Total pages in book: 85
Estimated words: 80892 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 404(@200wpm)___ 324(@250wpm)___ 270(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 80892 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 404(@200wpm)___ 324(@250wpm)___ 270(@300wpm)
I turned to face Will and smiled reluctantly. How was I gonna say no to that?
Fine. Okay. Whatever.
“Sure, that sounds good,” I said, finally. “Tell them I expect each of their asses to be there, though. No rain checks.”
“I’ll let them know,” Will said, grinning at me like he was genuinely looking forward to it. “And that goes for you, too, Brady. Six-thirty. You’d better be there.”
I nodded and gave a slight wave as I walked toward the door. “Oh, I’ll be there. Don’t worry about me.”
As I walked through the parking lot and climbed back into my truck, I still didn’t know if getting together with the guys was going to be a great idea or a trip down memory lane that I’d rather not take.
It would be a segue into memories of a happier time in my life, but whether that would make me nostalgic for the past or just more upset about the present was hard to tell. Either way, it was too late to worry too much about it. I’d just have to have an exit plan if things went south. No big deal.
Hopefully I was worrying about nothing. Hopefully it would be fun. It would certainly be nice to at least see the guys again after so long.
There was no denying that Will had been right about one thing, though.
I could definitely use a drink.
Chapter Twenty-One - Brady
Even though it had been a decade since I had hung out with my friends, and nearly as long since we’d tried to sneak into the downtown bar underage, I knew from the moment I walked in and saw the four of them together that I’d made the right decision to stop by for a drink.
As soon as Stu turned and called out my name, the other men stood up and swarmed me with a flurry of handshakes and hugs. It felt just like old times, and I wondered briefly what I’d ever been worried about.
Of course, things wouldn’t be awkward. These were my friends.
And yeah, time had changed the way they all looked, and they’d no doubt matured as the years had passed, but in that moment, I felt just as safe and at ease with them as I had ten years before.
“Glad you could make it, buddy,” Will said, mirroring my wide grin as we all sat down again. “I hope you don’t mind, but my fiancé, Jamie, wanted to come, too.”
I looked around and shrugged. I hadn’t realized that Will was engaged, but I didn’t mind a little female company. It’s not like we were all going to get especially vulgar after only a couple of beers.
Probably.
Maybe.
“No, of course not,” I said. “I can’t wait to meet—”
Before I could finish my sentence, a woman with a smile as wide as Will’s walked up and set a pitcher of beer between the two of us.
“Beer for my boys,” the girl said, turning her attention from Will to me. “You must be Will’s friend from out of town. I’m Jamie. Will and the rest of the guys have told me so much about you.”
I opened my mouth to speak but could only nod as the woman shook my hand and sat down across from Will. They looked so perfect together. So happily matched.
The rest of the guys had turned their attention to the football game on TV, and Will was busy pouring three pints of beer from the large pitcher.
Don’t say anything stupid.
Think before you speak.
Don’t make an ass out of yourself.
“It’s, um, really good to meet you, Jamie.”
I tried to cover my shock behind a smile. There were so many thoughts and questions rushing through my head, but almost none of them were exactly appropriate to ask someone I’d only known for about ten seconds.
There was one I could ask, though. “How long have you and Will been, um, engaged?”
“Not long,” Jamie turned to Will. “What’s it been, babe? Three months? Four?”
“Two, actually,” Will said, his smile dimming slightly. “Together for eight months, engaged for two.”
“Wow, so—” I clamped my mouth shut and swallowed back the words I’d been about to say.
Was it rude to point out that slow, deliberate Will had never moved that fast with anyone else in his life? Or at least he hadn’t back when I had known him.
“Congratulations,” I said instead. “You two seem really happy.”
“We are,” Will said. “I mean, any relationship has its ups and—”
“We’re really happy,” Jamie said, cutting him off and taking Will’s hand in her own. “Super happy.”
I could feel the slight undercurrent of tension that ran between Jamie and Will, but I was still too caught up in my own thoughts to try and make sense of it.
“That’s awesome,” I said, gratefully accepting the glass of beer from Will, then taking a long, slow drink.
How could I have missed the signs that Will was in love? Had there been any signs?