Page 29 of Rain or Shine

“I like the tall one with the tattoos,” Etta says, fixing her gray curls and adjusting her shirt like she’s going to get up and walk down the street at any moment.

“They all have tattoos,” Ruby points out.

“I’m talking about Mr. Tall, Dark, and Handsome with the snake on his arm.”

Ruby and Alice hum in agreement as they sip their wine, watching Shane help East lift a steel beam into the back of a truck.

“I’ll take the one with the big, muscly arms,” Alice decides, eyeing Aiden.

Etta scoffs. “You wouldn’t know what to do with him.”

“You’d pull a muscle swinging a leg over his bike,” Ruby agrees.

“And it would be worth it.” Alice grins, and they all laugh.

The three ladies keep watching the guys load their truck, jumping in their seats when Shane and East drop a large metal post and it echoes down the street.

I swallow down a laugh, and they all glance my way.

“What about you?” Etta eyes me, tipping her wineglass at the guys. “I hear these boys have been hanging around the bar quite a bit, honey. Which one’s caught your eye?”

I glance down the street just as Shane grabs the bottom of his T-shirt to wipe the sweat off his forehead and—holy hell—am I still breathing? The man is solid, inked muscle. It should be illegal for him to do that in the middle of town.

Clearing my throat, I turn back to Etta and ignore her question. “Can I get any of you a refill?”

“Mm-hmm.” Etta narrows her eyes while Ruby and Alice giggle. “We’re good, honey.”

Ruby’s gaze drifts over my shoulder with a smile. “Hey, Tony. You’re looking handsome today.”

“Compliments only get you one round of free drinks. That’s the limit.” Dad grins.

“Better than nothing.” Ruby winks back, and he chuckles.

The reek of cigarettes wafts off him as he stops beside me.

“You’re going to give yourself another heart attack if you keep smoking.”

“You worry too much.” Dad wraps his arm around me, and the scent is even stronger. “I’m not eating red meat anymore. I even had a vegetable yesterday. Will started a garden at the ranch because he knows I can’t turn down anything you kids grow. I’m doing better. It was just one smoke to take the edge off. I promise I’m quitting.”

I close my eyes, leaning into his hug and wishing I believed him.

Dad is a stubborn man who has always lived his life exactly as he chooses, no matter the consequences. Ransack’s financial problems are proof of that.

At least those are money issues. This is his life.

“I’m quitting tomorrow,” he promises, kissing the top of my head.

“I’m holding you to it.”

“I know you will.” Dad glances to the mess of graffiti on the bar door. “Why are you out here cleaning up this mess? I told you I’ll have someone stop by to take care of it.”

“Why pay someone to do it when I’m perfectly capable of doing it myself?”

“I could call one of your brothers.”

“They have enough on their plates.” I grab a sponge, scrubbing the neon pink penis again.

At least this one is just a dick and not a couple fucking like the last picture that was painted on this window. Usually it comes off easily with a quick scrub. But the teenagers tagged a part of the doorframe this time, and it’s not wiping off the wood.