Paxton chuckled as he glanced over to Peter and back to Braxton. “Hey, ease up a bit. You’re potentially looking at Mr. Paisley Reed. Didn’t you know?”
Braxton felt an emptiness in the pit of his gut. The room spun slightly as he absorbed the news. “What? No, I had no idea. They're engaged?”
Paxton raised an eyebrow, shaking his head. “As of last month. I can’t believe she didn’t tell you.”
Regret filled Braxton’s eyes. “Your sister and I haven’t exactly been burning up the phone lines lately. I talk to you more than I do her.”
Paxton’s posture stiffened. “How can that be? You’re here, like thirty minutes away from each other. I just assumed the four of you hung out from time to time.”
Braxton was about to explain but before he could get the words out of his mouth, Paisley’s smiling face appeared in his line of sight, causing a sudden coldness to infiltrate his senses.
“Brax.” She stared at him, her face devoid of any emotion. “I guess a proper hello is in order now that your testosterone has simmered down some.”
Paisley extended her hand, but Braxton wasn’t having it at all. Not after all this time. He was not going to be slighted with a handshake when what he wanted to do was hold her tight. In one single motion, he pulled her into his arms. When Braxton felt her body tight against his, he squeezed like he was holding on to his lifeline as he dangled off the side of a cliff.
Paisley’s body stiffened against him when he whispered in her ear, “You’ve got some explaining to do, butterfly.”
Paisley broke away from his hold, stepping back and reaching out to Peter, who made his way beside her. Paisley reached down, wrapping her fingers with Peter’s. “Braxton, this is Peter . . . my fiancé.”
Braxton’s throat constricted, his muscles going rigid. He felt like he was hearing it for the first time. He began to feel a little disoriented and he closed his eyes in an attempt to calm the anxiety. Feeling shaky, he slowly reached out to Peter, offering his hand as if it was an olive branch signaling that he meant no harm. “Nice to meet you, Peter.”
Peter took Braxton’s hand in his. His grip was soft, and his hands were sweaty. Even this guy’s handshake was wimpy. It was time Peter learned exactly who Braxton was and how important Paisley was to him. Even though he’d not been a great friend recently.
Braxton cleared his throat, dropping his voice lower when he spoke. “I hear congratulations are in order. I’m surprised I haven’t heard about you until today. Paisley and I don’t normally have secrets.” He glanced over at Paisley, narrowing his eyes to indicate how much he disapproved of the situation before he looked back at Peter. “You better take care of my girl.” Braxton made sure to put extra emphasis on the words, my girl. “Or you’ll be answering to me.”
Braxton then turned to Paxton, dismissing the little shit as quickly as he could. His stride was so long that he reached the front door in five steps. “Let’s bounce. We’ve got dinner reservations, and I’m paying.”
The wait at Grimaldi’s, as usual, was longer than any human would want to wait for dinner, which was why Braxton had had the good sense to call ahead and make a reservation. Paxton, Paisley, and he had loved eating there as kids, so he knew this would be the perfect place to pitch his idea to his two best friends.
“Michaels, party of four,” the leggy brunette called in their direction.
“Five.” Paisley spoke up as she walked closer to the woman. “We’re a party of five, not four.”
Without missing a beat, the hostess reached for one more menu, making a few minor adjustments to the seating map on the check-in station and then instructed the group to follow her. Braxton felt his phone vibrate in his pocket. Without looking at it, he silenced it and followed his group.
The waitress’s movements were slow, and she looked back to ensure everyone was following her and she hadn’t lost anyone as they wove through the drones of tables. When she reached the middle of the room, she stopped in front of a round table.
Braxton waited for Paisley to take her seat, and then he grabbed the one right beside it, pushing Alissa to the side. Braxton wasn’t oblivious to the ‘what the hell was that’ look Alissa gave him before she took the seat on the other side of him.
To defuse the situation, Braxton placed a soft kiss to her temple before whispering in Alissa’s ear that he’d explain later.
Alissa, being her best-mannered self, didn’t question him any further. He wasn’t sure why he’d done that. But this wasn’t the time to analyze things. All he knew was that he instinctively needed to be by Paisley’s side. Shed shut him out, and he needed to know why.
“A toast,” Paxton called out after the waitress set down their drinks. “To being here with my best friend, my sister, her new love, and of course, to seeing you again, Alissa.” Paxton just couldn’t pass up an opportunity to screw with him.
Everyone at the table raised their glasses and the clinking began, allowing Braxton to speak up. “I’ve got a proposal for you two.” He looked toward Paxton and Paisley. “Michaels and Reed. How does it sound?”
“Why Michaels first? Why not Reed and Michaels? After all, there are two of us and only one of you.”
Braxton considered the change; admittedly, he could give two shits about the order of their names if it meant his best friend would be willing to move back to California and start a business with him. If this had been any other situation, he’d fuck with his friend for a bit. But this was too serious a matter to let the opportunity be ruined because he had to be the jokester of the pack.
“I could live with Reed
