Total pages in book: 103
Estimated words: 104766 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 524(@200wpm)___ 419(@250wpm)___ 349(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 104766 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 524(@200wpm)___ 419(@250wpm)___ 349(@300wpm)
Tossing my duffel over the seat and into the back, I fold my massive frame into her car and buckle my seat belt, locking my eyes on the road so I’m not tempted to stare at her.
Dang.
She looks nothing like I remember—not that I could remember shit about her, and not that I would say that out loud. I don’t want to insult her by implying she wasn’t…memorable.
Clearing my throat, I sneak a glance.
Tess has a pleasant expression pasted on her face. I'm not sure if it’s because she’s concentrating on the road or what she’s about to say next.
“How was your flight?”
“Good.”
Uneventful. Boring.
“I slept.”
She nods, her long dark ponytail swinging a little.
Tess is tan, and I remember that she used to play baseball. I wonder if she still does, but don’t ask her. The last thing I want to do is ask her weird, random questions about herself.
I yawn, doing my best to stretch my long legs in what little legroom her car has, but I was cramped the entire flight here, so another twenty minutes won’t kill me.
“Any turbulence?”
“Nothing terrible.”
Not like this painful conversation.
I rack my brain. “How is the bachelor party planning coming along?”
Beside me, she lifts her chin and adjusts the rearview mirror as she gives it a hard look at the cars behind her, merging onto the highway from the airport’s main drag.
“Good, I guess. Grady is super into it. It’s like he’s the best man or something.”
“How does the best man feel about it?”
Tess smiles. “He doesn’t seem to care. Lucas has been celebrating his wedding for the past month.”
“My brother is like that for our birthday.” Drake celebrates all damn month long as if he were the next coming of the Lord, not just the day or weekend of. “Loves to go out and make it known that it’s his birthday for the entire month of May.”
By the way, it’s May, and I haven’t celebrated once.
Our birthday is in two weeks.
Not that I care or am counting.
Tess drives along. “The guys are at the house waitin’ for you. I think Grady plans on orderin’ pizza this afternoon, plus beer. He usually works until around four, but he’s getting done a little early today. You won’t be alone long, plus there’s the dog.” She squints as she goes over the information Grady plied her with. “Tomorrow, the fun begins. Lucas wants to go golfing, but Grady hasn’t gone in years, so he took a pass. You’re supposed to let them know if you want to join.”
All things Grady could have told me himself in a text but was too lazy to. Or too busy.
No matter.
I tip my seat back, reclining. “I’ll take a nap when I get there.”
This weekend isn’t about relaxing. It’s about cutting loose and having a fuck ton of fun. But to do that, I have to rest up! Since Grady is still working, I don’t have to hit the ground running.
“Thanks for pickin’ me up,” I lament. “I could have taken an Uber.”
Tess laughs. “As if Grady would allow that.” She sniffs. “It’s no problem. It’s not like I had anythin’ goin’ on today.”
“What are you doing while you’re home?”
She’s quiet while she turns on her blinker and waits for the left-hand arrow to turn green.
“Going to the bachelorette party, obviously. We’re all wearin’ white, and we’re all wearin’ veils. It’ll be extremely confusin’ at the honky-tonk.” She laughs.
“Is that where the bachelor party is?”
“I’m not sure if that’s where you’ll start, but I reckon that’s where you’ll end up.”
I reckon that’s where you’ll end up…
I lean into my seat and close my eyes for a few seconds. I haven’t heard a Texas twang since the last time I was home for the holidays, my brother’s not included.
It feels good.
Real good.
“I reckon we will.”
CHAPTER 4
TESS
SHOUT OUT TO ALL THE SINGLE LADIES COMPLAINING ABOUT BEING SINGLE BUT NEVER WANTING TO GO OUT, JUST SITTING AT HOME, WAITING FOR MR. RIGHT TO BREAK INTO THEIR HOUSE.
Oh my god.
Having Drew Colter in my car was worse than I thought it would be. When I dropped him off at my brother’s and headed to my friend Miranda’s, I caught a whiff of his cologne. Shooting him a little wave when he leaned through the open window to thank me once again, I couldn’t help watching him walk to the house.
Those jeans.
That ass.
Shit.
I thought I was over this stupid crush!
I was.
I am!
Ugh.
I pull up to Miranda’s. I’m staying with her over the weekend because I have no desire to stay with my parents. The last thing I want the night of the bachelorette party is to sneak into the house in the middle of the night and get scolded for being out so late. As if I were a child and still had a curfew, my parents keep track of my every move when I’m home.