Chapter Two Ace
Chapter Two
Ace
Buddy, you wear that Grinch suit well,” Jack said as we drove toward the restaurant.
He and Holly and I were sitting in the back seat of a limousine.
I’d arrived in town an hour ago, and I’d hired a driver and come straight to Jack and Holly’s house to pick them up so we could head to the rehearsal dinner.
The dude was like a brother to me, and he was quite possibly the only guy on the planet that I would dress in a dumbass, ridiculous, furry, green Christmas-themed costume for.
He’d sent me the link and insisted I wear the costume. All the outfits for the wedding party had to be approved ahead of time, because Jack and Holly had something special planned after dinner that included a wedding singer who was a “lyrical genius,” according to the two peppiest people on earth.
“Only for you. And you two are rocking those elf costumes.” I chuckled, because who the fuck throws a wedding on Christmas Day and demands their wedding party dress as holiday characters for the rehearsal dinner on Christmas Eve?
Jack fucking Jacobs and his fiancée, that’s who.
Jack and I had been inseparable since we’d met in kindergarten, all the way up until we’d both gone off to college. I’d left White Cap in my rearview mirror, aside from my once-a-year trip back to see the Jacobses.
I’d practically grown up at the Jacobses’ house. They were the family that everyone wished they were born into.
Suzie and Joe Jacobs were the quintessential parents that childhood dreams were made of. Something you’d see on a sitcom, reminding most of us how fucked up our own childhoods were.
My family life was more like a bad Dateline episode, and the Jacobses had saved me more times than I could count.
I remember being surprised the first time I’d gone over to their house for dinner.
Suzie and Joe were madly in love, and they supported their children in every way, shape, and form.
And Jack was ridiculously protective of his younger sister, so I’d always kept myself in check where she was involved.
Goldie Sunshine Jacobs.
She was that girl. Her name fit her well. Beautiful, funny, thoughtful, smart, and kind. I’d never once crossed the line with her, but I’d be lying if I said I hadn’t thought about it.
A couple hundred times.
Fine. Maybe thousands.
Goldie was Jack’s little sister, after all—not mine. I was only fucking human.
It had been a lifelong struggle for me, one that had put my acting skills to the test over the years.
I’d never hurt for female attention, and I used to date often, but none of the relationships ever lasted.
And Goldie was always the girl I’d compare everyone else to.
Sadly, no one compared to her.
That was saying a lot, seeing as I’d never even touched her.
But then she’d gone off and gotten a dickhead boyfriend in college, and they’d stayed together up until recently. I despised the dude, and I’d never hidden my disdain—I’d just hidden it under the ruse of being protective—but truth be told, I was jealous.
Hell, I’d be jealous of any man who was lucky enough to be with her.
Thankfully, the asshole had lived up to my expectations and proved himself an unworthy douchebag. I’d offered to fly there and beat his ass on her behalf, though she’d declined the offer.
Long story short, Goldie had always been off limits.
She deserved the best.
Not the douchebag and not me.
I was the guy who hung out at her house all the time because his family was a fucking train wreck.
I’d almost told Jack how I felt about his sister the night we graduated from high school, but instead I’d spent the entire evening down at the local jail trying to get my father out, as he’d been arrested once again.
Goldie knew how fucked up my family was because we’d always been close, and she was the one person I’d never been embarrassed to open up to about it.
But bringing her around that? I wouldn’t have considered it.
Talking about it was one thing; exposing her to it was another.
“Thanks, brother. I’m just glad you’re here. There’s no one else I’d want standing up there next to me,” he said before clapping me on the shoulder.
Holly leaned forward and shook her head. “I hope you want me up there too.”
He chuckled and kissed the top of her head. “Of course I do.”
“Thanks for getting us a car service for the weekend. It takes the pressure off driving in the snow.” Holly reached into the pocket of Jack’s costume and clicked on something, and a few more strands of lights lit up across his chest.
I shit you not. They’d been together since we were in high school, and these two were made for one another.
They came out to Los Angeles often and stayed with me when they’d go to Disney or attend a football game. They felt more like family than friends, and celebrating them was easy.
“Of course. Happy to do it.”
“Also, I don’t think I thanked you enough for making sure Jack’s bachelor party a few weeks ago was tame,” she said as we turned down Main Street.
“Well, this guy didn’t want lap dances—he wanted a football game and a steak dinner.” I laughed. Jack Jacobs was not your typical groom-to-be. I’d been to plenty of bachelor parties that were anything but tame, but he was different. Jack was the most loyal guy I’d ever known.
“You went above and beyond,” Jack said. “Flying all the guys out to New York and paying for that huge rental house for all of us to stay in, along with tickets to the game and everything else we did that weekend.”
“I’m the best man, it’s my job. Plus, I had to compete with Goldie.” She’d organized a freaking Disney cruise for Holly and her friends for the weekend.
“Oh yes, you know Goldie. She went all out,” Holly said. “She’s the best maid of honor a girl could ask for.”
“She sent me a bunch of pictures, bragging about how it would be impossible for me to top her party,” I chuckled. “So, how is she doing? I mean, how is she really doing?” I asked as we pulled into the parking lot of the restaurant, and I turned to face Jack.
“It’s been a few months since everything went down, and she’s been busy getting her vet clinic open, so she seems okay.” He shrugged. “But I’m sure she has trust issues after what that asshole did to her.”
Holly shook her head. “I don’t think so, actually. She went on a date a few weeks ago. I think she’s over him and ready to get back out there. She hadn’t seemed all that happy the last few years with Joshua anyway.”
I couldn’t agree more.
A knock on the car window had me turning to see Goldie and Poppy waving at us through the glass, snowflakes falling around them.
We hopped out of the car, and I immediately wrapped my arms around Goldie. “Hey, Sunny. You’re the best-looking reindeer I’ve ever seen.” I was one of the only people she shared her middle name with, and I’d come up with the nickname when we were kids.
She chuckled and tipped her head back. “And you’re quite the actor because my coat is covering most of my outfit.”
“Well, the brown Chucks and the antlers are a nice touch, Dr. Jacobs,” I said, because I hadn’t seen her since I’d flown out to her vet school graduation, and it had a nice ring to it.
“I’ll never get used to that.” She pulled back, using her hands to cover her nose and mouth because it was cold as hell outside.
“Well, well, well,” Poppy Peters said. She’d always been a smart-ass. “It’s Hollywood’s biggest playboy in the flesh.”
“Hollywood’s biggest playboy” was a stretch. Maybe a few years ago that would have been accurate, but not anymore.
“Not really in the flesh—I’m in a green furry suit.” I arched a brow, my gaze never leaving Goldie’s.
“Let’s get inside. It’s freezing out here. Remember to be ready to hit the dance floor when they call you,” Jack said as he, Holly, and Poppy started jogging toward the entrance.
I wrapped an arm around Goldie, an attempt to keep her warm, as we walked side by side.
“You ready for this?” I smirked.
“Am I ready to have everybody ask what happened with Joshua?” she said, making an effort to keep her tone light, but I could tell that she was nervous. “Not really. But I’ll survive.”
I came to a stop. “Damn straight. You’re Goldie Sunshine Jacobs.”
“Not this again.” She feigned annoyance as a wide grin spread across her pretty face. I used to give her pep talks in high school all the time.
“You heard it here. You just tell them that your ex-boyfriend is a wanker, and they can fuck off with their questions. And if you don’t want to say it, I’ll be happy to step in.”
Her sapphire-blue gaze softened, nose red from the cold, as her long blond hair peeked out from beneath her reindeer hood with two antlers sticking out the top of her head. Her teeth sunk into her bottom lip, and she nodded. “Are you going to beat up everybody who takes a shot at me, Ace?”
“Always,” I said as she wrapped a hand around my bicep and we made our way inside.
And that is the fucking truth.
I would walk through fire for this girl.
Once we entered the restaurant, it was pure chaos. Goldie was pulled away to help Holly with something, while Suzie and Joe Jacobs introduced me to everyone, most of whom I already knew, showing me off like proud parents.
But every time I searched the room, I found her.
Sunny.
My eyes always managed to find her in a crowded room. It had been that way for as long as I could remember.
And apparently, nothing had changed.