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Fuck. Cal was right. Aiden may banter with Poppy but when it came down to it, I couldn’t see him actually making a move, which means some other dickhead would. “Can we change the subject, please?”
Cal rubbed his forehead. “Well, apart from you and Poppy, I have two topics on my mind. What to give Rowan for Valentine’s Day and who to ask to be my best man.”
“That last one is easy. Chris.”
Cal shook his head. “He’s nervous about being in the wedding. He hasn’t been to many, and he quote ‘Doesn’t want to screw it up.’ I had a hard enough time convincing him to be a groomsman. There’s no way he’d be the best man, so that leaves you or Aiden.”
“Well, that’s a no-brainer too. Aiden will give a better speech and throw an epic bachelor party.”
“True,” Cal said, staring off at the blackened glass walls. “But he’s not you. Logan and Aiden were best friends before we met them. You’ve always been mine.”
“By default,” I said.
“Maybe,” Cal said. “But you’re my brother now. You have been for years.”
I gripped his shoulder to show I felt the same, but said, “All the more reason you should ask Aiden. He’ll never get to be Logan’s best man.”
Cal let out a sigh but nodded. “So, what do I give Rowan for Valentine’s Day?”
“You finally realized camping gear isn’t an appropriate gift for your fiancée?”
Cal shoved my hand off his shoulder and twisted me into a head lock, giving me the noogies of all noogies. “It was the perfect birthday gift, asshole. We’re hiking part of the Appalachian trail for our honeymoon.”
“Can’t spring for a tropical vacation, doc?” I said, shoving him off me.
“It’s what she wanted,” Cal said. “And I’ve made it my mission in life to give her everything she wants.”
“Good thing Rowan is low maintenance.”
“Yeah,” Cal said, frowning. “But is she too low maintenance? Does she only want the bare minimum because she thinks that’s what she deserves?”
Skye whimpered again and glanced between Cal and me. Poor dog didn’t know who needed her more. Cal petted her, either to make her feel better or to ease the tension that had gathered around his eyes.
“That’s a terrible way to look at it,” I said, my stomach twisting. Rowan’s ex was a douche, but she seemed to have moved on from the marriage with her self-esteem intact. She called Cal on his shit when needed. She genuinely loved hiking and gave up a lucrative career because she valued her friends and family above money. But Cal was a worrier, which was in no small part thanks to me. I cleared my throat. “She’s not me.”
Cal chuckled. “Thank goodness for that. I don’t think I could handle two of you.”
I shoved his shoulder. “Look, I was kidding about the camping honeymoon. It’s perfect for you and Rowan.”
“Yeah, but I don’t want to get her a water purifier for our first Valentine’s Day after giving her a mixer for Christmas.”
“What if you made her something?”
“Like at one of those paint-a-mug places?”
“Are you five?”
“No, but my artistic skills haven’t improved since elementary school.”
“Even if they haven’t, you could make her a necklace. All you need is silicone to carve the mold, a crucible, and some silver or gold. Max has a blow torch and all the safety gear.”
“Pretty sure anything involving a blow torch is beyond my skill set.”
“It’s not beyond mine. I’ve helped Max make a few custom piercings for clients. How cool would it be to give Rowan jewelry you designed and made yourself?”
“You just want to help me because you feel guilty for refusing to be my best man.”
“Technically, you never asked.”