Total pages in book: 71
Estimated words: 66518 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 333(@200wpm)___ 266(@250wpm)___ 222(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 66518 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 333(@200wpm)___ 266(@250wpm)___ 222(@300wpm)
Once Tank and I were alone in the SUV, he flipped down the visor so he could check his reflection in the mirror. He was a fair-skinned redhead with freckles, and he frowned and muttered, “I look sunburned, even though I used SPF-70 when I was in the pool yesterday.”
“Until they invent SPF-500, your pale ass doesn’t stand a chance in the sun.”
“You’re not wrong.”
“So, what did you end up doing last night, after I saw you at that club?”
“A couple of the guys and I went back to Vee’s hotel room with him and kept drinking.”
“Are you interested in Vee?”
“I would be. He’s really hot. But he’s still pining for an ex of his, so nobody had a chance of hooking up with him.” My friend glanced at me and asked, “Speaking of hooking up, are you going to spill some details about last night?”
“Definitely not.”
“You’re welcome, by the way. I knew you’d like him when I sent you that photo.”
“What’s not to like?”
“You know, there’s such a thing as a long-distance relationship.”
“We’ve had one night together, Tank.”
“But you’re planning on seeing him again tonight, which figures. You’re not a one-night stand kind of guy.”
“You’re right, I’m not, and I definitely want to keep in touch with him when I go home,” I said. “But how would this ever work out? Sure, we could do the long-distance thing if he was willing, but it could never be more than that. I’m obviously not going to sell the ranch that’s been in my family for four generations, or abandon my horses. And can you even imagine a guy that sophisticated moving to the country?”
“For you? Why not?”
“For starters, he’s used to life in a big city, so he’d probably be bored out of his mind. Worse than that, he might start to resent me if he gave up his career in fashion for our relationship.”
“That’s depressing.”
“I’m just being realistic.”
My friend sighed. “I know, but it’s a bummer. You used to be a hopeless romantic, once upon a time. I really hope Greg and Craig haven’t permanently cured you of that.”
After soaking my sore muscles in the hot tub, downing some ibuprofen, and taking a nap, I felt considerably better by the time Hal, Vee, and Embry joined us that afternoon. They were loaded down with stuff when I answered the door, and as I helped them bring in a bunch of bags and boxes, I pointed out, “You seem to be missing a groom.”
“Bryson’s out buying us a matching pair of wedding rings,” Embry said, as he placed a pink box on the kitchen counter and pushed his platinum blond curls out of his eyes. “He figured that’d help sell our relationship to his grandfather, who’s withholding Bryson’s inheritance until he gets married. I don’t know if Hal told you that part.”
“That seems like such an old-fashioned requirement.”
Embry shrugged. “I guess his granddad is an old-fashioned kind of guy.”
Hal draped a garment bag over the back of a chair and turned to me, and I ran my gaze down the length of him. His hair was pulled back into a ponytail, and he was dressed all in black again, this time in a lightweight cotton tunic, shorts, and flat sandals.
Concern wrinkled his brow as he came closer and asked me, “Are you okay?” He indicated the butterfly bandage that I’d stuck over a cut on my left temple.
“I’m fine. I got a little banged up during the match, but that’s to be expected.”
He frowned at that, but then he said, “Thanks for hosting the wedding ceremony. This means a lot to me.”
“To all of us,” Embry added, from the other side of the large kitchen island.
“We found a wedding officiant. We want to time the ceremony to the sunset, so she’ll arrive about half an hour beforehand,” Vee said, as he started to load several bottles of champagne into the fridge. “But first, Embry wants to decorate his wedding cake.”
I asked, “Is there enough time to make a cake?”
“I’m not making it. I’m just stacking up three cakes and decorating them.” Embry opened the pink box to reveal a cake with white icing. “We got this at a local bakery. We also bought the ingredients for buttercream frosting, and I brought my piping bags and tips. Cake decorating is kind of my thing,” he explained.
“Got it. Help yourself to anything you need in the fridge or cupboards,” I said, “and can I offer y’all some iced tea?”
After I poured them some drinks, we all went into the backyard so they could plan the ceremony. It looked very nice and respectable, since I’d fished the blow-up doll out of the pool and cleaned up a million beer bottles and cans before they’d arrived.
The white gazebo was at the very back of the yard. Behind it was a wrought iron fence, and a pretty great view. The land dipped down into a wide desert valley, and the Strip could be seen off in the distance.