Page 18 of Burly and Obsessed

“I will be,” I answer, and for the first time in days, I believe it.

CHAPTER 8

ACE

Freedom at last.” I loosen my tie, the silk sliding against my collar as I step into the bright afternoon sunlight. My head throbs from last night’s bachelor party, but it’s nothing compared to the ache in my chest every time I caught Andrea’s eyes during the ceremony.

Hank stumbles down the chapel steps beside me, sunglasses sliding into place. “Jesus. Remind me never to let Cody mix drinks again.”

“You’re the one who ordered those tequila shots.” I squint against the glare, scanning the crowd for a glimpse of lavender dress.

“Looking for someone?” Hank’s smirk irritates me more than it should.

“Shut up.”

Cody joins us, slapping Hank on the back hard enough to make him wince. “Here, ladies.” He pulls a silver flask from his inside pocket. “Hair of the dog.”

“Hand it over.” Hank takes a swig, his face contorting. “Christ, what is this?”

“Bourbon. The good stuff.” Cody passes it to me. “You need it more than he does. You look like hell.”

I take a small sip, the liquid burning down my throat. Relief that the formal ceremony is over mixes with a growing tension about seeing Andrea at the reception.

“Did you see Jax’s face when Leesa came down the aisle?” Damien joins our circle, adjusting his cuffs. “I wasn’t sure if he’d be able to keep it together. I’ve never seen the man cry, but he looked like he was about to. He’s joined you all on the dark side.”

“When you find a woman who looks at you like that, you’ll dive headfirst into the dark side too,” Rowan says, unusually philosophical. Damien always talks about how he’ll never settle down with a woman, but he never talks about the woman who broke his heart. “That’ll be me and Ophelia soon,” Rowan continues. “I ain’t never letting her go.”

“You proposed to her already?” Damien asks, taking a swig of bourbon.

Rowan shakes his head, but his smile doesn’t fade. “It’s just a matter of time. We both know we’re in it for the long haul. Like Jax said in his vows, I never thought I’d be this happy, but damn if Ophelia doesn’t make me the happiest man in the world. And we have Leesa to thank for that.”

“Speaking of diving headfirst,” Cody turns to me, “you’re awfully quiet, Lincoln. Usually can’t shut you up.”

I force a smile, accepting the flask again. “Just enjoying the show.”

The guys launch into their usual bullshit—ribbing each other, reliving last night’s drunken highlights, though thankfully, they’re skipping most of me brooding over Andrea. I nod at the right moments and laugh when expected, but my mind keeps drifting to Andrea. The way she looked down when our eyes met.

Hank grabs my elbow, pulling me aside while the others debate the fastest route to the reception. “So what’s the deal with you and Andrea? You fix that mess yet?”

My jaw clenches. “There’s nothing to fix.”

“Bullshit.” He doesn’t bother keeping his voice down. “You’ve been watching her like a hawk all morning.”

“And you’ve been a pain in my ass all morning.” The defensive words come automatically, but then resignation sets in. I fucked up, and I know it.

Cody’s head swivels our way. “Are we finally talking about Ace’s Andrea situation? Because we’ve got a pool going on when you’ll finally grow a pair.”

“There is no situation,” I snap, my hands clenching into fists. “And there is no pool.”

“There’s definitely a pool,” Rowan confirms, not looking up from his phone. “I’ve got twenty on ‘never’ because Jax scares you too much.”

“Jax doesn’t scare me.” The protest sounds hollow even to my own ears.

“Then what’s your excuse?” Hank challenges. “Because we all saw you at the bachelor party. That wasn’t a man celebrating his buddy’s wedding. That was a man drowning his sorrows.”

The accuracy of his assessment stings. I said too much that night—about Andrea, about what happened in the greenhouse, about wanting her since the day I arrived in Silver Pine Ridge. Now they’re using it against me.

“Look,” Hank’s voice drops, surprisingly serious. “We’re headed to a reception with an open bar and dancing. If you want another shot, this is it.”

---