CHAPTER 40
Special K
“Wait!” Summer is speed-waddling my way as I exit the equipment shed. “I need to talk to you!”
Ahh, shit. I don’t have time to be interrogated, and if she says she wants to talk it means she wants to talk at me, ask a bunch of questions, and wait around until I finally answer her.
I’m not in the mood. I got shit to do. I have to call a meeting and enlist my brothers’ help getting Frankie to safety.
Summer yells again. “I’m talking to you, Kevin! I know you can hear me!”
“Where’ve you been?” Phoebe comes around the corner right behind Summer. And following her are Victoria and Emma.
“We’d like a word,” Victoria says.
Two minutes later, my four sisters-in-law are circling me like a pack of hyenas around a gazelle.
“What’s going on?” Victoria asks me. She frowns and looks me up and down. “You’ve been with the woman up on the ridge, haven’t you?”
“I gotta go,” I say.”
“Stop right there.” That’s Emma. I don’t think I’ve ever heard her speak so sharply to me. To anyone, really. Even Finn, who most definitely deserves it.
Emma’s usually focused on feeding folks at her restaurant or her home while being a loving mom to Jasmine and wife to Finn. But here she is scowling at me. Snapping. I don’t like it.
“We just wondered what’s going on with you and Harper,” Phoebe says. “It’s a little confusing, and Evander says he has no idea what the deal is. Your dad and Aunt Phyllis are annoyed that you left them to deal with it.”
“Finn said the same,” Emma notes. “He claims he’s got no insight into the situation.”
“Cal won’t even talk about it,” Victoria says. “I have a feeling he knows more than he feels comfortable sharing.”
I stop in my tracks and close my eyes. This can’t be happening. Not now.
Summer walks right up to me and intentionally stands on the toe of my cowboy boot. I hate when she does that. I open one eye and snarl down at her.
“Listen up, hot stuff,” she says. “You have to deal with this situation. Harper says she’s still in love with you, but I told her that if she’s looking for emotional fulfillment she’d be way better off getting a hobby, you know, like collecting discarded cigarette butts off the sidewalk.”
“Excuse me.” I place my hands on either side of Summer’s expanding waist and pick her straight up off my shoe, setting her aside. Then I head toward the safety of my own home.
“She’s been very nice to everyone, but something’s off,” Emma says.
“Too nice,” Victoria says. “She’s trying too hard. I think she’s been waiting for you to come back. She’s determined to hash it out with you, Special K.”
“That’s unfortunate,” I say.
“I’m not sure you should give her another chance,” Emma says.
“And she’s still at our house!” Phoebe throws up her arms in frustration.
I stop. I eye them all.
“Wait a second,” I say, finally hearing what they’re telling me. “Harper’s still here? Oh, fucking hell.” I wipe my eyes with my open palm.
“We just want you to be happy,” Emma explains.
“Tell us about the woman on the mountain.” Summer says. “Is she hot? How hot?”
I shake my head and march toward my front porch. All four women are at my heels. I open the door, and they walk in behind me, following me to the kitchen. I open the refrigerator and grab myself a beer. “Anybody else want one?” I ask without turning around.
When I do turn, I find them waiting. All their heads are tipped at the exact same angle, like birds on a telephone cable.
“What?” I take a swig and swallow it down. “I don’t know what you want from me here. Are you trying to play matchmaker with me and Harper, because if that’s the plan, you’ve completely missed the plot.”
They look at each other, confused.
“Listen,” I say. “Harper isn’t MacLaine material. MacLaines have each other’s backs no matter what. Harper is no MacLaine. You get me?”
“Whoa,” Summer says. “You’ve never said anything like that about her before.”
“Because I’ve never talked about her before. There’s nothing to say.”
“So, there’s nothing between you anymore?” Victoria asks.
“Absolutely not.”
“Does she know that?” Phoebe asks.
I laugh. “I’ve told her many times since she showed up here without an invitation. But if she chooses not to hear me, that’s her problem.” I take another long drag on my beer and lean against the kitchen counter.
“I’m actually relieved,” Victoria says. “I don’t trust her.”
“Agreed,” Phoebe says.
“Good call, ladies.”
“What happened between the two of you?” Summer lowers her chin and glares at me. “What did she do?”
I shrug. “Harper left me high and dry when I needed her most. She broke my heart. Your instincts are correct—she’s not to be trusted.”
Everyone goes quiet for a moment.
“We just want you to be happy,” Emma says again.
“Because we love you,” Phoebe adds.
I raise my beer in their direction. “I appreciate that. I know you mean well. And listen, you may not believe me when I say this, but I am happy. Right now. I mean it. I’m sorry to be rude, but I’ve got shit to do, so you better go.”
I walk my sisters-in-law to the foyer. “Thanks for the chat,” I say, preparing to close the door. “Oh, and Victoria, please tell Cal I need to call a meeting. Ask him to call me.”
“He’s in San Diego,” she says. “He’ll be back in the morning.”
Shit. I had no idea. And now I’ll have to wait until tomorrow morning to hash out plans for Frankie’s safety.
I try to close the door but there’s a foot shoved in the doorjamb. It’s Summer’s. It’s always Summer’s. She’s staring at me with a look of accusation.
Emma speaks first. “You do look sort of happy, Special K. It’s weird, honestly.”
“Yeah, something’s different,” Phoebe agrees. “You just apologized for being rude.”
“Just how hot are we talkin’?” Summer asks. “On a scale of room temperature to surface of the sun, how hot’s the chick on Washoe Ridge?”
“Time to go, girls.”
Victoria’s manicured hand grabs the edge of the door. “Special K?”
“Yeah?”
“Listen, this may not be any of my business, but there’s a big-assed hickey on the side of your neck. In case you’d prefer to know.”