“Don’t worry about it,” Rick tells her. “You showing up today was more than a pleasant surprise. It falls in the category of life changing in the best way.”
That earns him a broad smile. “Thank you, Rick,” she says again.
Rick checks his watch. “No need to keep thanking me. I should be the one thanking you for tracking me down. Can’t believe I actually have a sister.”
He adds, “Make yourself at home, chill out, nibble on cake, and give us three or four hours. Will that be okay?”
She nods quickly. “Of course. I’ll probably unpack my bag and take a nap.”
“Power naps are supposed to be healthy. You’ve got my number,” Rick says. “If you need anything or something unusual pops off, call me.”
“I will,” she says softly.
I follow Rick outside and he’s smiling and happier than I’ve ever seen him. I can’t blame him. Finding his long lost sister is by far the best thing that’s ever happened to him.
Chapter 4
Natalie
I’ve been living with my brother for coming up on three weeks now. I’ve been shopping for new clothing and hygiene supplies. And I’ve been diligently looking for a job. Unfortunately, I haven’t had any luck so far. Other than not being able to find work, everything is going really well. I called my former foster parents the day after I arrived in Las Salinas and told them I was leaving home. It went as well as I thought it would—as in not good at all. They tried to coerce me to come back and made threats. I feel awful leaving the other kids in the lurch like that, but I’m no longer a child. I’m nineteen and need to live my own life.
Today Rick and Bear insist upon taking me out for lunch at a small Mexican restaurant a few blocks from the clubhouse. When we walk in, I’m pleased to see it’s one of those spots with snazzy cha-cha music, leather booths and menus written in English and Spanish. They bring us drinks with umbrellas and chips and salsa in a cute little basket.
When Rick shoves the basket my way, I take a chip and munch on it. Bear sits across from me with his broad shoulders filling the booth. He always looks serious when we’re in public, whereas my brother is kinda smiley. I love going out with my brother and his friend. In fact, I love everything about my new life.
I also realize I’m starting to get some kind of feelings for my brother’s big friend.
Rick clears his throat and announces, “I guess you are probably curious about why we invited you to lunch in the middle of the workday.”
I flash him a smile. “I’ve been here for coming up on a month and this is a first. Normally, you two are hustling so hard during the day that you rarely even make time for lunch. It’s why I started buying you protein bars to take with you in the morning.”
“And we do appreciate those,” he says, glancing between Bear and me. “So, you have a pretty good handle on what we do for a living, right?”
I take a mouthful of my drink before answering. “You deliver meds to Las Salinas and the surrounding towns.” Pausing to take another sip of my drink, I add, “I think it’s really cool that the two of you are business owners. It was a smart, resourceful thing to do.”
“That’s it in a nutshell. The thing is, our business is growing,” Bear says. His voice is deep and rich. It shouldn’t affect me so much, but it does.
Rick explains, “We’ve got contracts with five pharmacies now and serve the whole Tri-county area. Routes are getting stupid tight.”
“Rick’s still prospectin’ so he’s gotta pull shifts at the clubhouse,” Bear adds, “so coverage is inconsistent.”
Rick winces. “I don’t love being called fuckin’ inconsistent, bro.”
“You are,” Bear replies calmly. “Through no fault of your own. You’re only one dude. You can’t be in two places at once.”
I let them talk, watching how they bump heads then find a way to make it right.
Finally, I tilt my head. “Why are you telling me this? Do you want me to help you brainstorm solutions because of my superior planning and organization abilities?”
Bear snorts a laugh. “No, darlin’. We need another driver.”
Rick jumps in. “What we need is someone reliable with good judgment, who we can trust not to fuck our business model up.”
“You want me to deliver meds?” I ask.
“Yes,” Bear answers bluntly. “You’ve been looking for a job, and we have one to offer you.”
Rick nods in agreement. “It feels dumb to hire an outsider when you’re right here.”
