1. Adam

1

ADAM

Three weeks ago

M y fingers hovered over the seating chart, a constellation of names and relationships spread before me. I shifted a place card, then moved it back.

I didn’t dare touch anything on Victoria’s side. She’d agonized for weeks about who would sit with whom at our wedding, who got to sit closer to our table or farther back. Now was my turn, except I didn’t have a clue about the rules.

Apparently , where you sat at a wedding was important. You didn’t want to cast Aunt Virginia to the Siberia of the seating chart because you’d forever hear about it at family gatherings, and god forbid you put the Wilson cousins at the same table. They were still not talking because of that one Christmas when they brought the exact same homemade pie for dessert and spent the evening accusing each other of buying it at a bakery.

This is ridiculous.

I pushed away from the table. With Victoria away for another business trip, I’d tried distracting myself with wedding stuff, but maybe what I needed was a break.

My wedding suit hung in the closet right next to River’s. A classic midnight-blue tuxedo jacket with satin lapels, matching trousers with a pinstripe on the side, and a crisp white shirt.

River’s was a copy of mine, which annoyed Victoria, who insisted the groom needed to stand out. I didn’t want to stand out. I just wanted to marry her and grow old together, but that hadn’t been the right answer.

She compromised by making River promise he’d only wear the jacket to the ceremony and would take it off for the photos and reception. I didn’t tell her I didn’t plan to wear the jacket all day either.

I ran my hands down the soft fabric. Pick up the suits . Another wedding task I’d completed today. Go me.

I smiled as an idea formed in my head. When was the last time we’d gone out just for shits and giggles?

A pre-bachelor party outing. That’s what I needed. One last hurrah with my best friend before the whirlwind of the wedding swept us both away.

Before I talked myself out of it, because Victoria would be back tomorrow and hungover Adam was not her favorite, I grabbed my keys and headed for Lusitana.

The familiar route to my parents’ restaurant calmed my nerves, even as a mix of emotions swirled in my belly. Something in the air was unsettling. If only I could pinpoint what it was. Probably just pre-wedding jitters.

Getting married? Hell yeah. Getting all the attention? Hard pass.

The dinner rush was in full swing when I arrived. I slipped through the crowded dining room. The controlled chaos of clattering pans and sizzling grills welcomed me, the scents of garlic and herbs filling the air.

The restaurant was as much home as our childhood home was, thanks to the endless school vacations my brothers and I spent working here. We’d mastered every single job except the kitchen. As teenagers, we’d felt like it was an obligation, but now I appreciated that Lusitana wasn’t just a business. It was part of the family, and it was only when you got down and dirty with everyone else that you really understood why.

River had always loved it more than us, so my dad had taken him under his wing before we all left for college. He even got a business degree so he could one day take over the restaurant.

River was in his element at Lusitana. He moved with practiced grace, calling out orders and checking plates with a focused intensity that was River through and through.

“Hey, boss!” I called out, grinning as River’s head snapped up in surprise. “Got a minute?”

His expression softened, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. “For you? Always,” he said, wiping his hands on a towel as he approached. “What’s up? Shouldn’t you be cuddled up with your fiancée watching a movie or something?”

I shrugged, suddenly feeling a bit sheepish. “She’s away for business.”

River’s brows furrowed. I knew exactly what he was thinking. Victoria had promised no business meetings during the month before the wedding.

Ignoring the words he wasn’t saying, I said, “I had an idea. What do you say we blow this popsicle stand and have a guys’ night out? Pre-bachelor party style?”

River’s eyebrows shot up. “Now? Adam, I’m in the middle of dinner service. I can’t just?—”

“Come on,” I pleaded, giving him my best puppy-dog eyes. “When was the last time we did something spontaneous? I’m getting married in three weeks, man. Don’t I deserve one last night of freedom?”

I watched the conflict play across his face and the moment responsibility gave way to something else. He sighed, shaking his head with a rueful smile. “You’re impossible, you know that?”

“That’s why you love me,” I quipped.

River turned to his assistant manager, rattling off instructions and handing over the reins for the evening. I felt a surge of warmth at how easily he gave in. How willing he was to drop everything for me. It had always been that way between us, an effortless give and take that felt as natural as breathing. That was why he was my best friend.

As we stepped out into the cool evening air, I felt a weight lift from my shoulders. This was exactly what I needed—a night with my best friend, free from the pressures of wedding planning and future responsibilities.

“So, what’s the plan?” River asked, falling into step beside me. “Please tell me it doesn’t involve strippers or anything cliché like that.”

I laughed, bumping his shoulder. “Give me some credit. I was thinking we could start with drinks at Tanner’s and then maybe hit that new gay club that opened a couple of months ago.”

River’s eyes shot up at the mention of the gay club, but he didn’t say anything. A club was a club, right? Music, alcohol, and poor decisions.

Besides, it’s not like it would be the first time I’d been to a gay club. With my best friend and two brothers being queer, I’d been to more gay clubs than any other. I’d just never been the one suggesting it.

Cliffborough’s city center was small enough that once you found your parking spot, you could walk everywhere, and thankfully for us, Tanner’s wasn’t far from Lusitana. The club was a little farther away, but we could get a rideshare back to get my car. If we got too drunk, we’d take the rideshare home and return for my car in the morning. Easy-peasy.

As we walked, I found my gaze drawn to River. The streetlights caught the angles of his face, softening the worry lines that had begun to appear. I frowned, wondering when those lines had formed and why I hadn’t noticed them.

“You okay, River?” I asked. “You’ve got that look.”

“What look?”

“The one that says you’re overthinking something. Want to talk about it?”

“I want to talk about why you really came out tonight.”

I didn’t miss the shift in topic, but he was right. I was the one who’d sought him out. My hesitation was in how to articulate the mess of emotions coursing through me.

“I don’t know,” I admitted. “I’m excited about the wedding, I am. But there’s this part of me that’s… I don’t know, sad? Like I’m losing something important.”

River’s steps faltered for a moment, his expression unreadable. “That’s normal, I think,” he said carefully. “Getting married is a big change. It’s okay to feel conflicted about it.”

“Yeah, maybe,” I agreed. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to get all heavy. This is supposed to be a fun night out, right?”

River’s hand came to rest on my shoulder, warm and reassuring. “Hey, you know you can always talk to me about anything, fun night or not.”

The sincerity in his voice made my throat tight. I covered River’s hand with my own, giving it a grateful squeeze. “I know. Thanks, Riv. I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

Something flickered in his eyes, too quick for me to decipher. But before I could question it, River was smiling again, tugging me toward the welcoming glow of Tanner’s. “Come on, let’s get you a drink. I have a feeling you need it.”

The bar was bustling with the Friday night crowd, but we managed to snag two stools at the far end of the bar. I ordered our usual and settled in, feeling the last of my tension melt away.

“So,” River said, sipping his beer, “I hate to beat a dead horse, but how are the wedding plans coming along? Everything on track?”

I groaned, running a hand through my hair. “Don’t even get me started. I never knew there were so many details to consider. Who knew that the color of napkins could be such a contentious issue? I spent hours today going through the seating chart. I’m not even sure I know half of those people.”

River chuckled. “Let me guess, Victoria has strong opinions on table linens?”

“You have no idea.”

“Well, if it isn’t my favorite couple,” Tanner said, appearing out of nowhere. I’d swear he hadn’t been behind the bar when we sat down.

River rolled his eyes and asked, “What’s up with you? Your husband working tonight, so you’re out here pestering your best customers?”

“Nope. He’s tied up to my desk in the office.” He looked at his watch. “I’ll give him an hour before I get back to finish what I started.”

“Sorry I asked,” River said at the same time I said. “Fuck that’s hot.”

River’s head swung in my direction.

“What? Are you going to say it’s not?” Edging wasn’t something Victoria and I had done much of, but we were once interrupted by a work call during morning sex and ended up exchanging sexy texts all day. We didn’t finish until later that night. Fucking best orgasm ever. I thought my head would blow off.

“Can we… Can we talk about something else? Please?”

I laughed. “Give us two more beers, Tanner. My friend here needs to cool down.”

“Remind me again why was it such a good idea to abandon my job to hang out with you?” River asked.

“You love me and missed me.”

“Sure I did.” He drank the rest of his beer and put the empty bottle on the bar just as Tanner replaced it with a fresh one.

I leaned into River. “Let’s drink up. We have a club to hit up. Let’s show all the gays how it’s done.”

“Good lord. You really have no idea, do you?”

“About what?”

He quirked a brow as his lips curled up into a smile. “Without your brothers to run interference, you’re going to be eaten alive in there, and I’m going to enjoy watching it.”