Page 46 of These Pucking Boys

She gives me a loaded stare that I can feel in my bones. “Your father and your brother will be in attendance.”

My stomach coils tightly and painfully. Hell, now I know why my brother was calling me. “Why?”

“One of your father’s clients is a major sponsor of the Bobcats.”

Fuck me.

Melissa tilts her head. “Will that be a problem, Jake?”

I stand straighter. “No. Is that all?”

She nods.

I’m in a piss-poor mood when I walk out of the meeting room. Ryan and Lachy are waiting for me in the hallway.

Lachy pushes off the wall and turns to me. “What did Melissa want?”

“To ask if June needs media training.”

Ryan jerks back. “Why would she need that?”

“Because she has a spotlight on her right now, thanks to what happened at the game last night.”

“That wouldn’t warrant training unless... Does she think one of us is with June?” Lachy asks.

“She thought maybe you.”

His brows arch. “Me?”

Ryan snorts. “And you’re surprised? Out of the three of us, you’re the only one who’s been in a serious relationship before and wants to jump into another one.”

“I doona want to jump into anything,” he grits out.

“It doesn’t matter. If June wants it, she’ll get media training. End of story.”

Both Lachy and Ryan check their phones quickly, then look at each other.

“Anything?” Ryan asks.

Lachy shakes his head. “Bloody nothing.”

“What’s going on now?”

Fuck. It’d better not be another complication. I’m stressed enough as it is, knowing my father and brother will be at the game tomorrow. My father’s presence in the arena is triggering because the jackass always insists on coming to see me afterward, and it doesn’t matter the game’s outcome. Win or lose, he always has a list of things I could improve.

He played hockey in college, but he wasn’t good enough to make it to the pros. Not that he would have pursued that anyway. We come from a long line of powerful attorneys, and that’s the only accepted path for any man in our family. If I had any sisters, they’d be expected to marry well and be good housewives.

“Nothing is going on. We texted June, and she hasn’t replied yet,” Ryan answers, scowling at his phone.

I check my own phone. I sent a text to June before the meeting to let her know I arranged for a dog walker to start today. I got no response either. “I’m sure she’s fine.”

I want to believe my own words, but I’m beginning to worry too. She’d better be okay.

CHAPTER 20

JUNE

Ido everything I can think of to keep busy, but noon rolls around, and I’m bored out of my mind, which presents a problem. I have too much time to think about Bill, Danika, and the mess that is my life right now. Speaking with my mother didn’t help either. She didn’t flat-out say it, but I know she thinks I’m to blame for what Bill did. Maybe I am.

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