4. Round-up
FOUR
ROUND-UP
Holt
“Well, well, well. Look who finally decided to come home.”
I’ve just opened the front door, only to be greeted by my sister, who’s sitting on my recliner, feet up, boots crossed, hands together like in prayer, fingers tapping. She’s actually moved the chair so that it’s facing the door instead of the TV. She resembles a movie villain.
She looks me up and down. “Hello, slut.”
Sigh. “Language, Rose.” I close the door and hook my keys on the nail to the left before yanking off my boots. Unlike my sister, I don’t like dirt all over my floors.
A long boing sounds when she releases the side lever of the recliner, bringing the footrest down and her back up. “Jesus, Holt,” she says, bracing her hands on the arms of the old chair as it continues to rock back and forth, “you need some new freaking furniture.”
I look around the worn interior that I once loved for all the memories it held of my grandparents.
Now its shabbiness only reminds me of what my parents left me to deal with.
Threadbare carpet, scratchy plaid fabric on the couch, and walls paneled with wood so dark it makes the room claustrophobic.
I suddenly wish I hadn’t hurried back to the ranch as fast as I did.
“Yeah, I know.”
“Wait, what?” She blinks comically. “You agree with me?” With the chair finally settled, Rose stands and crosses her arms over her chest. “After years of me telling you to do something with the inside of this place, you finally agree with me?” She looks me up and down.
“You must really not want me to ask where you were all night.” A smirk kicks up the corner of her mouth.
I ignore her and walk into the kitchen. I could probably buy her a flying unicorn and a ticket to the mythical realm of fairies and she’d still insist on questioning me before she hopped on and flew away.
The start of a headache pounds my temples. Coffee. I need coffee.
Rose trails behind me, watching as I bang my way through making a strong pot. I don’t bother getting her a mug. She hates my coffee.
A few minutes later I take my first sip, eyes closing in bliss, and Rose begins.
“So?” She draws the word out, an evil smile on her deceptively innocent face.
“Yes?” I take another sip before setting my mug down on the island and facing Rose. “Let’s get this over with.”
“Best man, huh?”
I blink, surprised at the subject. I thought for sure her first question would be about Jules. “Uh, yeah.”
“Very cool.” She sits down on a stool on the other side of the kitchen counter.
“I’m glad the two of you worked your shit out.
” Her smile is softer now, without that wicked gleam in her eyes.
Makes her look younger. A pang of nostalgia hits me as I realize that even though she’ll always be my baby sister, she’s all grown up now. On her last year of college.
“I’m sorry about all that, Rose. I know it was hard on you, Flynn and me not talking for so long.
” The rift had kept me at a distance as my brother started his new life in Houston.
We’ve finally been getting to know each other again as adults, and now with him engaged, I feel like I’m losing my brother all over again. As unfair and stupid as that is.
“Yeah, well. You owe me.” Rose’s lips form an exaggerated pout.
I laugh, relieved at the playfulness in her voice and the reminder of the kid she used to be. “Okay, then. I owe you.”
She fist pumps the air. “Awesome. Now tell me where you were last night.”
Shoot. Rose always did have a tendency to sucker punch me when I wasn’t looking. “Nothing to tell, really.” I pick up my mug, enjoying Rose’s impatient huff. “Just made sure Jules got home okay.”
One blond eyebrow quirks up. “You needed to stay all night to ensure that?”
“She was really out of it. I didn’t want to leave and have her sick or something.” Or miss her strip show.
“Yeah, that was weird. We both had the same amount to drink.” Rose frowns. “But while I was just buzzing, she passed out.”
I shrug, not liking the memory of Jules dead to the world as I drove her home. “Alcohol affects people differently, I guess.” My mind turns to our mother. She’d been sweet one beer, nasty the next. Sometimes it was a blessing our parents weren’t home that often.
Rose doesn’t seem to buy it. “Maybe. But Jackie always says Jules can drink anyone under the table. Something about growing up military gave her an ironclad stomach.”
I tuck away the fact that Jules was a military brat, strangely happy to know more about her. “Jules just got back from orbit. I’m sure being in space for months messed with her tolerance.”
“Yeah, I guess.”
“Whatever the reason, she’s fine now.” My mind drifts to the strip of bare, smooth skin I’d glimpsed between the sides of her open robe. I shake the image away, not keen on sporting a boner in front of my sister. “Didn’t seem ill-affected at all this morning.”
A sly grin washes the worry from Rose’s eyes. “She didn’t, did she?” Leaning forward, she props her elbow on the counter, then rests her chin in her hand. “Do tell, brother.”
Crap. Walked myself right into that. “As I said, nothing to tell.” She opens her mouth, but I change the subject before she can grill me further. “How’s school?”
“What?” She blinks. “Oh, fine, fine,” she says, waving the words along with her hand.
“Hmmmm.” It’s my turn to arch my brow at her. “All those ‘fines’ make me nervous.” I take another sip of coffee, keeping my eyes on hers. Rose never could stay quiet when I stared her down.
She squirms in her seat. “Well, I wasn’t going to say anything…”
Instantly, I’m on high alert. “What is it? Your grades? You need a tutor? I’m sure I can talk to someone?—”
“Dude, relax.” She rolls her eyes with a sigh. “Why do you assume it’s bad?”
“Maybe ’cause you said you weren’t going to tell me. Why would you not tell me good news?”
“Oh.” Her brow furrows in concentration for a second. “Yeah, that makes sense.”
“So?”
“What?”
I sigh again. It amazes me that sometimes I miss her living here. “What weren’t you going to say?” She blinks at me. “About school?”
“Oh, just that I’m graduating early. This December actually.”
“What?” I lower my coffee mug in shock, some spilling over onto the worn laminate. “Shoot.”
Rose giggles. “I love when you talk like a little girl.”
Ignoring her jibe, I place the mug down and shake the spilled coffee off my hand. “I can’t believe you weren’t going to say anything.”
“It’s not a big deal.”
“Not a big deal?” I shake my head in disbelief, then I feel a large smile overtake my face. “My baby sister is graduating college!”
I move around the counter until Rose is in reach, plucking her up from the stool and swinging her around the kitchen.
And in that moment, with her giggling and me whooping like an idiot, it’s like we’re back in time, when Rose was a little girl, I was the older brother she depended on, and my life felt full. Full of meaning. Full of purpose.
I set her back on her feet, trying to keep my smile in place despite the unwanted self-pitying thoughts. I must not have completely succeeded, ’cause Rose tilts her head in confusion.
“You okay?”
I clear the lump forming in my throat. “Yeah. Fine. Just proud is all.”
Her expression softens and she leans in for a hug.
After a moment, when the smile on my face isn’t as large, but still genuine, Rose pulls back and thumbs in the direction of the recliner. “So we can finally get rid of that dinosaur, eh?”
I laugh a little too loud, releasing the leftover emotion from a moment ago. “Yeah, guess so.”
Nothing on the inside of the house has been touched since our grandparents died.
To have people over for a wedding in its current condition, even if Flynn and Jackie don’t want a high society affair, would still be an embarrassment.
Especially as I’m sure all the recent media hoopla about her being NASA’s Darling will mean the news outlets will want pictures.
And if I fix it up now, it’ll be ready for Rose’s surprise graduation party. Because that will be a society affair, I’m sure.
“We have a lot to do to get the ranch up to snuff.”
“ We , dear brother?” Rose’s smirk is back in place.
“I just thought you’d want?—”
She raises her hands out in front of her. “Oh no. I’m still in school. Got to hit the books for finals and graduation, remember.”
I run a hand through my hair. “Well, just how the heck am I supposed to get the house ready for a wedding in such a short amount of time?”
“I’ve always heard the best man and the maid of honor make a good team. Maybe Jules can help you out.”
“Jules?”
Rose’s smirk is kicked up on one side. “I bet she’d love to get her hands on all your wood…paneling.”
“Jesus, Rose.” My head drops back in exasperation, which only gives me a better view of the popcorn ceiling and dropdown fluorescent light.
With an evil laugh, Rose walks out of the kitchen, through the family room and up the stairs. She’s still laughing when I hear her bedroom door close.
This is the second time today a conversation with my siblings ended with laughter at my expense.
Being the eldest sucks sometimes.
Jules
“Okay, it’s official. I have to get a bike,” Trish tells me, once again bouncing in the bench seat like a bunny.
“Oh yeah?” I spear a fried pickle chip on my fork, a must when eating at Boondoggles, but frown when the breading falls off. I hate when that happens.
“Well, maybe not. I think I could get used to riding on the back of one, though.” She takes her fork, dips the tines in ranch dressing and then scoops up a fried pickle, popping it in her mouth.
Hmm, she might be on to something with that maneuver.