the horrible pact her father had made and kept from her … it wasn’t hard to understand why Lily didn’t want him walking her down the aisle.
“All right, so let’s get you hitched!” Presley claps, leaping through the middle of the circle to grab Lily into a bear hug.
“Please tell me I don’t have to wear a tux,” Forrest complains, which only makes me want to puncture his shoe with my two-inch heel.
“Gray suits, but don’t worry, they’re on par with your fashion sense, Mr. Brooklyn.” Bowen smirks.
“I’m so happy for you,” I murmur in Lily’s ear as she comes to hug me next.
And I am. This is her person, and they deserve everything together.
“That’s good to hear, because I need a maid of honor to help me through the next seven days.” She grins.
“As long as you can settle for one who also has school pickups and pediatrician appointments.” My schedule never stops.
“We’ll tag team.” Presley squeezes my shoulder. I’m not sure how our group, or this town, ever survived without her.
“Now that’s something to envision …” Forrest makes the lewd comment and then elbows his twin brother suggestively.
Add immaturity to this list of things that make me want to smack him upside the head. Just another reminder of why I shouldn’t ever sleep with someone six years younger.
Presley’s face screws up in disgust at her brother-in-law. “That’s gross … I’m your sister.”
“Doesn’t mean you aren’t attractive.” Fletcher shrugs, and both Keaton and Bowen look like they might start a WWE match against their younger brothers.
“Enough of this really weird conversation. We’ll be sending, or rather, Lily will be sending out an email with lists of everyone’s responsibilities. I expect you to follow them or expect a phone call from me.” Lily’s fiancé eyes every single one of us.
That threat isn’t really for me, but I have no intention of crossing Bowen. He might be a softy for his soon-to-be wife, but I’ve seen him go Hulk over the years.
We break apart and I check my watch, realizing it’s time to go pick up the boys. Making my goodbyes hastily, I jet out across the grass.
“So, another brother’s wedding …” Forrest falls into step beside me, and I’m disappointed when I look back and see the others still lingering in the gazebo.
I can’t stop now, or I’ll be late to pick the boys up, and I can’t shrug him off. I mean, I could try, but he’ll only keep following me.
“Yep,” I clip out, trying to end the conversation.
“I wonder if anyone will be getting wedding sex. I mean, Presley’s hot friend Ryan will be there, so maybe I’ll get lucky.”
Trying to ignore the jealous bile that churns like acid in my stomach, I stomp harder through the grass in hopes it’ll get me to my car quicker. Why the hell am I jealous of Ryan, Presley’s best friend from New York? She’s only gorgeous, unencumbered, travels the world, is whip smart and had Forrest’s eye last time she was in town. Do I care if they sleep together at Lily’s wedding? Hell no … right?
And why does he have to wear those sexy as fuck glasses? They only serve to be adorably charming and make his eyes impossibly bluer. They do for him what they did for Clark Kent if Superman were an asshole with a know-it-all complex. They disguise the asshole beneath.
“I hope you do. After all, you two are pretty perfect for each other.” I take a sharp turn over the hill, and we’re suddenly out of our friends’ sightline.
Forrest jogs easily to catch up. “Yeah, but there just doesn’t seem to be any spark between us. I don’t understand why, we’re both young and hot.”
His last couple of words make me stutter step, and I slow down. What the hell did that mean? That I was old and ugly but hell if he knew why we clicked when our clothes came off?
“You’re a dick,” I hurl at him, flipping up my middle finger and storming off.
Maybe he’s taken aback by my sudden change in demeanor because it takes him until I nearly reach my car to appear beside me.
“And why is that, P? I already know I am, but just want you to explain what the hell I did this time.”
He uses that stupid nickname that he feels entitled to, and it has me poking a finger into his chest angrily. He’s too close, practically pinning me against my car as he demands to know