Page 66 of For You I'd Mend
Aiden rubbed his forehead. “I’ll plan the bachelor/bachelorette party because Chris is underage, and Theo hasn’t known a good time in years, but I refuse to be the best man.”
“Y’all really know how to make a guy feel loved,” Cal said, looking genuinely hurt.
Aiden glared at me. “Whatever bullshit reason you had for saying no, forget it, Theo.”
“It wasn’t bullshit,” I mumbled.
“Of course, it was,” Aiden said throwing his arms in the air. “Either you’re worried about having a panic attack at the altar, which could still happen if you’re just a groomsman, or you think you don’t deserve the title. Both are bullshit reasons.”
Of all the places to have this conversation, the site of Logan’s future memorial was the last I’d have chosen.
“Did he tell you why?” Aiden asked Cal.
“He said you should be my best man because you’d never be Logan’s,” Cal said quietly.
Aiden sucked in a breath and released it slowly. “Fine, let’s make a deal. Theo, you’re Cal’s best man. I’ll be Theo’s, and Cal can be Chris’s.”
“Chris isn’t even here, and he’s still in high school,” I said.
Aiden pulled his phone from his pocket and made a call. “Hey kid,” he said. “You cool with asking Cal to be your best man whenand if you ever get married, so Theo will stop making excuses and be Cal’s?” He listened and said, “Thanks. Go back to sleep.”
“You’re assuming I’m getting married someday,” I said.
“Well, maybe not in the traditional sense,” Aiden said, rubbing his scruff. “But I’ll stand up for you in whatever goth ceremony you and Hell Cat figure out. I heard you finally kissed her Thursday night.”
“He did?” Cal said, staring at me in pretend shock. Aiden smirked.
“Cut the shit,” I said, shoving Cal’s shoulder. I wasn’t surprised one or both of them had heard about that kiss at the community center. Peace Falls was small, and everyone knew how long Poppy and I had been circling each other.
Cal grinned at me. “I might have heard about it from one of my patients yesterday.”
Which meant he hadn’t heard it from Rowan, who likely knew what happened after.
“What’s that look for?” Aiden asked, glaring at me again. “There’s no reason to look so guilty for kissing a woman you like who likes you back.”
I shoved my hands in my pockets.
“What did you do?” Cal asked, sounding exasperated.
Aiden studied me a moment and burst out laughing. “Her. He did her and now he feels guilty for breaking his monkhood.”
“Did you?” Cal asked. He looked surprised and oddly proud.
“Do you really want to have this conversation about your sister-in-law?” I asked. “Here?”
“She’s not his sister yet,” Aiden said. “Besides, we don’t want the details. Just tell us if you’re finally with her or not.”
“Yeah, that’s all I want to know,” Cal added.
“We’re together,” I said.
“I’m happy for you man,” Aiden said, slapping my back. “Even if I owe Lauren a Benjamin. I figured it would take you until after the wedding to grow a pair.”
“Didn’t know you were on betting terms with Lauren,” I said.
Aiden shrugged. “She hates to lose, and anything I can do to piss her off is fun for me. This bet had 50/50 odds of going my way, and 100% odds of making me happy.”
Aiden did look genuinely thrilled. Cal did not, which meant he probably suspected what I’d done after taking Poppy home. For as out of tune as he could be with everyone else, he was hyper-aware of me. Most of that laser focus had shifted to Rowan, but he knew me well enough to know when I was at risk of doing something he’d never understand.
