“If Rob wants us to meet her, we will,” Drew added.
“All I’m saying is there has to be a reason you’re just keeping a friend from us.If she were your girlfriend, I could understand because she would fall for me and leave you with a broken heart.”
Rob didn’t have a reason to keep them apart other than he hadn’t thought to introduce them.Hell, she had probably seen them walking the halls of the clinic and already knew them.
Rob knew he wasn’t going to get a reprieve from this.“Fine, you want to meet her so bad, we’ll have a cookout at my house Saturday, and you can all meet her.”
Jack smiled in total victory, knowing he had maneuvered Rob right where he’d wanted him.“We can’t wait.”
Chapter 16
“Alright, let’s call it a night,” he announced.They had been doing drills for almost an hour.Both of them were drenched in sweat.June was panting.She needed a break but wasn’t going to say anything.Well, he was.
June slumped forward but quickly stood up, stepped away, and headed to the shelves on the back wall to get a towel.“I can definitely feel a change.”
“You’re a quick learner.”They could probably have stopped lessons by now.He had confidence she could hold her own now, but he was reluctant to end their time together yet.“You’re getting faster and stronger for sure.”
“Almost as good as you?”she asked, sounding hopeful.
Not quite, but he had years of experience whereas she had two weeks.“Someday you could be with continued practice.”He hoped he hadn’t just invited himself to be her permanent teacher.
“I was joking.I do feel more confident, but nowhere near what I saw you do that night in the alley.”
“Hopefully it’s a skillset you’ll never have to use.”Unfortunately for him, it was one he had to use quite often.
“No.I’m being more observant of my surroundings, and when my friends and I go out, we park near each other, so we stick to a group.”
Wise.“Do you carry a weapon?”
“I have a pocket knife my brother gave me.”
“Do you have any practice with it?”He should have thought about training with weapons.Her attacker had pulled a knife on him.Rob had taught her blocks and jabs that could be used the same, but not how to disarm someone with a weapon.
“No,” she answered with a wry smile.“But I figure there can’t be much to it.”
She couldn’t be more wrong.“We can go over some moves with it.”
“Rob, I couldn’t ask you to do that.You’re already doing so much to help me; I don’t want to add to it.”
“You’re not asking, I’m offering.”He would feel like a bad teacher if he didn’t at least show her some techniques with a knife and how to disarm an opponent.
“Alright, a few lessons.”
“Agreed.”
“So, what’s for dinner tonight?”she asked as she headed toward her bag.
“I thought you were cooking.”
June whipped around, her eyes wide as saucers as her mouth opened in a perfect ‘O’ shape.“I am?”She gasped in horror and covered her mouth with both hands.
Rob started laughing; he felt bad for making her panic and thinking it was funny.“I’m joking, I know it’s my turn.Though I can’t lie, I prefer your cooking to mine.”
June swatted him on the arm.“That was evil, but thanks for the compliment.”She tossed her bag over her shoulder, and they walked side by side toward the house.“Though you’re a pretty good chef yourself.”She nudged him in the arm with her own.“You shouldn’t sell yourself short.”
“I’m not, but I grill more than I cook.”
“Every chef has to start somewhere.You’ve turned into a great sous chef for me.So, what’s for tonight?”
