Page 98 of Smooth Moves
“Interesting technique.”
“She was always weird around guys. She’s not like Leanne. Our older sister looks like a living Barbie doll and acts all helpless. Not Jordan.”
“A Barbie doll?” Because Rafi and Jordan looked anything but nice, plastic, or pretty. The pair were more like dark-haired, good-looking, pain-in-the-ass bookends.
“Yeah. Leanne’s always been Mom and Dad’s favorite. We all know it. But Leanne’s also really nice a lot. So it’s hard to be mad at her.”
“Jordan doesn’t like Leanne’s fiancé.” As soon as he said it, he hoped he wasn’t talking out of turn, but Jordan seemed close to her brother.
“He’s an ass. But he’s rich and nice around our parents, so they love him. It’s so strange. My parents are usually pretty cool. I know they love me, but they are so warped about dealing with stuff they can’t understand. Like, everything has to be right in their world or they fall apart. Leanne was super smart and funny and got great grades. Never drank or did drugs. Always listened to Mom and Dad. So they gave her everything. Until me, Jordan was the family rebel.
“She told me she used to get in trouble a lot when she was in school. But she made it through and kicked butt in the Army. Now she’s back, and she’s helping me out when she could be making a real life for herself. I don’t want to hold her back. And I want her to go to college or be whatever she wants to be.”
Cash kept it casual while wanting to interrogate the kid. “She wants to go to college?”
Rafi nodded. “She has all these brochures she goes through at night when she thinks I’m sleeping. I think it’s the GI Bill or something. But it’s a way for her to go to college. Except she can’t with me in the way.” He sighed.
“Look. I don’t know your parents, but let me tell you what I think. They’re idiots.”
Rafi frowned.
“I call ’em like I see ’em. Your older sister might be super nice, but I don’t see her standing up for you. Life is all about dealing with conflict. I should know. I deal with it all damn day. And I know you don’t turn a blind eye and run when it gets tough. You don’t cut out the ugly when it’s staring you in the face. You deal with the bad and make it good.”
“That’s not what my family does.”
“That’s on them, not you. I bet if you told your sister about your problems, she’d find a way to help you.” He paused. “I had a buddy in the Marine Corps. Smart guy, smartass too.” Rafi grinned with him. “Joe was hell on wheels with a weapon. Expert marksman and could quote you specs on anything. Knew all about politics and who was outmaneuvering who all the time. But he’d spent years growing up thinking he was dumb. Because he couldn’t read. Turned out he had dyslexia, but no one figured it out until he almost lost it. As in, committed suicide.”
“That sucks.”
“It does. But Joe fixed it and moved on. Now he’s got a wife and two ex-wives and is living it up in Hawaii.”
“Two ex-wives?”
“Well, he’s book smart but an idiot about women.”
“Oh.” Rafi cleared his throat. “So, ah, you think maybe I have dyslexia?”
“I don’t know. I think dyslexia is when you confuse your letters. But maybe there’s a kind of dyslexia about math. Hasn’t anyone ever had you tested or anything?”
“No. But I didn’t want anyone to know. I got through until now with my friends helping. I guess it was cheating, kind of.” He blushed. “I count on my fingers when no one is watching.”
“So what? That’s why we’re born with fingersandtoes. So you can at least hit twenty.” Cash grinned. “I hated school, so I’m not the best person to talk about it being so amazing.” He grimaced. “I just wanted to graduate so I could join the Corps.”
“Me too.”
“You want to join the military?” Cash brightened.
“Well, I’ve thought about it. You get to go places and fire weapons and stuff. Jordan says I should join the Army.”
Cash winced. “Dude, just…no. The Army is mediocre at best.” Damn if Rafi didn’t raise one brow the same way Jordan did. “And, yeah, your sister is hot shit, but only because she was always hot shit. The Army didn’t make her great. She’s been great all on her own. Now, the Marine Corps helped shape me. I was a total assface before I joined. And no comments that I’m an assface now, got it?”
Rafi cleared his throat. “Right.”
“They really do turn the worst of us around.” Mostly. It wasn’t the Corps’s fault they’d had so little to work with. Feeling like the worst imposter, Cash kept talking up the service, sharing a few stories about pranking his buddies and making Rafi laugh.
Then the doorbell rang.
“Pizza!”
“Settle down, mini-Jordan. I’ll get the door.”
Cash grabbed the pizza, tipped the guy, then placed the boxes on the counter.
“Two pies?” Rafi took down plates.
“I’m not that hungry.” The phone rang. “Help yourself. I gotta get this.”
It was Ritter. And he told Cash everything Cash needed to know.
