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“As long as you’re buying, handsome. But be warned if we hit it off you’ll have to deal with my brother-in-law who’s a cop and my nephew, also a cop. You will be thoroughly investigated and interrogated.” She turns around and squeezes my face between her fingers and thumbs. “They are a big pain in my ass.”
“You can’t fool me, you love us.” I smile, and she nods and smiles back, releasing my face.
“I put up with you lovable goons. What brings you in today, Officer James?”
“I heard you had a big end-of-spring clearance, welcoming summer sale happening. You know I love a good sale and I’m all about supporting a local family businesses.”
“That’s one of the reasons I love you. All about the family support.”
“By the way, do I still get the steep family discount on socks, shampoo, and conditioner if I buy in bulk?”
“That is why you guys are also a pain in my ass. Family discount on top of a sale? I don’t think so. The way you go through those three things, I’m not going to mention your brother and his stuff. I’d never make a profit if you did actually use the discount.” She laughs. “Also, by the way, I think you should kick the sock habit before you go broke.”
I shrug. “We all have our vices. If the only addiction I need to worry about is keeping my clean socks habit, shampoo, and conditioner under control, I’ll take it.” My eyes scan around the store for a familiar redhead.
“I’m in full agreement with you on that.” She pats me on the shoulder. “Where’s your partner today?”
“Miranda’s in the other aisle looking for dog toys. I wanted to talk to Opie. Is he working today?”
“You know he hates that old nickname.”
“I know.” I smile.
“I expect better from you,Officer,” she chides.
“I know you do. And you shouldn’t,” I say, walking away from her
“He was in the back of the store.” She smiles at me with a quirk of her lips which reminds me of my mom.
That’s the expression that reminds me how much I miss my mom and wish she was still alive. She could see what we grow up to be and hope she would be proud. I followed in my dad's footsteps and always try to do right by him and her memory, which hasn’t always been easy, but I had it easier than my brother. Not sure why that is. In any case, he’s getting his life together now, that’s a really good thing for all of us…progress.
“Hey,” I say, spotting him squatting over a big box, slicing it open with a box cutter.
He turns his head to the side, giving me a glance of acknowledgment with a chin up.
Okay, he’s in one of those moods. Maybe less will be more today. More agreeing less surliness. “What’s up?”
He looks up at me with a blank expression and spreads his hands apart over the box.
“I’m just trying to make small talk here, Holden.”
“I know. You suck at it. That’s why I don’t do it. I know my limitations.”
“Excuse me for wanting to bond with my brother. Find out what’s going on in your life.” I gesture toward him with my free hand.
“Cut the bull, Noah.” He picks up a price gun next to the box, pointing it between us. “Wehung out last week and had a beer. We hung out for an hour. We had an estimated record thirty minutes of conversation before I had to get on stage and play.”
We did. It was a surprise. By pure coincidence, we were at the same bar. Me with some of the guys from work and he was there to fill in and play guitar for one of his friend's bandmates who was sick. He and his friends don’t associate with my kind, but I was happy to excuse myself from my friends for a while and join him at the bar with his friends.
It’s been a long time since we hung out like that. I’m a cop and he’s…an ex-juvenile delinquent/con, skirting the lines of what’s acceptable by the law for me to look away. It was nice hanging out with my little brother and being proud as shit watching him on stage bringing the place down. I know he plays regularly at some other bar but I don’t think he wants me to know about that so…yeah.
“And why should the bonding stop there? Let’s keep a good thing going. How about Friday night?”
“Friday?” He swipes a couple of boxes with the gun while I wait for an answer.
“Yeah, we could even swing by Dad’s for a few.” He stops moving, almost freezing, then he swoops the box up.
He places it on a waist-high little table beside him and takes some smaller boxes out before turning to me with his signature sneer, and sarcastic smile. “Nice try, bro.”
