Part 2 (1/2)

”Apricot,” Hughie corrected him with a slap on the back. ”Get it right, man.”

”Christ.”

Apparently the entire wedding was being coordinated around some orange roses Duper had once given Lovey.

”Captain Romantic,” Army smirked.

”I had a moment,” Duper said. ”I thought the roses matched her hair. I'm still afraid we're going to look like we're dressed up for Halloween, though.” He grimaced. ”All black and orange.”

Tanner threw a doubtful glance at Katelyn. A f.u.c.king wedding planner. How the h.e.l.l had this come about? ”Well, Katelyn has great taste,” he said. ”I doubt she'd allow that.”

Four pairs of eyes focused on him with masculine interest. ”Oh yeah...you know her?” Hughie asked in a low voice. ”She is smokin' hot.”

Tanner cleared his throat. ”Yes. Yes, she is.”

”How do you know her? Or should I say, how well do you know her?” Hughie grinned.

”Like she said, we went to college together.” He resisted an urge to run a hand under the collar of his s.h.i.+rt, where heat was gathering. He wasn't sure why he was holding back. It just seemed...personal.

”We need beers.” Duper headed to the fridge. He handed them out and Tanner accepted the cold one gratefully, popping the top and guzzling it down.

He watched Katelyn talking to Lovey, Amber, and Jillian, her smile now relaxed and genuine and so G.o.dd.a.m.n beautiful it made his chest hurt. He rubbed there without thinking, then turned to the guys, who all regarded him with raised eyebrows.

”So back to the hot wedding planner,” Hughie said, leaning his elbows on the island. ”Did you bash the beaver?”

Tanner stared at his teammate.

”Shake the sheets?” Hughie continued. ”Do the horizontal hula?”

”Jesus,” Rupper muttered.

Army cuffed Hughie on the back of the head. ”Show some respect for the lady.”

Hughie's eyes widened. ”I'm respectful! Very respectful! I already said she's hot. I really respect her hotness. Okay, never mind. What I want to know is, is there any history there that would stop me from tapping that?”

Tanner took another long pull from his beer. Was there?

Sure, there was history. But that was eight f.u.c.king years ago. He'd been married since then. And divorced. Maybe she had too. So he said, ”No.”

Hughie's face brightened and Tanner resisted the urge to punch him. But it was no business of his if Hughie wanted to tap the s.e.xy wedding planner's a.s.s. A very fine a.s.s, as he well knew.

”Yeah, I don't know,” Duper said. ”You might want to wait until the wedding's over. We don't want things to get awkward when you screw up.”

”What makes you think I'll screw up?” Hughie demanded.

All four women glanced over at his raised voice.

”I'm a good guy,” Hughie whispered, frowning. ”Chicks dig me.”

”Sure,” Duper said, grinning. ”Sure they do.”

”Seriously, I think I'm in love with her,” Hughie said, gazing across the room. ”You don't want to stand in the way of true love.”

Army snorted. ”Or true hornitude.”

Tanner ground his teeth together. ”You're way too young for her, kid. That's what's standing in the way.”

The girls were now huddled around a laptop computer, exclaiming over pictures or something. Katelyn pointed at the screen and said something that made Lovey pump her fists in the air and cry, ”I love that!”

”They appear to be making progress,” Duper said. ”Dieu merci.”

”French cussing. You must be stressed about this,” Army commented.

Duper rubbed the back of his neck. ”I'm trying not to be. It's Lovey's thing. But when our wedding planner disappeared, she was freaking out, and when she's stressed, I'm stressed.” He gulped his beer. ”I just want to have a big party and get drunk.”

Tanner lifted his beer toward his buddy in a toast. ”That's what a wedding should be.” They clinked bottles.

”Should have known Lovey would be a bridezilla,” Army said.

”She's not.” Duper frowned. ”She's really not. She wants to have a big party and get drunk too. She just wants to make sure we all look nice doing it.”

Tanner grinned. ”I can do that. Not sure about the rest of you.”

Duper laughed, grabbing his shoulder and shaking him. ”a.s.shole.”

”Everyone looks good until one of the bridesmaids drinks too much and ends up puking into a flower arrangement,” Hughie said. ”Or the groomsmen start doing the worm on the dance floor.”

They all laughed.

”Be right back.” Duper set his empty bottle on the granite counter. ”Gotta siphon the python.”

”Python.” Rupper snorted. ”We've all seen your d.i.c.k, dude. More like an earthworm.”

Duper shot him a finger behind his back as he walked down the hall to the bathroom.

”Okay, Armdog.” Tanner leaned forward, keeping his voice low. ”What about the bachelor party?”

Army blanched. ”What about it?”

”You have to plan it.”

”f.u.c.k.”

”And it has to be good.”

Army licked his lips. ”Like, what? Strippers? Hookers?”