“Good.” Reggie glared at him. “I’m tired of stepping around your tender feelings. Look, you hate being on the outs because you don’t have a girl. I get it. But we’re here for you, dumbass. And we always will be. Get that through your pretty little head.”
Brad cleared his throat. “I think what Reggie means to say is we’re your brothers. The ones who get you and who will be with you through the good times and the bad.”
“Ain’t that a song?” Tex asked.
Mack snorted. “You are such a pain.”
“There you go.” Tex grinned then grew serious. “Mack, I love you, man. I’d never throw you for a chick. Never. I love Bree with everything I got. But if she told me it was either you or her, I’d toss her.”
Everyone looked at him in disbelief.
Tex colored. “I mean, she’d never say that because she’s Bree and I love her. The kind of woman who would tell a guy not to have friends isn’t who I’d be with. Besides, Bree has someone she thinks you’d like if things don’t work out with the mean chick.”
“Can we stop calling her that?” Mack asked.
“I don’t know.” Reggie looked thoughtful and said to Brad, “Brad, have you met her? Because I haven’t—and no, Mack, the soccer field doesn’t count. I only know her as the mean chick. Now, if Imet her, things might be different.”
Brad nodded, his gaze narrowed on Mack. “That’s a good point. I haven’t met her either. All I know is she practically handed us the game on Saturday. And I doubt it was for my benefit. Or Tex’s.”
“Or mine,” Reggie added with a huge, insincere smile.
“I think she has a crush on our little guy here.”
“Up yours.” Mack glared and shoved a handful of chips in his mouth, making an obnoxious mess as he crunched all over Brad’s table, dropping bits of food.
Brad cringed. “You’re disgusting.”
Tex laughed. “Yup. Mack’s in love with the mean chick. I can tell.”
“So what if I am?”
They all stared at him before slowly smiling. “Yeah?” Brad asked.
“Well, I might be.” Mack’s mouth was too salty, so he escaped the table to drink some water before returning. “Look, I like her a lot. Then my family got in my head and made me act like an ass with her. Thensheturned around and tried to throw the game because she didn’t want me to look bad.”
“Well, it could be worse,” Tex said kindly. “At least it wasn’t a pity fuck. Or did you get one of those too?”
“No, I didn’t.” Mack hated blushing, especially when the guys laughed like loons. “Okay, okay. I’m sorry for lumping you in with my family. I just got—”
“All butt-hurt?”
He glared at Tex and said, “A littletoo sensitivefor a while. But I’ve been dealing with family, Xavier especially, this idiot Templeton, and… Well, I don’t really have an excuse. I was just a bad friend for ignoring you guys, I guess.”
“Not bad,” Reggie said kindly. “Just a guy with his head stuck up his ass. As you’ve accused all of us at one time or another. Especially in regard to the women in our lives.”
“Was that rehearsed?” Mack asked with a laugh. “Because that sounded scripted.”
Reggie rubbed the back of his neck. “Well, I had some things on my mind for a while. Maggie said I should write them down and talk to you about them. Nicely.”
Mack snorted, relieved to have his friends back. Which was funny because they’d never been gone. He had. “She’s the best thing that ever happened to you. With the exception of me.”
“Here we go.” Brad sighed, but the relieved smile on his face spoke volumes. “Mack’s back and talking big. This calls for a real game.”
Tex looked excited. “Soda pong?”
“Yep. Get the Ping-Pong balls and cups. They’re in the cabinet.”
Tex raced off. Reggie stood and pulled Mack into a bear hug. “Idiot.”
