Page 14 of Brother to Brother

“What time will you be home?” she asked and I looked over my shoulder at her. She rubbed the sleep out of her eyes and looked at me expectantly.

“What you gonna keep tabs on me now?” I demanded and her face fell.

“Actually, I just wanted to know what time to have dinner on the table,” she said coolly.

Oh, well fuck me…

“Around six, maybe six-thirty,” I grated.

“Okay then,” she murmured.

“Got anywhere to be today?” I asked.

“I need to go to a Goodwill, you have nothing to cook with.”

“What do you mean?” I frowned.

“No pots, no pans…”

“Got enough?” I asked.

“I should, there’s still a little money left in the envelope you gave me.”

“Kay,” I stood up and went back into the bathroom, pulling my long hair into a loose ponytail.

I heard her shifting around and glanced out the door, she was getting up, and pulling on a brightly colored flower pattern kimono type bathrobe on over her white tank top and little white and blue striped boxer short things she’d been sleeping in. She pulled her bright blonde hair out of the collar and I felt myself twist my lips at how short it was now.

“How come you cut your hair?” It was out of my mouth before I even realized I was going to ask about it.

“You have a baby puke in hair that’s nearly to your knees, and have to go wash it, only to have him do it again… you’d cut it too.”

“Excuse the fuck out of me,” I muttered under my breath and she went out into the living room, her light, feminine voice greeting Noah who must have been awake. I went out there and dropped onto the couch to pull on my boots.

“Breakfast?” she asked.

“Got anything quick?”

“Bacon and eggs?”

“Meh, not sure I have time.”

She reached into a cabinet and opened a box, tossing me a package of on-the-go breakfast biscuits. I caught them and put them in my jacket pocket.

“We’ll bring you by some lunch later,” she said. I got up and swung into my jacket and cut.

“Don’t bother,” I grated and went out the door. Noah started up hollerin’ as I closed it and Melody poked her head out.

“He wants you to say goodbye!” she called.

“I don’t say goodbye, tell him I’ll see him later,” I called back. I was going to be late if I didn’t move it, so I got on the bike and fired it up, backing out of the lot and leaving her to her own devices.

When I pulled up to the garage, it was opening up. Rush was in the bay next to mine, getting started on a Honda. I backed into my space and shut off the bike. Going about my business, getting into some coveralls to finish up the Caprice. Yesterday had been Rush’s day off, and it didn’t take long for him to wander over and start asking questions.

“So, how’s the new home life?” he asked with a shit eating grin and my mood, which wasn’t stellar in the first place, soured even more.

“Fuck off, Rush,” I grunted and ducked under the hood of the Caprice.

“Seriously? Your long time crush moves in under your roof and you can’t come up with a single bit of happy about that?”

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