I didn’t miss the shift in topic, but he was right. Iwasthe one who’d sought him out. My hesitation was in how to articulate the mess of emotions coursing through me.
“I don’t know,” I admitted. “I’m excited about the wedding, I am. But there’s this part of me that’s… I don’t know, sad? Like I’m losing something important.”
River’s steps faltered for a moment, his expression unreadable. “That’s normal, I think,” he said carefully. “Getting married is a big change. It’s okay to feel conflicted about it.”
“Yeah, maybe,” I agreed. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to get all heavy. This is supposed to be a fun night out, right?”
River’s hand came to rest on my shoulder, warm and reassuring. “Hey, you know you can always talk to me about anything, fun night or not.”
The sincerity in his voice made my throat tight. I covered River’s hand with my own, giving it a grateful squeeze. “I know. Thanks, Riv. I don’t know what I’d do without you.”
Something flickered in his eyes, too quick for me to decipher. But before I could question it, River was smiling again, tugging me toward the welcoming glow of Tanner’s. “Come on, let’s get you a drink. I have a feeling you need it.”
The bar was bustling with the Friday night crowd, but we managed to snag two stools at the far end of the bar. I ordered our usual and settled in, feeling the last of my tension melt away.
“So,” River said, sipping his beer, “I hate to beat a dead horse, but how are the wedding plans coming along? Everything on track?”
I groaned, running a hand through my hair. “Don’t even get me started. I never knew there were so many details to consider. Who knew that the color of napkins could be such a contentious issue? I spent hours today going through the seating chart. I’m not even sure I know half of those people.”
River chuckled. “Let me guess, Victoria has strong opinions on table linens?”
“You have no idea.”
“Well, if it isn’t my favorite couple,” Tanner said, appearing out of nowhere. I’d swear he hadn’t been behind the bar when we sat down.
River rolled his eyes and asked, “What’s up with you? Your husband working tonight, so you’re out here pestering your best customers?”
“Nope. He’s tied up to my desk in the office.” He looked at his watch. “I’ll give him an hour before I get back to finish what I started.”
“Sorry I asked,” River said at the same time I said. “Fuck that’s hot.”
River’s head swung in my direction.
“What? Are you going to say it’s not?” Edging wasn’t something Victoria and I had done much of, but we were once interrupted by a work call during morning sex and ended up exchanging sexy texts all day. We didn’t finish until later that night. Fucking best orgasm ever. I thought my head would blow off.
“Can we… Can we talk about something else? Please?”
I laughed. “Give us two more beers, Tanner. My friend here needs to cool down.”
“Remind me again why was it such a good idea to abandon my job to hang out with you?” River asked.
“You love me and missed me.”
“Sure I did.” He drank the rest of his beer and put the empty bottle on the bar just as Tanner replaced it with a fresh one.
I leaned into River. “Let’s drink up. We have a club to hit up. Let’s show all the gays how it’s done.”
“Good lord. You really have no idea, do you?”
“About what?”
He quirked a brow as his lips curled up into a smile. “Without your brothers to run interference, you’re going to be eaten alive in there, and I’m going to enjoy watching it.”
2
RIVER
As we stepped into the dimly lit club, the pulsating bass reverberated through my chest. Neon lights sliced through the darkness, and the air was thick with the scent of sweat and cologne, a heady mixture that made my head spin.
