“How’s your break going so far? Are you wishing you hadn’t taken the summer off?”
Jack shakes his head. “I needed this. I’m not saying being a professor is the most difficult work in the world, but it’s not easy at times either.”
“What have you been doing to stay busy?” Rex asks.
“Not much yet. Mostly relaxing and spending as much time with Marshall and Maddie as I can.”
Jack has sole custody of his kids and dotes on them. When he and his wife split up, she went off the rails, regressing back to her single, no-responsibility ways. The kids still see her for an occasional dinner, but they don’t stay with her now that they’re both over eighteen.
“Are you all coming to the cabin for the Fourth of July?” Rex directs his question to all of us.
I nod. “I’ll be there. I can’t wait to breathe in that clean mountain air.”
“I’m coming too,” Larsen says before taking a deep pull from his beer bottle.
I tip my chin toward Jack. “What about you?”
“I’m not sure. I haven’t decided yet.”
“What’s keeping you here?” Larsen asks.
“The kids. I don’t really want to leave the house in their hands and go to New Hampshire. They’ll throw a party, for sure.”
“Do your best to come with us. You could use the time away,” Rex tells him.
“I’ll see what I can do.”
I glance around at my brothers. “So, why isn’t anyone asking the important question?”
“What would that be?” Jack asks.
“How’s it going with Danika, bro?”
Rex scowls. “That’s your question? Everything’s great.”
“So, you’re hitting it on the regular now?” I prod.
“Fuck off.” Is his only reply.
“Shouldn’t you be in a better mood if you’re getting laid?” I tease, and he holds his middle finger up.
“Are you guys serious?” Larsen raises an eyebrow questioningly. “You really like this one?”
Rex nods. “I’ve never felt this way about anyone. And if you make some jackass comment right now, I’m gonna kick your ass.” He smirks and takes a sip of his beer.
“I’m happy for you, bro,” Jack says. “You deserve it.”
“That’s nice of you to say. I’ve never been so happy to get a parking ticket as I was the day I met Danika.”
“Now you know someone who can fix them for you. Hey, that’s why you’re dating her,” Larsen jokes.
“Yeah, it has nothing to do with the fact that she’s beautiful and puts up with him.” I shake my head.
“Puts up with me?” Rex pats his own chest. “I’m a fucking joy to be around.”
I tip the rim of my beer bottle his way. “Okay, if that’s the case, who’s the grouchy ass I work with every day?”
Rex shrugs. “I can only take so much of your company.”
I grin. “How did I know this would somehow be my fault?” I raise the bottle of beer to my lips, swallowing down the ice-cold liquid. “Not to mention, I’m the easiest going person you know.”
“Yeah, Rex, you can’t blame Adam for your short fuse. Everything pisses you off,” Larsen chimes in. “You’ve always been that way.”
“Who asked you, baby bro?” Rex growls. “Besides, I’m a changed man.”
“So you say, Rex. I guess we’ll see how long it lasts,” Larsen challenges.
“Old me would’ve punched you by now, but instead I’ll say fuck off.” Rex stares at Larsen. “Fuck off.”
“Danika must have a top shelf pussy, that’s all I can say,” Larsen continues, as if Rex never spoke. “She got you whipped in record time.”
A muscle flexes in Rex’s cheek, and I wait for him to explode. Dragging a deep breath into his lungs before exhaling slowly, he seems to be working on calming down.
“Play nice, boys.” In typical oldest brother fashion, Jack steps in.
I grin as I take in my siblings. Just an average night with the Winters brothers.
Is there anything better?
3
Roxanne
“The other bathing suit looks better,” I state.
“But it barely covered my ass cheeks,” Violet argues.
I throw my hands up in frustration. “How is that a bad thing? You have the ass of a twenty-year-old.”
Violet plucks at the straps on the suit and turns sideways, checking out her profile. She grimaces. “And the boobs of a middle schooler.”
“There are plenty of guys out there who’d take a juicy ass over tits any day.”
“If you meet one, send him my way. Actually, forget that, because no guy would pass up the opportunity of being with you in the first place.”
“Cut it out, Vi. You’re beautiful inside and out,” I say. And she really is. She’s a friend who’d volunteer to help me with any troubling situation and ask questions later.
Violet stands with her hands perched on her hips. “If I didn’t love you so much, I could really hate you for how gorgeous you are. You’ve got beauty and brains.”
“So do you,” I shoot back.
“Roxanne Baker, you’ve got tits and ass,” she retorts, arching her brow knowingly.
“Go get dressed. I’m starving,” I change the subject.
Vi smirks and whirls around, closing herself inside the dressing room.
I scoop up the two bathing suits that fit my curves best and call out to Vi, “Which suit are you buying?”
“None.”
“Give them to me and I’ll hang them back on the rack.” I slip my hand inside the opening at the top of the door. She passes the hangers with the suits over. “I’m gonna check out. Meet me at the register.”
“Okay,” Vi replies, but I’m already on my way to the front of the store. I hook the rejected swimwear back on the rack as I pass by. Fortunately, there’s no line, so I place my items on the counter, including two bikinis for Vi. She’ll never splurge on something for herself, and they looked fantastic on her, even though she can’t seem to see it herself.
Everything is bagged and paid for when Violet joins me. “Where do you want to eat?” she asks as we step outside of the small boutique shop.
A steady flow of slow moving cars passes by as we pause on the sidewalk. Newbury Street is busy this time of day. The air feels dense with the high humidity level and I’m tempted to run back inside the air conditioned shop we just left.
“There’s that cafe we like.” I point in the other direction. “About a block up from here.”
“Let’s do it,” she agrees as we merge with the other pedestrians.
We both remain silent until we’re seated inside.
“Holy hell, this air conditioning feels amazing. It’s hotter than sweaty balls out there.” I fan my face with my hand.
Vi’s lip curls. “Eww, couldn’t you come up with a less offensive image?”
“That would defeat the purpose.”