Page 43 of Five Brothers

I smile, laughing under my breath. It feels good to hear that.

“And a few are talking about your legs,” he adds.

His eyes drop to them, and heat rises to my cheeks.

Does he notice my legs?

Out of all the brothers, Army is the one who puzzles me the most. He has no hobbies. No interests that I can tell. No friends of his own that he doesn’t share with his brothers. He doesn’t hunt. Fish. Read. Brew his own beer or weld weird garden sculptures. He doesn’t ride like Iron. Kill time on boats like Trace. Party and party some more like Dallas.

He’s at work. Or home. Always ready for when he’s needed. Like a firefighter.

Exactly like a firefighter, in fact. He’s indispensable.

Macon takes care of the land, the finances, and holds all the power, because he has the will to do what no one else will. Not even Army.

But the younger siblings talk to Army.

He’s the one they tell bad news to, and they entrust him to tell Macon, because Army is the only one who can face their older brother. He holds him back. Calms him down. Puts it into the right words so that it deals the smallest blow. He mans the bomb. Army has to stay calm, because the house needs one emotionally stable adult.

Who does he talk to?

I cross my arms over my chest and look away, uncomfortable under his constant gaze.

“It’s too late in the semester to start classes,” he points out, “so join us until you start college in January.”

I chew the corner of my mouth. I’m not sure I’m going to college, but it’s a possibility.

“We need you.” His voice is firm. “I mean, when you don’t know what you want to do for yourself, be useful to someone else. It’s better than lazing about, right?”

He sounds like my teachers.

I love it across the tracks, but what I said last night still holds true. There’s nothing over there that’s good for me right now.

But I do need a job. I don’t want to be around my house all the time where Milo, my mother, or Jerome Watson knows where to find me anytime they want.

I don’t want to shop or go to the beach or catch up on Netflix. I want to be around people.

It’s better than doing nothing for the next three months. Just while the kids are at school. It’ll give me time to find out how to stay close to my siblings on my terms. Not my mother’s.

“I’ll think about it,” I say.

A job is a good idea, but I’ll get one here in St. Carmen instead.

Army nods slowly, looking like he knows I’m just being nice, but what can he do? They’ll find help. I’m not sure why he’s trying to convincemeto come back.

He turns to leave, but I stop him. “How did you know where to find me tonight?”

At first, I thought he was here for something relating to the landscaping and the work their business does, but he said he came to give me back my tips. Wouldn’t he have just gone to my house?

He twists back around, looking like he’s holding his breath and trying not to grin.

He closes the distance between us, his words a whisper as heleans down to my face. “We have cameras in the clubhouse,” he says.

I gape at him. “Are you serious? And you’re just telling me that? Like you can trust me?”

Why would he admit that? My family comes here. Or we did. I’m sure my dad can still afford his membership.

But Army just studies me. “Maybe we have dirt on your crowd. On Milo. Garrett Ames.”

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