Adam snapped his head up. “Oh man, it’s your wedding anniversary.”
I tried to ignore the stabbing pain in my chest.
Hunter frowned as he looked at me. “I don’t get it, man. You two were…made for each other. I don’t get why she left.”
Kyle stood and walked to the windows. He was the only person besides my folks and Pete and Crystal who knew the truth.
I rubbed at the back of my neck and sat down in one of the oversized chairs. “Trent gave me a bit of advice. Told me it was time to move on.” I looked at each of them.
“And do you agree?” Kyle asked.
With a nod, I said, “Yeah. I do, I guess. No more one-night stands. Not that I’ve actually had many in the last two years, but I’m tired of playing the game. Pretending to be over her and having everyone think I’m nothing but a manwhore.”
“Dude, are you saying you’re going to start dating again?” Adam asked.
“Yeah,” I said with a half-smile. “I think so. Anyway, it’s time for me to move on.”
“With the hot horticulturist.” Kyle wagged his brows at me.
“What?” Hunter and Adam both asked at the same time.
I held up my hands. “It was one dinner date and her kid was with her.”
Adam dropped back in his seat and sighed. “Love sucks.”
“Don’t sound so happy there, Adam,” Hunter said with a laugh.
Staring up at the ceiling, Adam said, “Lori doesn’t want to get married.”
That caused us all to stare at him with gaping mouths. Lori and Adam had known each other since college and had dated off and on. They had run into each other recently and had only been dating for a couple months before getting engaged. I wasn’t that surprised they were already calling it off, truth be told.
He lifted his head and nodded. “Yep. She said I was married to my job, and she wants to travel the world.”
Kyle whistled low. “Damn.”
“Shit, I’m sorry, Adam,” I replied.
Hunter slowly shook his head. “Women. What in the fuck?”
We all laughed because it was the truth.
Hunter stood and clapped his hands. “Well, gentlemen. We’re four single, good-looking men. I say we hit the town.”
Kyle held up his beer, and the three of us followed his lead.
“To moving on,” Adam said with a smile that didn’t reach his eyes.
Hunter’s eyes met mine. I knew where his thoughts were. With his old high school sweetheart, Arabella Adams. She had done pretty much the same damn thing to Hunter that Abby and Lori had done to me and Adam. Up and told him it was over. They had both gone off to college and kept dating. Then, one day, Arabella quit school, moved back to Boggy Creek, and told Hunter it was over. No reason why. He had always suspected that she’d maybe cheated on him, but that wasn’t Arabella. I also knew he still loved her.
Something in his gaze told me he was getting weary of waiting on a woman who clearly still wanted nothing to do with him.
“To moving on,” Hunter repeated.
We clicked our beer cans together, then chugged them all down in one gulp.
Kyle clapped his hands together. “Alright, gents, let’s go get dressed and have some fun.”
Bishop
I rolled over and looked at the clock on the nightstand.
“Christ,” I mumbled as I pulled myself up into a seated position, then ran my hands down my face. I hadn’t drank that much in a long-ass time and my body was feeling it.
My head pounded. My mouth felt like someone had stuffed cotton into it, and for some strange reason, every muscle in my body hurt.
I froze, thinking about what had happened last night. Cautiously, I glanced to my left and saw that the bed was empty.
Sighing, I dropped my head. “Thank fuck.”
The last thing I wanted to find was some strange woman here.
I swung my legs over the bed and stood. When I glanced down, I noticed I had somehow managed to get undressed last night before crawling into bed. But my boxers were still on. That was another good sign.
Heading into the bathroom, I splashed my face with cold water, used the restroom, and then ventured out into the suite. I had no idea what I would find and, to be honest, I was holding my breath.
I scanned the sofas and found Kyle was passed out on one of them. Alone.
Adam was sitting up on another sofa and holding something on his neck.
“What’s on your neck?” I asked.
He lifted his finger to his lips. “Shhh…my head is pounding. And it’s ice.”
The sound of a blender going off made Kyle fly off the couch, stumble, then land flat on his ass. “The fuck?” he shouted as Adam groaned.
“Sorry, guys!” Hunter called out. “I’m making us…the drink.”
Kyle stood and fell back onto the sofa. “Fuck no, I’m not drinking that shit, Hunter.”