Page 89 of Just One of the Groomsmen
The eccentric woman who had on a colorful skirt and a scarf tied around her head like a rainbow version of Rambo cleared her throat and began giving them the details about how the first dance at the wedding would go.
The music would start, and at first, it would be just Shep and Lexi waltzing in the middle of the floor to Tori Kelly and Ed Sheeran’s “I Was Made For Loving You.” As soon as the song moved to the second verse, the bridesmaids and groomsmen would join in and dance around the couple, who’d remain in the middle.
Lexi gave Tucker and Addie an especially wide grin when she paired them up, and Tucker scooted closer to his sexy dance partner. “Does she know?”
“She knows that I… You know.”
“Gonna need more details.”
If Shep’s girl was onto them, there was no way she wouldn’t tell him. It was surprising his friend hadn’t cornered him yet and asked what the hell.
Then Easton would know he’d gone ahead and crossed the line, and Ford would join in, and they’d land in that unnecessary drama they’d worried about.
Part of him wanted to sayso what.
So what if they knew that he wanted to kiss the girl they all claimed wasn’t one?
So what if they didn’t know how to plan for or solve every complication?
Those complications were why, though.
It’d only be a matter of time before everyone they passed on the street was adding their opinion. About how they always knew it’d happen or how it would never work. They’d make bets on if it’d last and gather information that could double as ammunition, in order to better decide whose side to be on if it went south.
When news of his parents’ divorce broke, their mutual friends acted supportive and promised to remain neutral, but as it turned messy and more of what they assumed were facts came out, most of Mom’s friends turned on her, judging her for moving on so soon.
Sides were taken, and people who’d come over for countless barbecues and birthday parties through the years were suddenly arguing in the street over who was “in the right” and making decrees about never talking to one another again.
As Addie pointed out, neither of them was great at making long-term relationships work.
It was easy to say things would stay the same, but they never did. If they failed and bitterness and resentment crept in and they couldn’t be around each other—like his parents couldn’t be in the same room without arguing to this day—what would that do to their group of friends?
Uncomfortable pressure built in his chest, and on top of that, he couldn’t stop worrying people would end up talking about Addie the way they’d talked about Mom.
I’ll do whatever I can to keep that from happening. And if they don’t know, they won’t have any ammunition to use against her.
“Lexi noticed something was up between us after the football game,” Addie whispered, bringing him back to what’d started his mind down the anxiety-filled path in the first place. “Since it made it easier for her to be cool with me being in the wedding, and I was caught anyway, I admitted that my feelings for you had changed. But I haven’t told her anything happened because we agreed to keep it a secret.”
Shep walked up behind them, placing his hands on both of their shoulders and sticking his head between theirs. “Are you two paying attention? Because if this doesn’t go well, Lexi will be upset, and I need her to be happy when I get her home, if you catch my drift.”
Addie opened her mouth—Tucker would bet money to make a smart-ass remark about his code being way too cryptic—but then Shep squeezed their shoulders harder.
“Not to mention that thanks to agreein’ to have the weddin’ here, Lexi’s had to deal with a whole bunch of crazy shit involving the people in town, and pressure from her mom and friends, so she’s getting her damn waltz. You guys copy?”
“We copy, we copy,” Addie said, shrinking away from his vise grip. “Also, uncle already.”
“Oh, and thanks for spilling theHPbeans to Lexi, Murph. Don’t think I won’t pay you back for that.” Shep clapped them both on the back, and then stepped between them and toward Lexi so he could help demonstrate the steps.
“HPbeans?” Tucker asked, and Addie shrugged, her expression equal parts self-satisfaction and false innocence. After making sure Shep was preoccupied learning the “proper form for the waltz,” Tucker draped his arm around Addie’s shoulders and whispered, “How good a mood do you need to be in, if you catch my drift?”
Addie elbowed him in the side, grinning when he grunted. Then they got another stern glare, and just like when they were kids, they assumed the instinctual stick-straight posture that only ever pronounced your guilt.
The dance instructor raised her voice to address the room. “Okay, now we’re all going to try it.”
Most of the time, Tucker would be tempted to fake an injury to get out of anything involving learning dance steps. Since he now had a perfectly good excuse to put his hands on Addie, he was unexpectedly all about it.
Her forehead crinkled as she watched the woman at the front laying out the steps while rattling off foreign terms. “I just vowed to never dance again, and look where that got me.”
“As I recall, you even told me you wouldn’t dance with me.”
