Hunter glared at my brother.
“I bet Avery has a kick-ass bachelorette party planned,” Archer said. “I didn’t get any complaints from her about the penis balloons I had delivered to your room.”
* * *
“I must becrazy to be moving back to Harrogate,” I said to myself later as I parked my car at my Manhattan condo and went upstairs. “There is no way I’m going to survive living with them twenty-four seven.”
Except I wasn’t going to be living there, was I? Avery and I would have to live together. She was going to have her estate house, but she had said she was turning it into a bed and breakfast. Would we live in a cottage on the property or a condo in town? I supposed we would need to discuss it.
The wedding was coming up soon, and I was moving my company over in a few months once construction was done on the new building in town. The work wouldn’t take that long, however. The site was a beautiful old historic factory, and we were simply leaving the brick-and-wood floor and heavy timber beams as the main decoration.
I would be a married man and a Harrogate Svensson frighteningly soon. However, I was oddly excited at the thought of building a life and a home with Avery. After showering, I looked online at the houses for sale in Harrogate, wondering where Avery would want to live.
The sound of the front door opening shook me out of my browsing. Avery must be back.
“Are you hungry?” I asked loudly as I walked out of my study. “There is still all the dinner party food. I was going to try and bring pizza back for you, but my brothers are like raccoons.” I stopped short to see her huddled on the floor next to the door.
“Avery?” I said in concern, rushing to her. “What’s the matter? What happened? Did someone hurt you? Tell me!” I shook her gently.
“I’m fine, I’m fine,” she said. “Just, oh my god, my grandmother.”
I stroked her head. “Let me make you a drink,” I said, picking her up and settling her on the couch with a blanket. I handed her a glass of wine.
“Sorry to alarm you,” she said after sipping it. “I’m in shock a little bit. I apparently have a wedding dress.”
“That’s good, isn’t it?”
She looked past me with a thousand-yard stare. “It’s the most hideous dress you have ever seen.”
“Then pick another one.”
“I can’t! It’s my grandmother’s dress, and she wants me to wear it!” she wailed.
“I’m sure it’s not that bad.”
Avery took out her phone and started swiping.
“It’s bad luck to see the bride before her wedding day,” I reminded her. Avery gave me an are-you-fucking-kidding-me look.
“You need to see it so you don’t have a heart attack when I walk down the aisle.”
I peered at the picture on her phone and shrugged. “It’s not that bad. It looks like a traditional wedding dress.”
“Men,” she scoffed, taking the phone back. “I’m going to look like I’m cosplaying Princess Diana.”
“People like her,” I reminded Avery.
“It’s so eighties.”
“I can wear a mullet,” I offered.
“Don’t you dare,” Avery warned. “Don’t you dare show up in a mullet.”
“Really?” I said. “I think I could look attractive in it. I may surprise you and show up in a wig.”
“Don’t you dare ruin our wedding like that!”
I was standing in front of her and she reached out and grabbed my belt.
