AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Well, shit. They don’t tell me nothin’ around here. Thought you were Cash for a minute.”
It’s undeniable that all of us boys favor each other, especially as we get older, but we’re not twins. Telling us apart is simple—for a sober person.
I fold my arms over my chest, debating if I even want to bother chastising him about the hour of day it is.
“Been home since last night.”
“Hmph,” is all he says as he walks over to the counter, reaching for the plate of poppyseed muffins—my favorite flavor.
“Mr. Redford, do you mind if I strip the sheets off your bed now to wash them?” Rosie chimes as she appears in the kitchen, her arms filled with folded bath towels. She avoids eye contact with me.
“Sure thing, honey. I’m up.”
It’s about time I find out whose idea it was to hire her in the first place.
Duke’s girlfriend prancing around the house and cleaning up after everyone doesn’t sit well with me, primarily because of who her father is. I guess none of my family members give a shit that the man is responsible for the last three and a half years I was locked up.
Why does she even need the money? The mayor is sitting on thousands of acres of generational farmland, rental property, and successful businesses.
Why is she really here?
He not only runs the town; he basically owns it. Redford Ranch is his only real rival when it comes to generating income.
“Rosie, take a load off. You’ve been running around all day.” Duke marches into the kitchen, making a beeline for the muffins. He doesn’t stop to kiss or hug her.
“Workday isn’t over yet,” I say, grabbing myself a muffin before the scavengers in this house eat them all.
Rosie’s blue-green eyes darken for a moment as she glares at me.
“He’s right; the workday is not over, but we have no more time for laundry! It’s cooking time, baby!” Dolly skips into the kitchen, a smile plastered on her face. She comes up to me, pulling me into a hug.
“Rosie and I are making your favorite—Frito pie with Mom’s venison chili recipe and meat from Duke’s latest kill. Whatever you’ve been eating probably didn’t even qualify as food. I used to lay awake and cry, thinking about what they were feeding you in that horrible place.”
Rosie doesn’t look too happy about the idea of having to cook for me, which gives me a small dose of satisfaction.
“Don’t overdo it, Doll,” I say, hugging my little sister back.
She’s eight years younger than me, and I’ve always been overprotective of her.
She pulls away from me. “I’m fine! Rosie does all the physical labor stuff now.”
My gaze lands on Rosie’s neutral expression for a moment before moving back to Dolly’s face.
My sister was born with congenital heart defects. Her heart was deformed at birth, causing her to need lifelong medication to treat the problem. She suffers from heart murmurs, fatigue, fainting, low energy, and a range of other symptoms. Sometimes, she doesn’t know her own limits. Since she was born, she’s received biannual checkups. One of the hardest parts about being in prison was not being able to go with her to her doctor’s appointments.
“Can you get the groceries from the truck, Duke?” Dolly asks.
Duke nods, walking out the back door as he shoves a muffin in his mouth. My dad helps himself to another muffin before planting his butt on one of the kitchen island stools. He’s getting into his mid-sixties, but he functions like he’s at least ten years older.
“Soo, when are you planning on taking Madi out on a fancy date?” Dolly reaches under the cabinet for the cherry-red stand mixer, placing it on the countertop before plugging it in. She has a knowing smile on her face.
I raise a brow. “What are you talking about?”
Rosie pulls a recipe book from the bookshelf, holding all of our mother’s old ones. She flips through the pages while Dolly starts to lay out glass jars with flour, sugar, and other baking ingredients.
“She’s really looking forward to it, and honestly, she talks about it nonstop. I can’t believe she isn’t here or at least blowing up my phone about how excited she is.”
I look from my sister’s face to Rosie’s, wondering where the joke is. Rosie’s expression gives nothing away. If anything, she looks bored.
