Page 73 of These Pucking Boys: Part Two

I nod. “Yeah, I’m bloody jealous too. It’s agonizing to not be able to display affection for June when we’re in public. I know she’s the woman I want to spend the rest of my life with.”

Jake rubs his chin and slouches against the couch. “I’ve never felt this way about any woman before. It’s like I can’t breathe if I’m not near June. I also don’t see myself growing old with anyone else—well, apart from you two.” He chuckles.

“So we all agree that June is the love of our lives, right?” Ryan chimes in.

Jake and I nod.

Ryan laughs. “How did this happen?”

Jake finishes his drink before replying. “It was fate.”

“I can’t believe those words came out of yer mouth,Tin Man.”

Ryan’s brows shoot up. “Tin Man? Am I missing something?”

“Yeah, we’re dressing up for Halloween this year. I’m Tin Man, Lachy is the Scarecrow, and you are?—”

“The Cowardly Lion,” Ryan finishes the sentence, then smiles. “That’s damn perfect. June will be the hottest Dorothy.”

We fall silent for a moment. I don’t know what they’re thinking, but I’m picturing June dressed up as Dorothy and loving the view.

“I think I need to end things with June,” Jake says.

“What?” I ask.

“Why?” Ryan piles on.

“Because it was a stupid move on my part to be her official boyfriend for the public eye. You or Lachy would have been a much better option.”

I narrow my eyes. “This is about yer father, isn’t it?”

“He’s threatening to come after June.”

“That son of a bitch!” Ryan blurts out.

“It’s too late now,” I say. “If you break up with her, none of us will be able to date her without smearing her reputation.”

Jake jumps up from the couch. “Hell. I need another drink.”

“What we need is ammunition against your old man,” Ryan replies. “He must have tons of secrets that he doesn’t want aired out.”

“I know. It won’t be easy to unearth those skeletons though. But I have an idea where to start.”

“What about June?” I ask.

Jake rests his hands against the bar counter, leaning forward. “You’re right. I can’t break up with her now. It’s too late.”

I shake my head. “We’re bloody eejits. The biggest problem isn’t Jake’s father.”

“Who is it then?” Ryan asks.

“It’s everyone else. We don’t want to keep our relationship with June a secret, but how do we protect her from the sharks when we announce she’s dating all of us?”

Ryan glances at his empty glass for a beat, then says, “We marry her.”

CHAPTER 31

JUNE

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