Page 36 of A Royal Promise
“It is.” Bri breathed out a sigh of relief, knowing she could unload all her confusing thoughts soon. “How’s married life?”
Marriage looked great on her friend. Ever since her arranged marriage to Colin had blossomed into a love match, Rosalie had become even more of a ray of sunshine than she’d been before.Today, her auburn hair framed her face in soft curls, the perfect complement to her simple white floral dress.
Rosalie’s gaze turned dreamy as she looked at Colin’s retreating form. “It’s wonderful. I feel like I was born to be a wife and a mom.”
“You really were. How’s the sweetest five-year-old around doing? I miss her.”
“Addie’s wonderful. She’s growing like a weed and still as precocious as ever, as you saw.” Rosalie laughed lightly. “I’m so thankful and honored to be her mama.”
“She’s blessed too.” Bri smiled, happy to see her friend so full of joy. “Oh, Drew wanted me to ask you…do you know if Wes has a thing for Annalise or Josephine? He said Wes looked embarrassed when Liam mentioned they should hit him up.”
“Really?” Rosalie cocked a perfectly sculpted eyebrow. “I’ll let Colin know and see what he thinks. I’ve been dying for Wes to settle down so we can have someone to double date with.”
“I think the race is getting ready to start,” Lily called back to them, pointing to the water.
“I should go find Colin and Addie. I’ll talk to you tomorrow.” Rosalie gave her a quick hug and left.
Bri returned to her seat next to Lily and gazed out at the river. The races were fast—most crews covered the two-thousand-meter course in under ten minutes, so the day passed by quickly. Bri cheered when Drew’s crew won their first heat against Findorra and their second race in the semifinal against Rothwell.
Teams from Wistonia, Edgemont, Westridge, and Meldovia were eliminated, leaving Glencrest, Drew’s crew, to race against Bristol for the championship title.
Once both crews’ boats were ready, the starter’s voice sounded over the speakers around the river. “For the championship title,we have Glencrest and Bristol. When both boats are straight, I’ll start you by saying, ‘Attention. Go.’”
Each coxswain held up a hand in the air until they were ready.
Finally, the starter said, “Attention…Go.”
Then both crews were off, rowing hard in their first drive. At the one-mile marker, Bristol’s team was ahead by a few seconds, but Glencrest had a great rhythm going, and she knew they had a shot to come back and win the race.
Bri crossed her ankles and yelled, “You got this, Drew!” Even though she knew he couldn’t hear her, it felt right to cheer for him. She saw Lily nudge Max’s arm and could feel them watching her as she cheered for her best friend.
As the teams neared the final stretch, Bri was amazed to see Drew’s crew picking up speed. Their strokes were smooth from the catch to the finish. They looked clean and synchronized, moving together as one. With only seconds to spare, Glencrest’s boat pulled into the lead. The boats were finally close enough that when Bri spotted Drew in seat five, she couldn’t hold back her excitement.
“Yes! Go, Drew!” Bri cheered, jumping out of her seat. This was no act. It felt natural and good to be supporting Drew at this monumental event in his life.
She clutched Lily’s hand just as Glencrest’s boat crossed the finish line a mere second before Bristol’s. Bri threw her free hand in the air and cheered for her best friend, smiling widely as his teammates slapped the water in excitement over their win.
When they were free to get out of the boat, Drew jumped into the water instead of onto the platform, swimming straight toward her.
He emerged from the water, his white tank clinging to his torso. Bri couldn’t help but let her eyes roam over his body, taking in his chiseled arms and the outline of his abs.Since when does Drew have abs?
Their entire childhood, he’d been scrawny. But the man walking toward her with water dripping off his body was muscular and confident. She was speechless.
Bri tried to shake away the thoughts flooding her mind. There was no way she could have arealattraction toward her best friend.
This is all fake, she reminded herself.
Except, it didn’tfeelfake. Not when she had a stirring feeling inside her she couldn’t quite pinpoint. Not when Drew sucked in a sharp breath when she called him her fiancé. Not when he shielded her from the press and held her hand. Not when she saw him step out of that water, looking like a Greek god.
Bri looked forward to her call with Rosalie tomorrow because she desperately needed to vent about what she was feeling. Things were getting confusing.
She looked back at Drew and found he was only a few paces away. Her mouth fell slightly open when she spotted the blue-and-green bracelet on his wrist. The threads were faded, but she recognized them nonetheless. It was the friendship bracelet she’d made for him over a decade ago. She had no idea how it had remained intact for so long, but the fact that he still wore it all these years later had a blush covering her cheeks.
With as much calm as she could muster, Bri put a smile back on her face and clapped for him. When he reached her, Drew pulled her into his arms, wrapping her in a tight hug. The clicking sound of cameras erupted nearby.
She sucked in a gasp as the cold water quickly soaked through her coat dress. “You’re freezing, Drew,” Bri squealed in his arms.
He pulled his head back with a laugh and looked right into her eyes. “Then I guess I need you to warm me up.”
