Page 60 of The Beautiful Mess

They’d talked about marriage, so the proposal hadn’t come out of left field. But it was another example of something Keegan wanted so badly it hurt to think about sometimes. Tears filled his eyes, and he blinked them away. He picked up the card and read it again. It definitely said fiancé. Keegan raised a hopeful gaze to Kerry and noticed the sheen in his dark eyes too.

“Really?” Keegan asked.

“Will you marry me?”

The air left his lungs in a shaky exhale. Of course he’d marry this man. He opened his mouth to tell him but said, “What’s on the other card?”

Kerry burst into laughter as he turned it around to reveal a gold band taped next to a small sketch of interlocking hearts. “Your engagement ring and the tattoo I will wear on my ring finger.”

Keegan let the tears flow this time. “You’re going to ink your commitment to me on your body? That’s permanent.”

“So is my love for you.” Kerry removed the gold band from the card and reached for Keegan’s hand. “I found my special someone, and I’m keeping you.” He stroked his thumb over Keegan’s ring finger. “If you’ll have me.”

Keegan nodded at first, then cried, “Yes!”

Kerry slid the ring onto his finger, then pulled Keegan onto his lap. “You are the thing I’m most grateful for.” And then he showed Keegan.

Lucinda’s house was already bustling when they arrived, yet every person froze in place when Keegan and Kerry walked through the front door.

“Did you do it?” Lucinda asked.

Keegan arched a brow. That was bold, even for Lucinda. Then he realized what she’d really meant and raised his left hand to show off his shiny gold band. The room erupted in cheers as everyone rushed forward to congratulate them.

“Huh,” Debbie said when she looked closer at the ring. “It’s a little plain, isn’t it, Ker?”

“I think it’s perfect,” Keegan said, cradling his hand to his chest.

Kerry chuckled. “That one is just for our engagement, Aunt Deb. His wedding band is blinged out properly.”

Keegan quirked a brow in surprise. Two rings? He loved the simple band, but the blinged-out one sounded intriguing too.

“Attaboy,” Debbie said before she let the next relative gush over them.

When it seemed like they’d never make it farther than midway through the living room, Lucinda carried out platters of appetizers. The family abandoned the newly engaged couple and pounced on the food like fleas on a barn cat. Kerry waded into the fray to grab them a bite to eat. Keegan breathed a sigh of relief and eased to the side of the room, where Sven greeted him with open arms.

“I’m so happy for you, honey,” Sven said. “I knew this day would come, but I was worried I’d have to take desperate measures.”

“I shudder to think what that might entail,” Keegan said. When Sven didn’t respond, he caught a faraway look on his friend’s face. Keegan was nearly positive he knew the source of Sven’s daydream and had his suspicions confirmed when he followed his friend’s line of sight. Sven’s entire demeanor changed anytime Dom was near. He dialed everything up to a hundred, and Keegan couldn’t tell if he was ready to battle or—

“Fuck, why does that man have to be so damn hot?” Sven asked before he stomped in the opposite direction from Dom.

Keegan didn’t miss the way Dom’s eyes tracked Sven’s movements.

Kerry joined Keegan and extended the plate of snacks toward him. He snagged an olive and nearly choked on it when Kerry said, “Dom and Sven just need to fuck already.”

After Keegan recovered, he said, “Aren’t you the one who cockblocked them?”

“Yes, and I’m not sorry,” Kerry said. “It wasn’t the right time.”

“And it is now?”

They watched as Sven kept inching closer and closer to where Dom chatted with Lucinda. A group of cousins plowed into Sven and nearly took him down, but Dom was there with a helping hand that lingered on Sven’s bare midriff afterward. The two men locked eyes, and something electric passed between them.

“Yeah,” Keegan said. “It’s time.”

As luck would have it, Keegan and Kerry would get their chance to play matchmaker when Dom expressed his dread about the upcoming Christmas holiday plans with his family.

“You don’t get along?” Keegan asked.

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