Page 35 of The Boyfriend Gamble

August rose, a bit slower. “Can I get you a drink? We’re just having hot chocolates.”

I gazed around, acting dumbfounded. “Dudes, it’s the beginning of summer. Did you not sweat all day?”

Julian slung his arm around my neck.

Of course, I had to hunch a bit, given he was shorter than me.

“Nights are still cooler.” He grinned. “Hot chocolate? We could always add some rum?”

“You have rum?”

He gazed upward. “Well, no…”

“Then I’ll happily stick to the hot chocolate.”

“Great, I’ll get it.” He indicated his seat. “Keep my fiancé company for me, eh?”

I plopped and sighed.

August smiled. “You just come to hang or are you going to talk about what’s really going on?”

“Uh…” I chewed my lower lip. “I just came to shoot the shit.”

“And maybe talk about the night of the party.”

I hadn’t seen the men since then. “I honestly don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Julian popped out of the house, handed me the mug of hot chocolate, then sat on the steps, looking incredibly relaxed in a distressed Vancouver Whitecaps T-shirt and cargo shorts. August, on the other hand, wore khaki pants and a button-down shirt.

I eyed him. “You work as an arborist.”

He snickered. “Yes, I do. Except when I’m expected to attend meetings with the woman running my sister’s foundation. Some kind of board meeting where I was expected to put in an appearance.”

“You must miss your sister.”

He blinked. “Yeah, I do. I really do. But days like today, where I see how much good her money’s doing for the community, I feel like she’s here in spirit. Giving me a boost and reminding me why putting on a shirt for a few hours isn’t the worst thing in the world.”

I couldn’t fathom it. As much of a pain as Josie was, I couldn’t imagine my life without her.

Julian squeezed his husband’s ankle. An oddly intimate gesture. “Nia’s here in spirit. Now, you.” I glanced at me. “You solve your love-life problem yet?”

“Uh…” Again with the inability to be articulate.

August chuckled, “Julian, I don’t think he realizes.”

Julian snickered. “How his future brother-in-law kept staring him at the renovation party and during the bonfire? Or how our friend here kept staring back? Poor Izzie was completely ignored.”

Now it was my turn to snicker. “I didn’t ignore Izzie. She kept hitting on that cop.”

“Seth,” August supplied.

“Right.” I sipped the warm goodness. “And Felix was staring at Josie—”

“Bullshit.” Julian coughed the word out. Then gave me the most unrepentant grin I’d ever seen.

“He’s right.” August sipped whatever was in his mug.

My friend didn’t drink, so it was likely hot chocolate as well, as they’d said.

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