by Bijou Hunter
“Woof,” MJ texts back almost immediately as if she was breathlessly waiting for my opinion.
“Compared to the Roches, he’s fucking model material.”
“Compared to the Roaches, everyone is.”
Grinning, I take a picture of the boy smiling in his mother’s arms. After I send it to MJ, she replies with a picture of what I think are her toes or maybe someone’s butt crack.
“Do you play pool?” Nick asks suddenly next to me.
“I have played. I’m not any good.”
“Neither am I. Let’s go downstairs and see who’s worse.”
Considering I feel out of place with all the arriving people, I’m relieved to get the offer from Nick. Hart, Haydee, and Frenchie follow us down to the basement where a pool table rests on one side.
“Ooh,” Haydee says when she spots a play area likely set up for Bailey and Nick’s only grandchild—aka Woof upstairs.
“Have at it. Denny will be down in a little bit to play too.”
Hart and Haydee don’t even ask me for permission. They’re hardcore into Nick, having sensed something approachable in him that I also notice. He’s got the right kind of calm. While none of his sons were aggressive toward me, Nick chills in the right way for a mellow man like me.
“I thought I’d warn you that Bailey’s got a sales pitch for Lily,” Nick says, setting up the balls. “She and Sawyer keep luring more Johanssons to Conroe to help put a shine on this turd of a town.”
“What would Lily do here?”
“I don’t know exactly. Bailey and Sawyer bought half of Conroe when it was barely functioning. Everything was so cheap, and they have big plans. Now they have the factory opening, and people moving into the area. They were thrilled until they realized how much work is involved.”
“Lily doesn’t want to work in the family business.”
“There's plenty of legal stuff to do in Conroe if that’s her problem.”
“Like what?”
“There are dozens of houses that need remodeling. We have plenty of muscle around here, but few brains to organize everything. Bailey and Sawyer are overwhelmed. They don’t want to admit to Cooper how they bit off far fucking more than they could chew.”
I think of Lily’s boredom at the pharmacy. Helping her aunts might be fun, but she doesn’t seem interested in working for the Johansson empire. If Cooper couldn’t change her mind, I can’t imagine Bailey and Sawyer will have any more luck.
THE PRINCESS
Once she gets me alone, Aunt Bailey shows off her remodeled kitchen. Bubba redid the floors while Butch put in a new backsplash. She wanted a little more feminine flair in a house reeking of masculinity. I recall how proud she was when they moved into the manly cabin. How many years ago was that? I realize life’s been a blur since I choked in college.
Bailey keeps me busy in the kitchen long after I’m ready to return to Dash. I know she’s up to something because she waves off Buzz and his wife, Panni. When I glance into the living room to find Dash gone, Butch says my man went downstairs.
“Dad took him and the kids to play pool.”
“I like pool,” I lie, wanting away from Bailey’s hyper mood.
My aunt hugs me to her. “No, not yet. We’ve barely spoken.”
I look out to the living room, searching for a reason to escape. Sissy stands near the front door, unsure what to do with herself. Bubba returns from upstairs to say our bags are put away.
Sissy nods, having lost her voice. I know my cousins are handsome, but she speaks casually to Colton on a regular basis, and I’ve seen her carry on a conversation with River Rogers who was the hottest boy in school. Today, she’s mute, but maybe it’s the one-two punch of Bubba and Butch both engaging her. If two Coltons chatted with her, would she also lose the ability to follow the conversation?
Before I can come to her aid, Aunt Sawyer explodes into the house. She brings her husband, Jace, my cousin, Kiki, and Gram. Before I can use my grandmother as an excuse to get away, Sawyer hurries into the kitchen and grabs at her sister.
“Did you start without me?” Sawyer asks Bailey.
“I said I wouldn’t.”
“You say a lot of things.”
My aunts are more than ten years apart in age, but they share a tendency toward wonderful mouthiness. It’s why Pop worries they’d bully me. After the last month I’ve had, nothing these prima donnas conjure up will intimidate me.
Leaning against the counter, I rub my belly. “I’m getting tired, so can you two get to whatever your big deal is?”
“We need help,” Sawyer announces. “We’re so seriously fucked.”
Bailey bumps her hip into her sister’s. “That’s not how I wanted to start.”
“Help with the Victorian?” I ask, trying to keep them focused despite Gram distracting everyone with her belly dancing routine.
“We have big plans,” Sawyer explains, frowning at the realization that her mom might be in better shape than she is. “We bought up super cheap properties, and we thought we could get them ready for when people moved into town.”
Bailey picks up the slack when her sister takes a breath. “We have too many properties to oversee. Our crews are fucking up on site because there are no managers around to keep them in line.”
“What does this have to do with me?”
“We want you to move here and help,” Sawyer says and then adds with a dismissive frown. “Pharmacy tech, Lily? Really? That’s the life path of average people, and you’re a Johansson. Think bigger.”
“Conroe isn’t big, though,” I say, cocking an eyebrow.
Bailey gestures for me to follow her down the hall. I think to bail since their panic is making my stomach hurt. Sawyer boxes me in, gently nudging me toward Bailey’s home office. Inside, the sisters reveal a map of Conroe covered in tiny colored flags.
“The green flags are properties currently making us money,” Bailey explains. “The red ones are in trouble. The blue we’re in the process of remodeling. The black ones are just big question marks.”
I study the board, surprised by the number of flags. “Why did you buy so many?”
“They were so cheap,” Sawyer says, falling into a chair. “It was like shopping the discount racks, and we couldn’t stop grabbing the great deals. And, that’s the thing, they were good buys especially with the factory opening soon. But we’re wasting money on redoing projects because our crews aren’t supervised enough. We have legit businesses to run and the club’s illegal stuff.”
“We can’t trust anyone in Conroe,” Bailey adds. “The club we absorbed into the Reapers was like seven guys and two of them are ancient. They’re all muscle, no brains. My boys are good with the physical stuff, and Bubba is doing solid as the chapter president. That stuff’s fine, but we’re overwhelmed with all the projects.”
“Scarlet runs both a restaurant and the bar,” Sawyer says. “Phoebe and Leo run another few places.”
“What about Maddy and Jack?” I ask, thinking about Tucker’s recent problems.
“She’s started a daycare here,” Bailey explains. “Jack works construction with my boys.”
Sawyer sighs. “We need management people we can trust.”
Settling into a chair, I feel bloated. Nauseous too, but I think that part is just excitement. “What would I do here?”
“Be a project manager.”
“Which means?”
“You run a few properties, getting them ready for sale or rental. Your pregnancy won’t be a problem either. Phoebe is about to pop soon, and she’s able to do a lot of the paperwork anywhere. You can too. You’re supervising, not getting dirty. Even after your boy is born, you can bring him with you.”
One sticking point for me with the pharmacy was going back to work after I gave birth. I knew it’d kill me to leave my baby, but I didn’t want to blow off my job and live off the Johansson name. Pop really doesn’t need me to work for the family business. It’s been a well-oiled machine for yea
rs. In Conroe, though, I’d actually work for my keep.
“Does Pop know you want me to move here?”
“No, and he will tell you not to, but that’s because he wants all of his kids to live with him forever,” Bailey says.
Sawyer nods. “Why do you think he creamed his panties when MJ asked to live next door?”
Nodding, I recall the reason for my visit. “So one of these projects I’d oversee is the Victorian?”
“That,” Bailey says, breaking into a wide smile, “you can have as a signing bonus.”
“But it’s not just me that’d move here. Dash and Sissy go where I go.”
“The more, the merrier,” Bailey says.
Hardening my gaze, I don’t buy their inviting tone. “They’re Mullens, and you’re Johanssons.”
“Yes, Johanssons shouldn’t fail,” Bailey says, taking my hands dramatically. “We’re spiraling here, Lily. Bring your man and your friend and anyone else you want. We just need help to get this place running before someone else comes in and starts trying to muscle us out.”
“Like who?”
“No one,” Sawyer says, now standing in front of the board. “Bailey is just paranoid.”
Waving off her sister’s comment, Bailey whispers, “This town has money-making potential. Who knows what kind of assholes might think they can take Conroe from us?”
My mind races with possibilities before quickly realizing all the roadblocks. I don’t know anything about remodeling houses or running a project. Dash also said Topher won’t let Sissy take her kids out of Ellsberg. Goodness gracious, I don’t even know if my love and best friend have any interest in moving to Conroe. In fact, I’m unsure if I only want to start over here in a desperate need to protect Sissy and the kiddos.
My aunts might realize they’re stressing me out because they back off enough to allow me to leave the office and go looking for Dash. I hope his arms will calm my racing mind long enough for me to figure out if I’m getting psyched over a pipedream.
THE LOSER
Nick warns me the house is about to explode with noise, and I assume it’ll be similar to the Johansson house with Lily’s immediate family. Nope. Not even close.
First, the youngest Davies son arrives downstairs with his son, Denny, who is very fond of screaming in joy. Haydee isn’t feeling the toddler, but Hart is happy to add a boy to the mix.
Then, Scarlet Johansson and Phoebe Barnes arrive with their three daughters who gang up on Haydee and force her to be their new best friend.
“You belong to us now,” one of them says, and I frown at Nick.
“The local kids weren’t very welcoming, so those three created a gang of best friends,” Nick explains before squatting down next to the playhouse where the girls sit. “Cady, I want you to be nice to Haydee,” he says, addressing Scarlet’s older daughter.
“We are nice,” Yancy answers rather than her older sister. Then the sisters say in unison, “We love her.”
Back in Ellsberg, nobody wanted their kids playing with Mullens, so Haydee doesn’t have any after-school pals. Now she’s part of a gang of mini divas. I can’t tell if she’s scored the lottery or is screwed.
“Hey, Dash,” a very pregnant Phoebe says while waddling over to me. “How’s the back?”
I reach around to feel the healed wound. “Doesn’t hurt me unless I move.”
Phoebe smiles before resting in a chair. “Leo said you were trying to track him down to get a new tat.”
“Is he working in Conroe full-time now?”
“No. Dad still has him driving into Ellsberg when we’re busy.”
Twins Phoebe and Leo Barnes followed in their father’s footsteps and became tattoo artists. I heard they left Ellsberg but never put two-and-two together to figure out their destination.
“I need to get into the shop, so your brother can tat me a baby bear to go with my mama one,” I say as Phoebe rubs her giant belly. “When are your baby bears due?”
“Five minutes from now,” she says without missing a beat. “Two boys. Can you believe that?”
The Ellsberg gossip mill claims the father of Phoebe’s first baby came in a tank delivered in the mail. I don’t know about that, but Lily said Phoebe and Scarlet share a farmhouse.
“They’ve gone ‘Fried Green Tomatoes’ if you catch my hint,” Lily said one night and then winked very dramatically because she’s a little bit of a dork.
Having never seen the movie, I had no fucking idea what she was talking about, but I’m not an idiot. Phoebe was loud and proud in high school. She dates women, and Scarlet is one. Not that complicated. Though I’m not a hundred percent sure until Phoebe says she and Scarlet have settled on names. Yep, there’s the bingo.
Phoebe rubs her stomach proudly. “Lemmy and Bowie.”
“Rocker names,” I say, having heard Leo and Phoebe’s band play a few times at dives around Ellsberg. “Goes with Janis too.”
Phoebe points at me, nodding with approval how I caught onto her baby-naming trend. She’s a cool chick, and I like her brother too. They were the only people I ever considered telling about Lily and me. I figured they wouldn’t make a stink, though I chickened out because their dad and Lily’s dad are besties. No way does the info reach Aaron without him immediately dialing up his giant buddy.
“So the aunties are working their magic, I hear,” Scarlet says and sits on the arm of Phoebe’s chair. “They even hit up MJ about moving here.”
“How did that go?”
“MJ just kept saying she didn’t understand until they got the point.”
Grinning, I consider texting Lily’s sister to see if she’d understand if I asked, but I have a feeling she’d send me another picture of an ass crack.
“If you do decide to move here, just know the locals are old as fuck,” Scarlet says. “There also isn’t much to do currently unless you’re a big outdoorsman.”
Shrugging, I can’t imagine wanting to camp or hike or whatever outdoorsy shit people do around here. “Well, everyone knows Mullens love fresh air.”
“See, that Mullen thing doesn’t mean shit here. Sure, Johansson is code for psycho bitch because Sawyer and Bailey scare the hell out of the locals. Those grumpy old-timers will need to get used to newcomers with the factory opening.”
“Do people give you shit about this?” I ask, gesturing between the two. When they give me matching frowns, I narrow my gaze. “Don’t make me draw a picture in front of the children.”
“I’d very much like to fucking see that,” Phoebe says, laughing so hard I think one of her kids might bail her womb.
“To answer your question,” Scarlet says while her woman continues snickering, “I don’t really know what people think because it’s a quiet town with grumpy old people who barely talk to their childhood friends let alone strangers like us.”
“Sounds good, but Lily said she didn’t want to work for the family.”
Scarlet playfully rustles Phoebe’s shaggy brown hair. “And I said I didn’t want to run a bar like I did in Ellsberg and work around stinky bikers, but here I am the manager of Morty’s Pub.”
“Who’s Morty?”
“Who the fuck knows?” Scarlet says, grinning as her gaze searches the chaos for her two squawking daughters. “That was the name of the shithole when we arrived, and I wasn’t going to change it.”
“Well, you’ve painted a mighty fine picture here, but it’s all in Lily’s court.”
“Nothing to keep you in Ellsberg?”
“Where Lily goes, I go,” I say and add, “And Sissy goes, and those two go. We’re a little unit following around our leader Lily.”
“Speaking of the general, here she comes.”
Lily stands at the bottom of the stairs, overwhelmed by the number of children between her and me. I wave from my spot at the pool table where Nick and Buzz consider starting another game.
“I didn’t lose badly enough that last time,” Nick jokes.
“I’ll have to lose t
o you later. Lily beckons and I’m her bitch, so you know how it goes.”
Nick and Buzz—who may very well be his woman’s bitch too—laugh at my comment. I tell them and the ladies I’ll chat later and then hurry over to Lily who takes my hands and tugs me upstairs.
“We need to talk.”
“I heard you’ve been offered the world to save your aunts’ asses.”
“Not here with so many ears. Let’s find Sissy since this involves her too.”
Once Lily and I reach the top of the stairs, Sissy attaches herself to us. We end up in a muggy room complete with an indoor pool and hot tub.
“Fancy,” I tell Lily who pretends as if she isn’t impressed.
“I prefer my pools outside as God intended.”
“Wait, does your pop not want to swim during the winter months?”
Lily narrows her gaze, trying to go full Johansson on me, but she’s too excited to get wound up on my teasing comment.
“I’m overwhelmed,” she says and sits on a bench.
“Nick told me about your aunts’ sales pitch. What are you thinking?”
I sit next to Lily while Sissy stands confused a few feet away. We both look at my sister who shakes her head.
“I don’t know,” she just babbles.
“Were Bubba and Butch giving you trouble?” Lily asks and pats next to her for Sissy to join us. “They’re very competitive.”
“I don’t remember them... They seem hotter now.”
“Finishing puberty will do that,” I tell Sissy who exhales deeply.
“I don’t know. They were talking too much, and I got confused about who I was supposed to listen to.”
“Ignore them. Men are always confusing you,” I say and then add, “Let’s talk about moving to Conroe.”
“Why here?” Sissy asks.
Lily frowns instantly. “Don’t you like it?”
“I didn’t pay attention when we drove in, and I only know this house.”
Sighing with relief, Lily shrugs. “It’s not much of a town, but it’s not Ellsberg where everyone knows us.”
“What would they want you to do here?” I ask.
