Page 136 of Just One of the Groomsmen
One new beginning several months ago, when Shep announced his and Lexi’s engagement; another after a football game where she and Tucker had gotten a little frisky and then come back here and fully crossed all the lines.
Countless new beginnings through the years.
These days, Tucker and Flash spent most nights at her place, but they spent their Monday through Thursday workdays here in the houseboat, where Tucker took client meetings and occasionally agreed to fix up boats, and Flash alternated between making messes and taking naps.
Fridays and Saturdays were for working on boats or for taking them out on the water, or for sleeping in and watching football when it was on and complaining about the lack of it when it wasn’t.
Tucker looked at her, and she nodded, silently telling him to go ahead. “Guys, before we get started, Addie and I have some news…”
“We already know you drew up plans for the house,” Ford said. “People in town have been talking about it for the past week. Lots of opinions. Some have voiced their hope that the place won’t be an eyesore like Nellie Mae’s fuchsia house that she built herself; several think you’re crazy to build on land that needs so much work; and a few people asked me why you think you’re too good to live in town like everyone else.”
“Actually, it’s somethin’ else,” Addie said, ignoring the urge to defend herself against that eyesore claim.
Their house was going to be modest and beautiful and 100 percent their business and their business only.
“Did you get a promotion?” Easton asked, addressing her. “If you guys are telling us the house plan is off and you’re going to work for Bama, I might have to flip this table. Just saying.”
“No, I… Well, I did sorta get a promotion.” Working with the AU football team was amazing. She loved her job and helping the athletes, and then during the off season, she also did a few personal visits for her former clients or people in town who weren’t fans of the guy whose name was on the door of the physical therapy office. “Same building, but now I’m number two instead of number five on the sports therapy totem pole.”
“Nice!”
Flash came up on Addie’s left side and nudged her hand with his nose, and Addie scratched the top of his head in that way he liked. Lexi glanced down, and her eyes went wide as the diamond on Addie’s finger caught the light.
“I think they have other news,” Lexi said, and her voice went up a few octaves, but apparently not high enough for Flash to hear because he flopped down on the floor, evidently bored with the conversation already.
And the jig is up.
“So, you guys might recall that Tucker and I have been friends for a while now,” Addie said, thinking again of the night Shep had announced his engagement.
Tucker slipped his arm over her shoulders and kissed her temple. “Well, I asked her to marry me the other night, and she said yes. We’re gettin’ hitched.”
Lexi let out a squeal and started rattling off wedding-planning details, and Addie blinked at her for a moment and then smiled. “Thank goodness I have you to help. You probably don’t know this about me, but I’m not exactly the wedding-planning type.”
“Noooo,” Lexi said, as if she was all shock, and the rest of them laughed and offered their congratulations.
“Which brings me to my next point.” Addie sat up straighter in her seat and grinned at her guy friends. “You all are gonna be my bridesmaids.”
The expressions went in waves. Twitching eyebrows, forehead crinkles, pursed lips.
“Don’t worry,” she said. “I won’t make y’all wear dresses.”
“Are you sure?” Ford asked. “I don’t know if you know this about me, but I got real sexy legs.”
He propped his foot on the table and pulled up his pants leg to display a few inches of his hairy calf, and Addie whistled and yelled for him to “take it off.”
“Wait,” Tucker said, twisting to face her. “I get some of them, right?”
“We’ll do it like when we split into teams. Or maybe we should do a quick draft—like fantasy wedding party. Quick, guys. Give us your stats.”
They all started rattling off their strengths and weaknesses, a few of which made Lexi blush, and Addie sat and soaked it in.
This was going to be so fun.
She glanced at Lexi. “I’m using my first pick on you, by the way. Will you be one of my bridesmaids?”
Her eyes went watery as she nodded and lunged over Flash to give Addie a hug. “You shouldn’t use your first pick on me, though. I’m kind of a shoo-in.”
“Too late. Things move fast in the draft, and you’ve just gotta go with it.”
