Circle on Home (Lost in a Boom Town Book 5) (26 page)

“Thinking about getting a place closer to town.”

Ben’s eyes widened. “Seriously. Moving out.”

Now this, Noah hadn't planned to discuss with him. He nodded toward their sister, who was visiting with Liz Salazar from the salon, and glancing their direction every now and again. “And taking Selena.”

“Are you serious?”

“Yeah, I am. It’s Dad’s land, let him have it.”

“And leave me out there with him.”

Noah shrugged. “Up to you. I figure you’ll find a job or meet a woman and you’ll want better. I’m sorry I didn't put more money into the house, more effort. Even if Dad hadn't come home, it’s not a place I’d want to bring a wife, not the way it is.”

Ben grunted and shoved a forkful of potato salad into his mouth. “What about your animals?”

“I’m working on that,” Noah said. He wanted so much to ask about what Ben and their father had talked about last night at the bar, but right now they had an easy truce. He didn't want to shake it up just yet.
 

They made small talk as they ate, Ben telling him about the men he’d be guiding over the weekend, Noah talking about the cow he’d treated this morning, who’d had her stomach out of place.
 

“We had to sedate her and roll her onto her back,” he told his brother. “Then I had to suture her stomach in place.”

“Have you treated a cow for that before?” Ben asked.

“No, I had to do some research to figure out what was wrong. She was in a bad way, but she should be okay by now.”

Ben shook his head. “My life is much simpler than yours.”

Noah chuckled. “Maybe professionally. Not personally.”
 

Once Selena had cleared their plates, Noah folded his arms on the table.
 

“You’d think those women would keep you out of Garcia’s.”

Ben tensed again. “Maybe the women chase me into Garcia’s,” he retorted.
 

Noah laughed again. “Not a surprise.”

“I was surprised to see Dad come in,” Ben said. “If I hadn't already had a couple of beers, I would have probably walked out. But when he sat beside me and said he owed me a drink, well, I figured that was the least thing he owed me.”

Noah could see that. He held his breath, not wanting to say anything that would stop his brother from continuing.
 

“One drink led to another. You should have seen his face when he took that first drink, man.” Ben shook his head. “It was like he’d reached Nirvana. I almost felt bad for him. But then he didn't stop, you know, and I wanted to go, but I didn't want him drinking and driving.”

“So you did it?” Noah bit his tongue as soon as he said the words. “Max didn't stop you?”

“We left when Max was busy at the other end of the bar. We shouldn't have. I know. I was careful, though, and there wasn't much traffic.”

Noah had promised not to lecture, but damn, he wanted to tell his brother how much Ben’s drinking bothered him. How many problems he foresaw his brother having because of it. How much it reminded him of their father. But any of those things would put Ben’s back up, he knew. He had to find a way, but now wasn't the time.

“Thank God you were safe,” Noah said.
 

Ben scrubbed a hand down his face. “Yeah, looking back, that was a stupid thing to do. Getting drunk with Dad was pretty stupid, too.”

“What did he say?”

Ben studied his tea pretty seriously. “Honestly, it was kind of a bitchfest about you.”

“About me.” Ouch. But not a shock.

“Yeah, about how you're running things and how you want everyone to do things your way.”

“Because I’m the grown-up in the family?” Noah fought not to let his temper show. He had asked, after all.

“Because you act like your—” Ben stopped himself when Darlene dropped off the check. “Like your feet don't stink,” Ben modified the saying that Noah was very familiar with.

“Can’t help it that I want people in the house to think about other people in the house,” Noah said, and realized how prim he sounded.
 

“He also said you asked him about some missing drugs from your office.”

Of course he did. Was his brother ready to defend their father? “I asked him what he knew about those kinds of drugs. He used, you know, before he went in. There’s no reason to think he didn't use when he was in, too, that he wouldn't know what the value of those pills were.”

Ben lifted a shoulder. “No reason to think he’d take them, either.”

“I didn't ask if he took them.”

“But you thought he might have.”

“Ben, I don’t even think he knows where my clinic is.”

Ben lifted a shoulder. “Probably true. Did you go to the sheriff?”

“Yeah, but I didn't have enough information. I don't know when exactly it went missing, only the last time I used it.”
 

“A lot of roughnecks liked to party. Could have been any of them.”

“Or anyone selling to them.”

“So what’s the sheriff’s department doing?”

“They’re looking into the background of my techs.”

Ben’s eyes widened. “You don't even trust your employees?”

“There was no sign of a break-in. It had to be an inside job.”

Ben shook his head in disbelief at Noah’s assumption.
 

“Look, I can’t just let this go. People use it as a party drug, but it can be dangerous. I don't want it to be traced back to me and I would have done nothing. I want to know who risked their job and profited off of my investment.”

“Who do you think it is?”

Noah didn't want to name names. “Why, you dating one of my girls, too?”

Ben lifted a shoulder.
 

Noah frowned, unsure of which of his techs were married. He thought Kayla was, and maybe Lisa. Janie, he knew, was single. But Ben hadn't specified if he was just dating single women. He wouldn't put it past his brother to date married ones, too, though that would be hard to keep secret in Evansville.

When the brothers walked out of the Coyote, Noah saw that Miranda’s car was parked in front of the antique store, so she must be in her office upstairs. He’d forgotten she’d asked him to ask Ben to help her put it together.

He slapped his brother’s arm with the back of his hand and nodded toward Miranda’s car. “You got any tools with you? She needed some help putting together some of her furniture for her office.”

Ben gave him a look.

“What, are you busy?”

“Nah, not busy. And yeah, I have some stuff in my truck.” He crossed the street to his parking slot, opened the toolbox in the back of his truck and pulled out a smaller toolbox. “Let’s go see what she needs.”

Noah led the way up the stairs and to the office. Her door was open, even though the day was cool, but he could smell the paint fumes even out on the stairs.
 

“Miranda?” he called, sticking his head in the door, but he didn't see her. She must be in the inner office.
 

A moment later she poked her head out the door. “Noah? What are you doing here?”

“I brought Ben to help you put your furniture together. Still need help?”

She leaned against the door and gave him a smile that shot straight to his groin, and reminded him how she had felt in his arms last night. He straightened, feeling like the king of the world for earning that smile.

“You don't know how relieved I am to hear it, because I’m losing my mind here, with all the pieces.” She looked past him and her smile adjusted. “Hey, Ben. How’s it going?”

“It’s going. What have you got in there?”

She swiped the back of her hand across her forehead. “A chair that was supposed to have like six pieces but actually has about a couple dozen and I don't know where everything goes.”

Ben pushed past Noah to enter the office, holding his tool box ahead of him. He passed her, leaving Noah and Miranda alone long enough for him to greet her with a soft kiss.
 

“I saw that,” Ben said from the other room.
 

Noah grunted. “You need any help? I mean, other than Ben’s?”

She shook her head. “Don’t you have to work today?”

“I have an hour or so before my next appointment.”

“We could go in there and watch Ben work,” she said over her shoulder.

He liked how she teased his brother, how Ben responded in kind. He sensed his brother relaxing, and he did, too.
 

The office looked different with the furniture in it, more crowded. She had a rolled up carpet leaning against the window, and a box with presumably the other chair leaning against the wall. The desk in the reception area, along with the two upholstered chairs, were assembled. He looked into the inner office, and saw an even bigger desk, with a laptop open on it. He glimpsed the screen’s reflection in the mirror behind her and saw she had it open to a schematic for a chair. That was one thing he really admired about her, her determination to get things done on her own.

“So my timing was good.” He inclined his head toward the computer.

“There was a very strong possibility you might have had to step over the busted pieces to get up the stairs.”
 

He chuckled and crouched beside his brother. Together they got the chair assembled in about fifteen minutes, then laid out the pieces for the other before Noah had to leave to go to his next appointment.
 

“Coming by later?” she asked, walking him out onto the top of the steps.
 

“Sure. You want me to bring anything?”

She scowled. “I’m going to cook. I can get it this time. And it will be better if we eat first, you know.”

“Will your roommates be there?”

“Probably. I don't know about Jolie, but Riley will probably be there.” She leaned back, folding her arms over her chest. “Is that a problem?”

“No, I guess. I haven't had to worry about that before, though.”

She unfolded her arms and stepped forward to touch his face. “Afraid you can’t be quiet?”

“Not me I’m worried about.” He bent his head and kissed her, soft and deep, then turned and left.

“Not sure what you see in him,” Ben said when she walked back into the office.

“Sorry?”

“He’s cranky and always serious and possibly the bossiest person I’ve ever met.”

“He had to grow up fast. But when we were young, we knew how to have fun. I’m hoping maybe we can get back there again.” She hefted herself on the desk and crossed her legs to watch him work. “He’s the best man I’ve ever known, Ben. He had a lot of responsibility put on him at a young age, and he rose to the challenge.”

“He looked for himself first. He went off to college.”

“But he made sure you and Selena had a home, and he came back here so you could have the stability, without leaving the home you’ve known. He’s just…gone inside himself lately, and it might take some effort to get him to come out again.”
 

“I imagine if anyone can get him to come out, you can.”

“I appreciate that vote of confidence,” she said with a laugh.

“He was happiest with you.”

“Not with Jacinta?”

Ben stopped working and looked up at her. “He told you about her?”

“Not details, just that they were pretty serious before she moved away, and he didn't go with her.”

“I guess he was happy then, but she didn't come around too much, so we didn't know her as well. Seemed like you were at the house a lot.”

“I don’t really remember.” She did, though. She remembered Noah bringing her reluctantly, and her not wanting to be there. Either his father was pissed, or overly charming, and both versions made her skin crawl.
 

“Doesn’t really matter anymore, I guess. He’s saying he’s going to bring Selena into town, find a house for the two of them.”