30. Lachlan
CHAPTER 30
LACHLAN
J une is asleep when we finally pull into our garage. She switched to the backseat when we stopped for gas and used my lap as a pillow. I loved the new arrangement, but it also heightened my dislike for our current situation. I don’t want to pretend I’m her friend. I love her and want to display my feelings anytime, anywhere.
I nudge her shoulder. “Lass, we’re home.”
“Already?” She sits up and rubs her eyes.
“Yeah.”
“Wow, it feels like I just fell asleep.” She covers her mouth with a fist to hide a yawn. “Boy, I’m tired.”
“You don’t need to come up tonight, Peaches,” Ryan chimes in.
I was looking forward to more June time, but I can see she’s exhausted.
“No, no. I’m good. Just give me some coffee.”
“June... we aren’t going anywhere,” Jake adds. “Take the night off.”
“But I don’t want to take the night off from you.” She pouts.
I pull her to me and kiss her cheek. “If you want someone to snuggle in bed, I volunteer.”
“That defeats the purpose of letting her rest,” Ryan retorts. “Besides, if anyone needs a snuggle from June, it’s me.”
She yawns again. “I think I’d better spend the night alone so I can truly rest. I have a busy day tomorrow.”
Maybe she doesn’t want to watch us fight for the right to snuggle with her, or maybe she is truly tired. But I don’t like that she’s spending the night alone.
“It’s all right, lass. We’ll see you tomorrow.”
No one speaks during the elevator ride, and when we reach June’s floor, she doesn’t want us to walk her to the door.
“But who’s going to walk Winston with you?” Jake argues.
The door to Mrs. Carpenter’s opens, and the dog walker Jake hired walks out. Diana is a friendly lady who doesn’t know anything about hockey. I’m not sure she knows we play. Maybe that’s why Jake hired her.
“Oh, you’re back. How was your trip?” she asks.
“It was good,” June replies. “How are the pets?”
“They’re fine. I just walked Winston, so you don’t need to worry about him tonight.”
“That’s great. Thank you.”
We exit the elevator to let Diana use it, and now June can’t stop us from walking her to her door. But we don’t follow her inside, because we know if we do, there will be no sleeping anytime soon.
She looks over her shoulder and arches her brows. “You don’t want to come in?”
“We do, but we shouldn’t. Go rest, beautiful,” Jake tells her.
“I don’t get goodbye kisses?”
If I kiss her now, there’s zero chance of a goodbye. “Lass... are you trying to weaken our resolve?”
She smiles. “Maybe?”
Ryan shakes his head. “You’re such a bad girl.”
I’m a second away from accepting her invitation, but a yawn sneaks up on her, making me feel guilty. “Go to bed, lass. We’ll see you tomorrow.” I close the door before Ryan and Jake succumb to temptation.
“Man, that was close.” Ryan chuckles. “It’s crazy how I can’t resist that girl.”
“Yep,” I reply.
Jake remains quiet, but I don’t know if he’s thinking about our situation with June or if he’s worried about his father. When we’re home, I ask him. “What’s on yer mind, lad?”
He stares at me for a couple beats before replying, “June.”
Ryan goes straight to the bar and fills three glasses of whiskey. I guess this conversation requires something strong. This is new territory for us. We’ve shared women in the past, but it was always a casual fling. Now we’ve fallen for the same lass, and it’s uncharted territory.
We head for the living room and sit on the L-shaped couch. Jake takes a large gulp of his drink before he says, “I know neither of you is happy that I’m dating June in public.”
Hell. I throw my head back and finish my drink in one shot.
“It sucks,” Ryan replies. “I’m not angry at you, Jake, but I’m damn jealous if I’m being honest. I’m so fucking in love with that girl, it’s not even funny.”
Jake turns to me. “You too?”
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.”