Chapter 18
Rob watched from the grill as his friends took turns mingling with June. He could hear them laughing and joking though they were too far away to hear what was being said. Probably something embarrassing about him.
Rob knew June had been nervous when she’d first arrived. Her hands shook as she presented two casserole dishes of lasagna, saying she hoped it was enough. It wasn’t with his friends, but there was plenty of food so no one would starve.
June had arrived a little early so only two other couples were there at the time, and she had a chance to meet everyone slowly. Luke and Shay had been the first to greet her, then Greg and Zoe.
He should have had someone else do the grilling so he could have made the introductions, but Shay and Luke had taken over that duty for him. It didn’t take long to see June loosen up and start enjoying herself.
“June seems to be fitting in well,” Greg mused, standing next to Rob facing the group.
Rob looked over his shoulder; his gaze strayed toward her again. He looked for her every few minutes to make sure she was doing alright. She tossed her head back as she laughed at something Jack had said.
Rob didn’t like the thought of Jack going anywhere near June. She was too young and innocent for a guy like him. But Jack seemed to be on his best behavior. For once.
“She is. Shay told me she and Zoe are planning on taking her out to lunch at some point.” That was nice, they were inviting her to their girls’ event.
“Which is impressive. Zoe doesn’t get along with everyone.”
“Are you trying to imply something?” Rob thought he detected an undertone to the question.
“I’m just saying, June’s great.”
“She is. She’s won the women and the guys over.” Now Rob knew Greg was implying something. “You never mentioned how pretty she is,” Greg stated as he took a drag of his beer.
“Don’t tell me there’s already trouble in paradise with Zoe if you’re looking at another woman.” Rob knew that wasn’t true. He and Zoe were deeply in love with each other.
“Hell no, Zoe’s it for me, and she knows it. She’d also cut off my balls and shove them down my throat if she caught me looking at another woman.”
“Why would I be cutting off your balls?” Zoe asked, coming up to them, sliding her arm behind Greg’s back where she took his beer from his hand and took a swallow of it.
“If I was checking out another woman.”
“It’s true.” Zoe didn’t try to deny as she handed the beer back to Greg.
“I was telling Rob here that I wasn’t checking out June, but only commenting on her beauty, which isn’t a crime.”
“It’s not. She is beautiful. June has a natural beauty. She’s very expressive and honest. I appreciate that about her.” Zoe nodded.
Rob turned back to June. She wore a floral summer dress that stopped at the top of her knee with off-the-shoulder straps. It was white with red and blue flowers. Her hair was slightly curled as it cascaded down her back.
Jack sidled up next to her, his hand sliding behind her back. Rob suddenly saw red. He was going to break every bone in his friend’s hand for touching her.
Carson stood in front of them and leaned forward to whisper something in June’s ear. Both men seemed smitten with her.
“Rob, you, okay?” Zoe asked.
Rob whipped his head back around to look at her. “Yeah, why?”
“If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you’re jealous.”
Jealous? Him? Of what? June was just a friend. He didn’t have reason to be jealous. She was a pretty woman, he supposed. He had never thought about it before. “No, I’m not jealous,” he insisted in a purposefully bored tone as he took the burgers off the grill.
Rob heard June laugh from across the yard. He could pinpoint her without looking. He didn’t remember being hyperaware of her before.
“Have you guys tried this lasagna?” Jack asked, coming up to them with a plate stacked with lasagna slices. “It’s to die for.”
“I’ve been manning the grill, so I haven’t tried it yet.” Rob had wisely snuck a piece before the others had started digging into it. Jack was right though; it was amazing.
“I might consider settling down and asking June to marry me if she always cooks like this. Dude, no wonder you’ve been hiding her away. She’s incredible. I’m only shocked some guy hasn’t snatched her up yet.”
“Ah—” he started to say, but Jack cut him off.
“I mean she’s beautiful, funny, smart, and she can cook,” Jack mused before shoveling a forkful of food into his mouth and chewing silently for a moment.
“We were just discussing the same thing,” Greg said. Rob heard humor in Greg’s voice that he didn’t like. He knew they were saying these things to get a rise out of him, or at least to get him to admit he had feelings toward June, but he wasn’t going to be goaded so easily.
“I’m glad you’re all getting along,” Rob stated dryly.
“You like her, don’t you?” Jack asked, coming closer and talking low.
“Yeah…” Where was Jack going with this?
“But just as a friend, right?” he pressed.
“Why are you asking me this, man?” Again.
“Because I don’t want to cause issues between us.”
Rob turned sideways to look at Jack fully. “Why would my friendship with June cause a problem with us?” Jack wasn’t making any sense. Didn’t he just get done saying that he liked June? Why would their friendship cause an issue?
“I’m going to ask June out, and I don’t want there to be any awkwardness between us.”
“What?” He balked, sure he wasn’t hearing Jack right. Date June? “No,” came out of Rob’s mouth before he realized he was speaking.
Jack scowled. “Why not?”
“Because—” Rob didn’t have a ready reply.
“What, you don’t think I’m good enough for her?” Jack set down his plate of food. His normal jovial face turned angry.
No Rob didn’t. Jack wasn’t a relationship kind of guy. He was a hit it and quit it. June deserved better than that. Jack talked a big game now, but he would leave her with a broken heart and broken promises. June deserved better than that.
“Guys, cool it.” Drew appeared out of nowhere and stepped between them.
“No, I want to know what Rob meant,” Jack said, trying to dodge around Drew, but he continued to block him.
“You’re not a relationship guy,” Rob blurted out.
“So, most of you aren’t, and yet, look at Drew and Greg. They’re in a relationship now. You think I can’t be that? You don’t think I can be with just one woman?”
The right woman, yes, could change the most hardened of hearts. But Rob didn’t think June was that woman for Jack.
“I’m sure that’s not what Rob was meaning. Jack, let’s take a walk.” Drew didn’t give Jack a choice but gripped him by the back of the neck and dragged him into the house.
Jack looked over his shoulder and scowled at Rob. “This isn’t over. I will ask her out. Hell about your opinion.”
The guys stood around in stunned silence. No one had ever seen Jack so worked up over a woman before. Part of Rob wanted to take back his comment and let Jack ask June out, but he couldn’t muster the words. They were bad for each other, and he was sticking to his opinion.
“Let it go, man. He’s just trying to get a rise out of you,” Greg said, patting him on the shoulder. Rob knew that, but sadly, it was working.
Rob’s gaze slid to June, who was looking at them concerned as she stood next to Shay. Her eyebrows puckered as she took in the scene. Damn, this was not how he’d wanted their first meeting to go.
Rob pushed through his friends to June. “Sorry about that.”
“Everything okay?”
“Yeah, what’s a barbeque with these guys without a little drama?” Rob tried laughing off what had just happened.
“Too much testosterone,” Shay leaned over and whispered loudly.
Their explanation didn’t seem to appease June’s worry. Her gaze drifted toward the house. “Well, I hope Jack is okay.”
For some reason, Rob didn’t like June talking about Jack like that. With such concern. Was Zoe right; was he jealous? No, he couldn’t be. He had never been jealous of anyone before.
“I’m sure he’ll be back shortly. I think Drew just wanted to talk to him.”
“I’ll be right back,” Shay commented before excusing herself and giving them a private moment to talk.
“Are you enjoying yourself?” Rob asked, filling in the silence.
Her face split into a grin, and his stomach muscles tightened. “Yeah, everyone is great.” He was almost waiting for her to say especially Jack, but she didn’t.
“Good, I’m sorry I had to abandon you to make your own introductions.”
“It’s fine.” She waved him off. “I get it as you’re cooking, so it’s hard to make intros. Shay and Zoe introduced me to everyone. You guys seem really close.”
“We are. We’ve known each other a few years now.” And worked together.
“It’s interesting that you all come from different branches of the military and yet, get along. I always thought there was rivalry amongst the branches.”
“There’s jokes and ribbing, but nothing serious. If we were all still on active duty, maybe, but there haven’t been any issues.” At least not when it came to that. Women, on the other hand, were starting to become an issue. This was what they got for adding women to the mix, he supposed.
“Nice.”
“Food is ready if you’re hungry, though your lasagna is already gone.” It had been the first thing to go. No one had wanted to wait to try it with the rest of the spread.
“Did you get a chance to try it? I should have made more,” June pouted and looked away in disappointment.
“I did get a little sliver right after it was set down. I knew it wouldn’t last long.”
The smile returned to her face. “Smart thinking.”
“I know what a great chef you are, so I had to be sneaky and get it before everyone else.”
“What did you think?” she asked, looking hopeful.
“Amazing like everything else you make.” He usually avoided carbohydrate foods, but that thing had been worth the extra workout he’d have to put in later.
June’s cheeks warmed, and she bit her lip. “Good, I’m glad that you got to try it. We should have dinner, just the two of us, and I can make it again so you can really enjoy it.”
“I’d like that.” He never said no to her cooking.
“Great, want to say Friday night at my house?”
Rob quickly went through his schedule in his head. “Sure.” He didn’t have anything going on. The mission wasn’t a go yet, so he still had free time.
“Okay.” June looked around; people were gathering around the food table seemingly oblivious to them.
Rob fell in step next to June as they went through the line of getting food.
“Do you have these cookouts often?”
“Not a lot.” Especially since everyone worked together; they didn’t need to see each other on their off-time either. “Maybe now that more people are dating, we might.”
“Are Luke and Greg the only ones dating?”
Why? Was she interested in someone? Jack maybe? “Yeah.”
“Hey there, beautiful,” Jack called, coming up to them. June started when he touched her arm. “Can I help you with that?” He took her plate from her hand, not giving her a choice.
“Thanks,” June responded politely. Jack steered her through the line and escorted her to one of the lawn chairs set up. It ate at Rob’s gut every time June looked at or smiled at him.
He didn’t like it one bit, but he didn’t know what to do about it.