“You won’t.” Ned sighed, dropping his hand. “Boys come and go. Some enter in a few fights. They lose, and they quit. Others train, they fight, they get a reputation, they end up dead because they pick a fight with the wrong people. This business is not for the faint of heart, Paul. You know that. I’m pleased you got out. You and Leo, and all of you Dirty Fuckers. All of you were amazing fighters. Loyal to your very core. Right now, I’ve got a bunch of dicks who are more interested in getting them wet than working as a team.” He shrugged. “Did you come back to see that you made a mistake?”
“Nope. I came to have a weekend away with our girl, and to show her where we came from. This was a huge part of our lives. It set us on the path to the club and to Greater Falls.” Paul glanced over his shoulder to see Leo showing off. Skylar was laughing and having a good time. “You ever thought about leaving this place?”
Ned shook his head. “Nope. This is my home, and even though all of my family is in Fort Wills, this is where I will stay. Go and have fun, Paul.”
Nodding, Paul walked away, heading back toward his woman and his best friend.
“You’re right, I take it back. You’re not an old man,” the buff guy said.
“You got that right.” Leo shook his hand.
“Come on, I think it’s time we took our woman for some dinner and some dancing,” Paul said.
Skylar nodded. “I’m getting a little hungry.”
Taking her arms, they walked toward a casino he recalled had an Italian restaurant, and also the means of enjoying some dancing.
“So that was where you guys fought. It was very busy,” Skylar said. “It’s still got a good reputation.”
“I doubt it will ever have anything but,” Leo said. “They’ve got cocky bastards though, and I don’t like that.”
“We were cocky bastards once,” Paul said.
“I’ve never been
to Vegas. I guess I was afraid of, you know, getting drunk and marrying a complete stranger,” Skylar said. “It’s a dazzling place. I can see why it can draw people in, and never let them go.”
“We’re going back to Greater Falls tonight,” Leo said. “This was a terrible idea.”
Skylar laughed. “I’m not falling for it. It didn’t matter how many sweaty guys I saw. You both should know that I only want you.”
“Hey, how about we do something, like, totally crazy?” Paul said.
“What kind of crazy?” Leo asked.
“Why don’t we get married?” Paul looked toward Skylar. “Right here, right now, we make a vow to each other.”
Skylar stared at him, and Leo nodded his head. “I would love to spend the rest of my life with you,” Leo said.
“Marriage is for a long time.”
“We can even fuck straight after. You know.”
“Marrying two men. That’s not, we can’t do that. I think we can even get arrested.” Skylar wasn’t dismissing the idea.
“Then you can marry Paul. He’s the oldest, and when we get home, in front of the club, you can marry me. It solves both of our problems. What do you say?”
Paul reached across the table, and took her hand. “Before you say anything, I want you to know that I love you, Skylar. From the first moment I saw you enter the diner, you have taken over my entire world. I want you in ways that I have never wanted anyone else. I’m not just saying that because I think it’s what you want to hear. I’m saying it because it’s the truth. I love you, and I will never stop loving you even if you say no.”
“Why do you always have to say the right words first?” Leo asked, glaring. This time, Leo took her hand. “What that big blabbermouth is saying is true. We both love you. We both want to spend the rest of our lives loving you and giving you a reason to smile. I hate seeing that darkness in your eyes, and I am determined that before we all die, you will sit your ass in a chair and you will watch an entire movie.” She started to laugh. “I mean it, and I’m not going to stop until you know that you are completely beautiful, so what do you say? Will you marry us, Skylar? Give us the chance to show you that we’re the only two people for you.”
“I know this is probably going to sound strange, but I think I’ve fallen in love with the both of you. You’re both so … different, and charming. Yes, I want to marry you, both of you, and I want to have a life with you, and be unconventional,” she said, laughing. “I’ve never been so happy before in my life, and I know it’s because of you.”
She held onto both of their hands. For Paul, he knew this was just the start of their future together.
Chapter Thirteen
The following morning