Holy Frigging Matrimony - A Tangled Series Short Story (The Tangled Series) Read Online Free PDF Page A

that’s for damn sure. Dee Dee says so, too.”
    He fingers the label on his beer bottle. “But you know how it is—the higher you climb, the farther you fall—and it’s not like you’re the sticking type. So when I think about how bad you’re gonna hurt her? Pretty much makes me want to put a fucking bullet between your eyes.”
    Now that , I can respect.
    I slap him on the back. Maybe a little harder than I needed to. “Tell you what, Billy—the day I hurt her? I’ll buy you the gun.”
    His drunken eyes regard me suspiciously. Then he holds out his hand. And I shake it firmly.
    Why are you so surprised? I can be mature. Sometimes. Besides, just because I’ve decided not to punch him in the face the next time I see him doesn’t mean I’m going to give Kate all of his goddamn messages.
    What do I look like? A saint?
    Out of nowhere the lovely woman in question appears beside me, standing between our bar stools. “What’s going on? What is this?”
    I open my mouth to explain, but Warren beats me to it. “Relax, Katie. Me and Evans…just buryin’ the old hammer.”
    “Hatchet.”
    “That, too.”
    Her eyes flicker back and forth between us. I smile calmly. Reassuringly.
    She’s not convinced. “So, what? You two get into a fight, have a few beers, and now you’re all buddy buddy? You gonna go outside and pee on the wall together, too?”
    Warren holds up his hand. “Let’s not get crazy. It’s not like we’re gonna hang out and play foosball or something. But if Evans here ever needs an extra hand with an assisted suicide?” He taps his chest. “I’m your guy.”
    I raise my glass. “Well said.”
    He downs a shot and stands up. “And on that note, I’m gonna head over to that little hottie on the dance floor who’s been givin’ me the eye all night. Tell Aunt Amelia not to wait up. And hey, Evans-- you should watch your back. This shin-dig is my cousin’s deal, and we messed it up. Dee Dee’s not gonna let that slide.”
    I nod. “Thanks for the warning.”
    After he’s gone, there’s a moment of silence. And Kate looks sideways at me. “What’s your game, Drew?”
    I look surprised. Innocent. “Game? Me ? No game. I just…like you more than I hate him. Simple, really.”
    She nods slowly, the corners of her mouth turning up in a half smile. “And you couldn’t have had this little revelation before you announced my talent for fellatio to our family and friends?”
    That probably would have been better.
    “Yeah. Sorry about that. Got caught up in the moment. Although it was the truth and nothing but the truth, so help me God.”
    She snorts, shaking her head. “Jerk.”
    And with that, I know I’m in the clear. My hands circle her waist and pull her between my legs as I change the subject. “Have I told you how cock-stiffeningly gorgeous you look tonight?”
    Kate smiles as she rests her forearms on my shoulders. “Not in the last few hours.”
    “Consider yourself told.”
    She leans in and lays her head against my chest.
    And all is right with the world.
    “Thank you, Drew.”
    And I know she means for more than just the compliment. I brush my face against her hair, inhaling the scent that still captivates me.
    “Anytime, Kate. Anything.”
    Over her head, I spot Warren—and more importantly, the woman he’s hitting on. And I start to laugh.
    Kate’s head pops up. “What?”
    I motion with my chin. “Warren’s talking to Christina Berman—a distant cousin of Matthew’s.”
    She looks towards them. “And that’s funny because…?”
    “Because up until a year ago, her dick was bigger than mine. She used to be a guy.”
    Kate’s eyes bug out of her head. “Wow. You’d never know it, looking at her.”
    “Nope.”
    Then her gaze falls on me. Thoughtfully.
    And I ask, “What?”
    Her eyes shine. At me. For me. “Nothing. I just…I love you, you know.”
    I shrug. “I’m a loveable guy.”
    She laughs. And brings her palm to my cheek, smacking it softly.