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I nod. “Yeah, man. I’m good.”
“You don’t seem good,” he says.
I force a laugh. “Why wouldn’t I be? My best friend is getting married tomorrow. I’m so happy for you, man. Stop worrying about me. We’re here to celebrate you tonight.”
Luke’s quiet for several seconds, his gaze on the drink in his hands. “Cole, it’s okay if you’re going through something. You know I’m here for you, right? If you want to talk, I mean.”
The idea of spilling my guts to Luke has some merit, but I don’t want tonight’s focus to be about me and my problems. Especially since it would take a while to explain the way things with me and Layna went down. I don’t want Luke to spend his bachelor party trying to fix my broken heart. That’s not what tonight is about.
“I know,” I say with a smile. “And I appreciate it more than you know. But I swear I’m good. I’d tell you if I wasn’t.”
He doesn’t look convinced, but he nods. “If you change your mind, I’m here.”
“Thanks,” I say. “But tonight is about you. So, the question is, areyouhaving a good time?”
He grins and looks around the club. It’s filled with people dancing and drinking and living it up. Linc and I reserved a private booth for our group and Wyatt and Van have made sure that Luke’s hand is never without a drink in it. I think I saw Luke hand at least one of those drinks off to Finn who switched it for a glass of water, but I let it slide. We want him to have a good time, not be so hungover tomorrow that he’s miserable at his wedding.
I carry my beer back across the crowded dance floor, weaving my way through the gyrating bodies as I follow Luke back to our booth. As I walk, I resolve to do a better job of pretending I’m not miserable. I’m not sure how to accomplish that, but I know that spending every second thinking about Layna isn’t working. I’ve got to push her from my mind for at least the next few hours. For Luke.
When we get back to the table, I can see a tray of shots waiting and all eyes go to Luke.
“It’s about time you came back,” Linc says. “These guys were about to drink your shot.”
Luke laughs. “I should have stayed gone longer then.”
“Nope,” Wyatt says. “No getting out of it now.”
He reaches down to pick up one of the glasses and hands it to Luke.
“Just one,” he says. “It’s not a bachelor party without at least one shot and a toast.”
Luke sighs as he takes the glass from Wyatt. “Fine,” he says. “But I’m not getting shitfaced the night before my wedding. Hangovers and public speaking don’t mix well.”
Everyone breaks into groans of protest, but Luke just laughs. I know him well enough to know that they’re not going to convince him to change his mind. I’ve known him for years and I can count on one hand the number of times I’ve seen him drunk. The hangovers had been legendary, too. I watch as all the men seated at the table grab a shot and hold it up in Luke’s direction. I follow suit, though the last thing I want is a shot. I don’t even know what’s in the glass.
“To Luke,” Wyatt says. “If you’re half as happy as I am, you’ll be happier than most.”
“Yeah,” Finn says. “And if you’re half the husband I am, Piper’s a lucky woman.”
“Hey!” Luke says. “I’ll be ten times the husband you are!”
Ronan just rolls his eyes while the twins laugh. Garrett quietly tosses back his shot as if this is a common argument and he’s not taking sides. Which, considering he’s engaged to their only sister, might be a smart plan. The men all grumble as they drink their shots. No one is looking at me, so I covertly pour mine into one of the glasses of melting ice on the table as I pick up my beer with the other hand. It’s a trick I learned years ago and one I’ve taught to a few Peach Fuzz patrons over the years.
“But seriously,” Finn says, clapping a hand on Luke’s shoulder. “I want to thank you.”
Luke studies Finn, his brows drawn low in confusion. “For what?”
Finn smiles. “For pushing Hannah into my arms.”
Wyatt bursts out laughing. “You mean for making you realize you needed to get off your ass and tell her you liked her?”
Finn glares at his brother. “Don’t be a dick.”
Wyatt just smiles. “Some of us don’t need seven years to figure out we want to be with someone. Don’t be mad because you’re an underachiever.”
I don’t know exactly what they’re talking about, but I remember Luke telling us about how he’d flirted with Hannah when he’d first met her. That was before she and Finn had been a couple. The next time he’d seen Finn and Hannah, they were married. Needless to say, Luke hadn’t gotten a heartwarming welcome from Finn that day. But now that a couple of years have passed and everyone can see how much Luke loves Piper, Finn has lightened up on Luke a bit. These days, their teasing is more good-natured than hostile. Which is good, considering they share a niece.
Luke just shrugs. “I’m always happy to help those less fortunate.”
