Hope Burns
Page 8
“Somebody has to.”
Reid slapped him on the back. “Thanks, Carter.”
Bash rolled his eyes, but poured the drinks. “Last one. I’m locking up the tequila.”
“Does that mean you’re pulling out the whiskey next?” Carter asked with a grin.
“You wish, Richards. No, this is the last round. Then I’m making coffee, so none of our law enforcement officials sitting here—or their friends—arrests us.
“I could get us a highway patrol escort,” Will said. “Then none of us have to drive.”
“Yeah, but we’d still be drunk,” Logan said, taking the glass Bash had poured. “So do your toast, Will, and we’ll be good boys. Because nothing’s worse than a pissed-off woman.”
“True that,” Will said, then turned to Luke. “To your last day as a single man.”
Luke groaned. “Again.”
“Try and do it better the second time than you did the first,” Logan said.
“It’ll help that the second wife is a much better choice than your first one,” Carter said.
“A-fucking-men to that,” Luke said. “Let’s drink.”
They took their shots, then Bash cleared the bar and poured them all sodas and coffee.
Carter grimaced as he took a sip of the coffee Bash had poured for him. “The tequila was better.”
“You say that now,” Logan said. “Until Emma’s mom knocks your drunken ass down over dinner.”
“Good point.” He drank two cups of coffee, had a soda, and by the time they left, felt clearheaded. He was glad he hadn’t driven Rhonda today, though. He’d bring her to the restaurant tonight. Not that he wanted to show off for anyone in particular.
Okay, maybe he did.
After they left the bar, he went home, showered, changed into his navy blue suit that he didn’t much want to wear, but when Georgia Burnett told you to wear a suit, you wore a suit. She said they were going to church tonight, and even though it was just for rehearsal, they were still going to be in God’s house and you had to dress up.
You didn’t get on Georgia’s bad side. After picking out a tie, he climbed into Rhonda and headed over to the church. He pulled into the lot and parked, then got out, straightened his tie, and walked through the front doors.
It was quiet except for the sounds of voices coming from the front of the church. Emma and Luke were already there, along with Reid and Logan. Logan’s girlfriend, Desiree, was there as well. And there was no mistaking Chelsea’s fiery red hair as she sat in the front pew next to Jane.
And over where Emma’s parents were talking to the minister stood Molly, wearing a dress that hugged her body all the way to her waist, then flowed out from her hips. The dress had bright flowers on it, but honestly, all he noticed were her bare shoulders and her tan skin. Her hair was loose, waves cascading halfway down her back. She sported high heels that had no business being worn in a church, showcasing legs he had no business thinking about in a church, either.
“Got some sins to confess, buddy?” Bash slapped him on the back and gave him a smirk.
“Probably.”
“Why don’t you save it for another day? Let’s get this shindig going. I’m starving.”
“So what you’re saying is, you’re just in it for the food.”
“Oh, no. I’m totally here for Luke and Emma’s happily-ever-after. I’m all about the love, man.”
They walked down the aisle. “It’s not good to lie in church, Bash.”
Bash gave him a lopsided grin as they made it to the front of the church.
“Is everyone here?” the minister asked.
Emma’s mother looked around. “Yes, I believe so.”
“Then we’ll get started. For those who don’t know me, I’m Reverend Barry Greenwood, and I’ll be performing the service tomorrow. I like things informal, so please call me Barry.”
Barry got things in order in a hurry. He sent the bride, her parents, and the bridesmaids down to the back of the church, and Luke and the guys set up at the front. Luke stood first in line, followed by Logan, his best man, then Reid, Carter, and Will.
“I’ll be first in line to grab him if he makes a run for it,” Will said with a grin.
“I don’t think he has any intention of running. Look at his face.”
Will looked around the guys, then shook his head. “You’re right. He’s like a lovesick puppy.”
“Kind of disgusting, isn’t it?” Logan asked.
Carter rolled his eyes. “You’re even worse the way you’re looking at Des.”
Logan grinned. “She’s been on a movie shoot for six weeks and just got back three days ago. How am I supposed to look at her?”
“I’m surprised you’re even here,” Reid said, glancing down the aisle at Desiree. “She looks hot.”
“I could kick your . . . You’re lucky we’re in church, kid.”
Carter laughed, but then Bash started up the aisle with Emma’s mom, so they all had to straighten up. He delivered her to the front row, then Evan, Luke’s friend on the police force, escorted Martha down the aisle. Though Martha wasn’t technically family, she was the McCormacks’ housekeeper and the closest thing Luke, Logan, and Reid had to a mother since their own had abandoned them. And she had a grin a mile wide at being considered the mother figure at Luke’s wedding.
Reid slapped him on the back. “Thanks, Carter.”
Bash rolled his eyes, but poured the drinks. “Last one. I’m locking up the tequila.”
“Does that mean you’re pulling out the whiskey next?” Carter asked with a grin.
“You wish, Richards. No, this is the last round. Then I’m making coffee, so none of our law enforcement officials sitting here—or their friends—arrests us.
“I could get us a highway patrol escort,” Will said. “Then none of us have to drive.”
“Yeah, but we’d still be drunk,” Logan said, taking the glass Bash had poured. “So do your toast, Will, and we’ll be good boys. Because nothing’s worse than a pissed-off woman.”
“True that,” Will said, then turned to Luke. “To your last day as a single man.”
Luke groaned. “Again.”
“Try and do it better the second time than you did the first,” Logan said.
“It’ll help that the second wife is a much better choice than your first one,” Carter said.
“A-fucking-men to that,” Luke said. “Let’s drink.”
They took their shots, then Bash cleared the bar and poured them all sodas and coffee.
Carter grimaced as he took a sip of the coffee Bash had poured for him. “The tequila was better.”
“You say that now,” Logan said. “Until Emma’s mom knocks your drunken ass down over dinner.”
“Good point.” He drank two cups of coffee, had a soda, and by the time they left, felt clearheaded. He was glad he hadn’t driven Rhonda today, though. He’d bring her to the restaurant tonight. Not that he wanted to show off for anyone in particular.
Okay, maybe he did.
After they left the bar, he went home, showered, changed into his navy blue suit that he didn’t much want to wear, but when Georgia Burnett told you to wear a suit, you wore a suit. She said they were going to church tonight, and even though it was just for rehearsal, they were still going to be in God’s house and you had to dress up.
You didn’t get on Georgia’s bad side. After picking out a tie, he climbed into Rhonda and headed over to the church. He pulled into the lot and parked, then got out, straightened his tie, and walked through the front doors.
It was quiet except for the sounds of voices coming from the front of the church. Emma and Luke were already there, along with Reid and Logan. Logan’s girlfriend, Desiree, was there as well. And there was no mistaking Chelsea’s fiery red hair as she sat in the front pew next to Jane.
And over where Emma’s parents were talking to the minister stood Molly, wearing a dress that hugged her body all the way to her waist, then flowed out from her hips. The dress had bright flowers on it, but honestly, all he noticed were her bare shoulders and her tan skin. Her hair was loose, waves cascading halfway down her back. She sported high heels that had no business being worn in a church, showcasing legs he had no business thinking about in a church, either.
“Got some sins to confess, buddy?” Bash slapped him on the back and gave him a smirk.
“Probably.”
“Why don’t you save it for another day? Let’s get this shindig going. I’m starving.”
“So what you’re saying is, you’re just in it for the food.”
“Oh, no. I’m totally here for Luke and Emma’s happily-ever-after. I’m all about the love, man.”
They walked down the aisle. “It’s not good to lie in church, Bash.”
Bash gave him a lopsided grin as they made it to the front of the church.
“Is everyone here?” the minister asked.
Emma’s mother looked around. “Yes, I believe so.”
“Then we’ll get started. For those who don’t know me, I’m Reverend Barry Greenwood, and I’ll be performing the service tomorrow. I like things informal, so please call me Barry.”
Barry got things in order in a hurry. He sent the bride, her parents, and the bridesmaids down to the back of the church, and Luke and the guys set up at the front. Luke stood first in line, followed by Logan, his best man, then Reid, Carter, and Will.
“I’ll be first in line to grab him if he makes a run for it,” Will said with a grin.
“I don’t think he has any intention of running. Look at his face.”
Will looked around the guys, then shook his head. “You’re right. He’s like a lovesick puppy.”
“Kind of disgusting, isn’t it?” Logan asked.
Carter rolled his eyes. “You’re even worse the way you’re looking at Des.”
Logan grinned. “She’s been on a movie shoot for six weeks and just got back three days ago. How am I supposed to look at her?”
“I’m surprised you’re even here,” Reid said, glancing down the aisle at Desiree. “She looks hot.”
“I could kick your . . . You’re lucky we’re in church, kid.”
Carter laughed, but then Bash started up the aisle with Emma’s mom, so they all had to straighten up. He delivered her to the front row, then Evan, Luke’s friend on the police force, escorted Martha down the aisle. Though Martha wasn’t technically family, she was the McCormacks’ housekeeper and the closest thing Luke, Logan, and Reid had to a mother since their own had abandoned them. And she had a grin a mile wide at being considered the mother figure at Luke’s wedding.
