the more reserved, stuck-up guy.

“Then feel free to take a nap while I drive. I promise to avoid sharp turns and potholes, my Pea Princess.”

“Pea Princess? Really?” Maddow glowered until Jonathan noticed his expression.

To his dismay, that only made Jonathan laugh. “Sorry, babe, but you’re so easygoing all the time that it’s quite the thing to see you all grumpy like this. Unless it’s something serious.” Jonathan’s smile faded. “Is there something wrong? You know you can tell me anything.”

“Nothing’s wrong. I just wanted to sleep a little longer,” Maddox replied and turned to look out the window.

The only thing bothering him was being such a scatterbrain lately. He could chalk it up to being in love, but it wasn’t like he and Jonathan were in the early stages of their relationship anymore. Therefore, he couldn’t explain it. Like he couldn’t explain his recurring dream in which he was about to get married to Jonathan and suddenly a string of unfortunate events started rolling only to prevent that from happening.

It was the most absurd dream. What would dragons and lions have to do with his getting married? Or girls he might have slept with before Jonathan yelling ‘I object’. He leaned back and closed his eyes. Maybe a nap would do him good.

His eyes snapped open again. What if he had the same weird dream? Better stay awake and vigilant.

***

Whatever was eating Maddox, it was either difficult to define or difficult to share, so Jonathan had decided to remain patient and open to anything his fiancé was willing to disclose. He couldn’t imagine what possibly could be worrying Maddox, who was usually so firm in his decisions and honest, to the point that he didn’t want to talk about it.

Luckily, he might have the opportunity to get some insight from someone who had known him for a lot longer than he had. While Maddox was busy entertaining his oldest brother’s kids, who all wanted to ride in the same car as the soon-to-be grooms instead of their parents, he walked over to Florence in the hope that she’d have some wisdom to shed light on the matter.

“Jonathan,” Maddox’s mom said gaily as soon as her eyes fell on him. “I’m sorry we’re not ready yet. Getting five grandchildren and their parents properly organized is very much like herding cats, it seems. And you two were so punctual.”

“You don’t have to worry about a thing,” Jonathan said courteously. “Can I steal you for a moment?”

“Yes, sure.” Florence threw him a sharp look, which meant that she understood that it was an important issue he wanted to discuss. “David, please see where Alicia is. If she’s still getting on that goth makeup or whatever it is that she calls it, grab her kit and throw it out the window. She should show up with a fresh face at least for the wedding.”

With the authority only a lifetime of dealing with rambunctious kids could have taught her, Florence wrapped her arm around his elbow and guided him into the kitchen, a place that seemed to have been forgotten by the invading armies.

“Now, we can talk in peace,” she said. “What is it?”

“In a nutshell, Maddox. He hasn’t slept well over the last three nights and is grumpy most of the time. And he’s Maddox. He’s never grumpy,” Jonathan said, opening his arms wide in surrender. “I tried to ask him about it, but he’s just brushing it off. Whatever it is, I feel like it’s eating at him. Since you’ve known him for a lot longer than me, I thought that maybe you’d have a bit of advice on how to get him to open up.”

“Hmm,” Florence said and pursed her lips for a moment. “Grumpy, you say? Leave it to me. He might not feel confident enough to talk to you, but I know how to get him there. Don’t worry about a thing.” She patted him on the shoulder. “Just tell him that I’m in here, and I need his help with something. I’ll straighten that boy up in a jiffy.”

“Thank you, Florence, you’re really taking a weight off my chest,” Jonathan admitted openly.

Florence smiled at him and pinched his cheek. “You two boys are so good together. I can barely wait to see you two married.”

“I can barely wait, too,” Jonathan replied with a smile of his own. “Actually, I feel a little like I’m going to be glad when everything is over and done. Is that really okay? The happiest day of our lives and all that. Only there are so many things to do, and you and my mother have already dealt with most of them. I hope I don’t sound ungrateful.”

“None of that nonsense,” Florence warned him playfully, wagging a finger at him. “It’s normal. It’s an important event. The most. Before children come along, that is.”

“You sound just like my mom,” Jonathan said. “We haven’t yet thought about children.”

“But you will,” Florence said. “Now go fetch Maddox for me. I’ll find out what’s going on. And then, you can take care of your last-minute jitters to your heart’s content.”

Jonathan pondered over his future mother-in-law’s words carefully. Could it be that was what was happening? Pre-wedding jitters? He did feel a bit nervous, too, but in his case, he suspected it to be second-hand emotions caused by his mom ordering half the country to move from one coast to the other only so that the five weddings scheduled would be absolutely perfect.

He smiled and waved at Maddox. He had absolute trust in Florence and her intuition as a mom.

***

“What do you need help with?” he asked the moment he was inside the kitchen, where Jonathan had sent him with the precise instruction of helping his mom with something that had remained unnamed.

“Come here.” His mom took his face in her palms and examined it carefully, while her lips pursed in displeasure.

“What?”

“Dark circles, drawn face, a little too pale,” Florence reeled off the inventory. “I doubt Jonathan’s parents are keeping you up all night or don’t feed you properly. So what’s with the long face?”

“Nothing,” Maddox said defensively. “I’m just a little tired.”

“Why? You haven’t started work yet. You and Jonathan are enjoying a summer-long vacation, and I bet that you have the best conditions possible for sleeping. The wedding is less than a week away. Do you want to look like a haggard, old man when you say your vows?”

Maddox groaned and ran his hands through his hair. “I know. I should look my best, right? Only I have this stupid dream that’s been haunting me or something.”

“Have you talked to Jonathan about it?”

“About my dream? No? But it’s not important.”

“It’s important if it’s keeping you from getting the proper rest.”

Maddox narrowed his eyes. “Did he enlist your help or something? He keeps teasing me--”

“He does that because he cares. And he came to me for the same reason. Now spill. What’s this dream about?”

“It’s stupid.”

“And I’ve heard plenty of stupid in my life.” Florence put a hand on her hip and stared him down.

Under her direct gaze, he couldn’t find a way to dodge the truth. “Fine,” he blurted out. “In this stupid dream, there is always something that stops the wedding.”

“Like what?”

“Lions, dragons, all sorts of things.”

“Name them all, and I’ll stop you when you say the one that matters,” Florence said promptly.

“Well,” Maddox started and looked down, “it’s like this. I mean, I sort of know what the problem is, without you hounding me like this.”

“If you know, I’m here to listen.”

He took a deep breath. “I was with a lot of girls before Jonathan.”

“Oh, yes, that. And how many of them were serious about you?”

“None.”

“Exactly as I thought. So, what do these girls do in your dream?”

“They object when that question comes. And then, Jonathan looks really hurt, and I can tell he’s about to call off the whole thing. Then I wake up.”

Florence took his arm and made him look at her. “Pumpkin, none of that will happen. I personally pored over the guest list with Francine over the phone. No floozies allowed.”

“They weren’t… I mean, I guess, I was a floozy too,” Maddox said quietly.

“Ah, so the real problem is not them. It’s you.” Florence made him sit in a chair and began rummaging through the kitchen drawers for something.

The kitchen door flew open to admit Alicia. “What are you guys doing?”

“Having tea and biscuits,” Florence answered right away. “Ah, good, you’ve managed not to look like an owl for a change. Out. I have something to talk to your brother about. Make sure no one bothers us.”

“Aye, aye, captain,” Alicia saluted and then gave him a long-suffering look. “I feel naked without my makeup though. Can’t you tell her that?” She pointed blatantly at their mother.

“We’ll unpack that later,” Florence promised her. “Out.”

Alicia didn’t comment any more and turned on her heel.

They were alone again, and Maddox still didn’t feel ready for the conversation. He accepted the sweet rolls his mom placed in front of him.

“Yes, I know, I lied about the tea and biscuits,” Florence said. “Now let’s hear you.”

Maddox stared at the plate in search of answers. “I don’t know how to put it.”

“Let me help you then. You were a bit of a womanizer before Jonathan.”

“I wouldn’t say ‘womanizer’. That’s how old people talk,” Maddox chose a snide remark, dallying in the hope that his mom would let him off the hook. That was definitely not going to happen.

“I know how young people talk, and the words they use are worse. So, what’s your worry? It’s not former girlfriends ruining the wedding, is it?”

“No,” he admitted. “I’m afraid I might ruin it somehow. What if I’m not good enough for Jonathan?” he finally let go of that piece of truth he’d been nursing close to his chest for the last few days.

Florence shook her head. “I’m your mom and to me, you’re the best. The thing is this version of you I have will now be shared with someone else. Because you’re the best for Jonathan, too, pumpkin. That’s what he thinks of you. No matter how many girls you fooled around with before meeting him. Have you ever been tempted to do that again since you two have been together?”

“No.”

“Not once?”

“No.” He didn’t even have to think about it. It was simply the truth.

“See? You’re not the person you were before getting to know Jonathan. The people we meet and end up caring about change us for the better, Maddox. That’s how we know they’re the right people for us.”

“You think so, mom?”

She caressed his forehead, pushing his hair away in the same gesture she had used while checking his fever when he got sick during his childhood. Then, she got up from her chair and kissed the crown of his head. “I totally think so. See, I can talk like you, young people,” she joked.

“And you really, really think that he thinks I’m the best.”

“Without a doubt. I’ve seen how he looks at you plenty of times to know for sure. And you’re right that he came to me for help because he’s considerate and kind. He didn’t want to force you to tell him the truth, because he knows that’s now how it works. It goes to prove how smart he is, too. Now, do your mom a favor and be smart, as well. Go to him and tell him about what worried you. That way, he’ll know it’s only last-minute jitters and not cold feet.”

“Are those two different things?”

“Very different things. Let me pack these rolls since you haven’t touched them. Vern’s brats are going to ride with you, and you’ll need to have the proper currency to get them to behave. I would go with you, but there’s no more room, so I’ll leave it up to you to dole them out.”

“Is this some sort of hidden training for us in the event that we’ll have kids one day?”

“In the event? No, pumpkin, for when,” she emphasized the word, “you two will have kids.”

TBC

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