Know Me Well (Wishful 3)

“You two give me hope. And that’s a pretty rare commodity these days.” As the karaoke announcer called out their names as next on deck, she reached for her refilled glass of wine. “Drink up. There’s no way I’m doing ‘Love Shack’ sober.”

~*~

“The prodigal returns!” Mitch crowed as he opened the front door.

“Prodigal my ass.” Liam pushed past him and headed straight for the kitchen to add the six pack he’d brought to the fridge.

Mitch followed him into the massive cook’s kitchen, full of gleaming stainless, granite, and high-end appliances that rarely saw use. “We haven’t seen hide nor hair of you since the playground was finished.”

“In case it’s escaped your notice, I’ve been kinda busy.”

“Oh, it’s escaped nobody’s notice, buddy boy.” Judd smirked and handed him a cold Abita. “Not that anybody blames you for spending all your available time with the very fine Miss Gower.”

“She’s way prettier to look at than all y’all, that’s for damned sure.”

Mitch punched some buttons on the microwave before turning his attention back to Liam. “She’s got you well and truly smitten. Never thought I’d see the day.”

Smitten? What the hell was that supposed to mean? Could a guy be smitten? It wasn’t like he had little cartoon hearts and birdies circling his head all the time. “Why do I get the sense I should kick

your ass on principle?”

Reuben strolled in. “Your pansy ass wouldn’t get beaten if you’d get back to hauling it up to the gym and sparring again.”

“And risk messing up this pretty face?” Mitch stroked a hand along his smooth-shaven jaw. “I think not. Is Darius coming now he’s back from the honeymoon?”

“Not tonight. He and Vivian had a thing.”

“Like a Mama Pearl called a family summit kinda thing?” Judd asked.

“More like an I’m married now and my hot wife bought new lingerie kind of thing,” Reuben replied.

Mitch set the freshly nuked bowl of cheese dip on the table, along with a bag of tortilla chips. “See? That just proves my point. You’re all dropping like flies. First Darius. Cam’s next, if he and Norah can ever set a date.”

Reuben took a beer. “If Mama Pearl has her way, I’ll be right behind.”

“With who?” Judd wanted to know.

“Viv’s sister Violet. Mama Pearl made sure we were paired up all through the wedding. Vi was pretty pissed, but I can’t say as I minded. She’s a firecracker. I like that in a woman.”

Liam tried to imagine the ex-Navy SEAL with Vivian Buckley’s twin. Both were headstrong and stubborn. They’d either spontaneously combust or kill each other. Either way, it’d be fun to watch.

“Jesus. It’s a sickness and it’s spreading.” Mitch shook his head. “I’m not sure whether it’ll be Liam or Judd to succumb next.”

“Succumb to what exactly?” Judd asked.

“Marriage fever,” Mitch said in funereal tones.

Judd’s face went slack with shock. “Marriage?”

“Yeah, you know, that thing you do with the woman you want to spend the rest of your life with,” Reuben said.

“Mitch is right. It’s a sickness, and I most definitely don’t have it.” Judd twitched his shoulders as if to shake off the marriage germs.

“You have been dating Mary Alice for going on two years,” Liam pointed out.

“So? We’re good as we are.”

Liam couldn’t resist pressing, just a bit. “So you ought to know by now whether you want to marry her.”