Cinderfella 2: A New Life - 27. Chapter 27

We waved to Garth as he left.

Seth grinned at me. “So, I’m big, am I?”

I rolled my eyes. “Sort of.” Then patted Seth on the chest. “Leave it to you to only hear that part.” I shook my head and walked back in the kitchen backward, grinning at him.

“It was significant!” Seth called back.

Our day did go on, but I should have known. It was afternoon when I was in the winery and Bent came in nearly out of breath.

I looked up. “Bent?” I couldn’t help but smile at him knowing what we going to happen, or about to. “Is something wrong?”

“He asked me to marry him!” Bent said so loud the others looked up as well. “Garth asked me to marry him! What do I do?”

“Answer?” I suggested. “Which would be?”

Again Bent looked a little flustered. He wasn't a stupid man or simple he just wasn't confident about relationships especially one like this one.

“Don’t you want to marry him?” I asked worried he might not want to.

Bent was almost panicked. “I’ve never….he and I have never…”

I took Bent toward a portion of the winery where we could talk with more privacy. “I know.” I grinned. “Don’t be mad, but he saw Seth and me this morning and told us.”

Bent’s brown eyes grew. “He told you!?”

I nodded. “He was as terrified as you are now.”

That made him smile. “He was?”

I nodded again. “I’ll ask you again. Do you want to marry Garth?” I shrugged. “I think it’s a great idea! Personally think the two of you are made for each other. I’ve always been on your sides.”

Bent grinned. “Yeah?” And he started to calm down.

Then my eyes grew to wonder what he said to Garth. “Wait. When did he ask you?”

Bent waved back to the town. “Just now.”

“And you just left him!?” I grabbed Bent’s arm. “What did you say to him before coming here?”

Bent shrugged as I drug him along. “I panicked! I didn’t tell him anything!”

I shook my head. “Not a good plan, buddy.” I worried Garth may think he’d been rejected. I knew he would be. “Do you love Garth?”

Bent nodded. “Yes.”

As we hurried, I nodded. “Good. Do you want to marry him?”

“Sure.” Bent replied.

I saw Garth getting in his wagon, looking for all intents and purposes like he’d lost everything. I even saw him wiping his face. “Then tell him!!” I shoved Bent forward who stumbled a little. “Garth!!!” I shouted.

Garth looked up at us, and his face told me the hurt was so painful. He just knew he’d lost Bent. I felt a pain in my heart at the pain I saw it on Garth's face.

“Garth!!” Bent saw Garth’s pain too and ran over to the wagon. “I didn’t say anything, because…I’m stupid! I didn’t know…” He was saying it so loud everyone around heard him, but Bent didn’t care. “I do love you, Garth! I love you!. I'm in love with you!!”

Then I had to smile, Garth’s face changed, from such pain to…I can’t describe it….like he’d seen the face of God!

“I want to marry you!” Bent said stressing. “If you still want me.”

The wagon was a problem because Garth couldn’t get down fast enough. Garth leapt down grabbing Bent in a kiss! I mean it was a mighty kiss and so hot it would have melted iron! I wanted Seth here so bad right now.

I shook my head. “Kids.” Even though they were both older than me by over a decade when it came to love people just…reverted.

Things in Royal Valley had most definitely changed, for now, the people around on the street and sidewalk were not shocked as they smiled at their newest, happiest, about to be married, couple.

I watched Garth help Bent in the wagon and about to drive off.

Bent turned back. “And you have to come to the wedding!” He told me. “Be my best man?”

Garth looked back also, smiling. “And Seth can be mine!”

I chuckled waving at them. “And the wedding will be where and when?”

“Tomorrow? Town Hall at three o’clock?” Garth asked. “Is that good?”

“We’ll be there!” I promised.

Bent frowned. “What’s wrong with today?” He asked Garth.

“We need to at least go home and tell the kids,” Garth explained. “They’ll want to be there.”

Bent acted shocked but was grinning. “You have kids!?”

Garth rolled his eyes, then kissed Bent again, then spurred his horse on.

I couldn’t stop laughing at them. Then turned around, almost into a man I had never seen before. Have you ever seen a person and just knew they were not the kind you wanted to get to know? That was this man. Naturally in all black. He was about forty, bald, not because he lost his hair, but shaved his head. Blue eyes like ice. The man wasn’t ugly in the face, but just…well…there was no light in his eyes. Cold.

“Did that man just propose to that man?” The man asked, not looking at me, but at Garth and Bent. “And did the other man agree?”

I frowned. From his question and tone, it was clear he didn’t approve. “They have the right to do that here.”

“In this town?” The man asked.

“In all of Blethos,” I said. “The fact that you don’t know that tells me you’re not from anywhere in Blethos.”

The man smiled, but there was no warmth at all. “No.” He said. “Just passing through.” Then he shook his head. “I heard the king here married a man and that started the whole thing. Men marrying men.” He said with disgust.

“An adult can marry any adult that consents.” I clarified. “I take it, you don’t like that idea.”

He smiled even bigger, but it got meaner looking. “I don’t see why any man would marry a man.”

I shrugged. “Love?”

The man laughed. “Love.” Then he spits, literally, right there. “That’s ridiculous.”

I nodded. “Well, then…you’d best be on your way.” I said about to walk away. “We have many here that won’t meet your approval.” I was never scared of the man. “I’m married to a man.” Then I did walk away, but I knew he was following me with his cold eyes. Only I didn’t go back to the winery, but I needed to let the mayor know about this man and let the men we used to patrol the town know to watch this man. I had a bad feeling about him.

Keith Davidson, the mayor looked out the window at the man as I pointed him out as he passed. “Do you think we should run him out of town?”

I shrugged. “For not liking people who are FSE?” I asked. “It’s not a crime.”

Keith looked puzzled a moment. “FSE?” Then he nodded. “Oh, right. Friends of Seth and Erik.” He chuckled. “Well, I’m not married to a man, but I hope you consider me to be FSE.”

I grinned with a chuckle. “Keith!” I feigned shock. “Are you propositioning me?”

Keith smiled, not bothered in the least. He rubbed his midsection, as I said before, he loved his wife’s cooking too much. He wasn’t fat. He just liked to eat. “This would be too much for you.” He shook his head and belly he knew was too big but didn’t really care. “Besides, a young buck like you would probably kill me.”

“I bet you can be quite the wild animal when the time comes.” I narrowed an eye at my friend.

He chuckled but looked back at the man. “No clue as who he is?”

“He said he was passing through. But he isn’t from anywhere in Blethos, he said.” Then I shrugged. “He seems to think Seth is still on the throne. But he could just be uninformed.”

“But he didn’t know you?”

I shook my head. “I don’t think so.”

Keith nodded. “I’ll have a couple of our guys follow him.” He walked into another part of the building. In a few minutes, he was back. “They’ll follow him.”

I nodded. “Well, you’ll be busy tomorrow.”

Keith’s eyebrows rose in question.

“You’ll be asked to perform a wedding at three tomorrow. As the only other person besides Seth, me and one other with the authority. You’ll have to do it.” I smiled. “Seth and I are best men.”

Keith smiled. “Who?”

“Bent and Garth.”

Keith grinned. “Those two have been sniffing around each other for a while. It’s about damned time!” He nodded.

I headed back to the winery. “They’ll talk to you soon.”