Reece and Charlie stoodside by side, heckling Noah as he inspected himself in the mirror. A tailor crouched on the floor beside him, pinning the hem of his pants.
“Seriously, dude, the tux looks all wrong,” Charlie chuckled. “Maybe if you swap out the white dress shirt for some flannel, it’ll look right.”
Noah glared at him in the mirror. “Says the guy sporting the flow and tats.”
“The tats are hidden under the shirt, and Joy digs the flow.” Charlie shook his hair like a horse shaking its mane. “A lot.”
“When are you going to marry that girl?”
“I was waiting for you to show me how it’s done, big bro. Once I’m up on how this shit works, then maybe I’ll pop the question.” Charlie flashed him a grin in the same reflection.
Their butts had been parked in some bridal shop in Grand Junction for an hour that felt more like three, each taking his turn with the tailor. After the fitting session, they were hitting the bars for Noah’s overnight bachelor party, and Reece’s throat itched for that first beer.
“Well, you’ll learn all you need to know in three days.” Noah glanced over his shoulder at Reece. “What about you?”
“What about me what?” Reece barked. “I’m not getting married. I’m not even taking notes like Doofus over here.” He jabbed his thumb toward his youngest brother. “I’ll be content playing Uncle Reece to the rugrats you spawn, but this boy is staying single.”
“He doesn’t even have adate,” Charlie guffawed.
“Of course he doesn’t,” Shane piped up from where he sprawled over a leather armchair.
“And you do?” Reece tossed back.
“Yep.”
“I call bullshit. Who?”
“You don’t know her. I met her in Montrose last month.”
“Another one of your hookups?” Micky, Fall River’s lone mechanic and a buddy, directed a smirk Shane’s way. Micky was probably more jealous than judgmental.
Shane liked to hit the country-western bars in the bigger towns on the Western Slope and shake his tail on the dance floor. Sometimes, after a particularly grueling mission, Reece went with him and played wingman or got his dose of amusement watching his friend try to schmooze the ladies. He wasn’t any good at it. Neither was Reece—who was probably more disinterested than he was inept—but at least he didn’t pretend to be a charmer. And it wasn’t as if this was a regular “thing” he indulged in.
Micky, on the other hand, joined Shane as often as possible. And that was a problem because Micky was supposed to be in a committed relationship with Amy, the town’s coffee shop owner, but he was a horndog with a roving eye. Reece had no clue if Micky was faithful, and he didn’t want to know. Amy was a dark-haired beauty with eyes like polished onyx, skin the color of espresso, and a demeanor so sweet they could have manufactured sugar out of it. Yeah, Micky had been a buddy since they were babies, and Reece probably owed him his loyalty for that alone, but Amy could do much, much better than Mick.
Shane continued, snapping Reece out of his meandering thoughts. “She’s new out here.”
Micky threw his head back and laughed. “Now I get it. She agreed to go out with you because she doesn’t know you yet.”
Shane rested his middle finger against his chest.
Ignoring him, Micky turned a smirk on Reece. “Why are you so lame? EvenNevehas a date.”
She does?“Don’t tell me it’s Cantrell,” Reece blurted before he could stop himself.
Micky’s smile grew even more smug. “Jealous, Hunnicutt? Yeah, it’s Cantrell. And from what I hear, things are getting hot and heavy between those two. Maybe we’ll have another wedding in a few months.”
Why Reece wanted to stuff his fist into Micky’s mouth, he wasn’t sure. Probably because Micky had deserved a thumping from the day he was born. Reece shoved his hands into his pockets to keep them from doing what they were spoiling to do.
Shane sat up abruptly and retracted his finger. The reason for the change in his body language became clear when a hot woman holding a clipboard appeared.
She surveyed their motley assembly of five, her eyes resting on Shane. “Are you also getting fitted?”
His nose blazed beet-red and reminded Reece of Rudolph. “No, only the three brothers are in the wedding.” He signaled between himself and Micky. “We’re here for moral support.”
Micky flashed her a salacious grin. “Andthe bachelor party. Care to join us?”
The tailor, who had been so quiet Reece had forgotten about him, cleared his throat and shot Micky a glower.
