“What was that about?” my father asks as the three of us cross the backyard, leading Ginger to her new home in my fully stocked stable.
“That would be my lady friend.”
Dane rears his head back, and his eyebrows furrow. “What?”
Dad is almost as confused.
“She was my professor for a nature study class I took a couple of years ago.”
“That you failed,” my brother adds, unnecessarily.
I shrug and guide Ginger into the stable. “And we hooked up.”
Dad looks like he’s about to choke, but Dane rolls his eyes. “No you didn’t. And she’s married.”
“You hooked up with your professor, son?”
I run my hands along Ginger’s face and scrub behind her ears. “Not when I was a student. It was right before I won the lottery... the night before, actually. And she’s not married anymore.”
My brother is too stunned to speak. He just looks at me, fumbling for even one word, but nothing concrete forms.
“Does she know about your winnings?” Dad asks.
“No.”
“Good.”
“Why can’t I tell her though? She wouldn’t tell anyone.”
Dad shakes his head before plucking the new horse brush off the shelf and running it through Ginger’s tufts. “It’s not just about her telling anyone. It’s about her asking for money because she knows how deep your pockets are.”
“But she’s seen where I live.”
“It’s different, Jonah. Just stick to what the attorneys said.”
“That’s no fun. And she’s so hot, I just wanna... I don’t know...” I trail off because I really don’t know how to finish that sentence.
“Give her everything she’s ever wanted?” Dad offers.
My brain bulb clicks on. “Yeah!”
Dad sighs. “Son, I don’t think Renée is your speed.”
“Oh, that’s okay. Not a lot of people can run as fast as me. I wouldn’t hold it against her.”
“No, bud—”
Dane cuts him off. “He means she’s way out of your league, much older than you, and in a different part of her life than you.”
“I just wanna hook up with her. She can’t be that much older than me,” I say with a huff. “Plus, I don’t really care that she’s older. If anything, it turns me on.”
Dad throws his hands up in surrender. “Okay, you don’tneed to say everything that floats through your mind when I’m here.”
I direct my focus to Dane. “What do you mean she’s out of my league? She’s hot as hell, and we’d be hot together. God.” I sigh wistfully. “Can’t you picture it?”
“No, and don’t ask me to do that again.” His lip curls up as the pause lingers between us. “She’s way smarter than you, bro. Like, leagues smarter.” He gestures with his hands like he’s scaling a ladder. “Granted, most people are, but she’s still smarter than most people.”
Dad lightly shoves his middle child. “Don’t say that about your brother.”
