Page 61 of Force Play
nineteen
Ari
“Today’stheday!”Colesays happily, wrapping an arm around Knox’s shoulders. “Ready to be my brother-in-law, Fort?”
Knox sighs and shakes his head. “I’m ready to marry your sister. You just happen to come with the family.”
“You’re such a dick,” Cole laughs.
“Well, he definitely uses his dick,” I prod, causing Cole to reach out and shove me.
“Fuck off, Ari. I don’t want to hear about that.”
Lane chuckles from where he’s sitting beside Josh. “Liv tells me that Harlow acts the same way with Rory since she apparently loves to give your sister hell.”
“Sounds like my wife.” He shakes his head and sits down on the sofa in the room we’re all getting ready in.
“I can’t believe how much has changed over the past few years,” Josh says, looking around at all of us.
“It really has,” Knox smiles. “I didn’t think I’d ever evenwantto get married, but here I am now, and I can’t imagine not wanting to spend my life with Harlow. She’s fucking amazing.”
“Cole and Josh are both already married,” Lane adds.
Cole grins as he thinks of his wife. That man is stupidly in love with Rory. “You’re getting close to marriage yourself, aren’t you, Brooks?”
Lane shrugs. “We’ll get there when we get there. Olive is only twenty-four, so she doesn’t want to rush into a marriage, and that’s fine with me. She adopted our daughter, and that’s all that really matters.”
“Speaking of kids,” I say, turning my attention to Josh, “how’s everything going?”
Josh sighs and looks up at the ceiling. “Well, Ella will be drinking tonight if that tells you anything.”
We all deflate a little bit.
“Sorry, man,” I say softly.
“It’ll happen,” Lane adds.
Josh takes a deep breath. “I’m starting to worry that it won’t. We’ve been trying for ten months now. I feel like Ella is barely keeping it together. She’s assured me she won’t let it get to her today, but it’s tomorrow I’m worried about.”
Cole places a hand on his shoulder. “Stress doesn’t help. You two could always take a break from trying so the pressure is off for a while.”
“Maybe,” Josh sighs. “But today isn’t about me. Let’s not worry about my and Ella’s struggles right now. Today is for celebrating Knox and Harlow.”
Knox chuckles. “I don’t get married for another couple of hours. Even then, focus on my wife, not me. I hate attention.”
“Well, you’re the center of attention today, buddy,” I laugh.
I see a glint in Knox’s eye, and I’m pretty sure I’m not going to like what happens next. “I don’t need to be the center of attention right now, then,” he smirks. “So why don’t you tell us more about New Year’s Eve?”
I groan and pinch my brow. “Should’ve fucking expected that.”
“We’re all still in shock that Pierce was right,” Josh laughs.
“I still can’t believe you fuckers took bets on when you thought I’d sleep with Lucia.”
“Apparently, we were right to do so,” Lane teases. “And Cole won because you fucked her on New Year’s.”
“Oh my God,” I grumble. “We slept togetheronce.That’s it. It was a one-night thing.”
