Page 13 of Brooke's Bliss
She’d wanted to avoid her brothers knowing she was spendingher first night home at a bar they would consider disreputable.Even though sheknew when they were younger they’d spent plenty of time at Hell on Wheels.
“Bobby, you know my name is Brooke.”She knew her brothersmade fun of this service the twin genius menaces of Bliss were providing, butshe kind of liked it.They’d tricked out the sucker.Oh, on the outside therewere a couple of dents, and the bumper was obviously from another car, butinside they’d put some lumbar pillows and installed LED lights.There was atray with bottles of water and snack cakes straight from The Trading Post.Noone in NYC would ever think to stock up on snack cakes.
They were delicious.
“I am keeping a professional distance, madam customer,”Bobby said as he turned onto the highway that would lead them up to Hell onWheels.
She sighed.She knew how to get the kid to talk.“I alreadytipped you on the app.”
Yeah, they had their own app, and she was certain they’dprogrammed it themselves.The Farley brothers were known for twothings—shenanigans and their ridiculously high IQs.
He took off the cap he was wearing.Flat cap.Also known asa newsboy.This one was oddly elegant, done in herringbone.He wore slacks anda button-down, but she’d noticed he hadn’t traded his sneakers for loafers.“Cool, because I have so many questions.”
“No.”She was the one who had tipped.“I have questions.It’s been six months since I got some real gossip because my sister-in-law issurprisingly not as forthcoming as one would think, and Callie’s been busy.Iheard Sawyer is living with someone now.Twosomeones.”
He nodded, their eyes meeting in the rearview mirror.“Yeah,and she’s the coolest teacher in the world.Ms.Sabrina Leal.And Wyatt’s cool,too.I think he likes it here.Especially since the kids stopped kicking him inthe shins after he asked Ms.Leal to marry him.Sawyer did, too.Wyatt’srunning the business part of the bar now.I got a lot of advice from him on howto keep the books for our business, and I helped him with the math on histaxes.He said he thought we were clever to see a need in the community andfill it.Though I guess there wasn’t much need since you’re the first ridewe’ve had in a week.Turns out most tourists rent cars.”
Of course they did since the nearest major airport was threehours away.“I met her at the Christmas party.So you like her?I know Sawyerseems difficult, but he’s a nice guy down deep.”
Bobby got serious.As serious as Bobby ever got.“Hecouldn’t possibly do better than Ms.Leal.She’s…she’s the best.Will and Ithought we would have to skip college, but Ms.Leal helped us get all the rightpaperwork and she found teachers online to help us with the advancedmathematics and science we need to get into a good program.”
She’d always thought those boys belonged in the Ivies.“Tellme you’re going to MIT.”
A grin flashed.“I think we’ll do our doctorates there, butwe’re starting at Yale.I still can’t believe we got into Yale.I’ve never beeneast of Kansas.”
Oh, if she hadn’t had a good impression of Sabrina Lealbefore, she had one now.“I’m happy for you, Bobby.You will love it, and thebest part is how nice it feels to come home.”
She picked up another snack cake.See, she never got sugarback in New York.Everyone was on a diet, so she thought she should be on one.Which sucked because it wasn’t like she was the model.
“Do you like to come home?”Bobby asked.
“I do.I love seeing my brothers and Rachel and the kids.”
“They have a lot of kids.”
She nodded.“I think this is the last, though.Both of mybrothers got the snip.”
Though she was worried about them.They’d seemeddisconnected tonight at dinner.Like they were going through the motions.They’d passed the kids around and everyone had done their part, but there hadbeen a fundamental lack of the sexual chemistry that had always defined them.Even Max had seemed physically disconnected.
Of course Rachel had been pregnant four of the last sevenyears, so there was that.
“I know.Max told everyone horror stories about it.Do youreally think Doc did it without any pain killers?Max said it was like a loosetooth.Doc wrapped a string around his balls and tied them to the door and thenslammed it shut.I don’t think it’s supposed to work that way.I think that’s acastration.Does he still actually have balls?Or is it smooth down there?”
She rolled her eyes and vowed to get that rumor out there.Her brother more than deserved to be thought of as Bliss’s Ken doll.“Doc Burkeis a professional, and we’re lucky to have him.I assure you he used all of thelatest techniques.”
Bobby was quiet for a moment, and she noted that there was apackage marked beet treats.So Mel had weighed in on the new business.He’dprobably advised the kids to test any unknown traveler.“I would have come upto the house, you know.I’m a real good driver.I’ve been driving my dad’struck since I was fourteen, and mostly Sheriff turned the other way.I’m surehe breathed a sigh of relief when we got our driver’s licenses.Did you notwant them to know you left?Is this what they would call a clandestinemeeting?”
“No.”She wasn’t sure why she hadn’t asked her brothers fora ride.Or to borrow the car.They would have been happy to let her drive theextra SUV they kept in a garage, but she wanted to keep her options open.
Was she thinking about picking up a guy at the bar?
Had she been thinking about it from the moment she’d seenthose brothers standing there like two man cupcakes she wanted to swallowwhole?
It wouldn’t be the Kent brothers.It probably wouldn’t beanyone at all, and she definitely wouldn’t be taking him home with her sinceshe currently resided in a 300-square-foot tiny home not far from the big housewhere her family was likely getting ready for bed.
“Let’s just say I wanted some privacy.Not that I’m planninganything,” she replied.“I want to keep my options open, and if my brothersknow I’m out, they’ll wait up.By the way, can I schedule a ride back?”
“Uh, I have a curfew.”
