Page 3 of Bossy Bride: Emma and Jesse

Have I mentioned I’m the charming one in the family?

I am.

“Fucking Alonzo.”

“Alonzo.” I say this not as a question, exactly. But it’s definitely confusion. “Alonzo… as in my almost-brother-in-law?”

“The very one.”

“Why is he calling you?”

“Do you think they’re sneaky?”

“Who?”

“The fuckin’ Dumas family.”

“Sneaky how?”

“You know.” He juts his chin at me. “Like us.”

I shake my head and squint my eyes. “What?”

“Never mind.”

“No, tell me.”

“You’re heading down there tomorrow, right?”

“Yup. Spending the whole week there. I can’t wait.” I really dig the Dumas family. Even though all Emma’s brothers regularly size me up like they’re about to jump my ass, I still like them. They’re all just so… likable.

“Well…” Johnny looks side to side all craftily, like he’s about to tell me a secret. “Set your alarm for three AM and look out your window at Jack and Silvia’s house.”

“Why?”

“No reason.”

Now it’s my turn to sigh. Ever since Johnny came back from the Caribbean last summer, he’s been weirdly cagey, but not dangerously cagey. If that makes sense. And it does. To me, anyway. First of all, he really didn’t come back with any information. Just this girl Megan. Who is some sort of scientist? But everything seemed to get better.

Better how?

Let me tell you how. Johnny and Megan moved up to the lake house. And he’s no longer in charge of the money-making ceremony. Some guy called Chek is. Chek has this twelve-year-old daughter called Wendy who kinda creeps me out. I can’t place my finger on it because she’s kinda cute. And smart. And quiet. But she has this look she gives people when they’re not paying attention.

This look reminds me of Johnny.

But then again, it reminds me of Chek too. So… maybe it’s just genetics and I’m overreacting?

But here’s the thing… I’m the sober one, right? I see things others miss because they’re drinking beer, or eating pot brownies, or dressing up like alien elves and whatever. Sober is like a superpower. You see things. And of course, little creepy Wendy is sober too. So she has the same superpower.

Also, I’m pretty sure Johnny had something to do with Joey getting shared custody of his daughter, Maisy. Every other weekend. And Michael Conner didn’t even put up a fight even though his family and all those other creepy families up on the Kane estate still have to pay their monthly… contribution.

Nothing really changed. And yet everything got less stressful.

But that’s twice I’ve used the word ‘creepy’ in less than five seconds of thinking time.

What’s up with that?

Anyway, back to the point and my convo with Johnny. “What does Jack and Silvia’s house have to do with Alonzo?”