AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Hey now, don’t go looking at me. I’m not the settling-down type.” Kingston waggled his brows.
“Exactly my point. She dated that fucker in college that I couldn’t stand, and that’s the one good thing about her moving back here. So, keep your eyes on her for me, butdon’t keep your eyes on her,if you know what I mean.” Hayes raised a brow and focused most of his attention on Kingston.
My younger brother was the biggest player in the group. He loved women, and they loved him, but he had the attention span of a toddler on a sugar high, so he certainly wasn’t kidding when he said he wasn’t the settling-down type.
And he and Saylor shared a bond that he’d never risk fucking up by crossing the line.
“Dude. You know me better than that.” Kingston placed a hand on his chest. “I’d never go there.”
Hayes nodded. “I know that. I’m just fucking with you. What else is going on?”
“You still going to hire Demi’s brother when he comes back to town?” Nash asked, directing his question to Romeo.
“Yeah. Slade’s checking in every day and putting in the work. I’m willing to give him a chance, but it’s up to him if he can stay clean.”
Demi’s brother, Slade, had once been our enemy, letting Romeo and me take the fall for something that he’d done. Something that changed the course of our lives. But life had a way of coming around full circle, and the Crawfords were no longer the enemy. There wasn’t a lot of love between Romeo and Demi’s father, but the rest of her family embraced him like he was one of their own.
Hell, they’d embraced all of us.
“Well, for Demi’s sake, I hope he does. She loves him, and I know it would make her happy to see him turn his life around,” I said, and everyone gaped at me.
“Damn. Never thought I’d see the day River went soft,” Romeo said.
“Nothing soft here, brother.” I laughed. “I can’t really hate the dude now that you’re with Demi.”
“Just admit that there’s a tender heart buried under all that grumpiness,” Kingston said as he pushed to his feet. “All right, Nash and I have to get back to work. I suggest you fuckers do the same.”
“I need to go make sure Cassie isn’t still sitting in the corner, crying,” I groaned as I walked toward the door.
“She was crying in the corner when you left?” Nash asked as he shook his head.
“Dude. She was the reason all that shit went down in the first place. She lets them all in, and then she’s crying because Jimbo the dickhead was making a scene. I’m not a fucking therapist. I don’t have time for this shit.”
“Remember that her mom is the reason Grammie has the garden view,” Kingston reminded me, as if I hadn’t already reminded myself a dozen times today. That was the reason the girl still had a job.
“Thanks, Genius. I’m more than aware. I still think you should hire her at RoD Construction. I’ve done my time.” I crossed my arms over my chest. Kingston and Nash owned Ride or Die Construction, which was what we’d named our group of friends when we were just kids.
“Absolutely not,” Nash interrupted and flung his thumb at Kingston. “This guy keeps hiring people, and we have more employees than we need. It’s ridiculous.”
“I’m sorry that Mrs. Pinkerton asked for a job. Gladys is a good friend of Grammie’s, and personally, I think she’s doing a fantastic job,” Kingston said defensively.
“She’s eighty-fucking-five years old, and you hired her to be a foreman.” Nash shook his head in disbelief, and I tried not to laugh.
“She’s got a good eye,” Kingston argued.
“She’s practically fucking blind, asshole. I took her to the job site at the Smiths’ house, and she was facing the wrong direction when she told me how everything looked”—he paused to use two fingers on each hand to make air quotes—“Peachy.”
“Ahhh… Gladys is my girl. Heart of gold. And she makes the best peach cobbler.” Kingston clapped him on the shoulder.
Nash turned to look at me, pointing a finger in my direction. “You’re keeping Cassie. No more strays for your brother.”
We laughed, and I gave a fist bump to each of them before I made my way back to the office.
I’d needed the break. I was still pissed, but I’d simmered down.
When I pushed the door open at the office, it was quiet, and I was thankful there were no surprises waiting for me. Cassie was sitting behind her desk, and she looked up and winced.
Never a good sign.
