Page 66 of Smooth Moves
“Yeah. I love you, Little Brother. I make a lot of mistakes, and you’re always bailing me out of trouble. I hate it. I’m trying to do better.”
Reid didn’t mention that concussion Jordan had told him about, just listened as Cash continued to talk.
“I’m sorry I’m not better about sharing you. Naomi’s your girl, and I need to respect that. Idorespect that. It’s just, I guess…” Cash flushed. “I guess I’m worried you’ll ditch me for good. I can’t compare with her tits and ass.”
Reid grinned. “No, you can’t. I hate to break it to you, but you’re pretty flat-chested.”
Cash slapped him on the back of the head, and it felt as if nothing had changed between them, yet everything had.
Reid ducked a second slap to the head. “I know what you’re saying. But you have to know you’ll always be my brother. My best friend. If you ever needed me, I’d drop everything to come to your side, including Naomi.” Realizing how that sounded, he amended, “I mean, not drop her forever. But if you were in danger I’d leave her to—”
“Bro, I get it.” Cash smiled. “You still have my back, and I always have yours. And Naomi’s a part of you now. You can drag your feet and pretend like she’s not it for you, but we both know she is.”
Love for Naomi filled the void that Reid hadn’t been aware existed, until her. “She is. We’re taking any kind of marriage talk slow though. But that doesn’t mean there’s no room for you in my life—in our life.”
“I was acting like a shit, and I know it. This thing with Angela happening now hasn’t helped.” He gave Reid a pointed look.
“My fault. I agree, I’ve been avoiding the house and the crap that comes with it. But I want to help you with that mess. And no matter what you say, you’re keeping the house. It’s yours.”
“But—”
“No.” He’d talked to Naomi about it, and she supported his decision one hundred percent. “They owe you, Cash. For years of treating you like dirt, for not letting you be a part of our family. Charles and Angela owe you that much.” Reid stared into his brother’s eyes, willing him to believe it. “You’re a great Marine, a great man, and those assholes need to pay for what they did to you.” He saw his brother’s surprise that he’d refer to their parents in that way. But they both knew the truth.
“Dad tried to make you feel bad about yourself forever, and you still stuck it to him by being a better man than he could ever hope to be. Mom might not have been there, but she knew in the end she loved you.”
“She loved you too,” Cash said, his voice thick, full of emotion. “Charles was a shit. Angela was just gone from the beginning.”
“But we’re still here. You and me. And I might have Naomi, but it looked to me like you might have Jordan.”
“Nah,” Cash was quick to point out. “We’re just kind of dating. It’s new and probably won’t last.”
“But you want it to, don’t you?”
Cash remained quiet for a moment. “Maybe.”
“That’s a yes. Now who’s being a pussy?” He ignored the finger his brother shot him, relieved to see Cash getting fired up, not so down anymore. “Sure, you get into fights and get yourself in trouble. A lot. Or at least you used to. Let’s be honest. You taking down a burglary and saving a boy’s life not only was the right thing to do, it’s the whole reason our business is booming.”
Cash grinned. “Well, not the whole reason.”
“And I’m sure whatever happened tonight wasn’t just you screwing off.”
Cash sighed. “I was trying to help a guy who got jumped by three bigger guys. It wasn’t cool. Then they cheated by trying to brain me with a free weight.”
Reid snorted. “Only you.”
“Hey, it hurt.”
“You’re always where you need to be, even if you come out with a few scrapes.” Reid thought back to Cash’s many commendations in the Marine Corps for bravery, for being the guy to do the right thing no matter the cost to himself. “You might be a big idiot, but I’m glad you’re my brother.”
“Well said, Reid.” Cash chuckled. “Now if you’re done being a little momma’s boy, will you help me clear out the rest of the crap from the house? If I’m gonna keep it, I have to think about whether to sell it or live in it. Since you’re moving in with the hot redhead soon.”
“Uh, not that soon.” Sure, he and Naomi hadtalkedabout it. A lot, actually.
“Soon.” Cash read him clearly, as he always had. “Then I need to figure out what to do. And before you go apologizing again, as much as you like to think I can’t live without you, I actually can and have lived on my own.” He shook his head. “I’m thirty-six, dickbag. I always knew I’d eventually leave. No living with my sad little bro forever. Fly, little guy, be free.”
“Who the hell are you calling a dickbag?” The joy Reid felt, knowing Cash supported and still loved him, overwhelmed him. Cash might not realize it, but Reid knew they’d taken a huge step forward in their relationship. For the first time, Reid realized he didn’t need to be his brother’s keeper. Just Cash’s brother, to love and support him. “You know, Cash, I think you’re finally growing up.”
“Fuck you.”
“But we still need to work on that vocabulary.” He grinned at the face Cash made. “Now tell me in detail what happened at the gym. And why do I have a feeling I’ll be getting a phone call from Gavin Donnigan again?” This time he’d let Gavin know Cash could fight his own battles but that Reid had no problem playing backup should the Griffiths need to stand tall.
