He held up his hand. “You’re fine.”
Pearl forced a smile, tossing her cigarette into the can of beer she was holding. “I’ve been trying to quit for years. But,” she raised her brows and shrugged, “we all have our vices, and this is mine.”
“Imperfections. It’s what makes us human.” Jonah smiled.
“Well,” she snorted and walked toward him, “I’m extremely human. And unfortunately, cigarettes are my go-to for calming my nerves.”
“Nervous?”
Pearl smacked her lips together, stalling. He’d just met her and usually wasn’t the best support for women he didn’t know.Or am I?Kenzie would probably dispute that statement.
“I’m a little overwhelmed. When John asked me to visit, I didn’t even hesitate to say yes. But now that I’m actually here, around the family, I just …”
“Feel like an outsider?”
“Yes.”
“If it’s any consolation, I’m new here too. So, I understand what you’re saying.” Jonah nodded. “But as someone who has some insider information, I can tell you, they were all looking forward to you coming.”
She smiled, and her tension eased slightly. “Really?”
“Yeah, Roxanne especially. You make John happy. That’s all that matters to them.”
She laughed, glancing up at him, ease spreading across her features. “Thank you.”
“Let’s get inside before we freeze out here.”
Pearl scoffed. “This is your idea of freezing? I take it you’ve never been to Nebraska in the winter?”
“No.”
“It shows.” She winked.
Jonah laughed and stepped back, allowing her to pass. He followed her to the patio and reached out, sliding the door open. Jonah walked in behind her but abruptly halted when Pearl stopped a few feet into the kitchen. Jonah glanced past the woman to find everyone gathered, staring at them.
What the …
“Are they staring at me or you?” Pearl muttered quietly.
“I don’t know.” Jonah looked at Roxanne, who was openly smirking.
What the hell was going on? It was on the tip of his tongue to ask, but Bogs beat him to it.
“We’re all available next Saturday, but our services are gonna cost you. We don’t work for free. You gotta feed us.”
“Such an asshole.” Stone slapped his brother on the back of his head, rounding the kitchen island. “We got a job next week, but we’ll be back on Friday. You rent the truck and I’ll pick it up.”
Rent a truck? What the hell was he talking about?
“She’s got a lot of shit, man,” T said.
“Possessions, T. I don’t ownshit.” Roxanne glared at her brother and then glanced up at him, offering a playful smile. “And if I do, it’s the good shit.”
Jonah was at a complete loss until Holden stepped up next to Roxanne. His eyes widened like a deer caught in headlights. “Yeah, so I thought you already asked Rox to move in.”
Fuck me.Was nothing sacred to this kid? Jonah had made a point of having the conversation with his brothers. He may have owned the house, but it was their home too. Eventually, they’d move out, but for now, he wanted to make sure they were good with Roxanne moving in. Jonah could’ve rationalized the reasoning. She spent most of her nights at his place. She was wasting her money on rent. It made sense. And selfishly, he wanted her in his life, in his space that would become theirs. Forever.
Roxanne burst out laughing, hooking her thumb over her shoulder. “Holden swears Cord is on board.” She squinted. “Is he?”
