Page 30 of Just Between Us

MJ

Why don’t you ask her out yourself?

I tried. She turned me down to go to your book club.

Sylvie

She’s so much smarter than you.

That’s why I have you two. Help a brother out.

Satisfied that my meddling littlest sister wouldn’t be able to resist inviting Veda along, I set my phone aside and tucked the ring light into the corner of the room. I cleaned up all evidence of my online persona and whistled while I did it.

The Grudge Holderwas a bar and dance hall at the far edge of Main Street. It was housed in one of the oldest buildings in downtown Outtatowner. Over the years it had gone through several different owners, but they always kept its namesake. TheGrudge Holder was an homage to the King-Sullivan rivalry that was legendary in our town.

Recently the rivalry was hanging on by a thread.

For as long as I could remember, the Grudge was a bar divided. The Kings on the east side and the Sullivans on the west. Tourists were oblivious to the divide, but for townies, the line was clearly and permanently drawn in the sand.

That was, until Duke Sullivan decided to fall in love with my sister. Color me surprised when we all found out they were not only secret friends, but they had gotten pregnant.

Behind closed doors, the divide became a cavern, and we were forced by my father to choose—turn our backs on our sister or make peace with the Sullivans.

To his dismay, we had chosen to stand with our sister. His intense stare and clenched jaw spoke volumes. We all understood that an unhappy Russell King was a ticking bomb waiting to blow. No one knew where or when it would happen, but the fallout would be inevitable.

His recent absence put us only more on edge.

Entering the Grudge, I scanned the east side, and apart from a few cousins and locals who had always sided with the Kings, I didn’t spot my siblings.

“Hey, Roy!” My head whipped around to see Lee Sullivan grinning from a high-top table in the middle of the bar and waving an arm over his head like a fool.

I groaned and rolled my eyes.

Part of Sylvie and Duke’s fetal collaboration apparently meant making nice with all the Sullivans. I shook my head and walked toward the center of the room, where Lee had his arm slung around Annie.

“Yo, Roy!” he called over the crowd, pointing to the table. “We’re all sitting right here!”

Curious glances swept our way. I quirked an eyebrow as I approached. “Really? Roy?”

Lee smiled. “Aww, I didn’t mean to hurt your delicate feelings, Royal. I could always call you Dw?—”

I cut him short with a single look as I pointed my finger. “Don’t fucking go there.”

He grinned and raised both his hands.

Annie elbowed him in the ribs. “I promised the girls you would behave.”

“That was a silly thing to promise.” Lee glanced down at his fiancée, his eyes brimming with affection. “Come on, I’m gonna take you for a spin on the dance floor.”

She beamed up at him and hopped off the high stool. It would be only a matter of minutes before they were tearing up the dance floor like they had done since high school. He was a cocky bastard, but I think we had all breathed a collective sigh of relief when he pulled his head out of his ass and saw what was standing right in front of him.

I looked around and slid into an open seat at the table.

“Wow. Even you’re migrating to the middle?” Our server walked up behind me and leaned against the table.

I shrugged. “Just seeing what the view is like from here.”

She nodded, clearly seeing through my bullshit. “Sure you are. What can I get you?”

---