corporate as a welder. Still, it was definitely a step up from working as a bouncer in a titty bar. “Wow, that sounds pretty amazing. But uh, do you even own a suit anymore?” The one he’d worn to their father’s funeral hadn’t fit for years.
“Get this, they’re providing me with one and five shirts. How fucking awesome is that?” he grinned.
“That’s awesome covered in awesome sauce and itty bitty awesome sprinkles,” she admitted, matching his grin. “It sounds like we need to go tie shopping, and probably get you a hair cut. I don’t suppose they said you have to cut off that ridiculous goatee, did they?” she couldn’t help but tease.
“Really freaking funny,” he snorted. “This coming from a girl who wore pink streaks in her hair for a year?”
“Hey, I was twelve,” she scowled. “What’s your excuse?”
“I have it on good authority that many women find the goatee sexy as hell.” He stroked his chin fondly.
“Eewh, how about we don’t talk about the hell where I’m tormented by your fuck buddies, huh?”
Ian chuckled, collapsing on the couch with a happy sigh. “Do you know what this means?”
“You don’t have to worry about coming home from work with puke on your shoes anymore?”
“I’m trying to be serious.”
As usual his sense of humor was severely lacking. “I don’t have to add you to my insurance at work?” she tried again, going for something practical as she sat beside him.
“That, and it means for the first time since Dad died, I feel like we’re going to be okay.”
Her heart twisted at that, it always gave her a pang to think what her father would think about some of her life choices, but there wasn’t much point in dwelling on it. “Aw, Ian, we’ve been okay.”
“We’ve been scraping by, I wouldn’t call that okay.”
“I happen to like the way we turned out. I don’t think we did such a bad job.”
“Maybe not, but you know I’ve always wanted better for you, for the both of us. Maybe now we can afford to get out of this shithole and…”
“Into a more expensive shithole?” One eyebrow came up. “Don’t jump the gun, big brother, you ain’t been paid yet.”
“Meaning what?”
“Meaning, let’s not count our chickens before they’re hatched. I say we hold off and save our money and see where we are in a few months’ time.” Besides, she couldn’t help but think about Ethan and how he fit into everything. She’d be lying to herself if she didn’t admit to thinking about moving in with him someday, dangerous job or not. As long as she had a non-enclosed space to duck into whenever Rikard came to call, she didn’t think it was such a bad idea.
“Look before we leap?” He weighed the thought over, giving a slow nod. “I hate to say it, but I think my Cady-bear is growing up.”
“One of us had to,” she snorted. “Besides, who knows if you’ll always want your dumb sister cramping your style anyway? If we’re both doing well enough, maybe the next move is each finding a place of our own?”
“You want to get a place of your own?”
“I don’t know, probably some day I will. Won’t you?”
“I guess so, maybe. But you’re not cramping my style, kiddo.”
“Maybe you’re cramping mine a little?” she shrugged, wishing she hadn’t said anything from the pained look around his eyes.
“Why, are you seeing somebody? Kelli said something about you making out with a cop the other day. I hate hearing about that shit second hand, you know.”
“That was nothing, just a misunderstanding,” she said with a dismissive wave.
“Funny how many misunderstandings end up with someone’s tongue in your mouth.”
“It was nothing, trust me. I’m definitely not dating that guy. Why is Kelli talking about my love life, and what’s up with the two of you anyway?”
Ian slapped his thigh, his entire posture shifting to an I don’t want to talk
“Get this, they’re providing me with one and five shirts. How fucking awesome is that?” he grinned.
“That’s awesome covered in awesome sauce and itty bitty awesome sprinkles,” she admitted, matching his grin. “It sounds like we need to go tie shopping, and probably get you a hair cut. I don’t suppose they said you have to cut off that ridiculous goatee, did they?” she couldn’t help but tease.
“Really freaking funny,” he snorted. “This coming from a girl who wore pink streaks in her hair for a year?”
“Hey, I was twelve,” she scowled. “What’s your excuse?”
“I have it on good authority that many women find the goatee sexy as hell.” He stroked his chin fondly.
“Eewh, how about we don’t talk about the hell where I’m tormented by your fuck buddies, huh?”
Ian chuckled, collapsing on the couch with a happy sigh. “Do you know what this means?”
“You don’t have to worry about coming home from work with puke on your shoes anymore?”
“I’m trying to be serious.”
As usual his sense of humor was severely lacking. “I don’t have to add you to my insurance at work?” she tried again, going for something practical as she sat beside him.
“That, and it means for the first time since Dad died, I feel like we’re going to be okay.”
Her heart twisted at that, it always gave her a pang to think what her father would think about some of her life choices, but there wasn’t much point in dwelling on it. “Aw, Ian, we’ve been okay.”
“We’ve been scraping by, I wouldn’t call that okay.”
“I happen to like the way we turned out. I don’t think we did such a bad job.”
“Maybe not, but you know I’ve always wanted better for you, for the both of us. Maybe now we can afford to get out of this shithole and…”
“Into a more expensive shithole?” One eyebrow came up. “Don’t jump the gun, big brother, you ain’t been paid yet.”
“Meaning what?”
“Meaning, let’s not count our chickens before they’re hatched. I say we hold off and save our money and see where we are in a few months’ time.” Besides, she couldn’t help but think about Ethan and how he fit into everything. She’d be lying to herself if she didn’t admit to thinking about moving in with him someday, dangerous job or not. As long as she had a non-enclosed space to duck into whenever Rikard came to call, she didn’t think it was such a bad idea.
“Look before we leap?” He weighed the thought over, giving a slow nod. “I hate to say it, but I think my Cady-bear is growing up.”
“One of us had to,” she snorted. “Besides, who knows if you’ll always want your dumb sister cramping your style anyway? If we’re both doing well enough, maybe the next move is each finding a place of our own?”
“You want to get a place of your own?”
“I don’t know, probably some day I will. Won’t you?”
“I guess so, maybe. But you’re not cramping my style, kiddo.”
“Maybe you’re cramping mine a little?” she shrugged, wishing she hadn’t said anything from the pained look around his eyes.
“Why, are you seeing somebody? Kelli said something about you making out with a cop the other day. I hate hearing about that shit second hand, you know.”
“That was nothing, just a misunderstanding,” she said with a dismissive wave.
“Funny how many misunderstandings end up with someone’s tongue in your mouth.”
“It was nothing, trust me. I’m definitely not dating that guy. Why is Kelli talking about my love life, and what’s up with the two of you anyway?”
Ian slapped his thigh, his entire posture shifting to an I don’t want to talk
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