Nick Of Time (Blue Ridge Romance 2) Read Free

living. Some of them were hits, some were jingles for commercials. All were sung by someone other than him.
    He’d had his chance. A year and a half ago he’d been living the high life. He was a rock star on tour with his band. Then he’d hit the wall or rock bottom or somewhere in between. Whatever he hit, it had been hard and unrelenting.
    “Good. I’m getting married,” Cooper said happily.
    “I thought that wasn’t until the end of June.”
    “Yeah. That was the plan, but we’re moving it up. You know how hot and humid it is here in June.”
    “I do, but February is still kind of cold down there.”
    “That’s okay. Can you be here?” Cooper asked with hope in his voice.
    “Of course.” There was no way he would miss his brother’s wedding.
    Cooper hesitated and Tucker waited, guessing what he was going to say.
    “I was wondering if you would be a groomsman.”
    Groomsman. Not best man. He knew exactly who was going to be the best man. He rolled his eyes as he unlocked his door and went into the warmth of his loft.
    “Seriously? You’re having a girl for a best man?” Tucker shook his head and threw his keys on the stand by the door.
    “I know it’s not common, but she’s my best friend. Plus she lives down here, so it will be easier.”
    Tucker knew better than to buy that line of crap. It wasn’t an issue of geography and he knew it. The problem was that his brother didn’t trust him, and as mad as he wanted to be about that, he couldn’t. Because he had messed up in the past and needed to earn that trust back.
    He’d learned that in rehab. At the time it had seemed like a bunch of shit, but here it was staring him in the face. He could see how true it was.
    “I would love to be a groomsman.”
    “Thank you. It really means a lot to me,” Cooper said. “Promise me you won’t sleep with Roslyn’s sister?”
    “Okay.” Tucker laughed.
    “No. Say it.”
    “I, Tucker Wade Matthews, do so promise not to sleep with Roslyn’s sister . . . ?”
    “Riley Fisher.”
    “Riley Fisher.”
    “And?” Cooper pushed.
    “I have to say the whole thing?”
    “Uh, yeah.”
    “Fine. I, Tucker Wade Matthews, do so promise not to sleep with Roslyn’s sister, Riley Fisher, under penalty of my dick never working again.” He cringed just saying it.
    “Thank you. And can you please be nice to Nic? She’s been through a lot lately.”
    “Sure.” Though he wasn’t putting his dick on the line in a promise about that.
    “How are you?” Cooper asked again. They were the same words, but it was a completely different question.
    “I’m doing really good. You don’t need to worry about me.”
    “I’m still going to. I’ve been doing it for so long, I don’t think I can stop,” Cooper admitted.
    “Maybe when you have some kids. Then you’ll have someone else to worry about.”
    “Or my ability to worry could increase.”
    “Or your head could explode.” Tucker laughed.
    “Until that happens, can you plan to be here two weeks before the wedding? We’re doing a bachelor party the Saturday before.”
    “Do I get to help with that?”
    “You’ll have to check with Nic.” Translation: no.
    Basically, he would be forced to do whatever Miss Bossypants wanted to do.
    “It’s going to be great,” Tucker lied.
     
    “You’re moving the wedding up?” Nichole repeated, looking at them closely across the table. They weren’t making eye contact with her, which meant they were hiding something.
    He had been her best friend since middle school, but she was finding Roslyn was just as easy to read as Cooper.
    “Right. We just decided we didn’t want to wait,” Cooper said, fiddling with the pork fried rice on his plate.
    “Uh-huh.” Nichole stared at Roslyn. “When are you due?”
    Both heads snapped up, and then they looked at each other.
    “How did you know?” Roz said, while Cooper winced. He knew how Nichole played. He never would have given it away that easily.
    “She didn’t