James quivered and put his hands up in surrender. “Fine, oh sage one. What do you suggest?”
“Have Holly there, to start with. It’s her wedding, and this is her and Howard’s choice. Lead off with the fact that you found a minister and that the service is going to go on as planned. Then ease into how Lala is going to officiate. Don’t start with ‘Mom, Holly is going to have a drag wedding.’ She’ll probably go running from the house looking for the men in their clean white coats to take all of us away.”
James hooted, laughing so hard he had tears running down his cheeks. “I suppose we need to wait for Holly’s answer.”
Daniel leaned closer. “Yes...and what do you want to do until we hear from her?” He leaned close enough that James’s heady scent filled his nose. Daniel closed his eyes, his nose riding the olfactory amazingness like a surfer rides a wave.
“I know I’d like to take you back to bed and spend a few hours reviewing what I learned last night. But we have a wedding to attend, so we’d better shower and be ready for whatever this afternoon will bring. Rain check?”
Daniel smiled. “You better believe it.”
* * *
“Are you sure you can do this?” Holly asked. Holly, Howard, Daniel, and James sat around the old picnic table under the tree in the backyard. Daniel hoped to hell he didn’t get ass splinters from the old wood and did his best not to actually move too much.
“If you are both in agreement, then we need to go over some things,” Daniel said, pulling out the order of service that he had helped Holly with earlier in the week. “Thankfully, we didn’t specify the readings in the program. So what we’ll do is chuck the Wedding in Cana stuff out and bring in some wonderful marriage poetry.” Daniel used his laptop to show them some of the texts he’d used in the past. “Glance through these files and see if there’s something you like. We can still use the music. That isn’t a problem, because the few hymns you chose will work and that way, we won’t piss off the organist.” Daniel let them take a look at the files, leaning a little closer to James. He really hadn’t been expecting to do this, and now at the last minute he was practically throwing a wedding ceremony together like it was improv night. He’d spent much of his life on the stage and for him this was just another performance.
Except it wasn’t. Mostly when Lala did weddings, it was at Pride Fest celebrations for sometimes dozens of couples at a time. That felt more like a performance. This was much more intimate because it was only for one couple, and he liked Howard and Holly. They were wonderful together.
“You okay?” James whispered while the other two talked softly.
Daniel nodded. He would have to be. “I always get nervous before I have to go onstage.” And this was going to be a performance, he had no illusions about it. Daniel was well aware that the invitees to the wedding were expecting a traditional church service, not a cabaret performance.
“You do?” Holly asked. “How long have you been performing?”
“Five years professionally. Doesn’t matter though; the nerves are always there. I think it’s just something that keeps you on your toes and stops you from getting cocky, because the first time you do anything onstage and think you have it nailed, everything will fall on its tits and you’ll look like a fool.” It was the first lesson his drag mother, Tulane Highway, had taught him.
Holly turned to Howard, and the two of them did this silent communication thing, which would have been kind of creepy if it didn’t demonstrate how much the two of them knew each other. “Is this what you really want to do?” Howard asked Holly, who nodded, then the both of them turned to Daniel. “If Lala is going to do this service, then we want you to go for it all the way.” Howard smirked. “I went to New York for two weeks between my junior and senior years at MU.”
Daniel gasped. “Did you see a drag show while you were there?”
Howard smirked and blushed. “I was there with a couple of friends, and they thought it would be fun. I was really straitlaced back then, even more than I am now, but I went along, expecting to be uncomfortable. It was hilarious. I never laughed so hard in my life. And that’s what I want. Doing this straight...is going to seem dumb. So, go for it. There will be children there, so we have to keep it clean, but otherwise give them hell.” Howard knocked on the top of the table and then stood up, extending his hand to Holly, helping her up. “You need to stay here to get dressed, and I’m going back to my place to make sure the guys are ready.” He kissed her on the cheek. “I’ll see you at the church. I’ll be the one down front waiting for my princess to save me.” He squeezed her hand, and Daniel sighed. He wanted that someday and was man enough to admit it.
Howard left the yard with all eyes on him. “You found yourself a good one,” Daniel told Holly. “Once you have your hands on him, never let that boy go. He’ll make you happy forever.”
Holly smiled and checked her watch. “I need to get dressed and call my matron of honor to make sure there are no issues. The limousines will be here at one.”
“What about Mom and Dad?” James asked. “We need to explain what’s going on.”
Holly stopped in her tracks, and Daniel excused himself, getting out of the line of fire.
Chapter Nineteen
“I can’t believe you were trying to skip out and leave me with telling the folks,” James scolded Holly, once Daniel had gone inside. “It’s your wedding. I can explain what will happen, but you at least have to say that you and Howard made the decision.”
She sighed. “Okay. Let’s get this over with.” Holly strode off toward the house, pulling open the sliding glass doors. “Mom, we found someone to do the service,” Holly said as soon as she stepped inside. “Howard and I have decided what we want to do. I have to go get my hair done, so James is going to explain what’s going on.” Holly grabbed her purse and was out of the house in two seconds flat.
“Damn her,” James swore.
“Your sister was always good at sticking you with things she didn’t want to deal with,” his mother said as she set a mug of coffee in front of him. “What is it this time? I take it she and Howard have made some decision that they don’t think I’m going to be happy with, and she figured you could be the one to tell me.” She sat down, and James thought his mom was being pretty calm after all the drama and surprises of the last few days.
Daniel pulled out the chair next to him, and they shared a quick glance. Clearly Daniel was curious to see if this was what pushed her completely over the edge. At least that was what he thought, until Daniel’s hand slipped into his, squeezing lightly. Daniel wasn’t going to let him face this alone.
“Grace,” Daniel said softly.