Page 44 of Should've Been Us
Chapter Ten
Connor fucking hated golf.Seriously, how was something considered a sport when the only way you broke a sweat was because it was hot as hell outside? Hitting a tiny white ball and then chasing it down was not a sport in his humble opinion. Give him football. Give him baseball. Hell, he’d take some hard-hitting hockey even if he was a born and bred Texan. But don’t give him shit about golf being an actualsport.
Itwasn’t.
He checked his phone for the thousandth time but the clock had barely moved from the last time he’d checked it. Plus, every time he picked it up and found it empty, he just got more frustrated. He wanted to get back to the resort, find Lulu and spank her cute little ass for not texting him back allday.
What the hell was she up to that she couldn’t return a freaking textmessage?
After making love to her again this morning, because really, he wasn’t passing up an opportunity to take a shower with the woman of his dreams, he’d done the sensible, responsible adult thing and sent her over to meet with the girls while he met with the guys for this little golfouting.
The little golf outing from hell. They’d spent all day out in the sun and heat playing a game he hated and they’d only barely cracked the back nine because apparently someone had scheduled their start time a half hour after the seniors tournamentstarted.
Connor contemplated banging his head against the steering wheel of his golf cart. Why? Why would grown men choose to spend their day doing this when they could all be back at the resortinstead?
Hell, didn’t Derek want to spend time with his soon to be wife? Weren’t the little Harper’s still itching to bag a bridesmaid? Shouldn’t Brenden be worrying about what kind of trouble Sierra was causing in his absence? Why was he the only one feeling all itchy and out of sorts just because he hadn’t seen Lulu in a couple ofhours?
He was a damn mess. One night with the girl and he was ruined. He’d always known it would be good between them but he hadn’t expected just how well she would fit him. He hadn’t expected to get so wrapped up in her that he could barely function for checking his phone and trying to figure out what she was up to while he was held hostage on a golfgreen.
“Hey.”
Connor looked up a second before his oldest friend in the world climbed in on the other side of his golf cart, “Hey.”
Derek sighed as he rearranged his long legs, leaning back and getting comfortable on the seat next to Connor. It was the first time all day they’d had even a moment of almost privacy. The first time they’d been this close without a horde of other people surrounding them and Connor couldn’t help but tense up just alittle.
Derek had gotten a cart that morning with Aubrey’s dad and Connor had trailed behind Dean and the other Harpers all day with only Brenden Ramey forcompany.
The man wasn’t bad company. In fact, he was the only bright spot in the day from hell for Connor. They’d talked a lot and he’d been right. They had a lot in common and he knew they’d be friends if their paths ever crossedagain.
Brenden had a force of deputies and detectives that sounded about as close as brothers. Connor knew what that was like. His new brother-in-law Nick was his own partner back home and he considered all of the guys in the Fate Sheriff’s Department friends. He even liked Lulu’s brother, Lance, who seemed to hate his guts for no apparent reason. They were his family, or he hoped they would besoon.
But just thinking that thought, about making Lulu his family, with Derek sitting beside him had his stomach knotting and his throattightening.
He wanted so badly to just say it, to tell Derek the truth. Tell Derek that he was in love with Lulu, always had been, and Derek’s loss was his gain. He wanted to fucking mark Lulu publicly and yeah, maybe that did make him kind of a caveman, wanting to plant a flag on her like she was his territory now, but he couldn’t help it. He’d wanted her for so long that having her felt too much like a dream he might wake up from if he wasn’tcareful.
But he’d promised her that he wouldn’t confront Derek about them and he wouldn’t break that promise so he locked his jaw and swallowed the words instead of telling his best friend thetruth.
Derek, oblivious as always, simply smiled, “So, I’m taking a poll and thought I’d start with you since you seem about as thrilled to be out here as a man beingtortured.”
“I think golf ranks right up there with having my fingernails pulled out and you knowit.”
“Hence, the poll.” Derekchuckled.
“What kind ofpoll?”
Derek knew he hated golf. It wasn’t a secret. The only reason Connor was here was because this time was Derek’s time. Derek was the groom. He got to plan activities and tell them all what to do. Connor had come along today because he was Derek’s best man but he hadn’t done a great job of pretending to smile and have fun if his friend was here to call him out onit.
“Spend the next three hours waiting for these old-timers to finish up the back nine and waste the rest of our day in the process, or call it and head back to the resort, find Bree and Lu and have somefun.”
Connor all but sagged with relief, “Fuck. Yes. Call it and let’s get back to thegirls.”
“Damn, Con, that was almost too easy.” Derek grinned at him knowingly and when he frowned Derek snorted, “Don’t try to backpedal now. I know you want to get back to Lulu just as bad as I want to get back toBree.”
Connor’s air caught in his lungs and he stared at his best friend for a long moment, trying to figure out what to do or say next. Derek was right. He’d made it easy. Derek had asked one simple question and Connor’s reaction had proven whatever suspicions he hadright.
“Is it that obvious?” Hewinced.
“Maybe not to the rest of the guys but to me?Yeah.”
