The Hookup (Moonlight and Motor Oil #1)(86)

Johnny looked to the house, the table where Charlie and Deanna were sitting in the sun and back to his brother. “I’m falling in love with her, Tobe.”

Toby gave him a look and then that look turned hard.

“You better be.”

Johnny’s head gave a sharp jerk. “Sorry?”

“She’s spoken a handful of words to me and even I know you don’t dick around with a woman like that. You say Margot loves her, seals that deal. Now I hate to contradict the people who talk shit about me, but the bottom line is . . . you’re you. You’ve been hung up on Shandra for years. And even I know if just a little of that is still there, you should steer clear of any woman.”

“Okay, right now what I want heard, Toby, is enough about Shandra. Shandra’s history. Everybody has got to get the fuck over Shandra because I have and I’m the only one who had to do it in the first place.”

“You’ve blown through a few women, brother,” Toby replied carefully.

“I made no promises and I didn’t hide how it was,” Johnny returned.

Toby eyed him a beat before he said, “I hear that.”

Johnny dug in his jeans pocket for his keys. “I’m staying tonight with the girls. You can stay at the mill.”

Toby grinned. “Excellent.”

Johnny twisted his house key off and suggested, “While you’re here, you might wanna go out to the shack and see if it’s still standing.”

His brother was pocketing the key and his grin disappeared. “I thought you were looking after it.”

“I am but it’s forty miles out so I can’t go out there every day.”

“I’ll head out there,” Toby muttered.

Johnny looked to the house when he sensed movement and he saw Izzy coming through the screen door. Her dogs ran to greet her. Ranger lay in the grass where he’d camped out five feet from Johnny and Toby and he didn’t twitch.

He watched as she looked for him, found him and he gave her a jerk of his chin.

Then he looked back to Toby.

“Not thinking this is a good time for you to crash a party, Tobe.”

“I get that,” Toby agreed. “Just hanging around to meet her, say hey and make sure her sister’s okay. I’ll say that hey and take off.”

Johnny nodded before he curled his lips up. “I’ll end this saying what I know I don’t have to say. It’s good to have you home, brother.”

Toby smiled back. They moved in, bumped shoulders then moved away and both of them turned to head back to the table.

He saw that Deanna and Charlie were up, doing something, and Izzy was heading toward them.

Her smile on his brother was bright but it still didn’t hide the worry.

“Toby, right?” she asked, lifting a hand toward Toby before she got to them. “I’m so happy to meet you and I’m so happy you’re here,” she said when she stopped, and Toby took her hand. She then went on to babble, “I mean, obviously, what played out with Addie and Perry was unfortunate for all concerned, especially Addie, and I’m sorry you had to witness it. But my sister is my sister. She’s bounced back. She’s gonna clean up her face and join us. I hope you will too.”

“I don’t wanna impose,” Toby said, squeezing her hand and letting it go.

It was then Johnny moved to her side, slid an arm around her shoulders and claimed her.

He saw his brother’s eyes flare with humor at the maneuver but fortunately that was it.

“Family’s never an imposition,” she replied.

Like she would know. As far as Johnny could tell, she only had two members of hers worth dick, and with the way things were, they needed each other to survive and stop themselves from becoming bitter and twisted.

“Things were kinda dramatic,” Toby said softly. “It’s really cool if I go and some time later we get together and share a beer or something.”

“We can share one now. Honestly,” Izzy assured. “Addie got it out and she’s fine. That’s the way we Forrester women are. Shove us to our knees, we just get back up and keep going.”

He felt his jaw get hard at her words and Toby’s eyes cut to Johnny’s then right back to Iz.

“Really, stay,” she continued, throwing an arm out behind her toward the table. “The only thing that would upset Addie now is if you didn’t stay because you thought she’d be uncomfortable.” She shot him a smile. “And I’m a good cook.”

“She’s absolutely that,” Johnny put in.

Toby looked again to his older brother, assessing if that was Johnny’s go ahead to accept the invitation.

When he read correctly it was, he turned his attention back to Izzy. “Then thanks. I’d love to try your cooking.”

Izzy beamed.

That was when Johnny gave him a look that told him to take off so he could have a word with his woman.

Toby read that one too, smiled at Iz and then moved toward the table.

Izzy started to make a move too but Johnny held her back.

“Is she really all good?” he asked when she looked up at him.

“Apparently, the dastardly deed was walked in on two weeks ago. Addie and Brooks stayed with some friends while Addie made plans and talked to an attorney. When all was in place, she had her friends show up, clear out their apartment, store her stuff in a variety of different garages, sheds and attics and she came up here.”