Page 17 of Blame it on the Kiss
The sound of silverware striking a glass broke into his calculations and drew his attention. Zane stood up.
His best friend cleared his throat. “Thank you all for being here tonight and this weekend.” A visible swallow made its way down Zane’s throat before he glanced down at his bride-to-be and took Sophie’s hand in his. “I never imagined I was good enough to find this kind of love and happiness, but somehow this amazing, beautiful woman decided I was worth something. She’s taught me so much these past six months and I think I’ve taught her a few things, too.” Sophie blushed. “For the rest of my life she’s stuck with me and every single day she’ll know what a gift she is.” Sophie stood, kissed his cheek, and whispered something in his ear.
And no damn way. Zane’s cheeks actually reddened. Bryce smiled. Throw every adjective at his friend—infatuated, enamored, captivated, mad about, hot for—and Zane had it ten times worse.
“Thanks for celebrating with us,” Zane said. “We’re both really happy to be surrounded by family and friends as we take this next step. Dinner dismissed.” With that he lifted Sophie into his arms and marched out of the private dining room to hoots and hollers.
“Thought it would be you for sure,” Danny said from beside him.
“What?”
“The first of us to get married. It was supposed to be you. We all knew that. Then surf stud goes and surprises us.”
“Want to get drunk?” Throwing back a few seemed like a good way to forget that yeah, Bryce had thought that, too.
“Sounds good.”
They wandered out of the room and headed straight for the bar of the restaurant. The Happy Harpoon had a definite happy vibe going on this evening with loud conversation at all the tables and a crowded bar. He and Danny snagged the last two barstools.
“Two vodka tonics,” Bryce told the bartender.
“I’ll have the same,” Danny said.
Bryce shot his friend a puzzled look. “Dude.”
“What? You said drunk didn’t you? I’m just saving us some time.” Something had been on Danny’s mind for a while now, their ordeal with that bastard of a client aside, but hell if he’d share it.
Bryce would find out what it was eventually. Right now they didn’t need to talk. Just drink.
The bartender deposited their order. “To Zane and Sophie.” Bryce lifted his glass and clinked tumblers with Danny. “To Zane and Sophie,” Danny echoed.
At the other end of the curved bar Julia, Mark, Honor, and Drew took a spot just vacated.
“When’s the meeting with Cooper?” Danny asked after a few sips. As business partners, Bryce acquired their clients and managed everything except the financial and legal facets of their athletes’ careers.
“Next week. You know the guy’s unbelievable. And on top of his skill he’s got a good head on his shoulders. I think we’ll do right by him.”
“He’s also Honor’s brother. That going to be a problem?”
“No.”
“You sure?” Danny shook his glass so the ice clinked. “They’re close.”
“What makes you say that?” Bryce let his gaze drift casually down the bar. Drew had his arm draped across the back of Honor’s barstool and his body leaned toward hers.
“It was pretty obvious last night. She’s protective. And she doesn’t want him going pro.”
“That’s understandable given his accident. But we look out for our athletes.” He tightened the grip on his glass. Honor could trust them with her brother. The idea that she didn’t rankled. Did it circle back to Payton mistrusting him?
“Maybe we should let Coop go and focus on someone else.”
Bryce stared at his friend. There wasn’t anyone else out there Bryce was even remotely interested in, and Danny knew it. After the shitstorm they’d been through the past year, they needed someone exactly like Cooper Mitchell. Young, good upbringing, positive attitude, a comeback kid, just like they were trying to be.
“No.”
Danny kept his eyes on his drink. “Okay. But if it looks like you can’t handle it, I’m putting a stop to it.”
“What does that mean?”
