Love is Always Write Anthology Bonus Volume

carefully. Like I do all important things. New York has a waiting period to get a license, but Connecticut doesn't. I've found a minister who will officiate, and I made reservations at a nice bed and breakfast for our wedding night. If you say yes, we'll be married by sunset."
    He shook his head, staring at the ring. "You don't— Lukas, you don't even fucking know me."
    "I know I love you."
    "You have a plan. You can't fucking toss over everything because—" He shook his head again, still staring at the ring. "I want a loft in New York City."
    "We can do it," I said. "When we have our degrees we'll be able to find plenty of work. I'll earn my way to picking and choosing my projects, and you'll have lots of opportunities to do what you care about, film or musical theater or both or something else."
    "I want a great big bed in that loft and lots of sex in that bed," he said.
    "Lots of sex," I said. "In bed and out of it."
    "And after—" He stopped, swallowed, and his voice got softer, "After a few years in the loft, maybe a nice house… maybe?"
    "A nice house," I agreed. "In a pretty neighborhood. With a park."
    "But still close to Chinese take-out."
    "Must have," I said.
    "And… maybe a dog," he whispered, raising his eyes to mine. "A Greyhound."
    "Maybe two."
    "Our house should have lots of room," he breathed. "And a yard. And… and a tree."
    "A house without a tree isn't fit for a dog."
    "And… kids?" he asked.
    "And kids," I said. "Yes. Please."
    "I'll get depressed again," he warned. "True love doesn't fix everything."
    "I'll be there," I promised. "I won't let you fall. I want to climb with you, Alan. I want to climb everything with you." Great, now he would sing Climb Every Mountain but he didn't.
    He said in a low husky voice, "You talk like that and I want to climb you . Why is there a fence in the way?"
    "Do something about it," I breathed.
    He glanced over his shoulder at the bus, then tossed his head and took his hands off mine on the fence. He reached higher and stuck the toe of his left shoe in the fence.
    "Alan, use the door," I said.
    "If I take my eyes off you I'll chicken out," he said, climbing higher. "I'm a big fucking coward, Lukas."
    "Like hell," I said, but I didn't try to stop him climbing again. I put the ring back in my pocket so I could at least try to catch him if he fell.
    Try to catch him one-handed. If I used both hands, we'd both land in the river. But he didn't fall. He reached the top and swung over and his messenger bag caught, but he freed it and climbed down, and the second his feet were on the ground I grabbed the fence on either side of him and pressed him to it and kissed him hard. He wrapped his arms around me under my coat and I remembered he was freezing.
    "Give me that ring," he gasped when I broke the kiss. I pulled it out and he opened the box and I took the ring and slipped it on his finger and kissed him again and then I handed him the trench and helped him get into it without falling down the hill. Then I grabbed a handful of his hair and kissed him again.
    "Are you fucking serious?" he asked. "You set up a whole fucking wedding and honeymoon while chasing me across the state?"
    "I had help," I admitted. I took his hand and we crept back to the building and then around front where we could stand on solid ground without holding onto anything but each other. "Do we need to get your luggage off the bus?"
    "Can't." He laughed shakily. "They won't unload it till it gets to Albany. Bea will get it. If she doesn't decide I don't need it because she's going to kill me."
    "I'll protect you," I promised and he laughed again and I kissed him.
    "Who helped you?" he asked when we came up for air. I took out my phone and took his hand, took a picture of his hand in mine with the ring gleaming, typed in a name and a message then showed him. He grinned and took the phone from me.
    After my mission accomplished! he typed You traitor. Hugs and puppies. ~*~Alan~*~
    "She cursed me out until I managed to tell her about my mom," I said. "She was crying."
    "Mal's crazy," he said.
    Mallory promptly confirmed that by texting back squeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!!!
    Alan laughed at her text. I ruffled his hair and kissed him one more time then led him towards my truck. "We have to go," I said. "We have an appointment."
    " Going to the chapel ," he sang, " and I'm gonna get ma-aa-aa-rried … oh god."
    I kissed his fingers wrapped through mine and put him in the truck and