much time. It was now or never.
Johnny met them in the driveway, prepared to sweep Ezra away. He was the one person Declan trusted to help him with this chore. Johnny opened Ezra’s door. “Hey, Ez. It’s good to see you.” He hugged Ezra while Declan watched his hands, making sure he wouldn’t have to break them. While Johnny had never showed in any interest in anyone as far as Declan had seen, Declan wouldn’t hesitate to unman him if he touched Ezra inappropriately.
Johnny moved to Declan’s side with his hand extended. “Congrats, man. I don’t know how things will go in there, but I’m happy for you two.”
The way Declan’s cheeks ached told the story about how big his smile had become. “Thank you. I appreciate your help with Ezra tonight. Things aren’t likely to go well. It’s best if Ezra gets his errands run while I hammer things out with Jessie.”
Johnny’s solemn expression said he understood the magnitude of Declan’s situation. “You already have Theo on your side. That’s more than half the battle.”
Declan and Ezra exchanged a look. With a deep breath for courage, they headed for the back door together while Johnny stayed behind ready to whisk Ezra away. The door opened before they reached it.
“Yay. My brother is back and looking fantastic.”
Ezra smiled and stepped into Jessie’s outstretched arms. The instant their hug ended, Ezra headed for Theo and pulled him aside. They spoke in quiet tones. Theo checked out Ezra’s engagement ring on the sly while Declan shook hands with Jessie.
“He looks good,” Jessie said, sounding proud. “Thank you. It looks like you’ve taken good care of him.”
Declan fought a wince. Jessie would no doubt regret those words in a minute. “Yeah. He’s doing great. The televisits with the counselor seem to be going well. He’s taking his meds and eating. I’m proud of him.”
Jessie nodded along. “I think the long trip was a good idea. Sometimes you just need out of your own space, you know?”
“Definitely.” Declan’s gaze slid Ezra and Theo’s way. Theo gave Declan a pointed look and nod behind Jessie’s back. Ezra moved to stand at Declan’s side. They linked fingers. Declan took a deep breath. “There’s something I need to talk to you about, Jessie.”
Jessie’s gaze moved from Ezra to Declan before dropping to their clasped hands and back to Declan’s face. His smile slipped away. Declan could see Jessie putting the pieces together in his mind. His features hardened. “Uh huh.” There was a definite threat to Jessie’s tone.
“I’ve asked Ezra to marry me and he’s accepted,” Declan said—like ripping off a bandage.
Jessie’s eyebrows rose. “This isn’t April first, but I damned sure better hear an April fools from one of you right now.”
Declan felt sick. He didn’t know what Jessie would do, especially after everything Wrecker had told him. “I’ve got boxes in the truck, so I can pack today.”
Jessie ran his tongue over his teeth. Declan expected him to start swinging any second. “I brought you into my home. Around my baby brother.”
“Jessie,” Theo cut in, stopping him. “May I talk to you in the other room?”
Jessie glanced over his shoulder. “In a minute.”
Theo took his hand. “Please?”
No one could miss how torn Jessie was in that moment. On one hand, he obviously wanted to kill Declan. On the other, Theo owned Jessie. Jessie couldn’t deny him a thing. Jessie flashed Declan a cold look. “Don’t move. This isn’t over.”
The moment they were gone, Ezra flashed him a huge grin. “Well, that was nowhere near as bad as I expected. Theo has a plan, so you should be good to start packing. Johnny is waiting.”
Declan tugged Ezra into his arms and kissed his forehead. “Go. I’ll be fine. If he kicks me out before you get back, I’ll text you.”
Ezra clutched the front of Declan’s shirt—like he didn’t want to pull away. “It’ll be okay. You’ll see.”
“I love you.” Declan wished there was some way he could express how much. This whole situation was choking him, but he couldn’t lose Ezra. Not even for Jessie.
Ezra cupped Declan’s face and drew him in. “I love you too. I promise you that Jessie will come around.”
Declan swiped his lips across Ezra’s. He believed in Ezra. Everything would be fine. They just needed to get through today. Ezra’s kisses always fixed everything. He couldn’t forget that now.
It had been a long time since Johnny had been with him for the day. Back when Ezra still lived with Jessie, Declan