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“Two things.”
“One?” Sawyer said, picking up another ball.
“I think we need to do a random act of kindness on the Dudleys as well as the McAllisters.”
“Why the Dudleys?” Even hearing her surname made him tense.
“I was in the grocery store, and Linda-Ray Dudley was in there buying food,” Ryder said.
“Which is what you do in a place like that.” Sawyer let the ball fly again, and the dogs barked in excitement, then jumped into the water.
“You think?”
“Tell your story.” Sawyer waved his brother on.
“Mr. Dudley had an accident and fell off a ladder wiring up some lights outside Calloway’s last week, and his leg is broken in two places. Plus, he got a concussion.”
“And they have four kids who need food and school supplies, and there are utilities to pay?” Sawyer asked.
“Yeah. Got any more coffee?”
“You bring me baked goods?” Sawyer asked.
“I got some, but you need to work for it.”
Sawyer watched his brother head into the kitchen. Ryder was the good-natured Duke sibling, who was most like their father. Laid-back, friendly, but not too much like Dan. If you went at him, he fought back.
“So, we have to come up with a way to get the money to them and the McAllisters,” Sawyer said.
“I’ve been thinking about that,” Ryder said, returning.
Few knew the Dukes had money. But they did and lots of it. They’d set up a fund that was for helping people who needed it. They’d been handing out money for years without people realizing it. So far, their excuses were lottery winnings, taxes, and random rebates for things. No one to date had dug too deep into where the money came from. The Dukes could be inventive when required.
They were all in on it, even Uncle Asher. He was often the one who told them someone was struggling.
“I’m thinking a tax rebate for the Dudleys and overpayment of hospital bills for the McAllisters,” Ryder said. “We’ll get Brody to make up some kind of formal letter.”
“Yeah, sounds good. I’ll call him now, and he can work his magic. We’ll drop it in an envelope into their letter boxes tonight when it’s dark.”
That should stop the Madame Fleur shit, and he didn’t want to get started on the risks Birdie took going to the Gray Dog to gamble.
There was reluctant admiration there too. She’d done what was needed to pay her share of the medical bills, and Sawyer respected that, even while he hated what she was forced to do.
“Why does Birdie put herself down all the time?” Sawyer asked, thinking about her comments that night after the rehearsal dinner.
“What?” Ryder frowned. “She doesn’t.”
“She does and told me she works two jobs because she’s not smart enough to make the same money doing one like her siblings.”
“She said that?” Ryder looked shocked. Sawyer nodded.
“I didn’t know she felt that way.”
“Maybe you need to pay more attention to her, seeing as she’s your friend.”
“Maybe I do,” Ryder said slowly. “Thanks for telling me, and I’m glad you and her got along well enough that she could share that stuff. You can be her friend now too.”
Hell no.
