Page 79 of All Your Pucking Secrets

He opens the passenger door and gets in. “What brought this on?”

“My way of saying thank you,” I reply.

I’d messaged him a couple of days ago and invited him to join me at a Seahawks game. Even though we haven’t shared many personal details with each other throughout the years, I know he’s an NFL fan. He’d have played football rather than baseball if he had any talent for the sport.

“For?” he asks.

I glance over as he closes the door. “Taking such good care of Echo since she started college.”

I rejoin the quiet stream of traffic and head toward Soldier Field stadium.

He tenses. I understand why. Our arrangement has never sat well with him. Honestly, there have been times when I didn’t like it either, but it’s been necessary.

“I don’t need your thanks,” he says. “I was paid to do it, and I was glad to. I know this started off as a job, but she’s important to me.”

“Good.” I’d hoped he’d come to care for her over time, and based on his defensiveness toward her, I’d assumed as much, but it’s nice to have it confirmed.

I stop at a traffic light and neither of us speaks. When the light changes color, Ryan sighs.

“Are you going to tell her the truth?” he asks, resting his hands on his thighs and then shifting them as if he can’t decide what to do with them.

“I will soon.” When I figure out how to break the news. With this, and the other things she needs to know, there’s a chance I’ll overwhelm her, so it’s best if I don’t dump it all on her at once.

“Could you give me a heads up before you do?” He hesitates, then adds, “She might be upset, and I want to be prepared for that.”

“I’ll make it clear that I only paid you to keep her safe,” I assure him. “So she knows your friendship is genuine.”

He snorts, his expression cynical. “With you manipulating things behind the scenes, is anything in Echo’s life truly genuine?”

“Fuck you.”

He grimaces. “Sorry, man. I know you mean well. I just feel for her, and I’m not sure she’ll care about the technicality.”

“I’ll make sure she isn’t hurt again,” I promise. “So, do you intend to stick around her?”

With me at Newbury, there’s no need for him to continue working on my behalf. He’s been my eyes and ears when it comes to Echo for the past three years. He’s watched over her, scared off men who weren’t worthy, and ensured her safety. But now I can do that myself—if she’ll let me.

Ryan nods. “I’ll graduate at the end of this year, but until then, I’ll be around…if she doesn’t send me packing.”

“I’m glad to hear it.” In the past, I might have been jealous of her having another man in her life. Honestly, I’m still a possessive bastard, but I have nothing to fear from Ryan.

The stadium looms up ahead. I pull into a parking garage and find a spot on the second level. We get out and take the stairs down. It’s a short walk to the stadium, and we join the shorter, more quickly moving line for premium ticket holders.

The sky is gray overhead, but it’s warm. The scent of fried food is the best possible advertising for the carts selling hot dog and fries speckling the area.

“We’re VIPs today, are we?” Ryan asks as we’re ushered through.

I guide him to the elevator that will take us to the upper floor. “We have a suite.”

His eyes widen, and he grins boyishly. “Really?”

The doors glide shut.

I shrug. “Go big or go home.”

He shakes his head. “You are something. I’m still trying to figure out if it’s a good something though.”

“Let me know when you work it out.”

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