Page 60 of The Trouble with Runaway Brides

“Most of the time.” I smile again. “Let’s play pool.”

I move to slide off my seat, but Van brings over another shot for each of us, so I pause in place.

“Your Majesty. And I’m opening in half an hour, and I can’t stop certain people from coming in here.” He eyes Brinley.

She snags my arm before I can escape. “Got it, boss.”

Van rolls his eyes and goes back behind the bar.

Then she turns her attention back to me. “You’re hiding something. What is it?”

I hold up the shot glass and clink it with hers. “To a whole new friendship.”

We down the shots and she waits, not distracted in the least.

With a sigh, I flop back in the seat. “It’s just hard. He works a lot. He couldn’t even help me plan the wedding. When we were going to have it in New York City, he was going to have a wedding planner do it all. He actually said, ‘Why do they need us? They’ll plan a perfect wedding and all we have to do is show up.’”

She nods, but there’s sympathy in her gaze.

“I’m not saying it’s bad. He just doesn’t put a lot of value on making it ours. I feel like Lance has had more of a say in this wedding than my actual fiancé.”

Her eyebrows rise.

“No. No, Brinley. That ship has sailed and sunk to the bottom of the ocean. It’s corroded and has sharks swimming through it now.”

“Whoa. Drastic description.”

“It’s true. Even if I wasn’t with Will, Lance will never get over what I did.”

She nods, knowing it’s the truth. “He’s just always had this thing with you and Easton. Not necessarily jealousy, but I think he thought he was less than. I never really understood it.”

“I think sometimes when people talk about the hot guy, people don’t think about the class president and editor in chief of the school newspaper, they think athlete. And let’s be honest, Easton got a lot of attention from the girls at our high school.” I grab our beers off the table and bring them over to the pool tables. Brinley follows. “But I didn’t care about that with Lance. It was how he knew what I was going to do before I did it. How he found my quirks funny and endearing, never making me feel bad or embarrassed. I hope I did the same for him. It just always felt right with him. That’s the only way I can explain it.”

“And with Will? Does it feel right with him?”

I think about it, deciding to answer honestly. “I don’t know. He’s really different than Lance.”

“Good or bad?”

This is getting to be too much. Brinley’s asking me to dissect things that are probably better left alone. “I appreciate this talk, but can we have it when I’m not feeling a little tipsy? Plus, I just want to enjoy this.” I motion with my finger between the two of us. “Us.”

She smiles and grabs my finger. “Of course. Let’s play pool.”

“I’m opening, ladies,” Van shouts to us.

“Remember who your number one client is,” Brinley calls back.

I laugh because I absolutely love their banter. “You guys are awesome.”

She looks at him as he unlocks the door. “I got really lucky, Kenz. I found two men in one lifetime who loved me wholeheartedly and I’ll never take it for granted.” Her eyes meet mine. “I hope you can say the same because I know Lance loved you with everything he had. Hopefully Will does too.”

I put the balls in the rack, sucking back the tears that want to fall, but as I lift the rack and a few people trickle in, a pair of blue eyes are almost my undoing. Even if he was probably dragged here by Easton, who never wants to miss the party.

“So, you’ve kissed and made up?” Easton asks.

“Yep. We’re back to best friends again.” Brinley chugs her beer and raises the empty glass, motioning to Van, who shakes his head.

“Good. I’m taking Brin as my partner, just like old times,” Easton says.

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