Smooth Moves

by Marie Harte

  * * *

  Evan dropped off the furniture with some help from Will’s brother and returned to the office three hours later. A traffic accident, combined with the five o’clock rush, had pushed him into a bad time to be on the road.

  He checked the truck back in to the large warehouse space they shared with a local bakery’s delivery vehicles. The original office, which used to exist on the ground floor near the front of the building, had been under repair since Vets on the Go! had opened. It was supposed to be fixed at some point, but his cousins had decided to make the upstairs space the central point of the company. With all the business they’d had recently, no one had the time or energy to redo what had already been done.

  Taking the stairs to the second floor, Evan walked down the long hallway, passing a watch repair shop and phone/computer repair store on his right and a clothing boutique on the left. “Clothing boutique” was being kind. Miriam, an older woman who equated female empowerment with sexual awareness, sold clothes when not running her workshops where women got naked and explored themselves.

  As the new guy, he’d been pranked not long ago into dealing with her on behalf of his poor, beleaguered cousin Reid.

  Evan still couldn’t believe he’d fallen for it. Especially since Reid had claimed not to be able to handle the woman himself. As if. Reid could and did handle everything that came at him. He’d been the one to come up with the idea of tailoring a moving company to employ veterans, making a future for his rough-talking older brother, Cash.

  Added to that, they now employed more than a dozen veterans and had made a name for themselves as trustworthy and professional. Being a part of Vets on the Go! with his family made Evan proud and helped him feel included. As part of a larger family.

  Too bad that like all families, this one had its share of dysfunction.

  And speaking of which…

  “Oh, there you are, Mr. Suave,” a deep voice growled from the main office at the end of the hall. “Reid was looking for you.” A large man with large muscles and an even bigger mouth stood in the doorway, looking like a mountain of irritability under that scowl.

  “And now my day is complete.” Evan glared at Smith, the old new guy. Smith had only been with the company for a few weeks longer than Evan.

  Smith Ramsey—Cash and Reid’s secret brother, who wasn’t so secret considering Smith and Cash resembled each other way too much to be a coincidence. But only family and Cash’s girlfriend knew the truth. Evan still wondered if Smith knew of the connection, but he’d leave that to his cousins to sort out.

  “What’s wrong, Griffith? Not used to working up a sweat?” Smith smirked.

  Evan resisted the urge to wipe that smirk off his face because one, the guy was huge, and two, the punch might be satisfying but the resultant mess they’d make of the office would be a nightmare. Evan preferred a peaceful resolution over a physical one, and he really didn’t want Smith rearranging his face. Ever.

  Evan ignored him, not giving Smith the reaction he wanted, and stepped past him toward Reid’s office.

  Vets on the Go! stood at the end of the long hallway, a suite of four rooms, the main lobby being the largest. Behind the welcome desk sat Finley, a prior Navy guy, typing into a computer. No one waited in the seating area, and the other two offices looked dark behind the glass doors. Beyond the desk, Reid’s voice carried past his open door.

  Finley glanced up from the computer, stopped typing, and picked up the quarter lying next to the keyboard. “Reid wants you.”

  “I heard.”

  Finley flipped the coin over his knuckles with a dexterity best left to thieves and magicians. He said he had magic in his blood, but Evan wouldn’t put it past the guy to also have a shady history. Like most of the colorful staff at Vets on the Go!, Finley had served his country and had an entertaining past. Because God forbid his cousins hire normal people.

  The thought popped into his head: As if you’re normal? He had adjusted to the motley crew pretty fast.

  He walked into Reid’s office and was waved into a seat. As usual, his cousin had a full cup of coffee by a stack of invoices and paper piles neatly organized on his desk. The demand for their services continued to skyrocket, and Evan couldn’t be happier. He usually downplayed his excitement, though he watched every single Vets on the Go! commercial on TV, getting a huge kick out of seeing his and his cousins’ faces flashing across the screen.

  Reid hung up the phone and groaned. “Man, I need a break. Is it Friday yet?”

  “Try Tuesday, five-ish. Want to go grab a cold one while we chat?”

  “Hell yeah.” They left Reid’s office after Reid had gathered his things. “Finley, lock up and go home.”

  “Roger that.”

  Smith must have already left because Evan saw no sign of the gruff man. As he and Reid walked down the stairs and made small talk, Evan filled him in on his day and had Reid in tears by the time they reached their cars.

  “Seriously? You got taken by a teenager?”

  “Laugh it up. The kid was good. Smoother than Finley, and I—” His phone buzzed in his back pocket, and unfortunately his ring tone…was not what it should have been.

  Reid blinked. “Your ring tone is ‘Dancing Queen’? ABBA, Evan? Really?”

  Evan flushed. “That freakin’ kid.”

  Reid burst into more laughter. Great. Evan would be hearing about this for days.

  They planned to meet at their usual hangout, a bar a short drive away. Ringo’s Bar had great appetizers and killer dark ales. More than ready to sit down and eat, Evan entered and found Cash and his girlfriend, Jordan, sitting at a table, arguing over something.

  “Man, he and Smith really do look alike,” Evan said once Reid had joined him by the entrance.

  Reid nodded. “We’re still not sure how to handle it. I mean, it’s weird enough Smith is my half brother. But to know Cash is too? That Dad wasn’t Cash’s dad? Weird. Weirder to think Smith and Cash are actually full-on siblings.”

  Evan had learned, along with his cousins, that his aunt Angela had been unfaithful. So while Uncle Charles was Reid’s dad, the man didn’t have any blood relation to Cash, which would explain the ugly family dynamics from years past.

  “Sometimes it’s good to be an only child,” Evan said, meaning it, wondering if that was why Daniel, the phone thief, had acted out. Evan had done his share of rebellion growing up, though never to the extent of thievery. Or breaking the law. Or getting a detention. Man, I guess I am as boring as Sheila accused me of being.

  But what could he do? Evan had responsibilities, a mother who needed him, and a career he cared about. Blowing it all off to spend a spur-of-the-moment getaway in Hawaii with Sheila, on his tab, didn’t make much sense. The sex would have been nice, but not when it came with so much attached. Ending it with her months ago had been a no-brainer, but now he had to consider her insults might have had merit.

  Cash looked up and waved them over.

  Reid tugged Evan with him. “No talking about Smith, okay?”

  “You don’t have to tell me twice. Guy gets on my last damn nerve.”

  Reid chuckled. “Yeah, he’s just like Cash.”

  They reached the table, and Jordan scooted over in the booth. Before Reid could sit with her, Evan nudged him out of the way. “Let me sit next to the hot chick. You sit next to Conan.”

  “Funny guy.” Cash grinned. He smiled a lot more now that he’d hooked up with Jordan, another veteran and fellow Vets on the Go! employee. With Cash and Jordan now living and working together, the jokes at work had been flying fast and free. And mostly by Smith, come to think of it.

  Evan asked, “So when are you coming back to work? The cast comes off, what, in four more weeks?”

  Cash nodded and held up his casted left arm.

  Jordan frowned. “No, the doctor said eight weeks.”


  “Actually, he said six to eight weeks. It’s been two weeks since I got the cast. So doing the math,” Cash said slowly, as if speaking to someone not so bright, “that’s four more weeks.”

  Jordan’s scowl spoke volumes.

  Evan and Reid shared a grin. Cash had a habit of trying to boss everyone around. At six foot four and armed with muscles and the know-how to use them, he normally won. But with Jordan, the outcome of any argument was sixty–forty…in her favor. An Army vet and prior military police, Jordan didn’t take crap. From anyone.

  “So before you two get into a slapfest, how about pretzel bites on me?” The frowns Evan received for “slapfest” disappeared at the mention of free food.

  “Fine.” Jordan huffed.

  “Good.” Cash nodded.

  Evan left to order and returned to his seat to hear Cash ask Reid, “Where’s Naomi?”

  “Had a late meeting with a new client. And no, I’m not worried. I trust her,” Reid said before Cash could tease him. “Naomi’s doing some PR work for Jennings Tech. You remember Chris Jennings, Evan?”

  “Chris Jennings. That geek who’s now a millionaire? Man, I knew Chris’s brother in the Corps. Hell, I set up logistics for his platoon for a few exercises. He’s a good guy and still in that I know of.” Out in the field, Marines needed supplies, and Evan’s job had been to coordinate and oversee logistical support. “I remember Matt talking about Chris, surprised his little brother had joined.”

  Reid smiled. “I know. Small world. Cash and I both knew him overseas, and we’re still renting his house.”

  “You mean you’re renting until you officially move in with Naomi,” Jordan cut in, “and Cash moves the rest of his stuff into your mom’s house. I mean, your house.”

  “Our house,” Cash corrected her, warmth in his eyes.

  Wow. Had his oldest cousin changed. Still a hard-ass, but now Cash showed his affection. Funny what love could do to a guy. “Speaking of moms,” Evan said, “my mother is demanding a family dinner. So don’t even think of putting her off again.”

  Reid flinched. “I know, I know. I’m sorry. I’ve just been so busy…”

  “She wants you two over for dinner this Friday. No more excuses.” He glared at Cash, who raised his hands in surrender.

  “Fine by me. I love to eat, and Aunt Jane can cook.” He took Jordan’s hand across the table and kissed the back of it. “But not better than you, honey.”

  “Because I was so worried.” Jordan rolled her eyes.

  “Not to exclude you or Naomi, Jordan,” Evan hurried to say, “but Mom has some things to tell these two she doesn’t want to share outside of family just yet.”

  “Oh, sounds like you two are in for it.” Jordan’s eyes brightened. “No problem.”

  Cash groaned. “Aunt Jane always had a way of making you feel two inches tall. But only when you did something bad.”

  “Which for Cash was about all the time,” Evan said.

  Reid nodded. “I was the good one. But not as good as Evan.”

  Evan ignored the knowing smirks they shot him. “Not my fault I can do no wrong.”

  Cash and Reid shared a glance.

  Jordan patted his shoulder. “Ignore them, Evan. They just wish they could pull off manly, handsome, and sophisticated like you do.”

  He beamed. “For that, I forgive you for setting me up with Miriam.” Because Reid and Cash had definitely been behind it, but Jordan had suckered him into that awful prank.

  Jordan laughed. “Thanks. But you know, I’d do it again. So worth it to hear the horror in your voice when you saw what the ladies were up to.”

  He felt himself blushing. They laughed, and talk turned to the varied personalities in the Vets on the Go! building.

  After Evan and the others had eaten and drunk their fill, Reid explained his original reason for their meeting. Budget concerns.

  Evan and Reid, once again, argued over where to direct their funds. Marketing and publicity continued to take priority in Evan’s eyes. But Reid thought they’d done enough, even though his girlfriend was their PR liaison.

  Reid frowned. “I’m not saying fire her or anything. I just want to keep our amount the same. Let’s funnel our increased revenue into more trucks.”

  “And maintenance?” Evan knew all about the headaches associated with keeping an organization running. “No. We have a set amount put aside for this. I told you that already.”

  “Here we go.” Cash sighed. “The eggheads talk money and tax breaks. My head hurts.”

  “Neanderthal,” Evan said in as insulting a tone as he could manage.

  “He got you on that one.” Jordan nudged at Evan to move, so he slid out of the booth. To Cash she said, “Come on, love muffin. Let’s let the big kids talk while you and I take a hike. This is beyond my pay grade.”

  “Mine too.” Cash shoved Reid, who almost fell onto the floor, and stepped around him.

  Reid caught himself and muttered under his breath.

  Once Cash and Jordan had left, Evan turned to Reid. “Okay, we hashed this out days ago. Why did you want them gone?”

  Reid sighed. “I thought you should know.”

  “Know what?”

  “Your mom.”

  “What about her?” Evan had been making up any time away from work on those days he had to take his mom to the doctor. Or grocery shopping, or to anywhere she needed to go. Several months ago they’d learned she might be sick. Now Evan needed to spend as much time as he could with her.

  Reid cringed. “I, ah, saw her kissing some guy at the market a few days ago. Thought you might want to know.”

  Evan blinked. “My mother? My seventy-one-year-old does crochet and has bingo night with her friends every Thursday mother? That mother? Jane Griffith?”

  “Yeah. Her. She looked happy, though.”

  “Mom was kissing some guy.” Evan couldn’t believe it. Mom, with a guy? And she hadn’t told him? They told each other everything.

  “Hey, I think it’s great she’s dating again. I mean, your dad’s been gone for six years. She should live a little.”

  “She’ll have a coronary if he goes for second base,” Evan growled, uncomfortable just thinking about it. “I mean, Mom’s older. She should be—”

  “Cuddling her grandchildren?” Reid raised a brow. “Spending her golden years smiling and laughing instead of trying to match up her socially awkward, annoyingly clever only son?”

  “Most of that sounds like it came from her mouth.”

  “Well, I added the socially awkward and annoyingly clever parts myself.”

  “Thanks a lot.”

  “Hey, I told her I’d mention it.” Reid pointed a finger at him. “Get married and give her grandkids because she’s not getting any younger. Those are her exact words, by the way. And she’d already called me to remind me about dinner this Friday, but thanks for nagging us about it.”

  “If she talked to you, why did she tell me to tell you?”

  “Covering all her bases, most likely.” Reid put down some money for the bill. “Now I have a date with a beautiful redhead, and you can bet your ass I’ll be talking about her at our dinner Friday. Get a life, Evan. You’re no longer working all the time, so you have no excuse.”

  An image of the knife-wielding angel from earlier in the day surfaced. “I’m not interested in dating. Besides, my last girlfriend called me boring.”

  “You are boring. But I hear desperate single women aren’t so choosy.”

  Evan flipped him off.

  Reid laughed. “Right. And have I mentioned that Smith will be your moving partner for the next two weeks? The Hillford job starts tomorrow. Magnolia, big project. Don’t be late.”

  Evan’s phone rang, and ABBA sounded loud and proud from his back pocket.

  Reid laughed his ass off. E
van plunked his head down on the table and groaned.

  Chapter 3

  Thursday afternoon, Daniel Sykes covertly stared at his sister, currently moping with Lila about missing Rachel, who sat next to them chattering about how wonderful her boyfriend was about moving in together—all while the three of them sketched new ideas for some job they’d contracted.

  Girls. He shook his head and quietly left his crouched position at the top of the basement stairs. Sykes Design, his sister’s graphic design business, had done a lot for his life. It allowed Kenzie to be around if he needed something, provided her with awesome friends he’d grown up loving like his own family, and gave them an income so they didn’t lose the house their parents had willed to them.

  But while he appreciated being around his sister, whom he loved like crazy, it was also kind of annoying to have her hovering all the time. Especially when he had crap to do she likely wouldn’t approve of.

  Stealthily, he snuck to the kitchen, dropped a note on the counter, and left the house for the nearest bus stop. Twenty minutes later, he found his friend hanging at a local coffee place that made the best soft pretzels. And for cheap.

  He bought two and two sodas and met Rafi in the back. Cha-ching. The awesome guy had brought his laptop.

  “Payment.” Rafi held out a hand. An upcoming junior who stood a few inches shorter than Daniel, Rafi was supposedly a cute guy in demand, according to all the girls last year. Daniel didn’t know about that, but he did like the fact they played the same video games. Plus they had bossy older sisters in common. He still couldn’t remember how they’d become friends, but he treasured hanging out with the guy. Rafi was cool, older, and he treated Daniel like an equal.

  Daniel handed him a pretzel and a drink. In return, Rafi pushed his laptop Daniel’s way.

  When Rafi noticed Daniel Googling Vets on the Go!, he snorted. “Man, those guys are everywhere.”

  “Huh?”

  “Why are you looking at that? My sister works for them.”