6. Bachelors on Parade
Chapter 6
Bachelors on Parade
Reece pulled into the circular gravel driveway in front of his parents’ log mansion and parked behind Noah’s truck. Charlie’s was next to Noah’s, and, unsurprisingly, Neve’s was in front of everyone’s. She had arrived first. Reece wasn’t late—he was two minutes early—but the rest of the family had obviously beaten him there.
With a sigh, he heaved his truck door shut and pulled in the familiar smell of pine permeating the chilly late-November air. Being here was a balm for his soul. Not only did it evoke joyful memories from his teen years, but it was a spread that was a feast for the eyes, and he took it in. The honey-colored logs gleamed in the late-fall sun from their perch atop a rise amid evergreen trees and aspens. His parents had built it with him and his brothers in mind, and it showed in its comfortable vibe and lodge-like feel. He loved coming here, and though he’d been here only a few nights ago when his folks had first arrived, he was appreciating the scene in a wholly fresh way for reasons he didn’t want to contemplate at the moment.
This setting grounded him. Fall River grounded him. And yet he was about to cast himself further adrift.
Dwarfed beneath the covered entry, his mother appeared and waved. “You coming in, or are you just going to stand out there?”
“Just admiring the view.”
She nodded her understanding. He loped toward her, picked her up, and twirled her around.
“What’s gotten into you?” Laughter tumbled from her as he set her on her feet and planted a kiss on her soft cheek.
“Nothing. Just feels good to be here.”
“And how is your cat doing?”
“Considering that barely two weeks ago he was on the verge of not making it, he’s doing great, even if he is missing an eye. But he’s not my cat. I’m just fostering him until Neve can find a permanent home for him.”
“Does he get around okay without the eye?” She turned to head inside, and he fell in behind, closing the door.
“He’s getting there. His depth perception’s a little off, and he misses his target sometimes when he’s jumping for something.”
“Good thing they land on all fours.”
“That’s a myth, but yeah, he mostly lands on all fours.”
In the great room, his brothers and father clustered around a stone fireplace that normally soared upward to meet a tongue-and-groove vaulted peak above. Right now it was flanked by metal scaffolding, and its stones were stacked neatly on tarps that covered a huge swath of the floor. In the kitchen and down a hallway, more signs of remodeling were noticeable. With their folks on an extended vacation, Charlie had been working on some needed repairs between his other gigs.
Despite its current disarray, the house’s hominess peeked through. Their mom had turned the huge footprint into something cozy and welcoming. No doubt his parents had built it bigger than necessary, hoping grandchildren would fill its rooms one day. Reece glanced out the massive wall of glass, envisioning kids running down the sweeping lawn that sloped to Bedrock Creek, a ribbon of clear mountain water where he’d caught many a trout .
Taking a gander at the open gourmet kitchen, he spied the women. Hailey, Joy, and Neve were heads-deep in chitchat as they sipped wine, retrieved plates, and sorted a tray of hors d’oeuvres on an island covered in plywood. They glanced up and acknowledged him with quick greetings. Neve sent him a small wave. Her pittie rescue—or was that a pity rescue? he chuckled to himself—Pearl, trotted over and gave his hand a lick and a nudge, and he obliged her with head pats. Not to be left out of the action, Noah and Hailey’s dog, Chance, made a beeline and nosed Reece’s free hand.
He was in a Norman Rockwell painting.
Maybe someday he’d have a place of his own like this one, filled with people he cared about, who overflowed the space with conversation and laughter. But it was a long shot, a pipe dream. First he’d have to find a lifelong partner to build a life with. At almost thirty-two and on the verge of a huge shift, the chances that would happen were practically nonexistent.
“She fits right in, doesn’t she?” his mother murmured beside him.
“Hailey? Yeah, she’s perfect for Noah."
She tilted her head to look up at him. “I was talking about Neve. Of course Hailey fits right in, and so does Joy. But Neve belongs here too. She always has.”
He masked his surprise with a frown. “What does that mean?”
“You’re the oldest, yet your brothers are settling down before you. Why do you suppose that is?”
“I have no clue. Care to enlighten me?”
She patted his arm. “You’re smart. You’ll figure it out, but don’t wait too long to take off those blinders.”
With that cryptic message, she walked away and joined the other ladies. Neve gave him a shy smile that made his gut roil. Christ, she hadn’t listened in on him and his mom, had she? Then again, if she had heard what his mother had said, Neve could translate it for him. While he was good at reading people in dire situations, Neve was intuitive at the everyday level.
He hadn’t considered it until this very moment, but he was going to miss her.
Reece and Charlie stood side by side, heckling Noah as he inspected himself in the mirror. A tailor crouched on the floor beside him, pinning the hem of his pants.
“Seriously, dude, the tux looks all wrong,” Charlie chuckled. “Maybe if you swap out the white dress shirt for some flannel, it’ll look right.”
Noah glared at him in the mirror. “Says the guy sporting the flow and tats.”
“The tats are hidden under the shirt, and Joy digs the flow.” Charlie shook his hair like a horse shaking its mane. “A lot.”
“When are you going to marry that girl?”
“I was waiting for you to show me how it’s done, big bro. Once I’m up on how this shit works, then maybe I’ll pop the question.” Charlie flashed him a grin in the same reflection.
Their butts had been parked in some bridal shop in Grand Junction for an hour that felt more like three, each taking his turn with the tailor. After the fitting session, they were hitting the bars for Noah’s overnight bachelor party, and Reece’s throat itched for that first beer.
“Well, you’ll learn all you need to know in three days.” Noah glanced over his shoulder at Reece. “What about you?”
“What about me what?” Reece barked. “I’m not getting married. I’m not even taking notes like Doofus over here.” He jabbed his thumb toward his youngest brother. “I’ll be content playing Uncle Reece to the rugrats you spawn, but this boy is staying single.”
“He doesn’t even have a date ,” Charlie guffawed.
“Of course he doesn’t,” Shane piped up from where he sprawled over a leather armchair.
“And you do?” Reece tossed back.
“Yep.”
“I call bullshit. Who?”
“You don’t know her. I met her in Montrose last month. ”
“Another one of your hookups?” Micky, Fall River’s lone mechanic and a buddy, directed a smirk Shane’s way. Micky was probably more jealous than judgmental.
Shane liked to hit the country-western bars in the bigger towns on the Western Slope and shake his tail on the dance floor. Sometimes, after a particularly grueling mission, Reece went with him and played wingman or got his dose of amusement watching his friend try to schmooze the ladies. He wasn’t any good at it. Neither was Reece—who was probably more disinterested than he was inept—but at least he didn’t pretend to be a charmer. And it wasn’t as if this was a regular “thing” he indulged in.
Micky, on the other hand, joined Shane as often as possible. And that was a problem because Micky was supposed to be in a committed relationship with Amy, the town’s coffee shop owner, but he was a horndog with a roving eye. Reece had no clue if Micky was faithful, and he didn’t want to know. Amy was a dark-haired beauty with eyes like polished onyx, skin the color of espresso, and a demeanor so sweet they could have manufactured sugar out of it. Yeah, Micky had been a buddy since they were babies, and Reece probably owed him his loyalty for that alone, but Amy could do much, much better than Mick.
Shane continued, snapping Reece out of his meandering thoughts. “She’s new out here.”
Micky threw his head back and laughed. “Now I get it. She agreed to go out with you because she doesn’t know you yet.”
Shane rested his middle finger against his chest.
Ignoring him, Micky turned a smirk on Reece. “Why are you so lame? Even Neve has a date.”
She does? “Don’t tell me it’s Cantrell,” Reece blurted before he could stop himself.
Micky’s smile grew even more smug. “Jealous, Hunnicutt? Yeah, it’s Cantrell. And from what I hear, things are getting hot and heavy between those two. Maybe we’ll have another wedding in a few months.”
Why Reece wanted to stuff his fist into Micky’s mouth, he wasn’t sure. Probably because Micky had deserved a thumping from the day he was born. Reece shoved his hands into his pockets to keep them from doing what they were spoiling to do .
Shane sat up abruptly and retracted his finger. The reason for the change in his body language became clear when a hot woman holding a clipboard appeared.
She surveyed their motley assembly of five, her eyes resting on Shane. “Are you also getting fitted?”
His nose blazed beet-red and reminded Reece of Rudolph. “No, only the three brothers are in the wedding.” He signaled between himself and Micky. “We’re here for moral support.”
Micky flashed her a salacious grin. “ And the bachelor party. Care to join us?”
The tailor, who had been so quiet Reece had forgotten about him, cleared his throat and shot Micky a glower.
Noah opened his mouth, words obviously poised on the tip of his tongue, but the girl leveled slitted eyes on their dumbass friend and hmphed. “Doesn’t sound like it would be much of a bachelor party with some random female tagging along.”
Before Micky could provoke her with more inane comments, Noah launched into a series of stammering apologies and excuses as he tried his damnedest to countermand Micky’s invitation. It was a lame effort overall—not that Reece could have done any better—but the girl got the message. Not that she would have gone with them anyway; she looked a whole hell of a lot smarter than that.
After she left the room, Noah hurled a barrage of insults Micky’s way but stopped when his phone rang. Reece snatched it from a table where Noah had deposited it and noticed Hailey’s smiling face lighting up the screen.
“It’s Hail. Want me to answer?”
Noah held out his hand. “No, I’ll take it.” He thumbed the device while the tailor finished up his work on the hem. “Hey, surfer girl. What’s up?” Noah’s eyes went round, and his mouth slid open. He raised his hand in a hold-everything motion. “Whoa, whoa, whoa! Slow down, sweetheart. Can you repeat that?” His brows knotted together as Hailey’s voice sounded in shrill tones. Reece couldn’t make out what she was saying, but her distress was unmistakable.
Noah’s gaze took a circuit around the room, landing on each one of them. “I’m finishing up at the tux place with the guys. Okay if I put you on speaker? ”
While he made the switch, the tailor quietly brought himself upright from his crouch, picked up his tools, and eased out of the room.
Hailey’s words filled the space, sounding as though she was out of breath. “There was a fire at Silver Summit!”
Reece exchanged alarmed glances with Shane. Why hadn’t they been called in? Oh, right. Shane was off duty, and Reece was completely off duty.
“Half of the kitchen and dining room were involved, and they’re going to be shut down for God knows how long! Leo just called to let me know we can’t hold the wedding there.” Now her voice morphed into one quavering with tears. “What are we going to do, Noah? There aren’t any other venues this late.”
Noah’s eyes flicked to Reece and Charlie. “We could always hold it at the tavern.”
“I don’t want to start our married life at the tavern! I wanted something nice, fun, different. God, I was so looking forward to getting married there.” She hiccupped a sob.
“Mom and Dad’s house?”
“No!”
“It’s all torn up,” Charlie said at the same time Hailey did.
More sobs escaped, and panic bloomed in Noah’s eyes. “We’ll figure it out, sweetheart. How about the guys and I hit a few of the hotels here in GJ and see if they can accommodate us?”
“I don’t want to get married in Grand Junction!” Now she was verging on hysterical, which was completely out of character for her, and it tugged at something deep inside Reece. He couldn’t imagine what it was doing to Noah’s insides.
“Then we won’t,” Noah soothed. “Let me make some calls. I promise, we’ll figure this out and make it right, okay? I’ll head home as soon as we’re done here.” He shook his head. “What? No, we’re skipping the bachelor party.”
Micky’s mouth dropped open, and he flopped his hands out. “Dude, seriously?”
Reece gestured for Shane to follow him outside, and Charlie fell in behind. Reece plucked his phone out of his back pocket and dialed Silver Summit. “This is Reece Hunnicutt. I’d like to speak to Leo Cantrell. ”
“I’m sorry, but Mr. Cantrell isn’t available right now,” a receptionist clipped. “He’s tied up with an emergency, and I have no idea when he’ll be free.”
Charlie held up a finger and freed his own phone. “Hang up,” he mouthed.
Confused, Reece complied. “Why?”
“I’ve got his cell number.” Charlie scrolled through his phone and tapped. “Cantrell? Yeah, this is Charlie Hunnicutt.” Charlie nodded along for what seemed an eternity, his eyes shifting between Reece and Shane. “That’s a generous offer. Let me run it by the bride and groom and get back to you.” Charlie ended the call on a huge exhale.
“What did he say?” Reece pressed.
Just then, Noah and Micky emerged. The wind whipped around them on the exposed sidewalk, and Reece pulled his scarf tighter around his neck.
Charlie ignored the question and looked straight at Noah. “I just spoke to Cantrell. He feels like shit about having to cancel, but he has a proposal.”
“Which is?” Noah prompted.
“He offered to fly us—the wedding party—to Las Vegas in his private jet. He has a buddy who owns the Eterna Luxe, and someone just canceled their reservation for the penthouse, so he got his friend to let us have it gratis for one night. There’s enough room for us all. But he says we need to decide fast because they’ll only hold it for so long. He also offered that when Silver Summit reopens, you can hold an after-wedding reception there at no cost for the room. All you’d have to cover is the catering.” Charlie paused while the news settled in. “What do you think?” He waggled his eyebrows.
Reece tamped down his annoyance and ground his back molars to keep his mouth shut. Jesus, Cantrell enjoyed throwing around his millions and his billionaire connections. Fucking showboat! No wonder Neve was falling for the guy. He had the wherewithal to serve her the world on a platinum platter. Literally.
Noah’s mouth slackened. “So he flies us there in his private jet—”
Charlie grinned. “And back. ”
“Flies the entire wedding party there and back and puts us up in the penthouse at the Eterna Luxe. That’s Hailey, me, you, Joy, Reece, and Neve, right?”
“Yep. Then you can throw a bash for everyone else at Silver Summit sometime after they’re back in business.”
“Shit, I never imagined getting married in Vegas, but that sounds almost too good to be true.” Noah’s face split in a wide smile. “Let me call the missus and see what she says.” Fiddling with his phone, he stepped away while the four of them huddled together.
“I still can’t believe Noah’s canceling the bachelor party,” Micky grumbled.
Reece smacked him in the chest. “Oh, get over yourself already. This is way more important than you getting wasted at a club.”
Minutes later, Noah returned.
Reece gave him a chin jerk. “What did Hailey say?”
“As long as she gets to wear her dress, the girls are in their bridesmaids outfits, and we sport the monkey suits, she’s on board. In fact, she sounded kinda excited about the idea.” His grin broadened. “Guess we’re doing this!”
Reece parked his hands on his hips. “What about the folks? They flew in especially for a wedding, and they aren’t going to be too happy about missing the ceremony.”
Noah pursed his lips. “I thought about that, so I called Mom and Dad to gauge their reaction.”
“And?”
“Dad says he’d rather be dead than attend a wedding in Vegas—even mine—which is no surprise. Mom has a few conditions.”
“Also no surprise,” Charlie quipped.
“She says if we take lots of pictures and have a second wedding in the summer at their place, then she’s cool with it. I agreed, if she agreed to look after all our dogs while we’re gone.”
Oh shit. It dawned on Reece he had strings attached to him now. “I need someone to take care of my cat.” To Charlie, he said, “Think Cade would be willing to cat-sit?”
Charlie answered with a question of his own. “Can’t cats stay by themselves for one night?”
“Not this cat. Not yet. ”
“I’m sure he would if it means staying at the apartment.” Charlie raised a skeptical eyebrow. “But do you think it’s a good idea to leave a nineteen-year-old alone with tens of thousands of dollars of liquor one flight of stairs below?”
“No,” Noah barked.
“Amy’ll do it,” Micky volunteered. “She loves the damn things. Lemme text her.”
Amy would be fine, but Reece wasn’t sure about Micky and Mr. Whiskers. “What about you?”
Micky’s thumbs flew over his screen. “ I’m not looking after it. It’ll be on her.” He held up the device with a triumphant smirk. “She said yes. She’ll even stay at your place.”
Reece tried to inject enthusiasm into his words. “Looks like we’re on our way to Vegas.” He wasn’t a fan of Sin City, but his reluctance wasn’t only about the venue; he resented the flair Cantrell had shown. He had to admit to himself, though, that the guy had gone above and beyond when he hadn’t needed to.
Micky waggled his eyebrows. “Does this mean the bachelor party’s back on?”
Noah looked at each of them. “I promised Hailey I’d come back tonight. She was pretty upset.”
Micky’s jaw dropped. “But she’ll be okay now that there’s a new plan, right? Besides, you’ll still have to come back for the tuxes.”
The attractive clerk rushed out of the store. “I’m so glad you’re still here. The tailor apologizes for overhearing some of your conversation. He’s offered to rush through the alterations and can have the tuxedoes ready before close of business today.” Her gaze bounced between Noah, Charlie, and Reece. “If that would be helpful in any way.”
Noah stuffed his hands in his jacket pockets and rocked on the balls of his feet. “If it’s not too much trouble—”
“Oh, it’s not,” she insisted.
“Then yeah, I’d appreciate that.”
She headed back into the shop, and Noah shrugged. “Hope you guys don’t mind.”
Charlie and Reece agreed they didn’t, but Micky let out a string of curses. Shane grabbed him by the nape. “This ain’t about you, dude. ”
Their party waited at a nearby bar—a mini-bachelor party of sorts. Micky continued grumbling, but his bad mood passed as he spent his time guzzling and eye-fucking one woman after another.
“Maybe it’s a good thing my big bro couldn’t wrangle a date,” Noah quipped. “Now Neve doesn’t have to go solo.”
Yeah, and there was another thank-you Reece owed Cantrell. He wouldn’t be coming along for the ride.
Charlie cheerfully added, “Good to know she’s got a plus-one to take my place.”
The comment unsettled Reece. The thought of his brother and Neve had always bugged him for reasons that were both clear and not so clear. Charlie insisted nothing physical had ever happened between them, but the affection they had shared during those events had told a different story that Reece wasn’t quite willing to dismiss.
Shane took a pull from his longneck. “Must be nice to have all that money and move in billionaire circles.”
Micky, who had been straining to check out some chick over his shoulder, came back to the conversation and chuffed, “That is definitely not a circle any of us moves in.”
Reece took a swallow of Sprite—he was now the designated driver since they were no longer spending the night—to give himself something to do. Talking money around Micky was always uncomfortable. The guy had come from humble beginnings, unlike Reece and his brothers, and though he earned a good living, his spending habits kept him from getting ahead. Shane didn’t come from money either, nor did he live an extravagant lifestyle, but he’d managed to buy a house on his own and build up a nest egg.
Fortunately, Shane steered the conversation away from money. Un fortunately, he did so by steering it into Reece’s future. “Did you tell these guys about your crazy-ass plan to move to Vermont?”
Silence descended over the table like a giant glass jar, seeming to dull the surrounding din of people talking and pool cues clicking as they struck their targets.
Noah threw himself back in his chair. “Da fuck, Reece?”
With his eyes firmly fastened on Reece, Charlie jabbed a thumb toward Shane. “Is he pulling our legs? ”
Reece fired daggers at the deputy, who merely leaned back and smiled like Wile E. Coyote after lighting the fuse to his latest bomb. Too bad it wouldn’t blow up in his face like it always did with the hapless cartoon character.
“Thanks, asshole,” Reece muttered.
“Yeah, no problem, dude.”
Noah gaped at Reece. “Why? Where?”
“I’m looking at a few different places that need to add to their SAR teams.” Now wasn’t the time to let them know he’d accepted a position with Stowe Mountain Rescue, pending an in-person interview and fitness test after New Year’s—formalities he had no doubt he would pass. He hadn’t even needed Chelsea to get him in the door. In fact, both Chaffee and Summit Counties had reached out to him when they learned he had stepped away. Sure, he was flattered, but Vermont offered challenging terrain, the opportunity to make a difference on a small squad, and enough distance that he could get the fresh start he needed. Knowing he was getting back to what he loved didn’t blunt the stab in his chest every time he thought about the move—and moving day was fast approaching.
“He’s looking at Summit,” Shane added helpfully. “He wants to work with the glamorous, glitzy crowd. Celebs, stuck-up snobs whose shit doesn’t stink. You know—all the kinds of fancy folks Reece loves to hang out with.”
Micky chimed in. “Since when?”
Reece’s defense shields rose and locked into place. “Since I found out they actually pay their search and rescue members.” Micky didn’t need to know he wasn’t going to either county, and playing along was a good cover for the truth.
Micky nodded. “That makes sense. No offense, dude, but the way you couch surf from one place to the next ... Did you blow all that money you made on the sale of your house? About the only nice thing you own is that truck of yours. Summit County ought to like that shiny red thing. You’ll fit right in.” Micky slapped Reece’s arm. “And bonus if you hire on with those guys: You won’t have to work the bar for your brother to earn a few bucks and some free meals.”
“Shut the fuck up, Mick,” Noah growled.
Micky threw up his hands in surrender. “Just sayin’. Isn’t it obvious to anyone else that Reece is broke as fuck? ”
Shane whacked Micky in the chest and nearly sent him sprawling backward. “Takes one broke son of a bitch to know another one, huh?”
Reece kept his finances tight to his chest. Only his family had an inkling of his net worth. His buddies, including Shane, guessed he’d been mortgaged to the eyeballs and on the verge of foreclosure when he’d sold. He didn’t bother changing their perception. So while Shane didn’t know money was one worry Reece didn’t have, Reece appreciated his buddy having his back—even if that idiot buddy was the one who had started them down this path.
Charlie had been silent until now, merely staring at Reece, his usual smile MIA. “You really want to move away?”
Reece twirled his glass on the tabletop. “No.”
“Then why do it?”
Reece didn’t want to leave. He really didn’t. His entire support network—namely, his parents and his brothers, who were also his best friends—was there. The town fit him like his favorite pair of faded blue jeans, and he didn’t relish breaking in a new pair.
The ability to walk down the street and see the same buildings and the same businesses in the same places tethered him in a way that was solid, affirming. Like being on an anchored boat in the midst of a boiling sea. As a member of search and rescue, he dealt with chaos on a daily basis. He loved that he could bring stability to others in dire straits, but he needed it on occasion too, and for him, Fall River was the one constant. The steadying bastion in the storm. But as long as Chelsea remained at San Juan, he couldn’t go back there.
He sighed. “Because it’s … Things aren’t … I need a change of scene.” It wasn’t a lie, but it was painful.
Charlie whipped his head toward Shane. “Do you have any clue what’s going on with him?”
“Hey, sitting right here,” Reece protested.
“Maybe, but you’re not about to tell me a goddamn fucking thing. So I’m pumping your fellow search and rescue teammate for information.”
Shane shrugged. “I have no idea what’s been eating him. Only that he’s suddenly got a hard-on for leaving San Juan County.”
“Still sitting here.” When no one acknowledged him, he changed direction. “Hey, guys, how about we shine the spotlight on our groom over here, huh?” He punched Noah’s arm. “You’re about to be a married man. Off the market. How does that feel?”
Noah sprouted a grin a mile wide. “Awesome. Maybe you’ll find out someday.”
Nah, especially not while he was drifting. Who’d want him right now anyway? He told himself to set his turmoil aside and focus on the wedding in three days. Yeah, he was gonna have one hella good time with his bros starting now, while he still could.
The looming date with his future could wait.