“Yep. I can do that.”
“I know you can. Because you’re smart and brave.”
“You’re a good liar. Makes sense given your job,” she teased him.
“Ha-ha, brat. You owe me some brownies for that.”
“I might even leave out the walnuts this time.”
Reuben hated walnuts but loved her chocolate brownies. So, when she was annoyed with him, she’d make him brownies with finely cut-up walnuts in it.
He laughed. A real laugh and she bounced on her toes, pleased with herself for relieving some of the stress in his voice.
“Listen, this guy comes with a lot of good references. He’s had some financial difficulties, which was why he was available. I get the feeling he doesn’t think much of me, so I doubt he would have taken the job unless he was desperate.”
She frowned, not liking the sound of that. How dare this jerk think badly of her brother? Sure, Reuben could be a bit of a prick at times if you pissed him off. But the rest of the time, he was a teddy bear.
Yeah, okay, even she didn’t believe the bullshit she was trying to spin.
“He looks scowly.”
“Scowly, huh?”
“Kiesha thinks he’s a serial killer.”
“Kiesha thought the new pastor at her church was a serial killer.”
“Yes, well, it turns out he was printing counterfeit money in his basement,” she told him. “So Kiesha’s instincts were right.”
“It was play money and he was printing it off his computer.”
“So he says. Kiesha says differently.”
Reuben muttered something under his breath. She knew it would be nothing flattering about Kiesha, but it didn’t matter. Reuben and Kiesha were oil and water, but they both loved her.
She hit the button to release the gate as he was muttering. Mr. Scowly gave the camera an even bigger scowl.
“He’s going to give himself wrinkles,” she muttered.
“What?” Reuben asked.
“Nothing, brother. I better go, I’ve let them in the gate.”
“There are two guys with him?”
“Yep, looks like.”
“Good. He’s going to be your main point of contact. Kent said if one of his guys finishes a job sooner than expected that he’d send someone.”
“Kent actually spoke to you?”
Reuben let out a huff of breath. “No. He’s still sulking over something that happened ages ago. He needs to learn how to let go of a grudge. I spoke to Corbin. Who relayed the information to his majesty.”
She rolled her eyes. She didn’t know what the issue was between Reuben and Kent. But then, if she tried to keep track of every issue that someone in Wishingbone had with her brother, she’d never get anything else done in her life.
“They’re here now.”
“Okay, let Xavier do the talking. Wait. Why didn’t he let them in? I sent him over to help ease you into this.”