My father leaned back in his seat. “For what it’s worth, I hope you do marry him and manage to stay married long enough to take a good chunk of his cash.”
“Why do you even care?”
“I’m disowning you, and you’ll never receive a cent from me.”
53
Blade
“How’s Avery?” Hazel asked in concern when I sat down at the table in the Gray Dove Bistro in Frost Tower. My brother Archer was there, along with Jack Frost and Chloe.
“She’s resting, though she’s back to worrying about the wedding.”
“Penny is doing a big social media push about the wedding,” Chloe said. “For some reason, it’s inspired me to have Gray Dove Bistro branch into wedding catering.”
“I feel like after spending a bit of time in the world of weddings, you’re going to rethink that decision,” I said grimly.
“I’ll say,” her boyfriend, Jack, added. “Weddings seem like they’re dangerous and bring out the worst in people. Look at poor Evan’s wedding.”
“Evan’s problem,” my brother Archer said, arm slung around Hazel, “was that he picked the wrong woman. You need someone honest.”
“Hazel’s main selling point is that she is willing to put up with your bullshit,” I added.
“Hazel thinks that I am the best thing since Rembrandt,” Archer replied. “She doesn’t look at me as a meal ticket.”
“Yeah, because you literally eat everything I make,” Hazel teased.
“You better be careful,” Jack said to Archer with a grin. “You’re going to lose your girlish figure.”
“He has gotten a little hefty,” Hazel agreed.
“No, never! You take that back!” Archer jumped up and proceeded to start removing his already half-unbuttoned dress shirt.
“Put your clothes back on,” I hissed at him. “And you all wonder why I don’t come back to Harrogate that often.”
“You need to come back next weekend,” Chloe said. “We’re throwing a banging couple’s shower!”
“I don’t understand. Why is there yet another shower?”
“You’re the one who wanted to get married in two months,” Hazel reminded me. “Normally all of these events would be strung out over a year. But we’re compressing them. Plus I feel so bad that Avery’s bridal shower turned into a disaster. She should have a nice couple’s shower.”
“Just don’t let Ida anywhere near it,” Archer said, “and it will be fine.”
“We need you to tell us what Avery likes,” Chloe said to me. “What’s her wedding theme, what flowers does she like, favorite colors, activities, food?”
“Shouldn’t you ask her friends?” I said uncertainly.
Four pairs of eyes stared at me.
“Dude,” Jack said, “you’re her fiancé. You love her, right?”
“I mean yeah, yes, of course.”
“So you should know details about her,” Jack prompted.
“I uh. Yes I do know. Er…let me see, so favorite food. She likes pasta.”
“Any allergies?” Chloe asked.
