Hatch
SUNDAY AFTERNOON, CRICKET walked into the kitchen with a case of beer and a box of cupcakes. I grinned, taking the beer from her and setting it in the fridge. "Just a case, huh?"
"Well, since you blew up my job prospects, I can no longer afford more than that," she quipped.
"Nice, sis." Cade grinned, pulling her in for a hug. Cade was thirty-nine, divorced with one kid, and an Army vet. As soon as he’d turned eighteen, he’d headed for war... it was a hell of a lot calr than ho at the ti. He and Cullen worked construction, helping out at my shop when the weather was bad. "How’s my favorite sister?"
"I’m jobless."
"Yeah, we get it, Cricket," I ground out. "Not gonna change, so off the subject."
"So, you didn’t think more about the Blush thing," she accused.
"Thought about it, the answer’s still ’no.’ Like it was last week."
"Kinda harsh," Cullen said. Cullen was thirty-five and had married his high-school sweetheart as soon as she turned eighteen. She’d died two years later.
"His jaw’s tickin’, Cull," Caron pointed out. "Maybe drop the subject." Caron was thirty and fucked anything with a skirt. The only problem with that was Cam wasn’t good at figuring out sane pussy from crazy, and I was pretty sure crazy was acomin’.
"Maybe you three could back up once in a while," Cricket countered.
"Maybe we don’t like your ex beatin’ the shit out of you." Caron hugged her gently, ending it with a noogie, which, in turn, earned him a punch to the gut. "Fuck, Cricket! Did ya have to hit that hard?"
"Next ti, I’ll aim for your junk, big brother." Cricket fixed her hair.
Cullen slapped the back of Caron’s head. "I can’t believe you’re still pulling that high-school bullshit, Cam."
Caron went to retaliate with a jab, only he missed because Cullen dodged, causing Caron to fall against the refrigerator.
"Enough!" I bellowed. "Get the fuck out."
"Where’s Devon?" Cricket asked, ignoring my order to leave the kitchen.
Cade nodded toward the family room. "Call of Duty."
Cade’s ex, Diana, was off on her honeymoon with her third husband, so Devon was staying with them for the next few months. I had a feeling shit was going down, however, considering Diana was a bitch and only wanted Devon for leverage (and child support). Cade was getting fed up with this arrangent, and now that he’d landed sowhere permanent, he had more of a chance of getting his son full-ti.
"So, what’s up with this English chick?" Cricket asked.
My body locked. Fuckin’ Kim.
My brothers turned to , all eyes focused and alert, waiting for an answer.
"What English chick?" Caron demanded.
"Connor helped her with her car," Cricket provided. "Kim says she’s gorgeous and her na’s Maisie. Isn’t that so sweet?"
"She’s no one," I said, grabbing the plate of steaks and heading for the deck. My family followed.
Cricket greeted Devon as she walked past the sofa and out onto the deck with , handing the tongs. "Con t up with her and her daughter at Vincenzo’s after Cassidy’s dance thing."
"Shut the hell up, Cricket," I snapped.
"Hold up," Cullen said. "She’s got a kid and you still t up with her?"
I scowled, but didn’t comnt as I threw the steaks on the grill.
Cricket nodded. "Kim said—"
"Kim needs to mind her own fuckin’ business," I ground out. "I’m done with this conversation."
"She’s got money," Cricket continued. "Top of the line rcedes. Wears Louboutin heels, carries a Louis Vuitton handbag, probably wears Perla."
"What’s Perla?" Caron asked.
"Panties that cost like a grand," Cricket said.
Caron scowled. "Damn, Cricket. Don’t wanna be talkin’ about panties with my sister."
She grinned in triumph. "Payback’s a bitch."
"I thought the punch to the gut was payback."
"That’s because you’re an idiot." Cricket focused on again. "Are you gonna call her?"
"Swear to Christ, sis, you don’t drop it, you’re leavin’," I warned.
She threw her hands up in the air. "Is it so bad that I want my big brother to be happy?"
I took a deep breath and forced a smile. "Go grab the corn for ."
She studied for a few seconds before dropping the subject and heading back into the house. Lucky for , I only had one sister, and my brothers were smart enough to know that if the subject was closed, it was closed, so they backed off.
The rest of family night went without incident.
Cricket headed ho around ten, Caron had a date or a hook-up or whatever, and Cade was takin’ Devon to a movie, so Cullen and I headed down to the basent for beer and a ga of pool.
"Maisie, huh?" Cullen asked as he racked. "You really not gonna call her?"
"Already called her."
Cullen raised an eyebrow. "And?"
"And, we went out," I said. "Then she ghosted ."
"Fuck, seriously?" Cullen asked.
I nodded and took a swig of beer.
"You don’t get ghosted."
I chuckled without mirth. "Yeah, well, now I do."
"Shit, you like her."
"Don’t know her, Cull." I shook my head. "Pretty sure she’s high-maintenance if she’s buyin’ thousand-dollar panties."
"You know her enough to like her though, brother." Cullen leaned against his pool cue. "I get you think I’m a drear and I’m an idiot because I don’t want anyone since I lost Elizabeth. But you’re a good guy, Con, and she obviously made an impression, so if she’s ghostin’ you, I’m sorry. That can’t feel good, especially if you put yourself out there after Jana. Even a little."
I stuffed down the emotion with a nod of my head. Cullen knew , and he was the only one I would ever admit my true feelings to, because Cullen would take anything I shared to the grave, but that didn’t an I was willing to share right now. "Let’s play, yeah?"
Cullen smiled. "Okay, big brother. Let’s play."
Two weeks later, I sat at my desk well past ten, entering a parts order into the computer when my cell phone pealed.
Sunshine calling.
What the fuck? I ignored the call and went back to my task. However, my phone rang again and it was Maisie again.
I debated on whether or not to answer, but I’d missed her, so I gave in. "Hatch here." All I could hear was sobbing and my heart stopped in my chest. "Maisie?"
"No. It’s Poppy. I can’t wake Mum."
I stood and grabbed my keys, heading out to my truck. "Okay, baby girl, where are you?"
"I... I don’t know. The car made this weird noise and then Mum said sothing was wrong with the brakes and then we were driving through the guardrail. Mummy banged her head on the steering wheel and her arm looks funny. She’s got blood all over her face and I can’t get her to wake up."
"Did you call 9-1-1?" I asked.
"No."
"Why the hell not?" I snapped.
She sniffled. "Please don’t yell at ."
Fuck! I took a deep breath and dragged a hand through my hair. "Baby girl, I need you to call 9-1-1, okay? But don’t hang up. Do you have your cell phone?"
"Huh-uh. But Mummy has the ergency button in her car. That’s what I was trying to say. The lady said they’re coming, and I told her to send an ambulance, but I don’t know if they’ll find us. We’re off the road. I thought because you’re a chanic you could figure out... I don’t know... sothing. I don’t really know why I called you. I just thought you could help Mummy."
She started sobbing again, so I put her on speaker and texted Booker to trace Maisie’s phone and get him to send Ace with a tow truck.
"Are you still there?" she rasped.
"Yeah, baby girl, I’m here," I said. "Did your airbags go off?"
"No," she sobbed. "I hit my head too, but I’m okay."
"I’m gonna co get you, okay? Where were you going?"
"We were coming from Ali’s. We’re near the zoo I think."
"Okay, were you on 26?"
"I think so. I saw the exit for the zoo. I think. It’s really dark."
Reviews
All reviews (0)