“Good work, Nancy Drew!” I say. “I’m glad you’re on the case.”
“Duke, are you?—”
“Relax, old man.” I hop off my barstool and start some eggs. “Roxanne has been falling asleep in the library, so last night I carried her upstairs to a guest room. The only one she’s messing around with is Jameson.”
“Of course,” Topper says, taking a sip of coffee. “That’s what we assumed.”
“Even if I was messing around with her, y’all would be filing it under none of your damn business. And no, I wouldn’t call it messing around because that sounds … well, not as romantic.”
Rusty and Topper stare at me.
“What?” I ask.
“Not asromantic?” Topper asks. “Brother, you’ve got it bad.”
“Playing house is not a good idea, boy,” Rusty says. “She is leaving soon, and if y’all don’t end up getting on, she might be less inclined to do right by us.”
“I think you know that’s not true,” I say, starting to peel potatoes. “Roxanne is a professional. She’s going todo rightby us whether we are playing house or not.”
As Rusty and Topper sit down at the long wooden table off the kitchen, I have a feeling there’s more to their concern. I finish making breakfast and set plates in front of them, then sit down to hear what they have to say.
“So … what’s up?” I ask.
Rusty motions for me to hand him the ketchup. “I think we’re going to need funding before the end of summer.”
“I can take care of it,” I offer.
“You can’t keep draining your savings, Duke,” Topper says.
“I have enough, and I have the rest of what Grand Dad left me.”
Topper and Rusty exchange glances and my chest tightens.
“Well, it seems like y’all have already talked, so let’s hear it. What have you cooked up while I’ve been working on the pasture fences?” I ask.
“You’re not gonna like it, but I think it’s worth a shot,” Rusty says mid-bite.
“That’s a nice build up,” I say.
“We think you should call …” Topper starts.
“Your brother,” Rusty finishes.
Hearing Rusty say that makes me go stone-cold still. I swallow my bite of eggs as if it’s glass shards in my throat.
“Not an option,” I finally say.
“Hasn’t he done some fundraising for other causes?” Topper says. “He found us this place, so seems like it’s worth a shot.”
I don’t respond right away as I think about the last time I saw Charlie in person. It was two years ago. He donned a sharp suit,expensive watch, and the same boyish charm, but there was something hollow behind his Hollywood grin. I barely recognized him. Fame had done something to my brother a long time ago, and while he did find us this property, he didn’t mind the photo ops and publicity that came with it.
“Let me think about it … unless … you’ve already called him because you knew I would be boiling mad and would refuse to do this.”
Topper arches an eyebrow. “We did already reach out to him and are you boiling mad?”
“I think you know the answer.”
Topper claps his hands together. “I knew it!”
