Page 34 of The Fixer

As he plucked glasses and arranged his setup, Reece sauntered over. “Need any help, baby bro?”

What the hell is with the “baby bro” shit?He wasn’t going to let his brother see how much the term annoyed him or else Reece would use it all the time to torment him. “Nah, I’m good.”

“Who’s the dark-haired knockout you’ve been ogling all night? The one who looks like Zoe Saldana.”

“I’m notoglingher. I’m just keeping an eye on her in case she decides to hurl pointy things at me.”

Reece laughed. “Why? Did you pull your usual stunt and string her along until you thoroughly pissed her off? Rookie mistake, junior.”

Charlie’s irritation soared. “No, it’s nothing like that. She’s my new client—maybe—and she’s got a stick permanently stuck up her ass. I’m trying to dislodge it so she doesn’t can me.”I also need to set her straight about CDW Construction.Urgency simmered in Charlie’s belly. Past Perfect’s reputation was on the line.

“Huh. She seems pleasant enough toward Dixie. Even Micky, and no one’severfriendly to that idiot. Ever consider that stick is just for you, bro?” Reece whacked him in the stomach, and Charlie shoved him but didn’t move him very far. Reece was like a block of solid steel. “Nice try,” he laughed. “So what’s the job?”

Charlie loved his brother … most of the time. Tonight, though, not so much. He evened his voice. “Crystal Harmony Haven. I’m trying to convince her to do a top-to-bottom reno.”

“Wait. Who is she?”

“She’s Helene Holiday’sotherdaughter, Joy, but don’t let the name fool you,” Charlie snorted. In the middle of scooping ice into a glass, he stopped and gaped at Reece. “Oh shit. I should introduce you since you’re the one who found her mother.”

“I got this.”

Even as the words left his mouth, Reece was on the move. Neve’s eyes tracked him the entire way, and a familiar flicker of sadness in those big blues tugged at Charlie’s heartstrings. “Hey, Doc. Thought any more about letting the good times roll in Doro? You know I’ll show you a good time.” He waggled his eyebrows for maximum effect.

A little grin bloomed on her pretty face. “Hmm? Not hardly.”

A happy bubble floated up inside him and popped. He’d distracted her and made her smile … at least for a moment.

Dixie moved off, leaving Reece and Joy to talk alone. No idea what they were saying, but the body language was clear. Reece was telling her how sorry he was, reassuring her that her mother hadn’t suffered, and Joy was thanking him for the kindness. Reece was a pro at that shit—that’s what made him so good at search and rescue. He had a calming presencethat soothed the injured, the panicked, and the grieving, a gene wholly missing from Noah’s and Charlie’s DNA.

Unfortunately, in leaving Reece and Joy alone, Dixie parked herself directly behind Charlie and tapped her wicked long nails on the bar top. The sound grated.

“I’m coming, I’m coming,” he grumbled.

“Ooh, can I help?” Lauren said in a breathless rush somewhere over his shoulder. He pretended not to hear.

With an exaggerated wave of his hand, he presented the cocktails to Dixie. “There you go, gorgeous. Now stop flapping your gums and get busy.”

She hmphed and walked away.

He slid his gaze down the bar. Reece and Joy were smiling now, the air between them seeming lighter and the conversation coming to a close. Here was his chance to get Joy’s attention and tell her the truth about—

“Hey, Charlie!” Neve piped up. “Why not ask Joy to go to Doro with you?”

He gaped at her.“What?”

“She’s a client,” he wanted to blurt. Except Joywasn’ta client because she hadn’t signed on the dotted line he had yet to come up with.

As he was pondering the semantics, Neve leaned forward and called to Joy. “Hey, Joy!” Charlie made a frantic slicing-the-throat motion, but, undeterred, Neve simply grinned at him. “Charlie’s looking for a date this coming Saturday to go to a music festival. He’ll show you a good time.” She aped Charlie’s eyebrow waggle. “Wanna go?”

Joy quickly dipped her head, acting as though she hadn’t heard. Which was fine by him. Germaine, on the other hand, whipped her head around at the same time Lauren did. “I’ll go!” they each chorused, then leveled each other with matching glowers.

Fuck! Me!

“You are evil,” Charlie hissed at Neve.

She glanced toward Reece. “Maybe the other Hunnicutt wants to go too.”

Typical Reece acted as though he didn’t hear her. Whether it was real or an act, Charlie had no idea, but any empathy he had for Neve dissolved quicker than a dab of paint in a can of mineral spirits. He wanted to reachover the bar and throttle her. Instead, he gave her the stink-eye. “No more margaritas for you.”

---