You are right, I accidentally looked online at the Defy 5. I also count 32 spokes on that picture, but the Defy 3 spec page lists hubs as "Giant Tracker Sport Road, 26h". I would trust the picture though, text is probably a copy&paste&forget-to-edit error.

32 spokes, properly tensioned, should work well.

Another thing good about the Defy (and probably the other bike too) is the wide-range cassette, and compact crankset. At your (our) weight, any significant hills are more significant than for lighter guys, and you'll want the low gears to help you out.

It's good you have a mechanic friend. You should offer to bring some beer and participate in the tune-up. Adjustment of brakes, derailleurs, shifters, and cables is easy and good for you to know.