“Get the cards,” she snaps. It takes a while, but eventually we’ve located them all. She shuffles them and deals. Her eyebrows are creased in concentration as she studies her cards. I’m not sure what’s got her on edge, but I’ll just wait it out. She snatches up cards and discards like we’re locked in a death match.
“Gin,” she announces after five minutes. That might be the fastest hand I’ve played. She tosses her cards down and stares at me. One eye squints as she studies me. Jesus, what have I done now? “So, I want to know who taught you that?”
“Taught me what?”
“That,” she says, twirling an arm around as if that explains everything. “The bronc cowgirl maneuver. The delayed gratification thing.” I try to keep a straight face. I really do, but I laugh anyway. Bronc cowgirl maneuver?
“Where did you learn the ‘daddy’ thing?” I say, trying to turn the tables on her.
“Obviously, I read.” She crosses her arms over her chest to wait me out.
“Honestly, I just made it up.” She scowls not believing a word I’m saying. “Okay, I may have Googled some stuff once.”
“Well,” she answers, “we may need to see about getting you better internet if that’s what you’re going to do in your sparetime.” She gathers up the cards a little more slowly this time. “Do you have anything else in that arsenal?”
“I have a few ideas I’d like to try.”
“Good answer. We don’t need these then.” She tosses the cards in the air. As they rain down around us, I tackle her to the bed. “You know, I don’t think I miss having TV at all,” she adds with a laugh.
“Good answer.”
thirteen
BEAU
“Merry Christmas!”jerks me out of the best dream involving Harmony. I try to ignore the outburst and settle back into my fantasy. Except something in my brain tells me that wasn’t either of us, and as far as I know, Reacher hasn’t learned to converse in English. Yet.
“Wow, it looks like there was a hell of a frat party in here last night.” That isn’t one of us either. I pry one eye open to search the living room. There’s a bigger, younger version of myself standing over me. “Why is there an eight of hearts stuck to your brother’s forehead?” Fucking playing cards. I slap the one on my forehead away.
“Smells kind of like a frat party too,” Travis says.
“Y’all shut up before you wake her,” I growl, climbing from the makeshift bed.
“Speaking of…?”
I scowl at my little brother as I head for the bathroom. Closing the door, I look at myself in the mirror. My face sports the start of a mountain man beard and mustache. It’s gone from a shadow to something more in the last few days. It’ll have towait until there’s hot water again. The idea of cold-water shaving makes me shudder.
My hair looks about as bad. Fortunately, I keep it short, so it just sticks up in strange directions. I turn the water on and try my best to convince it to lie down. A quick body wash, fresh deodorant, and I return to the living room. Harmony is still sound asleep. My brother and his boyfriend are at the kitchen table sipping coffee when I find them.
“How long has the electricity been out?” Travis asks.
“Day before yesterday?” Honestly, I can’t remember. My mind is still muddled from lack of sleep. “How are y’all here anyway?”
“Trace has a buddy who owns a business that deals in armored cars and stuff. He lent us a tank.”
“A tank?” This I have to see. Walking back in the living room, I sweep the edge of the curtain back. Sitting in front of the house is something that does look like a tank. At the very least, something the military would use. Huh. That would be a good thing to have, but based on the emblem on the front, it was out of my price range.
“So, I guess you and Harmony are getting along?” Travis asks when I return to the kitchen. I shrug. “She’s a really nice person, you know.” My gaze meets his. “Sorry, she got stranded with you. If I’d known, well?—”
“Well what?” I challenge. Was my little brother trying to warn me off. It’s too late if he is, but I’m not going to tell him that. As a matter of fact, it’s none of his business what goes on between us.
“Nothing,” he mumbles.
“The electricity went out,” I bark. “It’s freezing in the bedrooms, so the pull-out couch was the next best thing. What did you want me to do, huh, Travis? What are you trying to say?” I glare at him.
“I don’t think he’s saying anything, it’s just—” Trace started.
“Hi,” Harmony says from the doorway. She’s wrapped one of the blankets around her. “Merry Christmas,” she adds.
