Leave The City (Book 8 of Adopted by the Josephs)

92. Samantha

"I now pronounce you husband and husband," the officiant said. "You may now kiss each other."

Christopher and Roger kissed and everyone whooped and hollered.

Dylan smiled at me from the front, where he stood beside his brother's his Best Man, and beside his parents. Christopher's parents looked on, with smiles on their faces.

"They're so cute," the girl beside me said. "I had such a crush on Roger in high school."

I smiled. The girl beside me was Kathleen. She'd been Roger's girlfriend in ninth grade when Roger wasn't yet ready to admit he was gay. They'd stayed friends ever since, even after he came out, and was one of his most staunch supporters. I had the opportunity to talk with her all weekend as we'd had out of towner's dinners for Chris and Roger's wedding, and then there was the rehearsal dinner, which I'd been invited to, even though I wasn't part of the wedding party.

"You're my girlfriend," Dylan had said. "That automatically gets you into all the best parties this weekend."

Uncle Brendon and Aunt Sarah had sat me down and reminded me how much Dylan cares about me and that, again, if needed, they'd drive up to Napa and get me if anything happened, but to try and stay calm and find out if Dylan was just trying to be sweet - they didn't want me to repeat prom. And neither did I.

I was sharing a room with Kathleen at the hotel in Napa, so I was pretty sure nothing was going to happen there.

As the wedding party started their recessional, Dylan held out his hand for me to join him and I walked back up the aisle with him, behind his brother and his groom.

He put his arm around my waist as we walked out to the patio above the dining area and dance floor. It was a gorgeous June afternoon. The sun was high in the sky, the sky itself a deep, clear blue. From where we were standing, I could see the vineyards in the distance. It was so beautiful here.

"I'm so glad you wore your prom dress," Dylan said, running his hands down my arms before clasping them in front of me and pulling me into him. He kissed the back of my head. "It really looks good on you."

"Thank you. You look pretty handsome yourself," I smiled.

Dylan was wearing a dark charcoal suit, a white shirt and a vest. His tie was teal.

Chris's sister was wearing a really nice teal dress (she was the Matron of Honor) and the flower girl and ring bearer - Chris's niece and nephew, were in a teal dress (her) and a suit, but his nephew wore knickers instead of pants and a pageboy cap on his blonde hair. He also had a teal tie. They were adorable. Kenny and Alexandra were nine and six and Chris's sister's kids.

"Sam!" Alexandra said, running up to me in her dress and shiny black shoes. "Did you see me! I did it!"

"I did!" I said to the excited six year old. "You were the best flower girl I've ever seen!"

She grinned widely and then saw her mom and took off calling for her, too.

"I guess she doesn't need to know she's also the first flower girl you've ever seen," Dylan laughed.

"Nah. Why shatter the illusion," I said, leaning into Dylan.

"It's so beautiful up here," Dylan said. "How am I going to handle Ohio when there's so much beauty here in California?"

I smiled to myself. Dylan had accepted an offer to study at Ohio State for his undergrad in marine biology.

I was staying in California to attend UCLA doing a double major in Business Administration and Psychology. I wasn't planning on going to med school to become a psychologist, but I knew I could use the degree for almost anything.

But, I was going home, back to Ohio, at the end of June to walk with my class at graduation.

Mulholland's graduation was next week. Mom and Dad weren't coming because they were planning something for my South Columbus grad, but Uncle Brendon and Aunt Sarah were coming, of course. And they were planning a party for me after as well.

But for now, I was in Napa with my boyfriend and his family celebrating his brother's wedding.

Servers started making their way through the guests with trays of hors d'oeuvres and glasses of wine and champagne. Dylan nicked a couple of champagne flutes off a tray and handed one to me with a smile.

"Nice try," Roger said, coming up behind Dylan and plucking the glasses out of our hands. "Sam, you look gorgeous."

I smiled and blushed at the compliment.

"Come on, Rog," Dylan said. "It's one glass. And it's to toast you and Chris!"

I looked on innocently as Roger scrutinized us.

"Fine," he acquiesced. "One. And don't let Mom catch you."

"One. Promise," Dylan winked at me. I rolled my eyes at him, but smiled.

Patricia and Timothy came over to us.

"Samantha Joseph, that dress is beautiful. You look absolutely gorgeous, sweetheart," she said, giving me a hug, and a kiss on the cheek.

"Thank you, Patricia," I said. "Thank you for inviting me. The ceremony was really beautiful."

"Of course we'd invite you! You're part of the family," Timothy said.

"Hopefully for real soon," Dylan muttered from behind his champagne glass.

"What?" I asked, looking at him with a raised eyebrow.

"Huh?" He said, feigning innocence.

"What did you say?" I asked. Timothy was grinning.

"I didn't say anything," Dylan said. I scrutinized him.

"Mmhm," I said.

"And you two," Timothy said. "Are underage."

He plucked the glasses of champagne out of our hands, just as Roger had done.

"Aw, Dad, come on. Just for the toast?" Dylan said. "It's a wedding!"

Timothy looked at Patricia, who nodded.

"Fine," he sighed. "One. And I'm telling the bartender not to serve you. Either of you."

I smiled shyly. I wasn't even sure if I would drink the champagne.

Christopher's older brother called attention and introduced the grooms to the guests at the reception. Everyone cheered as they came in, holding hands and looking so, so happy. I smiled and clapped. Dylan squeezed my hand and then went up to where Christopher's brother was and took the microphone.

"Hi everyone. Some of you know me. Some of you don't. That's okay. I'm Dylan. Roger's younger and much cooler brother," people laughed. I smiled. "I'm supposed to toast the grooms, but instead, I'm going to do what you get brothers have done for time immemorial and tell you an embarrassing story about Roger."

Dylan launched into a story about him and Roger when they were younger and something to do with clams and shrimp.

Everyone was laughing.

"Now, before Roger comes and takes my head off, everyone please raise your glass and toast my big brother Roger and his very cool groom, Christopher. Welcome to the family, Chris. Just remember, you chose this."

We all laughed again and Dylan came back to me, giving me a kiss.

"That was funny. But don't you worry he'll get you back?"

"I have no doubt he will," Dylan smiled. "And I don't care because when I get married, all I'm going to care about is the gorgeous creature I plan to make my wife."

"How do you know she'll be gorgeous?" I asked.

"Because I know who I want to marry," he said, kissing my head.

He didn't mean me. He couldn't mean me.