“Maybe.” I crack the tall can and take a massive swig of the cold beer.
“Gimme half. These assholes are starving us on purpose. Sami wants us to eat at some froufrou bullshit place, but we have to wait.” He leans forward. “I’m starving.”
Not wanting to share food, I hesitate, catching a grin from Matt. “It’s only six inches, there’s not enough for all of us.”
“That’s what she said.” Nat takes the sandwich from my hands. She unwraps it and takes a big bite.
“Come on, Nat,” I groan.
“You guys are going to spoil your dinner!” Sami shouts.
Brady takes the sub and bites down, handing it to Matt who does the same. He closes his eyes and nods as he chews.
“Oh my God, you never make that face. How good is that sandwich?” Sami snatches it from Matt and takes a dainty bite. She moans, meeting my gaze as she hands what’s left of my sandwich to me. “Is that pesto?” she asks with a mouthful. “This is so good.”
“It was,” I stare at the sad bit of bun that’s left.
“God, I have some locker room jokes to go with that badly abused bun, bro,” Brady winks at me.
Nat slaps him.
“Anyway.” I take a bite and chew, washing it down with beer. The sandwich is another home run. It’s pesto, bacon, chicken, mayo, sweet tomato, and Havarti with crisp lettuce. There’s something else, maybe a weird relish of some sort. It adds the zing the sandwich needs.
“Right, back to the important stuff. Are you excited?” Sami gushes. Her eyes are wide and brimming with enthusiasm.
“Fully joyed.” I take another bite. I need to be on and forget that I’m bummed out.
“Do you know where we’re going?” She waggles her eyebrows. The other faces in the limo are unreadable.
“French Riviera or Italy?” I guess and finish what’s left of my meal, still starving.
“Nope!” She claps her hands and bounces on the leather seat. I try not to stare at her chest as she does it. “You’ll never guess this. I am so excited. We’ll arrive today and everyone else comes tomorrow. Mike and Liz can’t come until Friday night. She has a doctor’s appointment that can’t be missed.”
“Is she okay?”
“She’s better than okay,” Sami gushes as her eyes widen with the secret she clearly isn’t bent on keeping. It takes me a minute to realize she means Mike and Liz are expecting a baby.
“Oh yikes. How’s Mike?” I ask Brady but he doesn’t get the chance to answer.
“You can ask him Friday.” Sami scoffs. “Stop interrupting. I think I’ve managed to keep this whole thing top secret. No one in the media will know until it’s over.” She beams, barely breathing. “By that time, I’ll have leaked it through my Instagram to ensure top clicks.”
“That’s important.” Matt already seems annoyed because this is not how he wanted to get married.
“It’s going to be the wedding of the year,” Nat gushes but it sounds weird coming from her. She’s the opposite of Sami. Not showy or fancy at all. She’s the epitome of down-to-earth. The sort of girl who wouldn’t show up to the wedding of the year.
“Did you think of someone to bring as a date?” Sami flutters her long lashes at me, always aware of the effect she has. “If you did, we can send a car and pick her up tomorrow.”
“Nat’s my date,” I say with a laugh and wink at Brady. “You told him, right?”
Nat instantly goes along with the joke and slides over to my side of the limo and snuggles into me. “Babe, I told you we’re sharing our accommodations with Lori, right?”
His eyes inadvertently flash that savage jealousy Nat and I are so fond of provoking in him. It takes him a second of self-control and something else, maybe rifling through his caveman comebacks for an appropriate one, “Fine, but you’re in the middle, Lori.”
“My favorite position, BJ,” I retort and finish the last of my Guinness in a couple of big gulps.
Nat moves back to her side, laughing at the big baby Brady becomes whenever she is around. When it’s just us guys, he’s funny and light and cool. Add Nat and he starts paying attention to every dude in the room and puffing out his chest.
It’s no one’s fault but his own, getting engaged to a girl like her. She’s a triple threat and will likely be the death of him.
But Brady has nothing to worry about with me. Nat’s more of a sister to me, the sister I never had.
“I can’t believe you’re doing this secret wedding right after our game,” Brady gripes. “My whole body is still sore. The team is too.”
“Yeah, I’m low-key dying over here,” I add.
“Sami says it’s going to be relaxing,” Matt jokes, flaring his eyes but Brady doesn’t appear convinced. I’m not. The secret wedding of Sami-fucking-Ford and Matt Brimley will be everything except relaxing.
But we all agreed. The moment playoffs were over for us, we were hers. Almost the entire New York Rangers team, Coach included, though I warned her he wouldn’t be coming. Our coach is a stick in the mud and the loss didn’t sit well with him. And he’d never come to a wedding with no warning and little instructions.
“Hey, Sami, which part of the weekend has relaxing on the itinerary?” Brady asks, making Nat roll her eyes.
“Thursday, jackass,” Sami says firmly. “Wednesday is meet and greet. Friday is rehearsal. Saturday is the wedding. Sunday you’re free after brunch.” Her eyes flicker in my direction. “I assume you’re going home to Canada after that?”
“I was thinking I might. Go and spend a week in Van with the family and then go see Gramps.” I try not to fidget with my beer tab. “Oh, and he already sent condolences on our loss. Asked me to ensure I gave them to you two in particular.” I pull out my phone and show Matt the text conversation where my grandpa called our
