| |
—Banks—
––––––––
“Really, bro? You never cease to surprise me,” Reed deadpanned as he swaggered toward me with a cocky smirk on his face. Meeting for burgers and beers each Saturday night had been our routine for years.
I chuckled and rose to hug my brother, slapping him on the back as I asked, “Now what have I done?”
He scoffed as he slid into the booth opposite me. “Tormenting the new girl in town, that’s what.”
My pulse spiked, and I smirked. “I wouldn’t say tormenting...”
“She said you tried to carjack her.”
“And she pepper sprayed me!”
“You fucking deserved it. You entering her car was a thousand steps too far. She was visibly shaken at the station and now sees you as a threat.”
“Oh come on, Reed! You know that’s not me,” I reasoned.
He rolled his eyes. “Yeah, but she doesn’t. And kissing her? The fuck, bro?”
“It needed to be done. She’d never kissed a stranger before.”
“And how the fuck do you know that?” he exclaimed.
I offered him the bowl of wasabi peas I’d been snacking on. “She had a bucket list and kissing a stranger was un-ticked. Until this afternoon.” I tossed a half-handful of peas into my mouth and grinned while chewing.
“You can’t go ’round kissing girls against their will, Banks. I’d hate to have to arrest you.”
I snorted. “You’d fucking love it. She’s pretty though, right?”
Reed popped a wasabi pea into his mouth. “Pretty little blonde thing. Her eyes were sad, though. Probably because she was all but assaulted at the diner.”
A wash of remorse swamped my chest and the wad of chewed peas in my mouth became dry to swallow. “Fuck.”
“Yeah, fuck,” he snapped, giving me a sharp look of disapproval that made me feel like the little brother, not the elder. “Christ, Banks. Don’t get me wrong, I’m so fucking thankful you’re still around, but you gotta ease back on the intensity. It’s becoming an obsession.”
“It’s not an obsession; it’s a lifestyle.” A wry little smile tugged my mouth. “It could be worse.”
“Yeah. You could have a sexual assault charge slapped on your ass.”
I shook off his warning. “No, I mean you could be eating a burger while sitting at my graveside instead of across from me,” I deadpanned.
He scoffed and flagged down Wendy—the owner and waitress. “Be a helluva lot less of a risk to the women that move to town.”
“Ha-ha, asshole,” I got in before Wendy arrived at the end of our table.
She smiled widely, dividing her attention between me and Reed. “Hi boys, the usual?”
Reed winked. “You know it, darlin’.”
The ever-present pink tint to Wendy’s cheeks shone. “Flattery won’t get you free shit, Reed Gatlin. Whose tab tonight?”
I raised my hand while laughing. “That’ll be mine.”
“As you wish. Saul saw you come in, so no doubt he’s already preparing your order. I’ll double-check, and I’ll be back in a few minutes with your beers.”
“Thanks, Wends,” I said.
“No problem, hon.”
I waited patiently until she retreated out of earshot, then set my elbows on the table and leaned toward Reed. “Did you get her name?”
“Who? Wendy?”
“No, ass-twat,” I hissed. “The new girl!”
He snorted. “Seriously, Banksy, you’ve got a problem.”
“Now you’re sounding like Mom.”
“Mom should have gotten you tested for ADHD or some shit,” Reed drawled.
“Well, she didn’t because she loves me just the way I am. So, her name?” I waited with my brows raised, staring until he rolled his eyes.
“Simone Jamison.”
I silently repeated her name in my head. It had a rock star feel to it. Understated yet wild.
“Hey!” Reed snapped his fingers, then pointed at me. “I know that look; don’t even think about it.”
Indignation hit and my spine straightened. “What look?”
“The look you’re gonna go do somethin’ dumb like turn up at her house and not give a fuck that you weren’t invited.”
I threw up my hands. “People love it when I turn up unannounced. It adds to the spontaneity.”
“No—” Reed shook his head, then listed on his fingers, “—it’s a pain in the ass and stressful for those who like to plan.”
“Mom likes it.”
He snorted. “That’s because you’re just like her. She drives Dad fucking crazy.”
I chuckled, then plastered on a wider smile when Wendy returned with our mugs. While Reed had a conversation with her, I took a long sip and thought about his point. I’d admit that it had merits. My personality was extremely similar to our mother’s. We lived each day to the fullest. Even more so after my health scare last year. I wasn’t supposed to make it, and the fact that I did simply reinforced the need to live each day like there was no tomorrow. The look in my mom’s eyes when I was ill and bedridden still tore strips off my new heart.
I grunted to clear the wedge from my throat. I hated that I’d caused her so much heartache. She loved me and my brothers—all six of us—equally and was the matriarch of our family. I wanted what she and Dad had: a lifelong soulmate. The greatest love of all to share my adventures with. To hold my special someone at night and tell her how much I loved her.
I thought I had that once, but me and Janie didn’t last the distance. We grew apart and parted as friends a few years ago. Other than her, none of the other girls in Copper Valley, let alone Gatlin Falls, had piqued my interest enough to pursue.
Simone Jamison changed that the instant she shoved past me at the diner this afternoon in a helluva hurry for the bathroom. Ash-blonde hair wild and tied on the top of her head, pert little ass wrapped in denim shorts, and wide blue eyes blazing after I kissed her.
That was the fire I craved. Her bucket list, though... I daydreamed into my beer until Reed sat his down with a thump.
“Seriously though, Banksy, I can’t have you harassing women.”
Offense had my shoulders squaring. “I wasn’t harassing her, Reed. That list of hers—”
“I don’t give a fuck about the list. I’m telling you to fucking think about your actions before doing something that could get you slapped with a lawsuit. Leif won’t be happy, and neither will I.”
I snorted wryly and teased, “What good is having a cop and lawyer for brothers if I don’t put them to good use?”
Reed was my youngest brother still in town. Our older two brothers—Dusty and Leif—were still floating around, whereas Scout and Fields joined the MLB and military, respectively.
“And here we are! Two good lookin’ burgers for two good lookin’ men,” Wendy announced, arriving back at our table after just leaving it.
“You know you don’t need to butter us up, Wends. We’d be yours; you just need to ask,” I teased.
“Ooh, you little charmer!” She playfully slapped my shoulder while laughing. “You boys know I’m almost old enough to be your momma—not to mention happily married.”
My grin pulled wider. “Better not mess with Saully; he’d spit in our food.”
Wendy pursed her lips. “You know I’d cane his ass if he did.”
Reed and I roared with laughter.
“Be sure to keep that man of yours happy, then, Wends,” Reed drawled.
She winked and smoothed down her apron. “Oh, he’s happy, don’t you worry about that, boy.”
I half-choked on the fry I’d just popped into my mouth. Saul and Wendy were local treasures. They’d owned the Lakeside Pint—aptly called for its lakeside position and affectionately known as the LP—for years and were loved by locals and vacationers alike.
She half-heartedly patted my back while I coughed. After washing down the wad of fries with a hearty mouthful of beer, I looked up at her, bleary-eyed. “Less of the details, Wends.”
She leaned back and laughed. “Trust me Banks, that ain’t the half of it. The—”
“For the love of God, double my bill or something, just don’t say another word,” I exclaimed through a loud laugh.
Her cheeks shone as she dabbed laugh-tears from her eyes. A happy sigh deflated her chest. “You boys sure make my Saturday night anything but mundane. Is there anything else I can get y'all?”
Reed shook his head. “No thanks. And tell Saul thank you.”
“You know I will.” She winked, then strode from our table, leaving a wash of her heady perfume in her wake.
Reed chuckled. “I love it when you wind her up.”
“Never fails.” Lifting my burger, I inspected it until I found the best place to take the first bite. “Beer and burgers aside, it’s one of the best things about coming here,” I stated through a mouthful.
Reed bucked forward and hurriedly swallowed his mouthful. “Fuck.”
“What?”
His eyes darted toward the entrance, then murmured, “Don’t look, but Simone just walked in.”
I set my burger down and balled my fists. “Don’t say don’t look if you don’t want me to look! That literally makes me want to fucking look!”
Reed laughed deeply and sat down his glass. “Bro, you need to chill out.”
“Are you sure it’s her?” I hissed, feeling my heart kick unusually hard despite not setting eyes on her yet.
My brother smirked. “Oh yeah, it’s definitely her. Cute little thing, huh?”
“Shut your mouth,” I snapped.
His expression lit and he raised a hand to wave. The instant I turned my head, Simone’s smile slid from her face and her expression pulled into a scowl. Despite not knowing her, the blatant dismissal stung.
“I’mma go say hi,” I mumbled, beginning to push to my feet until Reed kicked me under the table.
“Sit your ass down, Banks. You’ve done enough damage for one day.”
“And that’s why I need to fix it.”
His eyes cut from me, to Simone, then back. “After earlier, you ain’t fixing anything today. Let her be, bro.”
I thumbed in her direction, not caring if she saw the gesture or not. “Can you at least go ask her if she wants to join us? She’s on her own.”
He smirked. “She might have a dinner date.”
Irrationally irritated by the suggestion, I shoved a fry into my mouth and chewed savagely.
Reed chuckled under his breath. “Butthurt much.”
“Just go ask her, will you? If you don’t, I will.”
He rolled his eyes while chewing another mouthful. “Let me finish this.”
“No, go now,” I demanded.
A hardened edge darkened his expression. “Christ, you’re annoying.” He huffed to his feet and pointed at me. “I’m only doing this to shut you up.”
“Thanks, bro.”
“You owe me,” he hissed.
“Fine by me.”
I tried not to gawk as Reed casually strolled toward Simone waiting at the bar, running a hand down his face. Simone’s animated smile once again slid from place when she set eyes on him, and the shake of her head was immediate.
