Page 44 of A Way Out
Parker pointed at him. “Your wedding. We didn’t want to take away from your big day.”
“Really?”
Parker shrugged.
Sam started jogging again, and the rest of the group kicked up the pace along with him.
For a few moments, the only sounds were of heavy breathing—the non-sexual, workout kind—and nature. Leaves rustling in the wind, bugs buzzing, birds chirping, the occasional vehicle cruising by.
They were in a fairly remote area, so there weren’t many people to witness a cluster of five buff and tattoo-covered guys jogging along, most without their shirts. Panic Station was plenty popular enough that Sam’s presence would draw attention if enough people noticed them.
Oz couldn’t wait until Demigoddess Revival reached that status. He had a massive bucket list of things he wanted to do for his family, but mostly, he just wanted them not to worry about how to pay the next bill.
They did a five-mile loop, and as they slowed to a walk and made their way back up the driveway toward the lodge, Sam said, “Why don’t we make it a double wedding?”
“What are you talking about?” Travis asked.
“Parker and Lacey and me and Holly. I mean, it’s kind of fitting.” He smacked Parker’s chest with the back of his hand. “You’re my best friend; Lacey’s my sister. And as far as Holly is concerned, other than her sisters, we’re her only family. I bet she’d be thrilled with the idea.”
Parker paled until he was practically a ghost in the middle of the driveway, blinking rapidly. “Seriously, man?”
“Seriously,” Sam confirmed. “Although we should probably make sure Holly and Lacey are on board.”
“Fuck me,” Parker said.
“You just said you were ready to go,” Sam said.
Parker swiped his hand over his face. “Yeah, I know. But I didn’t really expect it to happen tomorrow.”
Sam shrugged. “No big deal, we can forget we even?—”
“No, I want to. But are you sure? This is supposed to be your and Holly’s big moment.”
“As long as Holly doesn’t care, I’m game. I mean, you’re already going to be up there with us.” He laughed and clapped Parker on the back before unlatching his phone from its holder on his bicep. “I’ll call her right now.”
Good. If he had to call her, that meant Holly wasn’t here at the lodge. Which meant Maria likely wasn’t either. The more Oz could prolong the time before their next interaction, the better.
He headed inside to take a shower. It didn’t matter to him whether two people or four got married tomorrow. He was there for all of it. Although if they did get hitched tomorrow, Lacey and Parker would be playing in the band at their own reception.
He doubted they’d mind. And if they had someone to video it, they could use the situation to their advantage publicity-wise.
They really needed to get to a point where they could afford to hire a publicist. It was another catch-22.
They could ask Maria to pay for it, but Oz wasn’t about to offer up that idea. She was doing enough—too much, really, with no guarantee that she’d earn her money back.
After showering, the group dove into the leftovers from breakfast. Then somebody broke into the Bloody Mary mix. And the next thing he knew, they were on their way to some nearby golf course. Oz warned them that he was lousy at golf. It was a wealthy man’s game, and Oz was far from that.
Parker laughed. “Dude, me too, but who cares? If Sam wants to waste his money on all the balls we’re gonna lose, who are we to complain?”
Guess that was fair. Hey, at least he was going to be able to put off seeing Maria again for another few hours.
That was a win, right?
Chapter Sixteen
First order of business: manicures, pedicures, and facials at a spa in Branson. All the ladies—including Kerry, the wife of Panic Station’s guitarist, who had been around since their college days—were treated to the pampering, courtesy of the bride.
Even Riley was set up in a massage chair, although she was offered a lollipop instead of a mimosa. And she was utterly thrilled to be considered “a big girl.”
