Before she can think too much about that, I do the one thing I’ve been dying to do since arriving at the house. I lean in and kiss her gently.
The moment she melts into me, it’s as if everything suddenly feels right again.
Jax and I are meeting Ryker at the studio this afternoon, but he calls and asks if I’d grab lunch with him first. Knowing how much it takes out of me to finish a song, I eagerly agree.
He chooses a restaurant on the edge of town with the best French dip sandwiches, or so he says. Once we settle into the booth with our food, he stares at me instead of digging in right away, which is odd. This man always has an appetite.
“Something on your mind?” I ask after taking my first bite.
“You and I’ve gotten close this last year on tour. In fact, you’ve become one of my best friends. I don’t want to make this weird, so I’ll come straight out with it. Will you be my best man?”
I’m not sure what my expression shows, but I wasn’t expecting this.
Before I can respond, Jax continues, “You’ve become important to both Sloane and me on tour. We couldn’t imagine not having you included in our special day.”
Clearing my throat, I quickly say, “Uh, yeah. Of course. I’d be honored.”
Jax’s grin is infectious. “Great. I’m gonna ask Ryker and Ryan to be my other groomsmen.”
“Do I need a tux?”
Thankfully, Jax shakes his head. “No. We’re not wearing them. Apparently, Sloane only needs to know your sizes, and she’ll take care of everything. We’re going for a casual beach wedding, where we’ll wear white shirts and dress pants.”
“Really? I thought she’d want something more formal. With Sloane being the epitome of being a planner.”
“I know, right?” Jax laughs. “But I think with all the planning for Lanie and Ryan’s wedding, she wants to keep it simple and fun, with very little stress for everyone involved.” Then he shakes his head. “If you think she’s not planning everything to a T, you clearly don’t know my future wife… Huh… wife… I love the sound of that.” Jax’s expression turns gooey, and I swear the man has stars twinkling in his eyes.
“She’s perfect for you.” I grin at seeing how smitten he is with her. Then I admit, “I hope one day I’m as lucky as you are to find someone so special.”
Why the hell does Raven’s beautiful face pop into my brain at this moment?
Surely, it’s because we’re talking about Sloane, and they’re identical twins.
That’s gotta be it, right?
No, dumbass, you’re clearly thinking of Raven. Let’s face it, you’ve hardly stopped thinking of her since the day you met… and now, you’re stuck pretending to be her boyfriend during some of the biggest moments of her family’s lives.
Fuck, will they all hate me when things between Raven and I end?
Clueless to my internal freakout, he grins widely. “I really hope that for you, man. It’s the best feeling in the world.”
I’m sure it is. Maybe someday I’ll experience it.
“As the best man, are there any other responsibilities I should know about? What about a bachelor party… a speech? You know I’m down to help with anything you need.”
“Ah… we’re all going out for beers on Wednesday for Ryan. I’m good with that.” He’s quiet for a moment as he finally takes a bite of his sandwich. When he’s done chewing, he chuckles once. “Ha… I’m probably the least rockstar-like-groom on the planet. All I want is to make music and spend my time with Sloane. I could give two shits about anything else.”
“That kind of attitude will keep you successful at both,” I encourage. I’ve seen plenty of people in this business lose focus on their priorities, leading them on the shortcut to disaster. Jax, well, he’s the real deal. He loves music, but if he chose to walk away from it, I’m positive he’d land on his feet.
“That sure is the plan. I love her, and I’m thrilled her family is on board with our impromptu wedding.” Taking a sip of his soda, he chuckles. “Hell… I half-expected her dad or someone in her family to ask if she were pregnant… She isn’t, for the record… But I wouldn’t blame them for asking.”
“Y’all had a valid reason to keep things on the down low. The moment you step back on stage at the Seaside festival, and we release our first single as a band, you’re gonna be back in the spotlight for the foreseeable future.”
“Uggg… don’t get me wrong. I want to make it big with our band. But I won’t deny I loved my low-key life in Seaside. Sure, I get recognized by locals, but they knew me before fame, so they don’t treat me much different from before. Besides, it’s such a tourist town, I can still stay on the fringe of being recognized.”
“This new album we’re working on hopefully will change that for all of us.”
Lifting his glass to mine, he clinks it. “Here’s to the success of Ruby Frax!”
