Page 4 of Just One of the Groomsmen
“Your poker face is crap, Crawford. I know you’re thinking about how funny it is that I just agreed to wear a freaking bridesmaid’s dress, and if you don’t want me to jam that beer you’re drinking where the sun don’t shine, I suggest you wipe the smirk off your face.” She pointed her finger around the table. “That goes for all of you.”
“I appreciate you going along with it,” Shep said. “I told Lexi that you’d probably slug me just for suggesting it.”
“Lucky for you, you were too far away and wearing that lovestruck grin that makes me take pity on you.”
“When someone basically says thank you, maybe don’t follow that up by insulting them.” Shep placed three cards, face up, in the center of the table. “Just a suggestion.”
“This is why so many guys in town are scared of you,” Easton said with a laugh.
She clucked her tongue. “They are not.”
The other half of the table nodded.
Tucker found himself nodding even though he hadn’t lived in town for the better part of two years. It’d been like that since high school, with Addie intimidating anyone who dared cross her path, and the selfish part of him was glad no one had come in and swept her off her feet.
Not that she would ever let some guy do the sweeping. A few had probably tried, with her completely oblivious. With her dark-brown hair that was forever in a ponytail, the smattering of freckles across her nose, her big brown eyes, and the fact that she was cool as hell, it was surprising she’d stayed mostly single.
Ford pinned her with a look. “Addie, when dudes come in to see you for physical therapy, you tell them to stop crying over something your grandma could do.”
“Well, she could! My nonna is tougher than most of the crybabies who come in and whine about having to put in the work it takes to get over their injuries. Telling them my grandma could do it is motivating.”
“Not to ask you out,” Ford said, and snickers went around the table.
“Very funny. Being scared of me and being undateable are two different things.”
“You’re hardly undateable,” Tucker said, the words similar to exchanges they’d had before.
“Yeah, but it’s nearly impossible to find someone who doesn’t already know too much about me—or me about him—and even if I manage that, then I introduce him to you guys, and things unravel pretty quickly after that.”
“Maybe with one of us gettin’ hitched, we’ll be less intimidating.” Shep dealt the turn and they started a round of betting.
“I’m sure it’s me,” Addie muttered. “Now, do you guys want to talk about my pathetic dating life, or do y’all want me to finish taking your money?”
“Wow, what great options,” Tucker deadpanned. “Not sure why anyone would be scared of you. Couldn’t be all the threats.”
She turned those brown eyes on him and cocked an eyebrow. “Listen, city boy. Maybe you can just flash your shiny car and some Benjamins to get your way where you live, but here we still live and die by the same code.”
He leaned in, challenge firing in his veins. “And that is…?”
“Loser buys beer next time. And/or acts as designated driver.”
“And sleeps on the breakfast bar,” Easton added, jerking his chin toward the hardwood bench they’d taken turns crashing out on at one time or another. There were only so many sleeping spots in the houseboat. Winner and runner-up got the bed, and third place landed the couch.
“Oh, man.” Shep rubbed his lower back. “I don’t think I’ve recovered from the last time I passed out there.” He dealt the last card, revealing the river, and Tucker watched for everyone’s reactions.
The guys folded after he doubled the bet, and then it came down to him and Addie.
“Poker’s so much better with all of us here,” she said.
“Trying to distract me?” Tucker asked. “’Cause it won’t work.”
She laughed. “No, just telling the truth. We’ve tried to play with people from everyone’s respective jobs, or some other rando who wants in when they hear we play poker, and it always sucks. And it’s never as interesting with just four.”
Ford shifted forward in his seat. “Remember Buck? That guy never shut up.”
“And thanks to you”—Tucker gave Ford’s shoulder a shove—“we already have the loudmouth position filled.”
Ford flipped him off and then let out a loud burp. “He also scratched his balls even more than Easton does.”
