Total pages in book: 145
Estimated words: 145231 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 726(@200wpm)___ 581(@250wpm)___ 484(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 145231 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 726(@200wpm)___ 581(@250wpm)___ 484(@300wpm)
“Is that the secret to married life?” I ask. “Tormenting your spouse?”
“Only if your partner’s worth tormenting,” she throws back.
“Noted. I’ll keep that in mind,” I lie, knowing full well I’ll be dead before I ever put a ring on any chick.
She slips her arm through mine and smiles. “Careful, Pat. Don’t say something like that with your mom around, or she’ll think you’re wife hunting… So, are you?”
“Hunting? Do I need to mark myself with fake piss to lure in a mate?”
“Patton!” Her voice is scandalized, but I know it takes more than that to shock Juniper. There’s laughter in her eyes.
“Charming my wife again, idiot?” Dexter asks, slapping my arm.
She slaps his harder.
“Don’t take the bait,” she whispers.
“When I’m so good at it? Let him live and learn,” I say.
“Don’t be a prick, Pat. It isn’t always easy keeping the peace, and your mom’s friend is here.” Juniper doesn’t miss a beat. That’s why we like her.
“Is there any universe where you guys don’t almost come to blows?” Archer glares at us.
I smirk back at him. “Not sure. Is it the universe where you’re not an uptight bearwad made of—”
“Dinner!” Mom says brightly, her voice hard enough to cut through our shit-flinging. She glares at us, and unlike Archer’s bullshit, which I get near daily, it’s enough to make us shut our yaps and find our seats.
Evelyn beams at us like she’s missed our dysfunctional little family.
“Isn’t it so nice to see everyone here?” she asks as Mom brings out plates of steaming duck breast and fried biscuit gravy. “Promise me you’ll never take it for granted.”
“We wouldn’t dream of it, Evie,” Mom assures her. “This is always a special occasion, isn’t it, boys?”
“We’re here every week,” Archer grumbles.
Colt pushes his glasses up his nose. They’re a recent addition, making him look especially studious, and he seems hyperaware of them.
“Please don’t tell me you guys are going to start fighting again,” he says, in such a world-weary voice it sounds just like Archer.
“Hey, dude, we don’t fight,” I say. “We bicker. Big difference. You’re lucky you don’t have a brother.”
“And I promise there’ll be murder on the menu tonight if this bickering doesn’t stop,” Mom warns, stabbing her duck breast with her fork while she flashes a smile full of teeth. “What will it take to have one nice dinner together without so much ribbing?”
“A miracle?” I wait for her to laugh, but she doesn’t.
That’s what I get for being the single one, I guess. Flat jokes and a heap of fucking work waiting back at the office.
Dexter used to be the family workhorse, but ever since his wedding day, he decided Romeo time was more important and work should take a back seat to his personal life. Fine, but someone has to pick up the slack. And since Archer has Colt and it’s a second job being a dad, now that workhorse is me.
“You must tell me more about the business.” Evelyn fixes her shiny brown eyes on Archer. “Your expansions, your success, it’s all very impressive. Especially for someone with an interest in real estate. I’m just fascinated.”
She has an interest in property? That’s news to me.
I glance at Mom, but she’s discussing comics with Colt. Or rather, he’s educating her about the comics he prefers and why. Mother looks lost when the kid starts talking about anime. I don’t think she ever broadened her horizons past the household name superheroes and cartoons from the 1960s.
Thankfully, Archer steps up and gives Evelyn a few details about our current projects. I add a little about The Cardinal and what we’re hoping to make it.
“Wow.” She frowns like she’s struggling to understand the concept, but that’s nothing new. I’ve found that the older the person, the less comfortable they are with today’s vacation rentals, even though the market keeps changing rapidly to embrace fresh concepts. “So you acquire properties you lease out as hotels?”
“You’ve heard of AirBnB and Vrbo?” Dexter asks. “We run on the same principle, but we specialize in high-end properties. Think hotels with great service, but exclusive. Many people don’t want old-school hotels anymore—at least, not in the traditional way we think of them.”
Evelyn nods. “I see. And you have properties in Omaha?”
I’m surprised she knows about our most recent acquisitions.
From the way Archer hesitates, I can tell he wasn’t expecting this, either.
“That’s right,” he says. “It’s a real work in progress and we won’t have anything running until next year. For now, we’re only operating in Missouri.”
“Ah, that’s sensible.” Evelyn clears her throat. “You see, if you’re expanding out of state… I just wondered if you ever might consider anything farther north? Like Minnesota?” She smiles at each of us. “I have a few proposals I think you’d love to hear.”
Archer blinks.
Dexter glances at both of us to check we’ve heard her right.