Standing inside the entrance for a few breathless beats, Rita couldn抰 move. Since Belmont had gone missing for four days at age ten, Belmont and Aaron抯 relationship had been stilted. Belmont had shut down, especially regarding his younger brother, to whom he抎 once been closest. But they抎 never actively argued as adults, apart from the occasional sarcastic swipes at one another. Par for the course in the Clarkson family. The behavior they were exhibiting now was completely out of the ordinary梑ut after a quick scan of the bar, Rita had a theory as to what might have been the cause.
Peggy and Sage stood toward the back of the rapt crowd, which had formed in a thick, pushing semicircle around the dance floor. Sage wrung her hands while Peggy consoled her with absentminded shoulder pats, looking even more shell-shocked than Rita felt.
揟he Devil Went Down to Georgia?was playing, making the fight seem like something out of a shitty cable television movie. Rita winced when Aaron landed a right hook, snapping Belmont抯 head to the side. Damn. She hadn抰 known Aaron was capable of delivering a blow like that. How the hell did her older brother remain standing? Belmont looked almost delighted when blood welled on his lower lip.
Jasper laid a hand on Rita抯 waist, planting a kiss on her neck. 揃oys will be boys, huh??
揘o, this is nothing like them. I think, anyway.?Her throat got tight. 揑抦 not sure I know either of them as well as I should. I know I don抰。？
Jasper抯 regard caressed the side of her face. 揑抣l take care of it.?
揘o, I抦 responsible for them棓
揑f you think I抎 let you step in between two men with tunnel vision and flying fists, beautiful, you抮e crazy.?
Before she could respond, Jasper weaved through the crowd, everyone collectively sagging in disappointment that the boss had arrived to end the fun. Did Jasper notice their reaction? Did he not see the proof that they抎 already learned to respect his authority? 揂ll right, gentlemen. This place is enough of a dive without you wrecking it any further. Break it up.?
Belmont and Aaron continued their staring contest of death as if they抎 never heard Jasper. It was obvious the brothers hadn抰 gotten the aggression out of their systems, and just before Jasper could muscle his way between them Belmont swung on Aaron, connecting with his jaw to a symphony of bone crunching. A white object flew through the air, the crowd parting to give it a place to land. Which it did, skittering to a stop at Rita抯 feet. A tooth. Not just any tooth, though. Aaron抯 tooth.
揧ou motherfucker.?Aaron lunged for Belmont, but Jasper and the bartender managed to wrestle him off. Rita picked up the tooth梖ormerly a component of Aaron抯 golden-boy, rising-star politician抯 smile. She finally got her feet to move, joining Peggy and Sage across the bar and still cradling the tooth.
揥hat happened??She half shouted because they抎 just entered the goddamn fiddle solo of 揟he Devil Went Down to Georgia.?
揑t抯 my fault,?Sage said. 揑 shouldn抰 have come.?
Peggy shook her head, curls bouncing. 揘o, it is not your fault. And you should be here. Just as much as any of us.?She sighed when Rita made an impatient motion for her to continue. 揂aron put his arm around Sage抯 shoulders and Bel didn抰 like it.?
Rita waited for her sister to continue but was greeted only by silence. 揟hat抯 it? That抯 why they抮e fighting??
揕ittle things to other people are just卋igger to Belmont,?Sage said, hitting Rita with serious hazel-green eyes before they landed back on Belmont. 揑抣l go talk to him.?
揑 don抰 think that抯 a good厰 Rita抯 warning was left hanging in the air when Sage crossed the dance floor, planting herself right in front of Belmont. From Rita抯 vantage point, Sage looked like a lamb facing off with a giant. Belmont抯 big shoulders were still heaving up and down and his jaw was clenched, blood painting his right cheekbone. But he no longer paid any attention to Aaron, who was slowly being talked down by Jasper.
Over Aaron抯 shoulder, Rita and Jasper抯 gazes clashed, and she swore they were communicating without words. At the very least, Jasper抯 message came through loud and clear.
Don抰 you dare leave this bar.
Beside Rita, Peggy whistled through her teeth. 揕ots of testosterone floating around this place. Let抯 go order a cosmopolitan before we start growing hair on our chests.?
Rita shook her head. 揑 can抰。 I抦 holding Aaron抯 bloody tooth.?
揑 can抰 argue with that excuse.?Peggy examined the object in question. 揋ross. I抣l drink your cosmo for you.?
揧ou抮e a saint,?Rita mumbled, heading toward Jasper and Aaron. On the way she couldn抰 help but observe Belmont and Sage. They weren抰 speaking to each other, but Belmont seemed to be inching closer, little by little, forcing Sage to crane her head back. And then he did something Rita didn抰 see coming. He dropped his chin onto Sage抯 head梐nd just kind of deflated. Their arms remained straight at their sides, but both sets of their lips parted, dragging in oxygen. It was such an intimate moment that Rita had to look away.
She sidled up beside Aaron. 揑 am the keeper of the lost tooth.?
Aaron plucked the tooth from Rita抯 palm, his laughter lacking any form of humor. 揘o way I can show up in Iowa missing a tooth. This is fucked.?
揧eah. It is.?Since she抎 barely spoken to her youngest brother since their roadside shouting match梞ostly due to irritation at herself for letting him get under her skin梔isplaying any kind of sympathy felt unnatural. Oh, who was she kidding? It would have felt unnatural under any circumstances. They might as well be distant cousins.
揑 bet you love this, don抰 you??Aaron asked, poking the vacant space in his mouth. 揧our asshole brother finally gets what抯 coming to him, right??
Knowing Jasper could hear every word, Rita spoke in a hushed tone. 揧ou incited Bel棓
揜ight.?Aaron swiped away the blood beginning to seep from his nose. 揧eah, I incited him. So what, Rita? At least I got a reaction out of him. That抯 the most he抯 talked to me in twenty years.?
A knot tightened in Rita抯 stomach. She remembered the radical shift in her brothers?relationship when Belmont came home after the incident. Remembered Aaron attempting to resume their usual antics and being closed out, just like they all had. Maybe梥imilar to the funeral梩hey抎 all coped separately, not taking the time to understand each other抯 methods. 揑 didn抰 realize it was bothering you.?
揗y brother not talking to me??He used the hem of his shirt to wipe sweat from his forehead. 揧eah. I can抰 imagine why I would be bothered by that.?
Seeing Aaron through different eyes梔espite his always-handy sarcasm桼ita frowned. 揂aron, I棓
揓asper,?Aaron said, cutting her off. 揑 need a dentist. Someone who can work fast. And I need him yesterday.?
揘ow that抯 going to be a problem,?Jasper drawled.
For the first time, Rita noticed that Jasper was watching her with concern. 揥hy??she asked. 揟here has to be someone local.?
揙h, there is.?Jasper nodded toward someone over Rita抯 shoulder. 揃ut he抯 half shit-faced at the bar.?
揊uck. Me.?Aaron dropped his head into waiting hands. 揑 should never have left California.?
Guilt would apparently be the fourth loop on her emotional roller coaster tonight. She抎 been the one to press the road-trip idea and everyone was paying the price for her impulsive decision. Her relationship with Aaron was contentious at best, but losing the opportunity in Iowa would be bad for his career. It was her responsibility to fix the situation, even if the word responsibility made her gills turn green. 揢m, okay. Jasper, we need to store that tooth in a cup of milk. I think that keeps it協resh, so it can be卹einstalled.?She was grateful when Jasper nodded without giving her grief about her lack of dental lingo. 揂nd then we need to sober up that dentist.?