place is a disaster waiting to happen. Thanks for taking it over.”
“Sure. Sure thing.”
Roman took another sip of his Coke and allowed the sweet soda to assuage the raw ire in his throat. The fact that the rink had been allowed to get that way burned in his gut, and he knew he couldn’t say anything that would contribute positively to the conversation so he kept it to himself.
Instead, he put on his brightest smile—the one he reserved for reporters—and turned toward his best friend. “Well, she thought it was a great idea. I’m going to get a group together and we’ll get it fixed up next weekend.”
“Sorry to miss it.”
Roman slapped his friend on the back, unable to maintain his shitty mood in the face of such happiness. “I know, I know, Counselor. You’ll be in Fiji.”
“You bet I will. With my blushing bride in a string bikini.”
“Rough life.”
“I consider it my reward for putting up with this circus”—Walker gestured to the field before them—“for the last six months. And I believe my bride feels the same way.”
“It’s been a rough go?”
“I just wanted to marry her, you know? All this. It’s nice but it’s not the marriage. It’s just a wedding.”
“Interesting point.”
“They think men don’t pay attention. My grandmother and mother-in-law, in particular. But I do. I’ve watched Sloan go from happy, engaged bride-to-be to frantic sobs when her mother did something that upset her. She’s earned two weeks in Fiji as much as I have.”
“Well, I wish you a ton of honeymoon sex and the time to relax from the madness.”
Walker hesitated, and Roman felt what was coming next before his oldest friend even spoke. “So what about Avery?”
“What about Avery?”
As the words left his mouth, Roman saw her walk into the square next to Sloan. She had on a vividly colored dress that had bold slashes of red, blue and violet streaked through it. The sleeveless swatch of color fell to the knee and only served to highlight her long, lightly tanned legs and toned arms.
“We all see it. And that’s not just the crazy love for my wife talking.”
Roman deliberately pulled his gaze from Avery and turned to his friend. “Keep your crazy love talk to yourself.”
“You two looked like you were having a nice time at the wedding.”
“That’s because we know how to be civil to each other. How to have a nice time with each other. We were friends for a long time, Walker.”
“Until you weren’t.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“What I said. You were friends until you weren’t.”
“We’ve always been friends.”
“You know what? It’s a happy day, and I’m really not trying to fuck it up being an asshole, so I’m going to leave it alone and go say hello to my bride.”
“You do that.”
Roman didn’t want to think about it—or Walker’s underlying point—so he headed for the horseshoe match in progress. Maybe a change of scenery with people he didn’t know would provide a nice diversion.
If nothing else, throwing something might calm his raging nerves.
• • •
Avery wasn’t sure how Sloan had talked her into the dress, but now that she had it on and was in public, she practically felt naked. She never wore stuff like this.
And why in God’s name had she accepted one of the outfits Sloan had bought for her honeymoon?
Sloan’s argument—that she’d bought far too much and Avery would look great in it—had sounded inspired at the time.
Now she just felt like she was trying too hard.
And the small wink Sloan shot her before she headed toward her smiling new husband confirmed it.
Before she could dwell on it too long, Walker’s law partner, Jessica McFarland, was at her side, two fresh beers in hand. “Care for one?”
“God, yes. How’d you know?”
“You had that look.”
“What look?”
“The one that screams ‘I’m naked in public and I just want to wake up from the nightmare.’”
Avery turned
“Sure. Sure thing.”
Roman took another sip of his Coke and allowed the sweet soda to assuage the raw ire in his throat. The fact that the rink had been allowed to get that way burned in his gut, and he knew he couldn’t say anything that would contribute positively to the conversation so he kept it to himself.
Instead, he put on his brightest smile—the one he reserved for reporters—and turned toward his best friend. “Well, she thought it was a great idea. I’m going to get a group together and we’ll get it fixed up next weekend.”
“Sorry to miss it.”
Roman slapped his friend on the back, unable to maintain his shitty mood in the face of such happiness. “I know, I know, Counselor. You’ll be in Fiji.”
“You bet I will. With my blushing bride in a string bikini.”
“Rough life.”
“I consider it my reward for putting up with this circus”—Walker gestured to the field before them—“for the last six months. And I believe my bride feels the same way.”
“It’s been a rough go?”
“I just wanted to marry her, you know? All this. It’s nice but it’s not the marriage. It’s just a wedding.”
“Interesting point.”
“They think men don’t pay attention. My grandmother and mother-in-law, in particular. But I do. I’ve watched Sloan go from happy, engaged bride-to-be to frantic sobs when her mother did something that upset her. She’s earned two weeks in Fiji as much as I have.”
“Well, I wish you a ton of honeymoon sex and the time to relax from the madness.”
Walker hesitated, and Roman felt what was coming next before his oldest friend even spoke. “So what about Avery?”
“What about Avery?”
As the words left his mouth, Roman saw her walk into the square next to Sloan. She had on a vividly colored dress that had bold slashes of red, blue and violet streaked through it. The sleeveless swatch of color fell to the knee and only served to highlight her long, lightly tanned legs and toned arms.
“We all see it. And that’s not just the crazy love for my wife talking.”
Roman deliberately pulled his gaze from Avery and turned to his friend. “Keep your crazy love talk to yourself.”
“You two looked like you were having a nice time at the wedding.”
“That’s because we know how to be civil to each other. How to have a nice time with each other. We were friends for a long time, Walker.”
“Until you weren’t.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“What I said. You were friends until you weren’t.”
“We’ve always been friends.”
“You know what? It’s a happy day, and I’m really not trying to fuck it up being an asshole, so I’m going to leave it alone and go say hello to my bride.”
“You do that.”
Roman didn’t want to think about it—or Walker’s underlying point—so he headed for the horseshoe match in progress. Maybe a change of scenery with people he didn’t know would provide a nice diversion.
If nothing else, throwing something might calm his raging nerves.
• • •
Avery wasn’t sure how Sloan had talked her into the dress, but now that she had it on and was in public, she practically felt naked. She never wore stuff like this.
And why in God’s name had she accepted one of the outfits Sloan had bought for her honeymoon?
Sloan’s argument—that she’d bought far too much and Avery would look great in it—had sounded inspired at the time.
Now she just felt like she was trying too hard.
And the small wink Sloan shot her before she headed toward her smiling new husband confirmed it.
Before she could dwell on it too long, Walker’s law partner, Jessica McFarland, was at her side, two fresh beers in hand. “Care for one?”
“God, yes. How’d you know?”
“You had that look.”
“What look?”
“The one that screams ‘I’m naked in public and I just want to wake up from the nightmare.’”
Avery turned
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