Brock simply smiled and shrugged, zero concern lining his face as his character took mine down again. There I was, overwhelmed with jealousy at the thought of Elle watching some dude flopping his sausage at her when she’d been strategically avoiding me ever since the day of the community bonfire, but my brother didn’t seem worried at all.
“Tessa has never even been to a strip club,” he’d pointed out. “I’ve been to several. It’s a rite of passage that you should see what the hype’s about. If Elle didn’t take her, I would have. All I want is an evening of fishing with my buddies on the lake and maybe a keg of beer.”
“That sounds lame,” I frowned. “Who would you even want there?”
Brock was silent, thinking. “You, obviously. Gordon, Grady, Travis, Tommy, Steve, Grayson. Maybe Ben.”
“So you literally just want to have a bush party with no chicks?” I furrowed my brow. “Where’s the fun in that?”
“Plenty of fun in that,” Brock shrugged. “Sounds awesome. A laid back night with the guys.”
“Soundslame,” I repeated, scowling.
“Come on Braden, you know how I am. I would rather not do anything at all, but I don’t think Tessa would let that fly. Just plan the stupid fishing thing for next Saturday. Hell, I’ll plan it.”
“No,” I grumbled, dejected. “I’ll message people on the meager list you gave me and sort everything out, not that there’s much to do.”
“Awesome, it’s settled. Now get your head in the game before I kill you for the hundredth time tonight.”
* * *
My heart sped up and my palms started to sweat as I listened to the phone ring, waiting for Elle to pick it up—or not. I wasn’t holding my breath, but I was hopeful that she’d answer.
It had been over two and a half weeks since I took her out to dinner, two weeks since the Parry Sound Stampede (and our little mudding exertion), and nearly a week since the bachelorette party. I held off for as long as I possibly could, giving her the space and time I knew she needed. But this wasn’t about us, at least—that’s what I told myself. This was about Brock’s bachelor party, and me being clueless about how to even throw one.
I’d invited the guys he’d mentioned, and they all gave their word that they’d be there. Then I left everything else to the last possible minute, and I was overwhelmed and had no idea where to begin. I had twelve hours to pull this off, and I wasn’t even entirely surewhatI needed to pull off.
“Hello?”
Her voice shot an electrical current through my body. “Elle, I need you. Badly.”
She was silent for several long beats. “Is this a booty call, Braden?” she asked hotly.
I grinned. “No, but it could be.”
“What do you want?” she sighed, already exasperated with me.
“I have no idea what I’m doing,” I admitted, running my hand through my hair as I sat in my truck.
“With what?”
“This bachelor party. It was always you who sorted out the details and all that shit. I don’t know what I’m doing.”
“The bachelor party istonightBraden,” Elle exhaled, her temper spiking. “Please tell me you at least invited the guests.”
“Obviously. I was always good atthatpart,” I reminded her with a wry grin that she couldn’t see.
Elle was quiet, I could practically hear the wheels turning in her mind. “Did you buy the food? The decorations and games? The booze?”
“I know what I’m getting food wise, I didn’t realize we needed decorations and games for a fishing-slash-camping trip, and no to the booze.” I took a shaky breath. I didn’t want to admit it to her—or anybody else for that matter—butthatwas what really had me twisted up.
I was about to dedicate an entire night to hanging out with drunk people. Going mudding with the gang was a different environment than a bush party. For one, my nephew had been there, and nobody went hard on the drinking. Bush parties were a completely different scene, one that I’d avoided strategically because I worried I wouldn’t be strong enough to stay away from the call of liquor when it was around me to that degree, especially when I knew that Elle wouldn’t be there to distract me from my thirst.
“I’ll grab the booze,” Elle offered quickly, picking up on all of the things I didn’t say. “For decorations and games, I have some ideas. I need you to handle the food and the ice. We need a shit ton of ice. Make sure you get that last though. I’ll meet you at seven at the lake.”
“Why don’t I pick you up and go with you? The food and ice won’t take long at all, and even though I don’t know what I’m doing…I still want to do my part. I’ll follow your every command,” I suggested, my heart pounding in my chest.
She was silent again for several moments, moments that seemed to stretch on forever. “Alright, fine. Pick me up in forty-five minutes. I have to get ready.”
