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Chapter One

“How do you get women to, you know, eat?” Rome Hard asked

Ja where the question had even come from

“You don’t bring it up, ever!” Jane, their mother, said

“But seriously, there’s no way a woet it” Roered his food like it had some kind of disease

“Maybe you should offer to pay for more than a salad,” Caleb said He was the middle child, covered in ink—the rebel

Ja as Ro to throw at Caleb

“I did offer to pay for whatever she wanted I had a big juicy steak, and what did she have? Carrot sticks Who orders salad without all the trih, it made me uncomfortable How can I even enjoy my food when I’m sure she didn’t even put it to her lips?” Rome wrinkled his nose

“Who was your precious date?” James asked

“Catherine Wire”

Caleb groaned “Nah, you see, there’s no way you’re getting much oing to get much past her lips besides what she wants”

Ja to hide it in his coffee cup Their father glared at them, and then Jane shook her head “Oh, please You think I don’t knohat you boys are talking about? I’in and I’m under no illusion about what my boys are capable of either I’m also very much aware that Miss Wire has tasted all three of o to school with you, James?”

“That she did”

“Don’t even try to pretend you boys are innocent You’re Hard boys, and I knohat the girls all say Once you’re hard, there’s no stopping until you’re … well, not” She put her hands on Theodore’s shoulders

Their father looked up at his ith all the love in the world shining in his eyes “We were young once”

“We were, and your father was a Hard boy as well You think I don’t knohat you get up to? If I reht jerk”

“Boys, I used women Took them, discarded them”

Jane smiled “Until he met me”

“First worabbed her hand, pressing a kiss to her inner wrist This wasn’t the first time they’d heard this story It was one their parents had told them many times

“There was no way I was going to give my love to a man who liked to crush women’s hearts That wasn’t who I was”