Page 91 of Love and Other Trials
Pasting a smile on his face, he opened the door. “Hey.”
Rob pushed his way in and closed the door. “Hey, yourself. Look, I need you to go and get some flowers for me. Nice ones. Lots of them. I apparently have already fucked up today.”
His friend tugged on the collar of his T-shirt, a study in nerves.
“What happened?”
“According to my bride-to-be, I was supposed to have something special for her this morning. Day of the wedding present or some such thing. Did anyone tell me this? No! Shit. She got me custom cufflinks engraved with T&R and this Hallmark card that went on forever. I thought the weddingwasher present. Oh, and the honeymoon to St. Lucia. But no… I was supposed to give her something to say I was happy to marry her.”
Dax compressed his lips as Rob stalked back and forth.
His friend fisted his hands at his sides, his face tight with tension. “So can you buy me some flowers? I know she’s got tons coming in for the wedding, but these are from me, and flowers are never wrong in my book. If they have a card, great. I’ll look up some sappy poetry when you get back and put it on there. Jesus. I’m going to lose my mind. I need a drink. Maybe it’s time to open the lucky bourbon you and Ariel dug up. God knows I’m going to need all the steam I can get.”
Dax thought his eyes already looked red, so he slapped him on the back, hoping he wouldn’t start drinking this early. “Go for a hard run. It always helps. I’ve got this.”
Rob rubbed his forehead. “You’re picking up my dress whites, right?”
“I’m picking up everyone’s.” Another solid whack on Rob’s back hopefully conveyed his dependability.
Rob grunted and dug into his shorts pocket. “Fine. Now, here are the rings. Tiffany wants Ariel to keep hers until the wedding. You can keep mine. Ripp refused to carry the ring pillow. Says it’s too girly. Honestly, I can’t blame him. All that lace and shit. So you two are keeping them until the ceremony. I don’t have to tell you not to lose them.”
When he thrust the bands out, Sherlock gave an eerie whine. Dax glanced at the dog, who padded back to his bed by the fireplace and lay down. Dax had no idea what that meant, but it didn’t sound good. “I’ll tell Ariel. She’s in the shower.”
“You do that.” Rob pressed a hand to the door, gripping the frame. “I keep telling myself I passed advanced flight training. I’ve pulled ten Gs. I’m a kick-ass pilot and a respected officer in the U.S. Navy. But Jesus, I feel like I’m not passing muster. Tiffany’s got all these ideas about what this day is supposed to be like. I’m already letting her down, and I hate that.”
Dax did too. It had to feel like crap. “I’ll find the best flowers in town, man. Jeffrey is going with me to pick up some stuff. He’ll know where to go.”
“Great.” He fished out his wallet and handed over a couple hundreds. “Tell him thanks.”
When his friend opened the door and hesitated, Dax waited for him to speak, watching his jaw lock.
“Sorry I’ve been such a dick. Later, man.”
Rob was out the door before Dax could answer him, and he knew that was the point. He pulled his wallet out and tucked Rob’s ring in there, and then went to find Ariel. She was combing through her wet hair when he opened the door. She screamed.
“Jumpy?”
“As a June bug,” she answered. “What is that in your clenched hand? Should I be nervous?”
He unfurled it. “Tiffany wants you to keep her wedding ring. I won’t assume it’s because she doesn’t trust me.”
“You shouldn’t.” Although they both knew he was supposed to keep the two rings according to the wedding checklist. “Who brought these? Rob?”
“Yeah.” He leaned against the door and watched her put on some moisturizer, her complexion peaches and cream after her shower. “He’s already in the shitter. Forgot some ‘day of’ gift.”
“Oh no! I told Tiffany to tell him things like that. Guys can’t read your mind.”
“We can’t?” Dax imagined Tiffany liked people reading her mind that way. “I’m picking up makeup flowers. Jeffrey will know where to go, I imagine, but do you have a place in mind?”
“Bloom and Swoon. Jeffrey knows it well. All right, plant a good one on me. I’ve gotta dash.”
He swept her into his arms and laid her back, kissing her sweetly but thoroughly. She twined her arms around his neck and sighed. “How’s that?”
“Pretty good, honey.” She patted his butt as he stood her up. “Pretty good.”
She was out of the bathroom and heading to the kitchen a minute later. He followed her. “I made coffee. Let me get you a to-go cup. Banana?”
“Already had a delicious one, thanks,” she quipped saucily.
