Page 5 of Smooth Moves
Her own shoulders ached as she laughed. “Okay, okay. Don’t be so dramatic.” She paused then added the ultimate insult, “Nancy.”
He laughed. “You’re such a pain in my ass.”
“Ditto.”
Then Hector and Heidi were there, easing the furniture and a few other skewed pieces back into place.
Once everyone had exited the truck back into the shelter of the garage, Heidi glared at the twins, her accent growing thicker the madder she became. “Itold younot to play in there. Nothing is strapped down yet. You could have been hurt.”
The boys looked a lot more sulky than sorry, reminding Jordan of her own brother.Rafi, who’d taken money from her wallet.Rafi, who’d involved himself with a questionable bunch of teens.Rafi, who seemed to be on the verge of throwing his entire future away.Rafi,who needed a firm kick in his teenage ass.
Sorry, Judy. This has to be done.Jordan stepped forward and grabbed each boy by the neck of his T-shirt, yanking him forward. She glared into their beady little eyes. “That. Is.It!If Cash hadn’t been there, one of you might have been seriously hurt. Or crushed.”
“Or dead,” Cash said bluntly. “That clock weighs a ton, enough to crush a tiny little skull for sure. You ever seen brains leak out of your head, kid? It’s gross.”
“Ja.And messy,” Heidi added, her face stiff.
Hector pinched the bridge of his nose, and Jordan felt for him, sensing her own headache coming on.
The twins flinched.Finally.
She dragged them closer. “You will now thank Cash for saving your sorry little asses.”
They stared at her with wide eyes. Judy blinked at her through tears.
“And you will apologize to your mother for worrying her. She just lost your nana. She doesn’t want to lose you too.Look at her.” She shook them, not hard but enough to get their attention. “She’s worried about you.”
Judy had been silently crying.
The boys lowered their heads in shame. Jordan heard sniffles. If only it were that easy to get her brother in line.
“We’re sorry, Mom.”
“Yeah. We’re sorry.”
Jordan nudged them toward Judy. “Now you go give her a hug. Then you stay with her. Because if you don’t, Cash is going to paddle your butts until you can’t sit for a week. And your mom won’t even mind.”
Cash flexed his huge hands, and Jordan saw the boys’ fright. Heck, she wouldn’t want to be spanked by a hand that large either.
Well… No. No I wouldn’t.
“We have a job to do. Judy, please go on inside and get dry. Watch some TV or play a game and try to relax. I’ll come get you when we’re ready for you.”
“But—”
“Now,Judy.” Jordan wore her military police face, the one that saidI’m tired of fucking around.
Judy swallowed. “Okay.” Before she went inside, she crossed to Cash and gave him a quick hug.
He froze.
“Thank you for saving Alex.”
He mumbled something but didn’t move.
She left with her boys and the crazy dog in tow.
Jordan turned to see everyone staring at her. “What?”
