Not at all, but my baby brother needed an ego boost more than anyone. “Completely. I was worried for a second there.”
“You were?” The corner of his mouth tipped up in a smirk, and he stood a little taller, rolling back his shoulders. “See? Those guys didn’t think I could do it, but I told them I could.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Well, they wanted to interrogate Lizzy—you know, now that she’s so close to the due date. They have it in their mind that it must be JR.”
“Why would she keep JR around if he was with another woman and the baby daddy? I mean, he bartends for her!”
“I know that, but he was so protective of her when he first came to town. They’re convinced he must be the daddy.”
“It’s not him,” I sighed.
“Well, that’s what I figured, but I thought maybe you could pretend you’re grilling her for answers. And then I can report back to them that I demanded you find the answers, but Lizzy held firm and refused to give anything away. Then they might back off.”
“And you come out on top.”
He shrugged. “Well, at least they’d stop calling me a sissy.”
“You’re not a kid, Jeff.”
“Hey, sticks and stones and all that.”
I looked at my pathetic brother, who wasn’t pathetic at all, and sighed. There was no way I’d say no to him, which was why he always came to me for favors.
“Fine, I’ll do it, but you have to wash all the floors and remake the bed.”
He saluted me with a grin. “On it.”
But I wasn’t done yet. I was exhausted and wanted to leave. “And you have to take over the last cabin of the day.”
Groaning, he rolled his head back. “What?”
“I feel like shit and I want to go to bed. This is my price.”
“Fine,” he moaned.
“I’ll get started on it tomorrow.”
“Thanks,” he muttered as I shoved the supplies into his hands. “I don’t have to get down on my hands and knees, do I?”
Peeking at him around the doorframe, I sent him a wicked grin. “All the best things in life happen on your knees.”
“You’re sick!” he shouted after me. “You can’t say shit like that to me!”
7
ROB
Branches scratchedthe fuck out of my face as I pushed through the forest. Every step made my head pound a little harder, and despite the disgusting state of the diner, I was wishing now that I had at least ordered some food.
No matter how poisoned it might have been.
Tripping over a branch, I nearly took a header right into a pile of crap so large, it could only be left by a bear.
“Fucking great,” I muttered as I pushed myself off the forest floor.
Brushing the dirt off my clothes, I stumbled along the uneven ground, fighting the dizziness washing over me. Fuck, I really needed some water and food.