CHAPTER 28
Maddie
Sometimes, the people we love are too much to deal with.
Rhonda was a mess when I broke the news to her.
She was so emotional, which I get, but it was making me so emotional I couldn’t form coherent thoughts.
I knew it would be that way. That’s why I wanted her to stay in Vegas with Ash for the weekend.
It’s probably selfish of me, but I get to be selfish now.
Riggs and I were able to catch a flight this afternoon. I’m so glad he offered to come. He has a confident presence that’s reassuring, and I feel like I can handle anything with him by my side.
“This place is gorgeous.”
“Welcome to Sweetbriar Hollow.” I thought he’d like the scenery—everyone does. It’s a beautiful town nestled in a pine forest with plenty of old farms, rustic barns, green pastures, and even an old covered bridge that draws all sorts of artists from Portland on the weekends.
We’re pulling onto Main Street in a brand-new Dodge Ram pickup Riggs somehow had waiting for us at the airport.
Did he buy it and have it delivered? I have no idea because I didn’t ask.
I refuse to show any interest in his money, mainly because I’m not interested in his money.
I did, however, take note of what kind it was.
I’m pretty sure it’s a reminder of his threat to buy my brothers the exact same truck if I don’t let him pay for the funeral—or anything else for that matter.
He made it very clear that his threat extends beyond funeral costs.
We’ll see about that. He hasn’t seen how capable I am of putting my foot down, even with him.
But when it comes to the whole truck thing, I have to admit he kind of has me at a disadvantage.
I think he really would buy a couple of trucks like this, and the idea of my brothers getting such an extravagant, undeserved reward for doing absolutely nothing feels like swallowing broken glass. Yeah, I hate the idea that much.
As we drive down Main Street at fifteen miles per hour—a slow speed limit for a slow town—every head turns to look at us. You don’t see a ninety-thousand-dollar truck in Sweetbriar very often.
Part of me has been nervous about Riggs coming, mostly because of Josh and Keegan, and maybe my dad. On the flight here, I did my best to prep him about my brothers, and he acted like he understood, even reassuring me that it wasn’t going to be a big deal—but he hasn’t met them yet.
The whole time he seemed more interested in something else. “I have one question,” he said on the plane. “Why don’t you play poker more often? I mean, if your dad goes all the time, why don’t you?”
It was completely out of the blue so I figured he must have been thinking about how he lost hand after hand to me. Did that bother him? Maybe. Would I be glad if it did? Kind of. “Second rule of poker—never play with scared money.”
“Scared money?”
“Yeah, money you can’t afford to lose. Besides never having the time to play, if I lost, we wouldn’t eat. Playing scared leads to bad decisions, and before you know it, you’re living on the streets giving twenty-dollar blow jobs so you can buy crack.”
He laughed and said I could probably charge thirty, then asked what the first rule of poker was.
“That’s easy. Let them underestimate you because you’re a girl.”
He thought about that for a long moment before he responded sheepishly with, “I did that, didn’t I?”
“You sure did. I never did thank you for all those chips.”
He sighed. “I guess you’re welcome. I still want you to teach me how to play sometime.”
I told him I would.
As we drive through town, I catch a few women raising an eyebrow at Riggs.
I know all too well how this will go. Within the hour, everyone will know I was with a new guy, and they’ll all want to know who he is.
I can only imagine the rumors, especially about me being in Vegas when Mom passed away and then showing up with a man who looks this good.
Sure as hell, they’ll start speculating, and some people have pretty active imaginations.
And speaking of such people, I spot the Jam Squad.
They’re walking their little dogs, wearing big sunglasses, ruby-red lipstick, vintage polka-dot midi dresses—each a different color, of course—and carrying matching polka-dot handbags at the elbow with ice-cream cones in their free hands.
So typical. You could expect older women to dress like that, but these women are only a year older than me.
“See those four women?”
“The ones who look like they just stepped through a time portal from the 1950s? What’s up with that?”
“It’s part of their brand. We call them the Jam Squad. Remind me to tell you about them later.”
“Sounds interesting.”
We pull into our driveway just as Josh and Keegan are loading their fishing gear into the back of Keegan’s seven-hundred-dollar truck.
The Dodge Ram is like a two-hundred-pound pitbull sitting next to a two-pound poodle that was just neutered.
I didn’t give my brothers a heads-up about when I’d be home, and I certainly didn’t tell them I was bringing a friend.
Josh’s jaw drops as he stares at the truck while Keegan flashes me his usual glare when I step out of the passenger side.
I’m pissed. “Maybe you didn’t hear, but Mom died.”
“We know,” Josh barks at me with so much anger I’m taken aback. How could he not understand that I’m hurting too?
I don’t blame him for going fishing with a case of beer at a time like this. He only does what Keegan tells him to. No, I blame the younger thoughtless prick.
“What’s it to you?” Keegan spits at me. “You weren’t even here.”
That pushes me over the edge. “Really? You can’t be serious?
Who’s been taking care of her day in and day out?
Who’s the only one who’s been here for her?
Do you even care that she’s gone?” I eye the fishing poles then let my gaze fall to the cooler full of beer. “Because it sure doesn’t look like it.”
“Shut your bitch mouth and stay out of our—”
Suddenly, he cuts off with a wide-eyed stare as his mouth falls open.
I’m not sure what just happened until I realize Riggs stepped up beside me.
Then, perhaps to drive home whatever point Mr. Big Dick here intended to make, my boyfriend claims me by putting his arm around my shoulders.
He doesn’t say anything, just grins at Keegan.
The only other time I’ve seen a grin like that was right before Zane Shackler broke Jake’s jaw, and from the look on Keegan’s face, I think he correctly interprets the big man’s nonverbal threat.
“It’s you,” Josh mutters.
Oh, for heaven’s sake, he knows who Riggs is? Of course he does.
“You’re Riggs Dwyer,” Keegan finally says. “Is Ash here?”
Riggs’s grin softens. “No, he couldn’t make it. What are you fishing for?”
Josh swallows hard. “Bass. They stock the gravel pit every year.”
“Gravel pit, huh? Can’t say I’ve ever fished in one of those. Sorry about your mother. Must be rough.”
Neither of them answers. Keegan is staring at the ground now. He seems embarrassed. That’s good, right? It means he feels something.
“Are you in a hurry to get going? Because if you have a minute, I think your sister would like to go over a few things.”
“We’re in no hurry,” Josh says hastily.
I wish he’d stop staring at Riggs like he’s Jesus come again. But I’m guessing both Riggs and Ash are used to this kind of thing.
“Is Dad home?”
Keegan shakes his head.
“Tell me he’s not at the casino.”
Again, neither answers. Figures. It’s business as usual around here. Why am I not surprised? “Let’s go inside and talk. It won’t take long.”
They nod and lead the way.
The kitchen is a total mess and beyond embarrassing even though I warned Riggs in advance.
Maybe I should have called when we landed to let them know I was on my way and that I was bringing a friend, but if I had, I’m pretty sure they would have made it a point to not be here, and the kitchen still would’ve looked like this.
Thankfully, Riggs is acting like he doesn’t notice.
Josh quickly clears the table, tossing dirty dishes in an already full sink, while Keegan gathers all the trash and starts stuffing everything in an already overfull waste bin. Are they embarrassed? I think they are. Serves them right.
I don’t help. Instead, I get sodas out of the fridge for everyone and pour them into glasses with ice. When we’re all finally seated, I start the conversation with, “Where is Mom now?”
Keegan takes a soda, looks at Riggs, then back at me. My new boyfriend is bigger than both of them combined. A lot bigger. “Thanks,” Keegan says softly.
Knock me over with a feather. He actually thanked me?
“She’s at the morgue,” Josh says. “They came and picked her up last night.”
“Does anyone know what happened?”
Keegan sets his soda down. “Dad said her heart probably just gave up. He talked to the doctors about everything. That’s what they said.”
Josh turns to me. “Does this mean you’ll move out?”
“Probably.”
He looks distraught. “But what about us?”
I bite my tongue. I’m tired of fighting with them, and now isn’t the time anyway.
“I’ll stay for a little while, but I’m not going to support you anymore.
You’ll have to learn how to live on your own.
That means working, paying the bills, and buying your own groceries.
We all know Dad isn’t going to be any help, so it’ll be up to you two now. ”
I can tell Keegan wants to blow up at me, but he doesn’t. “Work where? Dad never shows up, so there aren’t any roofing jobs besides the occasional repairs we find on our own.”
“Sounds like you two are going to have to take over the business,” Riggs says. “I think it’s the only way.”
Keegan is looking at him like he has a new best friend. “That’s what I thought. I’ve been trying to get Dad to let me run things for years. At least to let me give it a try. I have all kinds of ideas about how we could make it grow, but he always says no.”
That surprises me. “I didn’t know about that. What’s his reason?”
“He says it’s his company, and he isn’t going to let me and Josh steal it from him.”
“Then you start your own,” Riggs says. “What’s stopping you from doing that?”
Keegan thinks about it for a minute. “Money, I guess.”
A smile tugs at the corner of Riggs’s mouth. “Would you be open to taking on a partner?”
“Sure, but who? I don’t know anyone who would do that.”
Josh rolls his eyes. “He means him, stupid.”
I don’t know why, but that makes me laugh. Then, for no other reason than I’m laughing, Josh lets out a hearty laugh himself. It’s infectious, and soon we’re all laughing, even Riggs.
When we all finally calm down, Riggs says to Keegan, “I’ll be here for the next two weeks. Let me take you and your brother out to lunch so we can talk more about this. What do you say?”
For the first time that I can ever remember, Keegan doesn’t look angry. “I’d say yes…hell yes!”
“All right, then,” Riggs says. “Have fun fishing. We’ll talk later.”
Keegan looks at me. “So, you two are…”
I grab hold of Riggs’s hand. “Yes, we’re together.”
“No shit,” Josh mutters.
Keegan looks at his brother then back at me like he can hardly believe it as well. Truth is, I don’t blame him. “You know what? Forget about fishing,” he says. “We can go over the funeral arrangements if you want. I have some ideas.”
It dawns on me that maybe Keegan has had ideas he’s been desperate to share, but no one would ever listen.
Maybe that’s why he’s angry all the time.
Perhaps he’s felt discarded or pushed aside.
That could make someone feel pretty worthless, and if you feel like no one sees any value in you, you give up on life and… what? Drink beer and go fishing?
It’s starting to make sense now, and all signs point to dear ol’ Dad being the reason this family fell apart. I guess if Keegan can run a successful roofing company, we’ll know who was to blame all along.
Another thought occurs to me. None of this would have happened if Riggs weren’t here.
Keegan would have stormed off and gone fishing.
I probably wouldn’t have seen him until the funeral.
After that, I’d have moved out and never talked to either of my brothers again.
But now, we just might have a different future, a better one, and once again, it’s thanks to Riggs.
You’d almost think the man should have a red cape.
Feeling an overwhelming sense of gratitude, I lean over and whisper ever so softly in his ear, “Thank you. Tonight, I’m going to blow you until you come down my throat.”
Riggs winces as he leans back with a scowl and a low groan. I’m pretty sure that means there’s not enough room in his pants right now.
Josh notices something’s wrong. “You okay, dude?”
Riggs shifts in his chair and squeaks out, “I’m fine.”