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“Now we know that’s a lie,” Luke said, sending his cousin a gentle smile that never failed to make her do whatever the hell he wished.
“I’m gonna puke,” Jack growled.
“There’s also Angie to consider,” Joe said.
Pip scowled. “You need to move on there. She’s not right for you. Besides, I thought you said that was casual, and it’s been, what… two months?”
“Angie is a lovely woman, Pip,” Joe said, “and yes, it’s casual because I’ve kept it that way. I made that clear from the start, just a movie or meal occasionally.”
“So she knows where you stand then. Besides, there’s Ted.”
“Ted?” Joe looked around his family, who all seemed suddenly busy doing a shitload of nothing but avoiding eye contact with him.
“Ted?” he said again, this time louder with some steel behind it.
“You and she are just casual, you said so yourself,” Luke said, looking uncomfortable. “And Jed from the station said he saw Angie with Ted from the lodge a few weeks back. They looked….” Luke waved a hand, looking, if possible, more uncomfortable.
“Happy?” Joe said. “Pissed off? Like they’d had at each other?”
“That.” Luke pointed a finger at him.
“You’re twenty-fucking-five, Luke, you can say the word sex,” Joe teased him. It didn’t bother him overly about Angie. They’d only been casual, and then not very much. He liked her, but it was never serious, even if sometimes he wondered if she believed different.
“I agree with Pip,” Luke said.
“Ditto,” Jack added.
“About?” Joe asked.
“Angie not being right for you. She’s nice, but not for you.”
“Because I’m not nice?” Joe messed with his little brother.
“Oh, lay off him.” Pip stepped in like she always did. “You didn’t feel a thing when you heard Angie had been seen with Ted, so that just confirms what we think. Bailey would be better for you.”
“As she’s just arrived back in town after many years and we’ve barely conversed, I’m not sure why you think that.”
“Because you warned us off, and you never do that unless you’re serious,” Jack said.
“We’re not continuing this discussion,” Joe said, now the uncomfortable one. He gave his family the look.
Thankfully they let the subject of Angie and Bailey drop, and discussed business for a while. The Trainer siblings owned the cafe, several rental properties, and an industrial business in town, plus the ranch. After he’d straightened himself out, with the help of two friends Joe found he had an aptitude for playing the stock market. He’d then bought his first property, and their portfolio grew from there with the help of his family.
“I heard Mrs. Howard got into you again the other day, Joe. Why the hell do you put up with it?” Jack said. “Woman’s a bitch.”
“And I raised hell, so she’s within her rights to make me pay,” Joe said.
“You’ve paid already,” Luke said. “More than paid, and you need to let her know it. She thinks she has way more power in this town than she actually has. Jack calls her a remora.”
“Which is what exactly?” Joe asked.
“One of those little fish that sit on whales and get an easy ride.”
“Nice description.” Piper high-fived Jack.
“I don’t need anyone fighting my battles.” Joe eyeballed his siblings. “For the most this town has forgiven me. There’s just a few who haven’t, and I can handle them,” Joe lied. In fact, they pissed him off, and twisted his gut into knots when they came at him, but he’d never let them know that.
Chapter 9
