Page 12 of Three Pucking Wedding Dates

“Two whiskeys, neat,” Reid says decisively before I can get a word out, and the bartender leaves quickly to make them.

“I don’t like whiskey,” I comment.

“With what you’ve just told me, you need it.”

I raise an eyebrow at him. “You’re making decisions for me now?”

“Got a problem with it, Price?”

“I do, Archer.”

“Get over it.”

I can’t help but smile. It’s been too long since I’ve seen Reid in person, but it feels like we haven’t missed a step, except for the little hiccup when he didn’t recognize me.

Reid and I have kept in contact a bit over the years, but nowhere near as much as Gray and I have, just a few messages here and there.

Still, he’s the same Reid that I remember.

“Alright, show me this stepsister.”

I sigh, pulling out my phone and quickly scrolling through social media until I find a recent photo of Georgia to show Reid. It isn’t hard when she posts every second of her day like she’s some kind of celebrity. I hand the phone over to Reid.

He takes it, studying the image for a moment before nodding. “Yeah, she’s hot. I’d take her for a ride myself if I didn’t know who she was.”

I snatch my phone out of his hands. “Thanks, Reid. You know what to say to make a girl feel better, don’t you?”

“If you want someone to sugarcoat it, ask Gray next time.” He laughs. “I’m always going to tell you the truth, and the truth is that she’s sexy as sin.”

I frown. “So, I didn’t stand a chance?”

“She has more sex appeal, sure, but she’s not the kind of woman a man wants to settle down with. She’s more like you take her to dinner, spend a little money on her and then go to a nice hotel and never see her again. You’re different.”

I’m not sure how I’m supposed to feel about his words. “Different how?”

“You have an innocent beauty. Any man who’s with you won’t want to share you. You’re the take home to meet Momma, marry, and have kids with kinda beauty.”

I raise an eyebrow at Reid. “You can tell all of that from our looks?”

“Yep.” He smirks. “I’ve been in this business for a long time, dollface.”

The first time he said that at the rink, it had felt condescending, but the nickname is quickly growing on me.

I appreciate his candor. It’s refreshing after all the lies and deceit I’ve dealt with recently. “So, answer me this, why did Dan choose Georgia then? Why is he marrying her?”

“A, he knocked her up. B, he’s getting lost in the moment. C, she shows him more love than you did. It’s probably a combination of all three, but he’ll realize that he messed up and go crawling back after you.”

I have to stop my eyes from bulging out of my head from the way he was able to identify the situation so easily, even though he wasn’t a part of it.

“You’re good.”

“I know I am.” He winks at me. “You shouldn’t have even been with the guy. You’re smart, fiercely loyal, and you have this fire inside you that demands respect. Any guy would be lucky to have you by his side.”

“Reid Archer, are you actually being sincere for once?” I tease, trying to lighten the mood, but his words have already made their impact, settling into my core like a warm, comforting embrace.

“Don’t act like it’s unheard of.”

“It isn’t.”

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