Once Upon A Half-Time: A Sports Romance - Sosie Frost Page 0,153

specifically for the bachelor party. Bryce liked the darker ales, and I made a recipe in his honor. I raised the glass, and the dozen friends we invited to join the festivities readied for a toast.

I grinned. “Bryce, man, I just wanted to say—”

Bryce chugged his beer without waiting.

The fuck? If I knew he wasn’t going to taste it, I’d have fermented motor oil for his fucking party.

Rick shrugged. He held his glass towards his brother. “To…Bryce.”

Bryce was my best friend, and I wasn’t about to deny him getting drunk at his own party, but I pulled the pitcher away before he drank all of it and destroyed his liver three weeks before the wedding.

Rick passed him a glass as the stripper packed up her clothes. She blew Bryce a kiss. He didn’t react, just stared at the table and clutched his beer.

“Wish you hadn’t gotten a stripper,” Bryce finally said.

I smirked. “Isn’t it tradition?”

“You’re killing me.”

“Don’t tell me Lindsey forbade a stripper?”

“So what if she did?” Rick snorted. I didn’t like his tone. “I think a woman’s got a right to know where her man’s been, right, Nate?”

Jesus, whatever. I took a drink, but Rick didn’t break his stare with me. Bryce shook his head.

“It’s not that. I just didn’t want any…temptation.” He waved a hand. “No. Inspiration.”

Now he had me confused, which wasn’t too hard. I didn’t understand most of the bullshit Bryce put up with to please his bridezilla.

“Look…” Bryce lowered his voice. “Lindsey and I haven’t…you know…for about a month.”

There wasn’t enough beer in my bar to talk about our feelings. Rick and I both tensed. It was so much easier when we were kids and could just play Halo to pass the time.

“You haven’t had sex?” Rick cleared his throat.

“Yeah.”

Wasn’t that the point of having a committed relationship? I frowned. “Why?”

“Lindsey wants to try for kids now. She stopped taking her pill and is, um…ready.”

Rick and I eased away from the table. Bryce nodded.

“Yeah,” he said.

“So…” I drummed my fingers against my beer bottle. “Good?”

Bryce yelled, nearly tipping over the pitcher. “What do you mean good? For Christ’s sake, we aren’t even married yet! She’s planning what color to paint a nursery, and I’m still trying to figure out how to do a dance from a movie that came out before we were born.”

“You’re getting married,” I said. “So she wants kids? Have some kids.”

“Easy for you to say.” Rick snorted into his beer. “You’ve never had a relationship last long enough for the condom to dry out.”

Fuck, what was with all these people judging my sex life lately?

Rick was lucky he was tipsy. That fourth beer saved him from a serious discussion with my fucking fist.

“We’re not talking about me,” I said. “Bryce and Lindsey have been together since high school. I think it’s safe to say they’re in a place where kids aren’t a problem.”

“Kids aren’t the problem.” Bryce finished his beer. Rick poured him another. He had earned it. “I don’t know. It’s overwhelming. First all this wedding stuff. We’re never going to make the money back we put in. Now she wants the kids and the house and…she’s got all these plans.”

I still didn’t see the problem. “You scored the girl of your dreams. She’s excited about marrying you. She wants to spend her life with you. What the hell is wrong with that?”

“Are you serious?” Bryce laughed. “You’re the one talking me into this shit? Christ, I thought you’d tell me to run.”

“Don’t you love Lindsey?”

“Well, fuck, yeah. But—”

“Then shut your damn mouth. You got a beautiful woman who wants nothing more than to be with you. She wants to buy a perfect house and pop out some kids. So, drink your beer, go home, fuck your fiancé, and live out your goddamned fairy tale.”

I slammed my glass on the table. Jesus. Life wasn’t this complicated. Why did everyone make it harder than it was? He had a girl who wanted him. He was fucking lucky.

Rick followed me to the bar. Both Washington brothers were acting shitty.

“Since when did you become the relationship guru?” Rick didn’t open the bottle I offered.

“Since everyone keeps asking me my opinion.”

“Everyone?”

“Yeah. Apparently I’m some sort of sage now.” I arched an eyebrow. “Bet you wished you had listened about Jada when I told you she hit on me.”

Rick snorted. “I’m surprised you didn’t take her up on it like the other assholes who fucked my wife.”

“You really think I’d have done that to you?”

“I