Page 25 of Three Pucking Wedding Dates

Gray chuckles, shaking his head. “Try forty thousand,” he replies with a grin.

No way.

My eyes widen in shock. “You’re kidding! That’s almost as much as I make in a year!” I can’t help but feel a pang of envy. This took less than two hours of his time, while I work forty-hour weeks every year to try and make the same amount.

Leaning in, Gray presses a gentle kiss to my cheek. “What’s mine is yours, you know.” His words warm my heart, but I know what he’s implying. And I still just don’t think I can go there with him, not right now.

I blush. “Thank you, Gray. That means a lot, but I’m doing just fine on my own.”

“If you say so.” He changes the subject. “So, how did your beef Wellington turn out?”

I hesitate for a moment, trying to find the right words. “It went okay,” I say quietly, hoping he’ll leave it at that because I don’t want to divulge all the details.

“Really? You don’t sound too confident about it. I want to see it,” he insists, a playful smirk on his face.

“Gray, no. It’s not worth showing off, trust me,” I try to dissuade him, but he’s already heading toward my table.

“Wow, Oakley, this looks amazing!” he exclaims, peering down at Reid’s dish. “Why didn’t you want to show this off?” His eyes are filled with confusion, but before I can defend myself, Reid joins us, laughing.

“Maybe because that one isn’t hers,” Reid says with a mischievous grin. He reaches into the oven and retrieves my dish, setting it on the counter next to his. The difference between the two is glaringly obvious.

Gray’s eyes dart between Reid’s perfect beef Wellington and my own…disaster. I can see him searching for the right words, trying to find something nice to say about it. But it’s Reid who cuts to the chase.

“Oakley, this is just…awful,” he says bluntly, his lips twitching with a suppressed laugh.

My cheeks burn, but before I can respond, Gray bursts into laughter as well, joined by Reid. The two of them lean against each other, their laughter filling the room.

“Okay, okay, that’s enough!” I exclaim, my annoyance flaring up. My pride may be wounded, but I’m not going to let them have all the fun at my expense.

I grab a handful of flour from a nearby bowl and, without a second thought, hurl it in their direction. It explodes across Gray’s chest and Reid’s face, covering them both in a fine white powder.

“Hey!” Gray sputters, wiping the flour away from his mouth, his eyes wide with surprise. “What was that for?”

“Think you’re so funny, do you?” I challenge, a smirk growing on my lips. “Let’s see how you like a taste of your own medicine.”

“Two can play at that game,” Reid warns, grinning wickedly as he scoops up a handful of flour himself.

Within moments, the kitchen becomes a battlefield, all of us dodging and launching our powdery projectiles. Laughter fills the air as we duck behind counters and tables, attempting to outwit and outmaneuver each other.

As I take cover behind a stack of mixing bowls, I can’t help but think about how lucky I am to have friends like Gray and Reid. Sure, they might tease me relentlessly, but they also know how to turn even the most embarrassing situations into something fun.

“Gotcha!” Reid shouts triumphantly as a cloud of flour erupts in my face, momentarily blinding me. I sputter and cough, trying to shake it off.

“Reid, you jerk!” I exclaim, wiping my eyes with the back of my hand. “You’re going to pay for that!”

“Bring it on, Oakley!” he taunts, darting away with a grin.

As I scoop up another handful of flour and take aim, I can’t help but laugh. Despite my less-than-successful cooking attempt, this is turning out to be one unforgettable day.

Flour billows through the air like a powdery snowstorm as we continue our playful battle. Gray’s laughter fills my ears as he ducks behind a prep table, narrowly avoiding a handful of flour I aimed at his head. Reid, not far away, smirks and launches his own attack on Gray, who emerges from his hiding spot just in time to catch the surprise assault.

“Nice try, but you’ll have to do better than that!” I call out, giggling as I watch them both wiping flour from their faces.

“Watch out, Oakley!” Gray warns playfully, tossing another cloud of flour in my direction. I dodge it with a laugh, retaliating by sending a handful of the stuff right back at him.

“Ha! Missed me!” I grin triumphantly as Gray shakes his head, flour cascading from his sandy-blond hair.

But just as I’m about to claim victory, Gray lunges forward, grabbing my hand and pulling me close. My heart races as he looks into my eyes, his brown orbs filled with warmth and mischief.

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