“You can go out the back and leave your car. Get a cab. I’ll call you in the morning. I’ll tell them you’re sick.”
“I’m starting to worry you’re sick,” Hugo whispered as he turned, like a good soldier, and faced the brothers.
“Holy shit, he actually came.” Brian cackled loudly as he eyed Hugo and then quickly bumped passed him. Ben and Nicky exchanged devilish little grins as they realized there would be some fun tonight after all.
“Where’s Tommy?” Junie asked, a fog of worry creeping in the edges of her mind. Life had felt so fragile lately. Nothing seemed fair or safe. She always felt better when they were all together, when she had eyes on all of them at once. It wasn’t often, but she had hoped for that tonight.
Brian grabbed a few beers from the fridge and handed them just to his brothers. “He said Mary wasn’t doing so good and he was going to stay home. But send them some leftovers.”
“I will.” Junie stirred the stew and drank in the familiar smell. This was her mother’s recipe and though she never got it exactly right, it was close enough to reminisce over. “Dinner will be ready in a few minutes. You guys go clean up. You stink like a hospital.”
Nicky leaned his back against the counter and crossed his arms, keeping his beer up close to his lips. “You really flew her up on here on a jet?”
“It’s a company jet. I don’t own it. I didn’t pilot it either.” Hugo was damn good under pressure. Or at least he held a solid poker face. Maybe inside he was freaking out.
“What do you do exactly?” Ben the shortest of the brothers and therefore usually the loudest with the most to prove, edged into the kitchen and lifted the lid off the stew. An inspection to go with this interrogation.
“I usually do some consulting. I just took a job at West Oil. I’m reporting directly to the CEO and managing part of their public relations and other various projects that come up.”
Junie reached in the fridge and grabbed Hugo a beer, waiting to pounce if one of these jerks had anything to say about it. Luckily, they were far too deep into their line of questioning to notice.
“Then how the hell can you help Junie?” Ben had placed the cover back on the stew, apparently satisfied, not that Junie gave a damn. He could order a pizza if he didn’t like it.
“Yeah,” Brian took a long swig, nearly half the bottle down in a sip, and then wiped his mouth. “Public relations, that’s some bullshit role. And you’re new there. I wouldn’t believe anything he has to say, Junie. He’s probably a no one there.”
“I don’t think they let people use the jet if they’re a ‘no one’.” Hugo was bordering on arrogance, one of the seven deadly sins of trying to date the sister of Irish men.
She thought about warning him but it would be no use. He was out in the ocean alone now. It would be up to him to avoid the sharks and the storms.
Nicky laughed, choking on his beer. “Then if you are so important there, what’s the deal with Junie and helping her?”
“She’s brilliant and she has a solid idea that could really get some legs. All I’m going to get her is some face time with the CEO. It’s an opportunity, and she’ll be ready to capitalize on it.”
“Because you know her so well.” Nicky turned his chin up and scoffed. “I’m not buying this.”
“It’s not like Junie is some kind of mystery.” Hugo puffed out his chest and Junie knew he likely would have said enigma or paradox, but he knew his audience here would see that as pretentious. But he was wading out into dangerous territory now. “She cares about three things.”
Brian, looking completely insulted by the presumptions, slammed his beer down on the cluttered countertop. “Oh please tell us what our sister cares about. Like we don’t already know. This guy is a piece of work.”
“Junie cares about her family and her future.”
“You said three things.” Nicky looked thoroughly unimpressed, but Junie knew her brothers enough to see they were at least intrigued. “That was only two.”
“I don’t know the third one yet. There is something else in there. Something special. That’s what I’m waiting around to see.” Hugo looked at Junie as if she was the only one in the room. As if he wasn’t on the verge of being physically tossed to the curb.
Nicky chuckled and slapped Ben’s shoulder. “Put your boots on boys, the bullshit is going to get high in here.”
“Hey, there is one thing I know about her that you guys don’t seem to. She’s not going to fall for some guy’s lines and get herself mixed up in something that’s no good for her. She’s not an idiot and she’s not weak. If you want to be worried about someone, worry about me. She’s threatened my life multiple times. She looked pretty damn serious.”
A glimmer of pride flashed in the eyes of all of her brothers. They knew she was an adult. A smart, capable woman. But admitting that was hard. It was essentially admitting the job they’d been training for their entire lives had become obsolete.
“Dinner’s ready.” Junie started vigorously slopping bowls full of stew and handing them out. Maybe if their mouths and hands were full Hugo would last a little longer.
“We don’t have a table.” Ben stated this as though he was sure Hugo had never had to stand around the kitchen or pull up a TV tray in his life.
“When food is this good who wants to sit?” Hugo gave Junie a quick wink, a little gesture between the two of them.
“What is this guy, a politician?” Ben scoffed as Junie slammed a bowl into his hands.
“Eat.” She grabbed a bowl for herself and went from having a ball of stress in her stomach to hunger pangs. The day had been a whirlwind and she was always good at turning off her own needs to deal with other people’s problems. There had to be a way to get through this meal. Something they could talk about that wouldn’t cause a problem. “How was Loch when you left?”
Nicky grabbed a second beer and again handed them out to everyone but Hugo. “He was sleeping. They were slow as hell getting him pain meds and you could see it was really starting to hurt. The bone doctor guy said he wouldn’t need any surgery. That’s good because that shit costs a fortune.”
Brian looked somber as he rested his bowl on the counter and spun the top off his beer. “He’s worried about work. They’re not going to keep him on at the bar. It’s not like they’ll hold a spot for him.”
Junie already knew that would be the case. This wasn’t corporate America. There were no employee protections in a small family-run business. How could they? Making a profit wasn’t easy, and having someone out of work meant lost money. “I’m going to talk to Tanya. She has a lot of turnover at her place. Once we have a timeline for his recovery we can try to see if she can hold a waiter position or something for him. I’ll go see her on Friday.”
Ben shook his head and looked at his brothers as if they had a secret they weren’t sharing with her. “We don’t know if Fancy Pants there has access to the jet or not, but if you need money for a ticket, we have enough. You need to get back to Texas. We’ll take care of Loch. He’ll be fine. You should go in the morning.”
Nicky cut in quickly, slamming a hand to Hugo’s chest. “But he is not sleeping over tonight. There’s no room for him and he’s not crashing in your room. Dad would roll over in his grave.”
“He doesn’t want to sleep here, trust me. Hugo is used to much nicer places than this dump.” She moved the spoon around what was left of her stew and felt her heart thudding. She’d always had pride in her family. In their lives. That was until she’d left the bubble they grew up in and realized how the world really worked.
“Where does Loch sleep?” Hugo asked as he walked casually to the stove and filled his bowl again. “I can crash there.”
Nicky was waiting impatiently for his turn at the ladle as he straightened Hugo out. “Sorry dude, this isn’t summer camp. We don’t just bunk up. Get yourself a hotel then get back to Texas and get my sister what she deserves.”
“He can crash on the couch,” Ben s
uggested, seeming to soften to Hugo. Shocking. “It’s already late. But dude, we know every creak in every board on the way to Junie’s room.”
“Wouldn’t even consider it.” Hugo never looked up from his bowl as he made his promise. “I don’t have the jet by the way. It was a one-way deal. But I’ll fly Junie back on my dime. I’m the one who needs her back there to make the pitch to James West; I should have to pay for it.”
They looked back and forth at each other, silently trying to decide if their pride was worth more to them than the money they’d have to scrape up to get Junie’s airfare sorted out. She knew the math of the family. It was all about scraping by. That meant they’d have to fall short on something, or more than one thing, just to get her back to Texas.
“Thank you,” Junie rushed out, before any of those idiots could turn him down. “Are you guys sure you can take care of all this stuff without me? What about when Loch is on crutches? He’s not going to be able to get upstairs. And the car. The insurance. You’ll have to make sure all of that is sorted out.”
“We’ve got it.” Brian waved her off as though she was being dramatic. And that was the problem. No one she’d ever met could procrastinate themselves into trouble the way her brothers could. “Maybe we’ll even make big money off the accident.”
“Not likely,” Nicky reported with a sigh. “The guy who hit him wasn’t insured. His shitbox car wasn’t worth the dirt that was holding it together. We’ll be lucky if we can get our own car put back together.”
“But it’s fine.” Ben stressed the words and gave Nicky an annoyed look. “We’ve still got it all taken care of. Right?”
“Right,” they all called back in unison.
“We must be off our game. We haven’t even screwed with Hugo.” The fact that Nicky was using Hugo’s name was really saying something.
“Maybe next time,” Hugo said, plugging the sink and adding some soap. “I’m about to do the dishes if you guys want to think up some nicknames for that.”
“Hell no,” Nicky said, handing over his empty bowl. “As long as I don’t have to do them I don’t care who does.”
Ben dumped his bowl in the now half-full sink and eyed Hugo skeptically for a long moment. “You’re a strange rich guy. You sure he’s rich?”
“I haven’t seen a bank statement or anything,” Junie teased. “He doesn’t keep them on the jet.”
Brian thudded his bowl to the counter and closed in on Hugo who was diving into his chore. “You know how in movies the brother always pulls the guy aside and threatens him? It’s something along the lines of if you hurt her I’ll kill you.”
“I’m familiar with that,” Hugo admitted, clearly trying to stay focused on the dishes and not give in to the bait Brian was laying out.
“Well that’s a bunch of bullshit. They never mean it. We don’t bother saying we’ll kill you. I’m not catching a life sentence over your ass. It’s a lot of big talk. But here is what I will tell you.” He leaned over to a drawer and pulled out a handwritten list. “These are the guys who have crossed my family. The cheaters. The liars. The jerks that thought they could treat Junie like garbage. Their phone numbers are on there. You call any of them and say the name O’Malley brothers and see what they say. We don’t make threats we can’t keep. So believe me when I tell you that no matter how rich you are, no matter how many private jets you can fly on, we’ll find you and hurt you. Ruin you. We mean it. You believe that?”
“I do.” Hugo nodded, clearing his throat. “You seem like a man of your word. All of you. I am too. I believe your threats. That’s not what will keep me from messing with your sister though. I wouldn’t do it anyway. I’m a better man than that.”
“Fine.” Brian slid his bowl into the sink, water splashing up on Hugo’s shirt. The slap to his back was way too hard to be construed as a friendly pat. But again, Hugo didn’t flinch. “I don’t want to have to hunt you down. So let’s hope you’re right.”
Brian and Nicky tossed their beer bottles into the recycling bin in the corner of the kitchen and disappeared from the room. They were already arguing about what was wrong with the Bruins last night and whose fault it was. Ben lingered an extra minute and Junie could sense something was up.
“Thanks for getting her up here so fast. I was worried she’d rent a car or something.”
“No problem,” Hugo replied casually as though this exchange was no big deal. But Junie knew it was.
“Doesn’t change anything Brian just told you. But I figured you should know we’re not complete dicks. So thanks.” Ben was out of the kitchen in a hurry, not wanting this display of gratitude to turn into anything bigger. Just like her brothers were the kings of procrastination, they were also royalty when it came to smashing down any emotions that weren’t related to a New England sports team.
When the kitchen was theirs again Junie sidled up to Hugo at the sink. “You don’t have to do the dishes. You’ve done more than enough tonight.”
“Dinner was delicious,” Hugo replied with a smile as he gestured over at the drying towel. She picked it up and started working next to him. They made a good team. An unconventional one. Improbable even. But somehow, against all odds, this was working. In Junie’s life that only meant one thing.
* * *
Something was about to go terribly wrong.
Chapter 16
“You would need at least three hundred acres planted to get enough of the product to make an impact.” Hugo had his laptop out on the tray table and showed her what he’d been working on. “The good news is there is plenty of open land in the northern states that can support the crop. Cost for the acreage is next to nothing. The crop itself is prolific and sustainable. Cheap. Hardly impacted by the weather. It’s been diminished more by housing and infrastructure.”
“Yes.” Junie stared at him, looking thoroughly annoyed. “I literally put all of this in my initial presentation to you. Did you just need to hear it from a deeper voice?”
“I guess it’s just sinking in. You know how we men are.”
“I do.” She sipped her orange juice and tried to look relaxed. It wasn’t happening. Leaving her brothers that morning had been like losing a limb. “You’re all stubborn idiots.”
“He’s going to be all right. They seemed like they had everything under control.”
“They aren’t like you.” Junie stared out the window, the vast sky filled with far off clumps of clouds. “They screw up more than you could imagine. They mean well, but if they’re left unsupervised it gets messy. Quick.”
“They want you to succeed. Don’t take for granted what it’s like having people rooting for you.”
“No one roots for you?” She leaned in slightly, drawn to the pain, the company of it. “You must have friends. You said you worked for the Barringtons all that time.”
“You have a lot of friends?” Hugo didn’t mean this as a challenge but to make a point. “Or do you have your family? Everything you need in your little microcosm. The Barringtons are the same.”
“So you’re just floating through this life completely alone?” She raised a brow as though she knew this couldn’t be true. No one could make it out there in this jungle alone. Right?
“It’s partially by design.” He closed his laptop and slipped it into his bag, clipping the tray table up. “My father is surrounded by people. For as long as I can remember he always has been. Bodyguards. Assistants. Colleagues. Running mates. There is always someone around him, whispering in his ear, trying to move the peg a few more spots on the board. More power. More deals. More money. I can’t think of a single one of them who actually give a damn about him or what happens to him. He’s the face of their agenda. The moment I worked that out in my head was the moment I realized I would be solo. As much as possible anyway. Don’t get me wrong. My college roommate was cool. I’ve dated some great girls. But my inner circle, the voice in my ear, that’s only me.”
“Sick.” Junie leaned back on the seat and droppe
d her mouth open in astonishment. “That is so twisted. Your mom must have had friends. The way you talk about her there is no way she was isolated and weird like you.”
“She had friends,” Hugo chuckled, conceding the point. “But I’m not my mother. I’m grateful for any good I got from her. But I don’t measure up to a fraction of the person she was. For me, this lifestyle works.”
“Who do you call when you’re pissed off? Or you’re celebrating?” Junie shook her head as though this could not be believed. It wasn’t possible.
“I don’t really need a sounding board. I am really good at working out my shit on my own. I like to think I’m a pretty practical and reasonable guy.”
“But look at that nonsense you just left. You’re telling me you’re not going to call someone and tell them about that fiasco? The redhead. Her crazy brothers. Skipping out on your new job.” Junie had a hand on his forearm now as if that would act as a lie detector. But all it did was send a shock of desire through him. In this instance, more than ever, he realized how little they had in common. It wasn’t about the money or the family history. She grew up in noise and love and drama. Her life was full when chaos ensued. Hugo avoided it at all costs. She’d never understand his drive for peace, and he’d never be able to deal with her love of all things raucous.
“I’ll write about it in my diary.” He gave her a sideways look that was teasing but also had some finality to it. She seemed to grasp this and let his arm go. The cool air that filled the spot that had held her hand was suddenly frigid. Empty.
“So there are a couple things that my pitch still needs.” Damn, Junie was good. She could sense the shift in the air. The moment had passed. And rather than call it out, demand something he didn’t want to give, she gave him grace. She changed the subject to a topic where she knew he’d find refuge. Work.
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