Chirp(44)

“The blue is for Seth.”

Rance tossed it to him.

Seth eyed Nick. “You think I’ll wear this?”

“Let me see,” Rance said.

Seth turned the shirt, and Rance read, “Good Story, Babe. Now Go Make Me a Sandwich.”

Nick laughed. “What’s wrong? Your little debutante won’t see the humor in it?”

“No. She won’t,” Seth said.

Rance took two more from the bag. “You went a little crazy on the shirts, didn’t you, Nicky?”

“Oh, the green is mine.”

Seth smirked. “Free Breast Exams? Damn, you’re just asking to be slapped.”

Rance stared at the pink one. Irony. The Opposite of Wrinkly. “Who is this for?”

“Your roommate. Since she’s hung up on those words of the day and does housework, I thought it was perfect.” Nick craned his neck toward the garden. “Where is she?”

“Staying with a friend.”

“What? We’re not going to meet her? Did you tell her we don’t bite?” Nick asked.

“Yeah, but it’s not going to work out this time. Maybe next trip. I’ve got burgers ready to put on the grill.”

“Let’s wait. I wanted to take a look around,” Seth said. “It’s the first time we’ve been here since Dessie’s funeral.”

“I want to fish,” Nick said.

“Okay, I’ll get the bait. You get the poles out of the shed, and I’ll meet you at the boat.” Rance turned to Seth. “You sure you don’t want to come?”

“No. I think I’ll take a walk in the woods. Clear my head of all the wedding crap I’m having to deal with. I don’t know why she wants my opinion, because she makes all the decisions.”

Once in the boat, as Rance and Nick pushed off from the shore, Rance focused on his little brother. “What’s the deal with Seth?”

“Pretty obvious, right?”

“Yeah. Is it the wedding?”

“Between you and me, it’s more than that. He’s not in love with her, man. I keep telling him to break it off, but he won’t do it.”

“Then why propose? Oh hell, he didn’t knock her up, did he?”

“No. I’m not sure they’re even having sex. He got caught up in her world and lost his good sense. I mean, she’s rich. Her dad’s law firm is the biggest in Houston, and Seth is guaranteed a job there. But here’s the kicker. Heather pals around with this loser friend from high school. Claims he’s gay, but I’m telling you, the guy’s banging her. Seth is about to screw up big time. I hope you can straighten him out.”

Nice to know his baby brother considered Rance capable of counseling, but hell, he couldn’t fix his own woman trouble. “I don’t know, Nicky. I should probably stay out of it.”

Nick baited his hook, then dropped it into the water. “No. We have to do something. She’s spoiled rotten. Gets her way about everything. Plans Seth’s life twenty-four-seven. Did you hear his phone dinging? That’s her texting about useless shit. Sending pictures of herself at the country club. Shopping. Flowers. Cakes. I can’t stand her. The only reason he’s here is because she wants him to break the news that you can’t be in the wedding. Can’t have an ex-con in the social event of the year. Bitch.”

Rance raised a hand in surrender. “Hey, I’ll be happy to sit in the back row and pretend I don’t know him.”

“Not the point. It’s his wedding, too, and if he wants you in it, then you should be. I’m telling you, he’s going to be miserable. Once they’re hitched, she’ll never let him see us again. That’s why we’ve got to stop it.”





Blaze


Muttly sat up straight and perked his ears, which caused Blaze to do the same. She didn’t hear anything, but the dog must have. Closing her sketch pad, she scooted closer to the window and wished it would be Rance. Such a stupid idea. Why did she keep torturing herself with ridiculous fantasies?

The pup whined, and Blaze squinted into the afternoon light. Finally a figure came into view. Too small for Rance, but who was it? In all the years she’d been coming here, other than Noah and Hanna’s dad, she’d never seen another man at the tree house.

When the stranger got to the thick pines blocking out the sun, she recognized him from Dessie’s pictures. Seth. Smaller and with brown eyes, he didn’t look much like Rance.

Her heart hammered. Maybe he wouldn’t climb the ladder. She slid on her butt to the rear wall, pulled Muttly onto her lap, and closed her hand around his muzzle. “Shh.”

With only one door, she had nowhere to go. She held her breath, then heard him take the first rung. Then the second. Third. She spoke when his face appeared in the opening. “Hello.”

He jerked away. “Damn! You scared me.”

Muttly growled, but Blaze hugged him tight. She didn’t know if he’d bite. “I’m sorry.”

“That’s okay. I wasn’t expecting to see anyone. You must be Chirp.”

“Only Rance calls me that. I’m Blaze.”

“Oh, sorry. I’m Rance’s . . .”

“I know who you are. I’ve seen pictures.”