More Than Friends (Kingsley #4) (32 page)

Drew stayed with him through the next stop, whichwas Ada
m’
s choice and thankfully the last stop of the night. Adam chose a late night diner, claiming hunger, and the men all settled in for food, conversation, and a round of gag gifts that left Adam totally uncomfortable, Xander completely embarrassed, and everyone but Michael laughing so hard that tears ran down their cheeks as they ate. By the time they left, Xander had a giant gift bag filled with embarrassing gifts from Michael, Evan, Drew, and Adam, and six pairs of silly underwear from his friends, all with a similar theme: one yellow thong printed with monkeys, with a long dangling sleeve of fabric t
o“
put his banana in
,
” a pair of basic briefs that left the entire buttocks exposed, a black thong attached to suspenders that had metal spikes all over them, a pair of leopard print boxer shorts with a chain attached to a furry leopard print collar, and a plain blue pair of boxer
s“
because we know yo
u’
re too boring to actually wear any of this stuff
.
”

The group walked out of a venue together for the last time of the night, rowdy and playful, but once-again mostly sober, and they piled into Eva
n’
s and Ma
c’
s vehicles to meet up at the Kingsley house, where almost everyone had left their cars. Xande
r’
s friends left right away, their headlights sweeping over the front of the house as one by one they backed into the driveway and turned off down the street. As the remainder of the party headed into the Kingsley house, Michael found himself alone with Xander on the trek up the driveway.

“
Long night, huh
?
” Xander asked
.“
Thanks for the gift, by the way.
I’
ve always wanted a wiener soap ring
.
”

Michael laughed, his shoulder bumping against Xande
r’
s as they made their way up to the house. Ahead of them, Eva had opened the front door and was standing on the porch, welcoming Adam, Mac, Drew and Evan into the house. She beckoned to Michael; he waved and held up a finger to let her know he was coming, and she stepped back into the house, leaving the door open behind her
.“
Yeah, I figured you were gonna need the soap ring
,
” he said quietly to Xander
.“
Otherwise yo
u’
d be risking ruining the dick towel I knew you were getting from Drew
.
”

Xander threw his head back, his round muscular shoulders shaking as he laughed
.“
Right, the dick towel
,
” he said
.“
I ca
n’
t even believe people make stuff like that
.
” He brought one hand up to scrape his palm over his face as he and Michael stepped into the light of the porch lamps, and Michael watched the flame tattoos ripple down the muscled forearms, shaking his head. Xander caught the motion and looked at him curiously, making Michael shake his head again.

“
God
,
” Michael said, quietly
.“
I ca
n’
t believe my baby siste
r’
s getting married. I
t’
s crazy how much everything has changed around here in the last few years
.
”

“
Yeah, I can imagine. Seems like ther
e’
s always something going on in this bunch. Yo
u’
re a busy family
.
” Xander leaned against the porch rail, rolling his shoulders
.“
What a night though.
I’
m beat
.
”

“
Me too
.
” Michael waited, watching Xande
r’
s face change as the humor fell away and he grew serious. He was a young man, but his career in wrestling made him a very intimidating young man, well built and very sturdy. Michael would have hated to have Xander as an enemy, and was glad to count him as a friend
.“
Wha
t’
s on your mind
?
” he asked.

“
Yo
u’
ve been married before, right
?
”

Michael sighed, glancing toward the open door of the house. He stepped across the porch and caught the door handle, pulling it closed before he gestured toward the wooden benches that rested against the house on one side, fluffy with cushions his mother had sewn by hand
.“
Yeah
,
” he said, lowering himself to one end of the bench
.“
Why, wha
t’
s up
?
”

“
Well, you and I have gotten to be friends, right
?
” Xande
r’
s blue eyes were clouded with insecurity, and his face crimson as he spoke.

“
Yeah
.
”

“
Wha
t’
s it like, then? I mean, I do
n’
t really have anyone to ask, so. My da
d’
s not really the type to talk emotions and stuff
.
” He shrugged, the corded muscles in his neck working, his larynx bobbing as he swallowed
.“
I know I want to be with her, and
I’
m not afraid of the commitment, bu
t
… jus
t
… wha
t’
s it like? Being a husband, being married
.
”

Michael let his head fall back to rest against the wall, his eyes closed against the rush of memories. He had been afraid too, as his wedding day had approached, and he had gone to his father. Now, he gave Ada
m’
s words to Xander, smiling through the bitterness they left on his tongue
.“
I
t’
s good
,
” he said, echoing the words his father had spoken only a few years before
.“
But i
t’
s so much work. I
t’
s worth it, though
.
”

“
Dude, seriously
?
”

Michael popped one eye open, turning his head slightly to take in the incredulous look on Xande
r’
s face
.“
Yeah, I do
n’
t know what the hell tha
t’
s supposed to mean, either
,
” he sputtered, laughing
.“
But i
t’
s what my father told me before I got married. So, there you go
.
”

“
I do
n’
t get it
.
”

Michael laughed again, the tone less amused this time and more ironic, and he held up his left hand, fingers splayed to show the bare third finger, still bearing a shadow of the tan line his wedding ring had left behind. He had looked at it so many times over the years, watching it slowly fade, wondering if it would ever really go away
.“
Obviously I did
n’
t get it either
,
” he said.

Shaking his head, Xanderreached up to slap Michae
l’
s hand out of the air
.“
Ittakes two though, man
.
”

“
See? You already know more about this than me
,
” Michael teased. He closed his eyes again, seeing in memory the way Nicolette had looked as she had walked down the aisle toward him on their wedding day, her eyes shining, her hair falling from its updo in tendrils beside her face, down her back. He had to be honest, it had
n’
t been all bad
.“
Alright
,
” he said, quietly
.“
I
t’
s good, Xander. If you love her, i
t’
s so good. Sh
e’
s there every mornin
g
– of course, with you two being wrestlers, you might not have that, but you know what I mean already because you live togethe
r
–“ he arched an eyebrow, waiting until Xander nodding his understanding before he went on
.“
Sh
e’
s there in the morning, sleepy and mussed, and war
m
–“

“
And yours
,
” Xander supplied. He grinned, looking out into the darkness that covered the front yard.

Michael smiled, remembering
.“
Yeah, and yours
.
”

“
How do you know i
t’
ll work
?
” Xander looked over at Michael, his worry clearly stamped on his face. He met Michae
l’
s eyes with his chin lifted though, unashamed of his fears.

“
You do
n’
t
,
” Michael said quietly, swatting at an errant moth
.“
And ther
e’
s no way to tell in advance, so you just take the leap and do the best you can
.
”

“
Would you do it again
?
”

Michael sighed, crossing his arms against the coolness of the breeze that swept suddenly over them, and smiled. Would he do it again? He thought of Nicolette, and how bitter the end of his marriage had been for him, how hurt he still was over what she had done and the choices she had made. He acknowledged the alcohol craving that had plagued him for months, the result of his own lack of coping skills, and the list of regrets he had built in the years since his divorce. He thought too, though, of Renee and the quiet ways that she had been there for him over the years, the secrets they had shared, and the growth of their bond. He knew firsthand that it could all fall apart in an instant because he had lived it already; he knew that she could turn her back and walk away from him without a word. But was it worth the risk
?“
Yeah
,
” he answered
.“
Yeah,
I’
d do it again
.
”

The door opened softly, and Eva stepped out into the pool of light that had covered Xander and Michael as they rested on the bench beside the door. She smiled as they turned to look up at her, beckoning with a wave of her hand
.“
You boys coming in to hang out with us, or are you just gonna sit out here all night long
?
” she asked.

“
Yeah, w
e’
re coming, Mom. Just got caught up chatting
.
” Michael rose, nodding to his mother, and watched her turn back into the house. He looked to Xander then, and smiled
.“
I
t’
s normal to be scared though. Cold feet, they call it. And when she takes her first steps toward you in her wedding dress, i
t’
ll go away in an instant
.
”

“
What if it does
n’
t
?
” Xander stood too, smoothing his jeans down along his thighs
.“
I thought I was gonna die just asking her to move in with me. And we have
n’
t been together long at all, you know? Not even a year yet.But I ca
n’
t imagine being without her
.
”

“
I knowit has
n’
t been that long
,
” Michael said
.“
But if yo
u’
re sure, and if sh
e’
s sure, then you can trust that. At least for now, you know? And if yo
u’
re really committed to this and problems come up, then you just commit again. Commit to fixing it. Commit to making it work, even if that means changing things. For her too, not just you
.
” Michael clapped a hand on Xande
r’
s shoulder and turned him, steering him toward the front door of his parent
s
’ house
.“
But in the meantime, yo
u’
re one of us now, so come on
.
”