“About you making an awesome best man.”
Surprise flitted across his features before he shut his reaction down and smirked. “You know it.”
I chuckled, saying, “Cass, you wanna stand up with me and be my best man?”
“Hell fucking yes.” He whooped, stood, and tugged me up, patting my back in a hug.
A chorus of “no” surrounded us, followed by potato chips and peanuts being thrown at our heads.
Cassius pulled back, flipping off our team, shouting, “Best man, fuckers. We’ll save the competition for his bachelor party. No way I’m letting that go to waste.”
I tilted my head back and looked at the ceiling. I’d kinda hoped he’d forget about the competition he’d been organizing. I should have known better.
My cell vibrated in my pocket. I pulled it out, my whole body lighting up when I saw Eddie’s name.
“Hey, you,” I answered with a smile.
“Hey, how’d today go?”
“It… went,” I settled on, stepping away from the tables and toward the small yard out the back where I expected it would be quieter.
“That sounds a little ominous.”
I chuckled and looked around the outside space. Finding it empty, I stepped out and settled on one of the chairs. “Not deliberately.” I wiped my hand over my face. “I just miss you.” My gut tightened, knowing I had to tell him the bad news about Coach’s response.
“I miss you. Only a few more days and you’ll be here. We can handle that.”
“Yeah, I know. It’s just going to take some time to accept that it’s all not happening now, you know?”
The sound of his light breaths traveled down the line as he listened to me, pausing a beat before saying, “So I’m guessing Coach Jenkins wasn’t keen on a trade for next season?” Despite the gentleness of his voice, I didn’t need to see his face to know he was upset.
“No. The team’s strong.”
“It is.”
“I’m still hoping Rick pulls something out of the bag at the end of June.”
Eddie released a slow breath. “I know, and I want that too, but I think we best prepare to expect lots of commuting next season. It’ll all work out, though.”
“Yeah,” I answered, my voice quiet. Shit, I needed to pull myself out of this funk. If I couldn’t get to grips with staying put, it would make next season unbearably depressing. I didn’t want that. I loved my job, was so blessed to have it and be living the dream. “We have a venue,” I said abruptly, changing tack, wanting to focus on something amazing.
“Yeah?” This time I heard the smile in his voice.
“It’s amazing. A farmhouse on a lake.” I continued to tell him all about it, describing the photos I saw, and promising to send him the link as soon as I got it from Cassius. I also admitted to making him my best man. Thankfully he only groaned a little, but he did laugh a lot.
By the time we finished discussing our wedding and how Lottie was coping with one arm out of action, Eddie cleared his throat, quickly followed by an “Uhm…”
“Are you going to bring my good mood down?”
“Not deliberately.”
“And now you’re the one who’s sounding all ominous. What’s on your mind?”
“I ran into Wayne today.”
I didn’t have to look in the mirror to know an impressive sneer had formed on my face. “Bet that was thirty seconds you wish you could get back.”
A strangled laugh escaped him. It didn’t have the teasing humor I expected. “I actually… uhm… he was there when I had lunch.”
