Page 84 of Tough Nut to Crack

"I saw a flyer in town the other day," he continues. "Dust Bunnies or something like that. Maybe look 'em up and give them a call. I'm going to round the guys up and head across town."

"Let me know if you run into any problems," I tell him, but these guys have been working for me for years. They could probably run this company as well as I'm trying to without blinking.

I bend down, grab an arm full of stuff, and help him carry it back to their truck.

"Hey," Ronnie says as he comes from around the back of the vehicle. "Did Riley make breakfast again this morning?"

"No," I say quickly, needing to shift gears away from the woman because I’m already antsy from the night I had without her. "Is the issueyou had with that Drocer woman going to cause me any problems when we close out that job?"

Ronnie tilts his head as if he's running through his interactions with her in order to answer the question accurately.

"I doubt it, but seriously, you'd think a woman from the city would be a little more open-minded," he says.

"Women don't like being lied to," Donnie growls. "No matter where they're from, asshole."

If it were a different day and I were in a different mood, I might stick around and ask a few questions, but I have other shit to deal with today.

"Don't sneak into Mrs. Clemson's bedroom on the next job," I mutter. "Mr. Clemson is likely to shoot you in the head."

"Mrs. Clemson?" Ronnie says with a scrunched-up nose. "I see beauty in all women, but that lady is like a hundred and twelve. You have nothing to worry about, boss."

"Good thing."

"Unless they have some granddaughters visiting. Hey, Donnie, what was that one girl's name that we dated from that family?"

"Jesus," I grumble, looking at the serious twin. "Do I need to get different guys on that job?"

Donnie shakes his head as he lifts a circular saw over the back of the truck, placing it in the bed. "We dated that girl in high school. We did right by her. Nothing to worry about."

"Call me if there's a problem," I say and walk away because the longer I stay around Ronnie, the more likely it is that I won’t be able to send them across town. Them not doing that job means I'll have to do it, and my mind is not in the right place to use power tools. I'd end up cutting off a finger or something.

"Rochelle!" Ronnie exclaims, but I don't pause my footsteps to listen to his story. "She’s the first one that you realized you like a finger—"

"Shut the fuck up, idiot," Donnie growls, and all I can do is shake my head and climb into my truck.

Those two utterly exhaust me on the best of days.

Chapter 35

Riley

I don't know when the shift happened in my life.

One day, I was a shy girl worried about what everyone thought about me, and I knew I could triangulate that back to high school and the insecurities I had as one of the girls who was carrying around a little more weight than most in my class. I accepted long before graduation that I was not going to be one of the first ones picked for anything, but I was likable and would eventually get an invite to the parties and trips out of town because I was a joy to be around.

No, I was accommodating.

If someone was short on cash, I would always offer to pay.

If someone needed a companion to the bathroom, I got asked because the other ones, the popular ones, couldn't be inconvenienced at a one of the big parties held in a pasture.

If someone wants to do something and everyone else has already declined, ask Riley. She never has plans.

In college, I decided to be someone different, and for the most part, it worked, but deep down, I wasn't the girl who snubbed everyone when I wasn't the first pick. I just like to be involved.

I stood up for myself, and instead of curling into a ball and just being grateful to eventually get asked to do something, I questioned when I wasn't one of the first ones asked. It made people uncomfortable, but it also let them know I wasn't one to get walked on either.

I did my best to try to stay that woman when I returned to Lindell, but slowly, I became the accommodating one again.

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