Page 51 of Just One of the Groomsmen
“Addie?”
She jerked her focus to the person on the other line, stepping out of the room even though everything inside her revolted. With football on, she’d inevitably get caught up in it, and this was important. “Hey, Lexi.”
“I appreciate you sending that information about the tulle. I’m, uh, not sure if that’s how we’ll drape it. My mother wants it more like curtains, but that should give us a basic estimate of how much we need. And now I’m rambling…”
Addie sucked in a breath and held it. She usually rambled when she didn’t want to spit out whatever she needed to say, and she assumed Lexi was doing the same.
She’d also known those pictures she’d sent of the decorated gazebo column were rough, but it was her first experience decorating anything besides a Christmas tree, and Mom and Nonna always rearranged the ornaments she put on anyhow.
“Will has assured me over and over that nothing really happened between you two, and I want to believe him, and it’s not that I don’t think he’s not telling the truth, but you could see how I feel weird about one of his exes being in my wedding. It was already weird enough with you being a groomsman.”
Every one of Addie’s organs turned to stone.
She didn’t realize how much she cared about being part of the wedding until she was sure that she wouldn’t be.
“I understand,” she started. “As much as I can, anyway, since it’s not a situation I’ve ever been in. It’s your wedding, so of course it’s up to you. Just…please let me come to the ceremony. I’ll sit near the back and then wish him well superfast and leave, I promise.”
Lexi’s heavy sigh came over the line.
Addie paced across the archway, and Tucker caught her eye. Then he was off the couch and walking over, and if he asked if she was okay, she’d probably burst into tears.
“I think it’s harder to know what to do because I like you, Addie, I do,” Lexi said. “If I told any of my bridesmaids about this, they’d think I was crazy for evenconsideringkeeping you in the wedding. I guess I just don’t totally get your friendship with Will.”
Hands curled around Addie’s shoulders, and she leaned back against Tucker’s chest. After he’d talked her down that night things with Lexi blew up, she’d decided accepting comfort from him wasn’t weakness.
It made her feel stronger. Steadier.
“He’s like my brother—all of the guys are. We know way too much about each other. We’ve never been a conventional bunch, but we’ve always been there for each other. I see how happy you make Shep, and I hope you know I’d never do anything to get in the way of that.”
“Doesn’t anyone call him Will?”
“You do. Will Shepherd is all yours, and you know him in ways no one else ever will. Shep is one of my closest friends, and I want him to be happy. And because of that, I’ll help you with wedding stuff, even if I can’t go.”
Tucker tensed and whispered, “She’s telling you that you can’t go to the wedding? Shep will never agree to that.”
Addie put a finger to her lips so he wouldn’t get upset and ruin the leeway she hoped she was making, then she grabbed Tucker’s hand and squeezed it, needing the extra lifeline.
“Of course you can come to the ceremony—I’d never keep you from the wedding. Can we…wait on the other thing?”
A knot formed in Addie’s gut, and she swallowed and put as much conviction as she could into her voice. “Sure. Did you want to meet up sometime this week to deal with planning stuff?”
“I’ll text you.”
Addie couldn’t help thinking that meantnowithout having to actually say no. Unable to do much else, she told Lexi goodbye, and after she’d disconnected the call, she spun and placed her hands on Tucker’s chest. “Well, I’m going to the wedding. Not sure if I’ll beinit, but whatever.”
He frowned.
“Seriously, it’s better this way. I’ll wear a dress of my choosing and flats instead of heels, and it takes off some of the pressure.”
Tucker took her hand and tugged her into the living room. They didn’t sit on the couch but remained standing behind it.
“Ah, man, the Saints scored again?”
“Right after you stepped out.” Tucker draped his arm around her shoulders. “Lexi probably doesn’t get what a big deal it was for you to miss even a few minutes of that game.”
“Probably not. But you missed a few minutes, too, and I do get what a big deal it is.”
She wrapped him in a side hug, perfectly content to watch the rest of the game like this.
