So why are you desperate to have a heart-to-heart with her about your feelings?
“You sure about that?”
Teddy looked up to see Ace wiping sweat from his brow as he lowered his power drill.
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
Ace took his time studying him before replying. “It means you don’t sound so sure about that.”
Teddy let out a sigh and heaved himself up. “Is this what we’re doing now ... sharing? You wanna braid my hair too?”
“Fuck off, Teddy, you don’t have to be an asshole.”
As he watched his sister’s fiancé shake his head in exasperation, Teddy blew out a long breath. Great. Now he felt guilty. Summer was making him soft.
“Look, man, I’m sorry.” Ace went from pissed off to suspicious as Teddy spoke. “I didn’t get much sleep last night ... I swear to God, man, wipe that look off your face right fucking now, or I’ll wipe it off for you!”
Ace threw up his hands defensively. “Whoa, whoa, whoa! Cool it, man. I didn’t say jackshit.”
“Don’t even pretend you weren’t about to. Your eyebrows practically shot up to your hairline the moment I mentioned not getting enough sleep.”
“So now you’re the eyebrow police, dude?”
Teddy felt his lips twitch, but he refused to allow a smile to crack. “We’re not on a dude basis yet.”
“Oh no?” Ace didn’t seem to have the same trouble as he did flashing his pearly whites. “How about brother? After all, in just one short week that’s what we’ll be.” He was enjoying this way too much.
“I really fucking hate you.”
“Has anyone ever told you that you swear like a sailor?” Ace doubled over laughing at his own joke.
Teddy prayed for patience. He couldn’t punch the man in the face. Could he?
Ivy will give you so much shit if you ruin her wedding pictures.
He was obviously thinking too long. He hadn’t even noticed that Ace had stopped laughing until that smarmy Southern drawl was back and polluting his ears once again.
“Come on, Teddy. You gonna tell me what’s going on with you? You’re even more ornery than usual. Or ... shall I go get your sister and have her drag it out of you?”
Fucking Ace.
Teddy didn’t even know how to reply. It was true. He wasn’t acting like a man in love. And he was. He got the girl. Finally. But that niggling feeling making the hairs on the back of his neck prick up was mocking him. Something was wrong. He could feel it.
Over the years, he’d learned to trust his gut. It had kept him alive on more than one occasion during his time in the Navy. But this wasn’t a mission. This was a relationship. And he had no idea what he was doing.
Teddy used his sleeve to swat the sweat trickling down his face. “Fine,” he huffed. “I think something’s up with Summer, but I don’t know what. I don’t know if it’s something I’ve done or said or didn’t do. I’m clueless. Happy?”
“That’s it?”
Teddy looked up to find Ace frowning at him. “What do you mean that’s it?” Did the man not hear him say he was clueless?
“Well, brother, there’s this thing in relationships called communication. In case you didn’t know ... that means talking.”
Yep, decision made. Teddy was definitely going to punch Ace. Wedding photos be damned.
“Have you tried asking her what’s wrong?”
What was Teddy thinking going to this clown for relationship advice?