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“Why not?”
“Because you’reyou,” Cash says. “Jesse.”
“And that means?”
“I think what he’s trying to say,” Savage puts in, helpfully, glancing toward the dining room table where most of the women are sitting along with the leftovers of Jayjay’s insanely good roast, “is… Well, shit, Jesse, you’ve been in and out of the beds of a lot of the town’s women.”
“And I’ve been honest about my intentions with all of them,” I say, sweeping a hand through the air. “It’s not like I’m a fuck boy. Besides, what the hell does that have to do with running for sheriff? I have a few relations with people, and I’m not fit to look after the town?”
“You’ve got a rep,” Cash says, but he’s distracted by his gorgeous fiancée at the table nearby. She catches him watching her and they exchange a smile. Those two are sickeningly in love, and while I’m happy for him, there are only so many PDAs I can stand witnessing. “And you let people get away with stuff.”
“Huh?”
“Remember Dad? When he was drunk and disorderly?” Cash asks. “Before his healing journey? You should have arrested him multiple times instead of once.”
“You pulled me over for speeding once and let me get away with it.” Savage’s gaze wanders away from me toward the fire crackling in the grate before drifting to the women.
Hannah, Marci, and June are hunched together, their heads over Hannah’s phone. They look serious.
“Look, Jesse,” Cash says, punching me lightly on the arm. “You’re one hell of a good guy. And that practically means you can’t be sheriff. Because you’re too good to be in that position. The politics? The bullshit? You don’t want that.”
Marci tucks strands of that auburn hair behind her ear and glances up at me. Our eyes meet for the briefest moment, but she breaks the eye contact with an expression of disgust.
I open my mouth to argue the point, but my brother squeezes my shoulder again.
“If you’re serious about running, if it’s what you want, then we’ll support you,” Cash says. “Just, uh, yeah, I’m not sure it’s the wisest thing for you to do.”
Savage taps his fingers on the side of his bourbon glass, still distracted.
“So, you staying here the night?” Cash asks it loudly, over the gentle music playing from the stereo in the corner.
Marci’s head snaps up. “Absolutely not.”
An awkward silence fills the expansive dining area.
“See,” I say, after a beat, “that makes me want to stay over even more. Not like Cash doesn’t have any room. Last time I checked, he had like fifty fucking guest rooms in this place. Or are you afraid you’re going to bump into me on a late-night bathroom trip, Angel?”
“You…” Marci scrapes her chair back.
I seldom call her Angel in front of my family. Just because they already razz me about having a thing for her. I don’t have the patience for it.
“All right, kids,” Jayjay says with a soft smile. “Let’s bring it down a notch. There’s a moody teenager in this house trying to grab some shut-eye.”
“He can’t stay here,” Marci says. “If he stays here, I’m not staying here.”
Cash pinches the bridge of his nose. Savage smooths his beard, hiding a bemused smile.
“Marce,” Jayjay says. “What?—”
“I’ll tell you why later,” she says. “Just trust me, I don’t—I can’t be under the same roof as him.”
This is a new level of anger from her.
Because I saw her naked. Because I detained her. Because I spend my spare time teasing her. Because of her brother.
Another awkward quiet.
“Fine,” I snap. “That’s fine by me. You stay. I’ve got better shit to do anyway.” I head for the door but pause on the way out. “Try not to steal any cars while I’m gone.”
