“Wow,” I say, realizing I’ve been too distracted by thoughts of my husband’s past to respond. “They’re incredible.”
“Blake really outdid himself with this idea,” Wyatt agrees. “We’ve got a collection of framed photos of her to display during the wedding, and we’ll wear these.”
“Alright, let’s get out of here before we’re busted. I can’t wait to surprise Liam on Saturday with these,” Blake says.
We head back outside, and Blake has me help him with the wedding favors. He went all out and had a local Amish family create custom wood cutting boards with chickens engraved in the bottom. It’s already over the top, but now Blake wants us to wrap them in bows with a note on them.
The whole time I’m tying, Blake talks about the rest of the plans for the week and how excited he is for the wedding, to be marrying the love of his life, and all of the details he’s planned as gestures of his love for Liam. It’s all very romantic. And all I canthink about is John. If I want to win my husband’s heart, I need to do a hell of a lot more than invite myself in and be a house husband.
I need to ramp up the romance.
I’m going to romance the shit out of John.
6
JOHN
“Thanks, Wyatt,” I say, accepting the sandwich he’s offering me. The sun has started to set. Liam and I have spent almost the entire day securing the goat pen, and I’m starving.
“Oh, sandwiches!” a familiar cheery voice calls out, and my spine instantly stiffens.
“You’re still here?” I ask, not necessarily meaning to sound as harsh as I do, but as always, Chad appears unaffected by the edge in my voice.
“Yeah, Blake and I have had the best day. This wedding is going to be amazing.” He plops down onto the picnic table right beside me despite there being plenty of room for us to spread out. “Thanks, Wyatt!” He accepts a sandwich, and I ignore the way something in my chest tightens over another man feeding him. I should be relieved I don’t have to make Chad dinner tonight, but I’ve always been a jealous person, and I guess there’s a part of me that feels like Chad is my responsibility this week while he’s staying in my house. So I feel like I should be the one to feed him.
I try to stop that line of thinking though, because Chad is a grown man, and he can take care of himself. He isn’t my responsibility. He isn’t mine.
“Hey, guys!” Blake greets us, giving Liam a quick kiss before he joins him across from Chad and me at the table. I nod in response, searching his expression for any sign that Chad might have told him about what happened in Vegas, but he immediately launches into a story about a donkey, and I tune him out.
I’ve been on edge all day, convinced Chad would tell him that we’re technically legally married because it’s always seemed like they tell each other everything. But for now, at least, I don’t think he has. I really doubt Blake would hold back from talking about it if he did know.
Which means Chad is actually doing as I asked and is keeping quiet about something for once.
I can’t pretend like I don’t enjoy him prioritizing what I want over his lifelong friendship, but I know I shouldn’t, so I remind myself that he’ll be gone soon. He probably hasn’t told Blake because he’s having second thoughts about his grand plan to move here, not because he wants to please me.
For now, I’m just grateful I don’t have to explain anything to Liam, because honestly, I don’t know what the fuck I would even say.Yes, technically I did marry your fiancé’s hot best friend hours after he claimed to be straight while we were both drunk at your bachelor party. But don’t worry about it, I’m sure he’ll move on after he spends a few more days with me. No, I’m not sure what I was thinking that night, but there must be something wrong with me because I seem incapable of refusing him.
Fuck. This whole situation is ridiculous. Liam is staring at Blake so adoringly as he talks about chickens or something, and Chad is nodding and laughing along like he doesn’t have a care in the world. They’re all so happy, so excited about life. I feellike an imposter, sitting here with the three of them, pretending I fit in with their perfect lives when I obviously don’t belong.
I know Liam wants me here, but that’s mostly out of loyalty with how long we’ve been friends. Other than help around on the farm when he asks, I’m not sure what he gets out of our friendship these days. I know my company isn’t nearly as uplifting or enjoyable as the other men at this table.
“I should go,” I say as I stand abruptly and clear my food. “Let me know what you need from me the rest of this week.” They all offer their goodbyes, and I wave over my shoulder as I head for my bike.
Maybe Chad will stay and hang out with them until I’m already asleep, and then I can pretend like he isn’t even staying with me.
Except, I’m not that lucky.
Not even five minutes after I get home, he lets himself in, announcing “Hubby, I’m hooome” like he’s in a fucking sitcom.
I don’t respond. I head straight upstairs, tired from the long day working outside, and of course, Chad follows. “Today was great. I wish we could have spent more of it together, but it’s so cool that we were at the same place, helping our best friends get ready for their wedding! I’m so happy this is my life now.”
For now,I correct him in my head, not bothering to voice the thought when Chad seems to have selective hearing anyway.
“So how was your day?” he continues, undeterred by my lack of participation in this conversation. “What were you and Liam up to? I want to hear all about it.”
I ignore his questions, and he follows me into my room, approaching the bed as though he’s going to sit on it. “Stop,” I command, and he instantly freezes, staring at me with a lovely mix of confusion and expectation as if he’s holding his breath for my next instruction.
I have to bite back a groan and ignore the heat that flares inmy gut at how perfectly he responded to my demand, focusing instead on why I said it in the first place. “You were at a farm all day. Don’t sit on the clean bed. Shower. I’ll go after you.”
