Page 129 of Nothing to Fear

Now Roxie wasn’t so gleeful. “Because Ackley thinks my guy is a murderer.” Okay and now… her mouth stayed a little open and she just breathed. What the…? A murderer. “He’snot, by the way, and it upsets me when people think, or imply, otherwise.”

Yeah, ‘cause would Roxie be with him if he was capable of… Eyes still on Roxie, her hand found the glass and she raised it to her lips as she folded her own legs onto the couch at her side.

“Is that why you can’t be in LA?” she asked.

“I can be in LA. I’m in LA all the time.”

“Alice said you had someone working for Huddle Hope in California. Isn’t that because you can’t be there?”

“Roux’s in California. She’s the juggernaut behind Huddle Hope, it’s completely her baby, she deals with operations and executive decisions. I work more in recruitment and motivation.”

“It’s an amazing concept.”

“We have people all over. I’ll try to get everyone together somewhere soon. I know there’s video calls, but it’s not the same. That from someone who spends long stretches of time celibate because her guy thinks it’s okay to run his business in other countries.” The irritation was fake, Roxie’s smile soon betrayed that. “We’re becoming kind of a crowd. We have no assholes, not on the female side of the equation, I can’t vouch for all the men. You’ll get along with everyone.”

“Oh, I—I can’t be a part of… anything.”

“Why not?”

The question seemed sincere.

“Ah, well, because I… I don’t know what you know, I guess you know something… But I’m no longer affiliated with the Breckenridges.”

Didn’t that sound sterile.

“Uh huh.” Roxie was completely understanding yet blank in genuine confusion. “What does that have to do with anything?You think we were hiring you because you were boning the Breckenridge boy?”

“Oh, I wa—”

“Alice trusts you, so I trust you. And you haven’t done anything to change my opinion on that. I’ve heard about the work you do, from various sources. You have passion and determination; qualities that can’t be taught. We need someone who wants to help people. Someone with compassion, understanding—”

“Roxie, I haven’t talked to Alice…”

“Since you and Darroch broke up?”

“We didn’t—we were never—”

“Yes, you were,” Roxie said, finding her smile again. “Maybe I should finish what I was saying when I came in.”

“Finish?”

“Tripp Breckenridge is the catch-all brother. If anyone messes up, embarrasses themselves, does anything horrendous, they go to him. Tripp has never judged anyone in his life. Anyone can say anything to him, he’s never been repulsed or ashamed of anyone. He’s their priest, you know? He’s everyone’s priest, not just his brothers’.”

“Darroch talked to him?”

“I don’t know, I guess so.”

“Guess?”

“Tripp wasn’t explicit, he just hinted it might not be a bad idea to check in with you. That there may be waves in need of calming.” Wasn’t like he could do it himself. His brother would have his loyalty, as he should. “So this is me… calming.” Her lips quirked higher. “Not something I’m famed for.”

“I didn’t spend much time with Tripp.”

“You don’t have to spend a lot of time with him for him to care about you. Actually, I’m not sure he has to spend time with anyone to care about them. He and I met in the Ruby Room,Crimson, right here in New York. He’s our playboy-in-residence, ‘cept the funny thing about him is…” Roxie touched the surface of her drink with a fingertip. “In his frivolity, there’s ferocity. Tripp doesn’t go home with the hottest girl in the room to show off to his buddies. He always has his reasons. Just like he had his reasons for sending me here.” She paused, giving that a second to filter in. “You and Darroch were together?”

She couldn’t talk to any of her friends. Roxie might not be a neutral party, but she was there… with wine.

She gulped the rest of the glass, then let the glass sag to her thigh. “We flirted, messed around, we were… something. I thought we were something.”

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