embarrassing.”
Daniel found his behavior embarrassing? Locke raised his eyebrows at that. Daniel had no qualms about farting at the gym—with women nearby—but staring out the door was cause for concern? Without question, Locke had failed somewhere in his parenting.
“You say that like he wasn’t scaring people before.” Dean scoffed…uh, supportively? “What’s it to you anyway? It’s his business. He wants everyone to see he’s dragging his tongue after the meanest woman to move to this town in fifty years, so what? It’s not like they didn’t already know.”
“Know he’s dragging his tongue or that she’s mean?”
“Take your pick.”
Locke rolled his eyes. Why their father had insisted on keeping those two alive, he’d never know.
“You just think she’s mean because she said she’d rather let a pack of wild dogs chew on her ass than go out with you.”
Locke turned and pinned his gaze on Daniel. “You asked Susie out?”
The panicked pose of a deer in headlights seemed a bit strange on a two-hundred-fifty-pound bodybuilder holding a feather duster at the top of a metal ladder, but no one had ever accused Daniel of normalcy.
“Well, yeah. I mean, who didn’t? She’s hot.”
A valid point, though no less irritating.
“I didn’t,” Dean offered for no reason.
“Kiss up,” Daniel muttered, going back to his work, such as it was.
“No, I’m just not stupid. I know when something’s off-limits.”
“She’d only been here for two days when I asked, sheesh!”
“She was taken ten seconds after she got here, dumbass. Everyone knew it but you.”
“She’s not taken.” The admission came out of Locke like a growl. Not yet…
Dean just snorted. “Yeah, sure. And Smelly up there has girls coming out of his ears. I’ll admit to being dumb sometimes, but like I said, I ain’t stupid.” He leveled a surprisingly pointed glare Locke’s way. “I didn’t think you were either, but you’re getting close to making me wonder.”
The bell above the door to the store chimed, accompanied by the slight crumple of someone breathless trying to push through. Locke turned and found one of Jimmy’s stock boys standing there, red-faced and trying to hold on to the three paper bags of food. Outside, a bike with a giant basket attached up front leaned against the front window of the store. Locke took the bags, hooking his foot on the open door to hold it wide.
“Pay the kid from the till,” he ordered, not wanting to admit Dean’s remark had hit home. “Make sure he gets a good tip. He needs a car.”
He turned fast enough that Daniel’s complaint about not getting tips when he was a kid was little more than a soft whine on the breeze. Just the way he liked it.
A few steps later, he was pushing through the glass door of the Suite Shoppe, already breathing easier, on his way to finding out what the hell was going on.
He couldn’t say for sure if it was a good thing or a bad thing that the bell overhead announced his arrival. One second he was alone in the store, the next, his sister came running from behind the red curtain, skidding to a stop in front of him. Her cheeks were red like tomatoes and her eyes darted to the corner closet behind the register where they liked to pretend they had an office.
“Locke, what are you doing here?”
Oh yeah, definitely in panic mode.
He lifted the grocery bags to her eye level. “I’m bringing over some supplies for dinner.”
Amanda’s eyes widened at the nearly overflowing groceries. “Uh, does Susie know you’re coming with all that?”
“I decided to surprise her.” Surprise her. Horrify her. Something like that.
“I don’t think Susie is up for any more surprises today.”
“Why? What happened?”
Amanda’s hands went into flap mode. “Shhhh!”
Locke waited, the only thing he could really do when it came to his sister. Of all his siblings, she was the one who couldn’t be rushed, who had the usually laudable
Daniel found his behavior embarrassing? Locke raised his eyebrows at that. Daniel had no qualms about farting at the gym—with women nearby—but staring out the door was cause for concern? Without question, Locke had failed somewhere in his parenting.
“You say that like he wasn’t scaring people before.” Dean scoffed…uh, supportively? “What’s it to you anyway? It’s his business. He wants everyone to see he’s dragging his tongue after the meanest woman to move to this town in fifty years, so what? It’s not like they didn’t already know.”
“Know he’s dragging his tongue or that she’s mean?”
“Take your pick.”
Locke rolled his eyes. Why their father had insisted on keeping those two alive, he’d never know.
“You just think she’s mean because she said she’d rather let a pack of wild dogs chew on her ass than go out with you.”
Locke turned and pinned his gaze on Daniel. “You asked Susie out?”
The panicked pose of a deer in headlights seemed a bit strange on a two-hundred-fifty-pound bodybuilder holding a feather duster at the top of a metal ladder, but no one had ever accused Daniel of normalcy.
“Well, yeah. I mean, who didn’t? She’s hot.”
A valid point, though no less irritating.
“I didn’t,” Dean offered for no reason.
“Kiss up,” Daniel muttered, going back to his work, such as it was.
“No, I’m just not stupid. I know when something’s off-limits.”
“She’d only been here for two days when I asked, sheesh!”
“She was taken ten seconds after she got here, dumbass. Everyone knew it but you.”
“She’s not taken.” The admission came out of Locke like a growl. Not yet…
Dean just snorted. “Yeah, sure. And Smelly up there has girls coming out of his ears. I’ll admit to being dumb sometimes, but like I said, I ain’t stupid.” He leveled a surprisingly pointed glare Locke’s way. “I didn’t think you were either, but you’re getting close to making me wonder.”
The bell above the door to the store chimed, accompanied by the slight crumple of someone breathless trying to push through. Locke turned and found one of Jimmy’s stock boys standing there, red-faced and trying to hold on to the three paper bags of food. Outside, a bike with a giant basket attached up front leaned against the front window of the store. Locke took the bags, hooking his foot on the open door to hold it wide.
“Pay the kid from the till,” he ordered, not wanting to admit Dean’s remark had hit home. “Make sure he gets a good tip. He needs a car.”
He turned fast enough that Daniel’s complaint about not getting tips when he was a kid was little more than a soft whine on the breeze. Just the way he liked it.
A few steps later, he was pushing through the glass door of the Suite Shoppe, already breathing easier, on his way to finding out what the hell was going on.
He couldn’t say for sure if it was a good thing or a bad thing that the bell overhead announced his arrival. One second he was alone in the store, the next, his sister came running from behind the red curtain, skidding to a stop in front of him. Her cheeks were red like tomatoes and her eyes darted to the corner closet behind the register where they liked to pretend they had an office.
“Locke, what are you doing here?”
Oh yeah, definitely in panic mode.
He lifted the grocery bags to her eye level. “I’m bringing over some supplies for dinner.”
Amanda’s eyes widened at the nearly overflowing groceries. “Uh, does Susie know you’re coming with all that?”
“I decided to surprise her.” Surprise her. Horrify her. Something like that.
“I don’t think Susie is up for any more surprises today.”
“Why? What happened?”
Amanda’s hands went into flap mode. “Shhhh!”
Locke waited, the only thing he could really do when it came to his sister. Of all his siblings, she was the one who couldn’t be rushed, who had the usually laudable
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