AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“If you’re motivated by a hatred of corruption in all its forms, you’re thinking about whether or not your office should investigate the health inspectors’ office. If you’re motivated by duty, you’re trying to figure out if duty ties you to your family or to your office.”
He harrumphed because she was right. “What do my motivations have to do with you sticking your nose in my business?”
“With my nosiness?” She shrugged and then leaned against the bar, her face close to his and sisterly love in her eyes. “Only that I feel like I have new insight into my big brother. But I’m telling you this because you might find insight into why Vivian’s not packing her bags to move in with you.”
He was sick of being lectured, but he was also sick of living alone with Xìnyùn for his only company. “Okay, siostra. How will this help me?”
She pulled back to look at him, her arms folded and her eyes glowing with pleasure. And, if he were being honest with himself, amusement. “I can imagine you asking Vivian to move back in with you because it’s your duty as a husband to live with your pregnant wife.” She tsked at him. “Those are sexy words.”
“This conversation was bearable so long as you weren’t being sarcastic.” He hated to insult the mother of his child but… “Anyway, shall we go back to the beginning? Remember, Vivian was fired from her job at the casino because she couldn’t prove she didn’t commit a felony.”
“The casino couldn’t prove that she did. Innocent until proven guilty.”
“She shouldn’t have even considered cheating.” He pushed his empty wineglass down the bar toward the bartender.
“Why haven’t you asked me the names of the health inspectors who let my code violation pass?”
Did she have to bring this up again? “You’re my sister.”
“Why did Vivian nearly cheat?”
When had his world turned upside down? If he hadn’t let his emotions get the better of him, he wouldn’t be losing an argument to his sister right now.
He sighed when all he wanted to do was kick the wood of the bar in front of him. “Because her father needed help.”
“And?”
“And I know what you’re trying to do.” She raised her eyebrow at him. He sighed again—heavier this time, so she couldn’t doubt how annoying it was to be badgered by his sister as though he was a first-year law student. “Vivian felt a duty to her father strong enough to question right and wrong. I feel a duty to my family—to you—strong enough to pretend I didn’t hear about your experience with the health inspectors and to not wonder what else they might be letting slide and why. Thus, I should be more sympathetic to Vivian’s choices. And I should apologize to her before asking her to come back home.”
“Sometimes for a smart person, you can be pretty dumb.” Her laughter removed some of the sting of her words. Some. “Don’t apologize to her because it’s your duty to apologize to her. Beg her to move back in with you because you can’t imagine your life without her.”
“I don’t have to imagine life without her. I’m living it.”
“She’s still within driving distance and if you’re not at work, you’re at Mom’s house or Healthy Food. Life without her will mean she won’t even be around for you to pretend you don’t love her. Go home and think about what Dad would say about that, smart guy.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
AS SOON AS they got home from the night’s work at Healthy Food, Susan collapsed into one of the chairs at the kitchen table. “The problem,” she said, her voice muffled by the folded arms her head was lying on, “is that I want to close my eyes, and my legs want to tap dance.”
Vivian filled two mugs with milk and stuck them in the microwave. While the milk was heating, she got chocolate syrup out of the fridge and some spoons. Hot chocolate was acceptable when both punchy and tired. What Vivian really wanted was a whiskey, but between Jelly Bean and Susan’s medicine, hot chocolate was as much of an indulgence as either of them was allowed right now. When the microwave beeped, Vivian put the steaming cups of milk on the counter and made their drinks—heavy on the chocolate. Susan perked up at the click of the mug on the table.
