Page 85 of Third Time’s a Charm

“Remind me not to leave any of my children at the pool with Ben.”

“Hey! It was absolutely not my fault. Rory encouraged him.”

“Oh, right. Blame the kid whose father isn’t here to defend him.”

“Aren’t they in Scotland right now?”

“I think so. Either way, this team only requires one lawyer, and I’m it, thank you very much. Is it too soon to ask about investing?”

I have no idea who said what, and I get the impression this is their usual dynamic. Louise, Colin and I share a look of complete confusion.

“Jesus, Wee. Give them a chance to get the idea off the ground,” Ben snaps back.

“As long as you don’t leave me out in the cold again, Bee.” Will turns to Louise and me. “Ben has a habit of keeping the best investments to himself. I want it on record—is anyone taking minutes?—I’d like in on the ground floor of this one.”

“I—” Louise sits forward and tries to get a word in, but it seems they’re on a roll. I shrug. Colin rolls his eyes. Ant laughs as though this is nothing new.

“Can we focus on one thing at a time? And it’s entirely up to Louise and Jasper who gets to invest.”

“Alright, children. That’s enough,” Josh interrupts, effectively putting an end to the debate. “We’ll all get a slice. Otherwise, I’ll be telling Ro you’re not sharing, Bee, and you know what will happen then. So, what have we got?”

“Louise and Jasper have a cunning plan,” Ben says.

“So cunning it has a gold tooth,” Will adds.

I snort a laugh at the Blackadder reference, which gets me a conspiratorial wink from Josh. “Excellent. What do you need me for?”

Ben turns to me. “Josh owns an advertising agency. Can you fill him in while we talk numbers?”

Fuck, these guys have wasted no time in pulling a team together. I must look shell-shocked because Josh thumps me on the back and grins.

“Don’t worry. You’ll catch up. Ben moves at the speed of light when the mood takes him.”

“I’m getting that. But who or what are Wee and Bee?”

The big man laughs. “Sorry. Family shorthand. Nicknames. Will couldn’t say William when he was a kid and called himself Wee-yam. Wee stuck. And now all the family have one. Hence Bee. There’s also an Eee and Gee. They might come across as a bit crazy, and they are, but you can trust them with your life.”

“Good to know. But can I trust them with Louise’s?”

Josh laughs. “Totally. Just to clarify, Ben and Will are my brother’s-in-law. Will and I went to school together.”

“And I still let him marry my baby sister,” Will calls across the table.

“Ha,” Josh snaps back. “Like Greer would take advice from you.”

More uproarious laughter.

These men are tight. The love they have for their wives and kids, and for each other, shows in every word and gesture. This is a family. And the way they’re opening up and inviting Louise and me in is amazing.

The loyalty she inspires in those around her is truly humbling. My task now is to earn a place in this team, earn back her trust.

And hopefully, eventually, her love.

Chapter Forty-Six

Louise

Thank God for industrial strength antiperspirant because I’m in danger of sweating through my shirt. We spent ages choosing an outfit that said calm and in control, and I don’t want to ruin the look with nervous sweat stains.