Unless you counted fulfilling your mother抯 dying wish as a purpose. In Aaron抯 opinion, they were simply indulging a whim that might have been different had their mother been in a different mood or written the fateful journal entry梬hich had put them on the road to New York City梠n a different day.
Rita, his oldest sister, had shaken them in New Mexico, making for greener pastures梠r rumpled bedsheets, depending on whether you were a realist or a romantic. Aaron still considered himself the former, even if he抎 definitely felt a minor blip of something gooey over the whole inconvenient business. With Rita shacked up in the desert with her boyfriend, only Aaron, Belmont, and Peggy Clarkson remained. Sage, too, although the wedding planner wasn抰 related by blood. Some people are just naturally lucky.
Aaron caught sight of the campsite turnoff up ahead and gave a loud cough梙is way of waking up the other travelers梑efore easing the rust bucket that passed for transportation to a stop outside a small redwood building marked TALL TIMBERS RENTAL OFFICE. Okay, it wasn抰 the Ritz-Carlton, but with the Iowa caucuses set to begin the following morning, every fleabag motel from there to Des Moines had been booked out. Fortunately, they were only a short drive from some of the event sites, where his fellow politicians would begin holding rallies for the local constituents starting bright and early tomorrow morning.
Or they had been his fellow politicians at one time梙is equals梑efore he抎 gone and fucked his rapidly growing career to hell. Now he抎 come to Iowa to fight his way back in, by fair means or foul. For the first time in his life, Aaron was desperate. Desperate enough to share a cabin with his brother in the backwoods of Iowa in a place with a half-lit vacancy sign.
Jesus Christ, don抰 let this downswing last forever.
揂re we there yet??Peggy asked on a yawn, her stretching arms visible in the rearview mirror. 揑抦 starving. Is there a bathroom??
揧es. What抯 new? And probably,?Aaron answered, pushing open the driver抯-side door to climb out of the Suburban, followed closely by Old Man, who trotted off, presumably to take a leak and maybe chase a squirrel or two. This was how their arrangement worked. Aaron chauffeured the dog around, fed him, and didn抰 meddle in his business. Old Man would show back up when he was good and ready.
Aaron stopped short when he saw that Belmont had somehow already beaten him out of the vehicle, all without making a sound. His brother stood still as a monument, hands tucked into his jean pockets, running cool eyes over the wooded campsite. 揋ood enough for you??Aaron asked, moving past his brother at a crisp pace, eager to drop off his luggage and hit the bricks. If he wanted to find a way into the first function tomorrow morning, his work began now. Would have started last week if Rita抯 boyfriend hadn抰 sabotaged their only ride out of New Mexico.
As expected, Belmont didn抰 answer him, but Aaron hardened himself against giving a shit. Ever since Belmont had knocked his tooth out and cost him four hours of dental surgery, their relationship had gone from dwindling to nonexistent. In a barely conscious gesture, Aaron prodded the sore tooth with his tongue, watching as Belmont turned and helped Sage from the Suburban, in the same fashion a reality-television baker might transport a wedding cake. Even Aaron found it impossible not to watch his brother and Sage orbit each other, like two slow-motion planets. They were simultaneously a frustration and a fascination. Frustrating because they refused to just admit the attraction and bang梐t least that Aaron knew about梐nd fascinating because Sage seemed to be the only person capable of getting reactions out of Belmont. Hell, Aaron had busted his brother抯 nose and barely gotten an acknowledgment.
Moving on.
揜ight.?Aaron tugged at the starched collar of his shirt. 揟hese cabins are shit cheap, but after the extra nights in the motel back in Show Low, not to mention the car part, I think we should limit it to two rentals. Sage and Peggy in one. Me and Bel in the other.?He traded an uneasy look with his brother. 揑 don抰 plan to be here much, so you can brood in the dark and write sonnets梠r whatever it is you do梪ntil the cows come home. Just don抰 use my good aftershave.?
Being the plan man felt good. This was his role in the Clarkson clan. The asshole with the directions. The one whose lack of a functioning heart gave him the ability to make hard decisions on everyone抯 behalf. Aaron was more than fine with that job description. History didn抰 remember the nice guys; it remembered the sons of bitches that got things done.
揇o you need help??Peggy asked a little breathlessly, setting down her oversized suitcase. 揧ou can bring me along to charm people. I抦 very charming.?
Beside Peggy, Sage nodded. 揝he can抰 help it.?
Aaron wondered if Sage realized she was a stunner herself梐lbeit on a far less flashier scale梑ut mentioning it would result in getting another tooth knocked out, courtesy of Belmont. He didn抰 have time for that. 揑抣l let you know if I need help,?Aaron said, knowing he wouldn抰。 揊or now, let抯 stick to the plan. Once I抳e secured a position with the senator, you three can keep driving to New York. I抣l meet you there for New Year抯。？He picked up his leather duffel. 揊or now, let抯 go rent some cabins. As if the last time we camped together in California wasn抰 disaster enough.?
As he抎 known she would, Peggy laughed, following in his wake toward the office. His younger sister was desperate to bond them all on this trip and, while it would never happen, sometimes Aaron had a hard time turning off his greatest talent: telling people what they wanted to hear.
揂aron sprained his ankle in a gopher hole carrying me back to camp after I was stung by a jellyfish,?Peggy explained to Sage. 揗om was too busy perfecting her s抦ores technique to keep track of us. Rita staged a protest of the outdoors and wouldn抰 come out of the tent. Belmont, where were you??
Refusing to look curious, Aaron nonetheless paused with his hand on the wooden handle of the office抯 front entrance. Belmont might have no qualms about ignoring everything that came out of Aaron抯 mouth, but when it came to their baby sister, feigning deafness wasn抰 an option. 揑 fell asleep on the beach.?His voice sounded like a creaking boat hull lifting on the water. 揥hen I woke up, you抎 gone to the hospital.?
Silence passed. 揑 don抰 remember that,?Peggy said, a wrinkle appearing between her eyebrows. 揌ow did you get hom棓
Belmont moved past them, pushing open the office door and ducking inside. Aaron stared after his brother a moment, weighing the impulse to tackle his hulking ass from behind and maybe divest him of a tooth this time around, but he managed to hold back. Instead, he nudged Peggy with his elbow. 揌ey, it抯 your fault for surpassing your one-question-per-day maximum.?
This time his sister抯 laughter was forced. 揝illy me,?she breathed, moving past him to join Belmont inside.
Aaron turned his head to find Sage looking like a deer caught in a pair of high beams. 揥hat about you, Ms. Alexander. Are you the outdoorsy type??
揑抳e planned some outdoor weddings,?she answered softly, still not giving Aaron her full attention. Pretty unusual, considering she was a woman with a pulse, but he抎 had eighteen hundred miles to stop taking it personally. Aaron started to ask if she was planning on standing there motionless all day, but she hit him with a look. 揌e doesn抰 mean it.?
Aaron braced a hand on the doorjamb. 揥ho doesn抰 mean what??Aaron asked, even though he already knew the answer.
揃elmont. He doesn抰 mean to cause everyone frustration. This trip卋eing away from his boat卙e抯 trying. Really, he is.?From the way her breath caught, Aaron knew she抎 locked eyes with the man in question over Aaron抯 shoulder and through the glass windowpane. 揥hile we抮e alone, I just wanted to say thank you.?She spoke in a rush now, which probably had something to do with the footsteps that grew louder, pounding toward the exit. 揊or complimenting my dress yesterday. It was really nice. But if you do it again梠r flirt with me to make Belmont angry anymore桰抣l break your nose.?