Page 56 of Nothing to the Wedding
Thankfully her consumed friend was distracted by the day’s itinerary.What a beauty.So far, Jane was taking the day seriously, maybe too seriously.They’d shake that out of her after the big reveal.This was her day too.
Tripp came wandering into their breakfast room.He’d been moseying around all morning, in and out of both camps.A fidgety toddler.He came over to stop by his mom.
“You’re restless, sweetheart,” Alice Breckenridge said, laying a hand on his when it rested on her shoulder.
“Bored,” Tripp answered.“This is why I never get up before noon.”
Couldn’t help that he was designated to have breakfast with a gang of men.Her girls weren’t much consolation either since they were married, involved, or off the menu.
“Nothing interesting happens before noon,” Toria agreed with him.
“So go back to bed,” Roxie said.“No one’s stopping you.”
They hadn’t partied hard last night, but Zairn hadn’t said anything about how the bachelor party went down.Hmm, groan, she couldn’t exactly ask Tripp how many strippers he took to bed when his mom was right there.
He scanned the table, his expression never flinching from fed up.“You get weird when I single out your girls.”
“And you know why that is,” Roxie said.
“You can go back to bed alone,” Savanna offered.No way his one-day-sister-in-law believed that.“You don’t have to take someone with you.”
“It’s brunch,” Merci said.“Who could even pick up a woman at this time?”
“Tripp,” the whole table chorused, then laughed.
“I’ll go to bed with you,” Roux said, biting off a corner of pastry.
Of course, Roux.Who else would be that blatant with his mother still under his palm?God love her for always being ready to play.
“You’re married,” Tripp said sort of monotone, barely registering they were even talking.“I don’t sleep with married women.”A little more alight, his eyes went to Roux.“Unless you’re separated.Are you separated?”
“We can be,” Roux said, wiping her hands on a napkin before fishing her phone from her purse.“I’ll just text him real quick.”
“No!No, no!”Jane’s exclamation startled them all.“No drama on the wedding day.This is the wedding.Thewedding.It’s finally here and everything has to be perfect.”
Activity suspended, only eyes moved from one person to another.Mentally calling “not it,” they waited for someone to respond to the woman who might flip out at the wrong reaction.
“That’s right!”Toria grabbed control.Damn, she loved her friends.“Everyone is here to celebrate love!Roxie and Zairn’s love!No one’s getting any until they get theirs.”
“Wait, whoa, hold on a second,” Tripp said.“You’re saying I can’t get laid today until Zairn gets laid?”
“Sure,” Toria said with a shrug.Maybe she’d meant that, maybe she hadn’t, but it wasn’t her style to project anything but confidence.“No sex for no one.”
“Okay, no one told me that was a rule,” Tripp said, shifting his stance to something more grounded.“Then, Rox, you’ve got to do it before the pictures, I am not doing this reception sober.”And women were his drug.“This is a wedding, a wedding.”He drew out that last word though it wasn’t necessary, Jane had already made that clear.“And a goddamn target-rich one too.You’ve got to help me out.”
“I’ve seen her dress,” Sway said, happy to poke at Tripp even in his time of crisis.“Z would need to be a damn safe cracker to find his way through all that tulle.”
Tripp shrugged off the concern.“He’ll work around it.Any guy worth his salt can.Zairn’s a professional.”
“Sweetheart,” Alice said, raising her chin to look up at him.“All of your brothers are here.All of them.Can’t you amuse yourself with them?”
“I know they’re your sons and you love them, they’re just not that interesting.”
Might be something to do with their lack of boobs and adoring smiles.His brothers knew better than to fall for the lines.Huh, she hadn’t thought about it.If Zairn had all the Breckenridge Boys at his breakfast, they must be eating in a stadium.
“Buoy will color with you,” Savvy said.“He’s a sweetheart.And, Alice, he asked if he could sleep over in my room tonight.We were going to watch a movie, something from his pictures, about a fish.Would that be okay, Alice?”
“For Buoy to sleep in your room?”Tripp asked, suddenly animated.“You want to have a sleepover with my five-year-old brother?”
