“Come on, you guys. Dinner’s ready and I’m starving,” Dad said. Evelynn followed our parents back into the kitchen.
“You are so whipped,” I snickered as we trailed along behind them.
Jayce threw his arm around my shoulder and laughed. “It’s called being in love, and I can’t wait for it to happen to you someday so I can give you back all the hell you’ve given me.”
“You’ll be waiting a long time,” I muttered, trying to remember the last time I’d even been on a date. With the amount of studying and work I’d had to do the last few years, I’d barely had time for eating and sleeping, much less getting to know anyone. But with college behind me and a job opportunity in the works that I had yet to tell my family about, I hoped that, eventually, I would meet someone.
Jayce stopped walking and turned to me, his expression serious. “All joking aside, you’re an amazing guy, Cole. The right man is out there for you, and eventually, you’ll find him.”
I smiled shyly. “Thanks, Jayce. I appreciate that.” My family had always been accepting and supportive of me; a fact that I never took for granted. I knew a lot of people who weren’t so lucky.
“I mean it. Of course, whoever he is, he’ll have to pass the brother test before things get too serious.”
I arched an eyebrow at him. “Brother test?”
“Well, yeah. I have to make sure he’s good enough for my little brother.” I shook my head at him and grinned. It was good to be home.
As we ate the delicious pot roast Mom had made, we talked about the wedding. Evelynn cupped her hand around her phone so Jayce couldn’t see as she showed me a picture of her gown that she’d just gotten back from the seamstress.
“You’re going to look amazing,” I told her. Of course, she always did, but I knew that seeing her in that dress was going to leave my brother speechless.
“Thank you,” she responded softly. She flicked through a few more pictures, showing me her bridesmaid dresses. Her sister and four of her closest friends from high school and college would be standing with her.
“Oh, that reminds me. Phillip, Turner and Chase can’t get here until next week, but Miles said he can help with the bachelor party and anything else you need done,” Jayce told me.
My head whipped up so fast, I was surprised I didn’t give myself whiplash. “Miles? As in, Miles Butler?” I squeaked. My stomach tightened into a knot as he nodded.
Jayce gave me an odd look. “Yeah. He and I have always been close, so of course, I wanted him to stand up with me.”
I wanted to kick myself for not considering that possibility sooner. Of course, Jayce would want him there. The two of them had been inseparable in high school, playing football and basketball together all four years. Miles Butler; the boy who had tormented me every chance he got, using names like Squirt and Pipsqueak to point out my smaller size. He’d never been outright cruel, Jayce wouldn’t have allowed it, but his teasing had been relentless. My happier mood from before quickly disappeared as a feeling of dread settled over me.
I faked a loud yawn and pushed away from the table. “Dinner was great, Mom, but I’m beat. I think I’m going to head on over to the apartment.” I made my way around the table, giving everyone a hug and a kiss.
After living on my own for the last few years, the idea of staying with my parent hadn’t really appealed to me, So when Evelynn mentioned that her parents needed to book a hotel room, I’d insisted that they use my room at my parents’ house instead. The lease on Jayce’s old apartment was paid up through the end of the year, and all his furniture was still in it since he and Evelynn had bought new when they’d moved into their house.
Jayce followed me into the other room so I could get my coat and suitcase. “You need a ride?” he asked as he fished the key out of his pocket and handed it to me.
“Nah, I’ve got my car in the garage. I’m going to need a set of wheels to get around anyway.”
He eyed me closely. “Is everything okay, Cole?”
“Of course. Why wouldn’t it be?”
He shrugged. “I don’t know. Everything was going great, and then you just started acting kind of strange.”
I laid a hand on his arm and squeezed. “Everything’s fine. I promise. I just need to get a good night’s sleep.”
“Okay. You get some rest and call me if you need anything. I’ll come over tomorrow and we’ll hang out.”
I nodded and he wrapped his arms around me in a big bear hug. With one last smile, I walked out to the garage and climbed into my old car. Then I let my head drop back on the headrest and closed my eyes. As much as I loathed the idea of having to see Miles again, I was just going to have to suck it up, for Jayce’s sake. I refused to let anything, or anyone ruin his special day. Not even an asshole like Miles Butler.
Chapter Two
MILES
I finished goingover a checklist of items with my foreman, Brian. The six-month remodel on a bank in downtown Raleigh was in its final stages and with the building inspector expected to show up the following day, I wanted to make sure we hadn’t overlooked anything.
I'd always been fascinated with buildings and how they were designed, and I loved working with my hands. That made the decision easy when it came time to choose a major in college. My dream was to own and operate my own construction company one day, but I knew there was a lot I needed to learn first if I wanted it to be a success. So, I worked my way through school, learning everything I could about the construction industry and saving every paycheck until I’d graduated with degrees in both engineering and business.
