Page 78 of Brooke's Bliss
“I’m probably being paranoid, but that’s what happens whenyour wife buys a house that used to be the home base for a drug dealer and thecartel shows up when you least expect it,” Trev admitted.“I’m sure it’snothing, though I don’t like the fact that we had a break in and your truck wasrifled through.What if someone’s looking for something?”
“Like what?I don’t know what they would be looking for ifthis is about Shane seeing something.I would think they would come afterShane.”He didn’t like that thought, but none of this made sense.Shanecouldn’t put a memory in a safe.
Trev sighed.“Like I said, I’m being paranoid.But I’ll talkto him, try to figure out exactly what he saw.Until then we need to get thatfeed.Did Long-Haired Roger say when he would get the tires in?”
Long-Haired Roger told him the whole damn thing was fallingapart.“It could be a week or two.We have a little more damage than weoriginally thought.Have to get a new alternator.That didn’t have anything todo with the vandalism, but it still has to be fixed.”
“Or you could bite the bullet and get a new one.”Trevstarted walking toward Stella’s.“I know it’s pricey, but Stef keeps talkingabout how much money you’re going to make off this gallery showing.Apparentlyhe’s got some big spenders coming out, including the guy who runs thecollective the G belongs to.Not that Jack Barnes cares much about art, but hiswife does.”
Yeah, he was getting nervous about that, too.What ifnothing happened?At one point he wouldn’t have cared.It wasn’t like he soldhis work often.Every now and then he had a piece that Shane decided wouldcatch someone’s eye and they would sell it or show it to Stef.Otherwise, hegifted most of his bigger pieces and didn’t think much about it.It was acompulsion, a deep-seated need to make the art.He didn’t need it to hangaround.
Except the pictures of Brooke.
But now he needed the money, and Shane was acting like itwas all nothing more than a waiting game.What if Brooke came and no one boughta thing and he had to deal with the fact that all her expectations wereshattered?
Shit.This was how Shane felt the night before.Embarrassed.Ashamed.
He needed to talk to his brother.
Wait.Where were they going?“I thought we were picking upfeed.”
“I texted Pastor Dennis and he’ll put it in the trailer.I’mpicking up some lunch for Nell.Hal’s making her favorite corn and black beanburritos today, and Henry asked if I wouldn’t mind bringing a couple in sincethey can’t make it to town.”Trev stopped in front of the door, and Bay’s heartsank.Trev had to stop because Rye Harper was standing there.
He nodded Trev’s way.“I saw you walking up the street.Thought we might talk.”
Trev looked from Bay and back to Rye.“Everything okay?”
Rye shook his head.“Everything sucks, Trev, but that’s notyour fault.I appreciate you taking care of Rach.She needs breathing room, andit seems Max and I needed a kick in the pants.I’m not going to beat up yourranch hand.”
“Like you could.”Shit.He was supposed to stop that.
Rye’s lips curled in a smirk.“Oh, I could.You might beyounger, but I assure you I’m meaner than you can imagine.But I think mysister would take exception, and I’m pretty sure my wife would, too.Also, Steftells me your hands are a world of imagination or some shit.”
“That’s terrible.”Bay felt his nose wrinkle like he’dsmelled something bad—which was Stef Talbot’s choice of metaphors.“Tell me hedoesn’t actually say that.”
One big shoulder shrugged.“Stef can be a pretentious ass,but he’s practically my brother, so what am I going to do about it?”
Trev opened the door to the café, caution clear in hisexpression.“I’m going to order Nell’s food.Do not kill each other.”
“If I was going to kill him, I would be sneaky about it,”Rye vowed.“I would do it in a way no one could figure out it was me.”
That sounded like a threat.“Well, I would prefer to not bekilled.Also, I wouldn’t kill Rye because I don’t want to piss off Brooke orRachel.I think they’re plotting the downfall of man right now.”
“I’m feeling good about this.”Trev’s words didn’t match hisfrown.“You two work it out.”
The door closed behind him.
“I’m not sorry about what happened last night,” Bay began.
“Is she okay?”Rye asked, ignoring his hard tone.Rye’svoice had gone soft, as though even asking about his wife made him moreserious.
“She’s fine.I mean physically.I don’t know what’s going onand it’s none of my business, but I do know she loves you and probablyeverything can be settled down if you would look at the workload and figure outhow to take your fair share.”
Rye’s head tilted, like those were the last words heexpected.“What the hell would you know about that?”
“I know that most of the women I’ve ever known just wantsome fairness when it comes to the workload.I watched my mom do everything.Myfather worked and she stayed home at first, so she did all the cooking andcleaning and childcare.Funny thing, though.When she had to go back to work sowe would have a roof over our head, she still had to do everything.My fatherwas useless at anything but cheating on his wife and gambling away every dollarthey made.Same with my aunts.I was taught at every family gathering thatwomen served men.They made dinner and we watched football.And my brother satalone in our room so he didn’t disturb anyone with his presence.I wonder if Iwould have thought about the inequity of the division of labor if I hadn’t beenthinking about how unfair it was for my brother to miss out on holidays.WouldI be like my dad?Thinking women owed me because I was a man?”
“Bay,” Rye began.
