Slate (Rebel Wayfarers MC) by MariaLisa deMora Read Free Book Online

whacha doing here?” He stepped up onto the porch and set the bags by the wall; squatting on the edge of the porch for a second, he dropped his feet and legs over the edge, slapping his ass down.
    “I’m your only brother, asshat,” Andy responded.
    Ben turned with an affectionate fist bump to the shoulder for Andy and grinned devilishly. “Hope you weren’t waiting long; I had to take care of my girl before I came home.”
    Andy looked hard at Ben, trying to see past the tousle-headed little boy he used to be, who had always-worried eyes and a soft spot for strays of any kind. Looking at his brother now, he saw a young man taller than most fourteen-year-olds, with light blond hair long enough to style and ice blue eyes that seemed to smile all the time.
    He was fit and defined, and walked with an easy grace. He honestly looked closer to seventeen than fourteen. In his face, you could see the man he would grow into, with a strong jaw and slightly upturned, straight n ose. Ben was going to be a lady-killer, for sure, but he was starting too young, and with the wrong girl.
    “Ben, you are fourteen. Ain’t nobody taking care of their girl at that age,” Andy drawled. He was a little put out with Ben, but couldn’t put his finger on why.
    “I might be fourteen, but I at least have a girl,” Ben teased Andy. “I’m not sitting home every night with Rosie Palm and her five sisters, man.”
    “Goddammit, Ben, do you know what her daddy’d do if he heard you talking like that about his little girl?” Andy twisted to look at the bags, zeroing in on what bothered him. “And what’s up with the shopping? You come into money I don’t know about?”
    Ben had the grace to look a little sheepish. “She bought me a few clothes, is all. She wants me to look nice when we go out with her friends.” He shrugged. “It’s not a big deal; it’s only a couple of things.”
    Andy looked at him and ran one hand through his hair. “If you needed new clothes, why didn’t you tell me, Benny? Have I ever said no?”
    “It’s not that, Andy. My school clothes are all fine. These are for going out in, and they aren’t practical.”
    Shaking his head, Andy looked at Ben and decided to change the subject. “Benny, you know I lost the mill job, yeah?” Ben nodded. “There aren’t any other jobs around here, so I’m headed to Denver in a couple of days; there’s oilfield work there. I’ll be back as I can, and I’m gonna send money to GeeMa for you.”
    Ben sat and looked at him for a second, then leaned forward to put his elbows on his legs and dropped his head into his hands. With a strangled voice, he asked, “You’re leaving, Andy?” His fingers clenched in his hair and he rocked back and forth for a second.
    Slinging an arm around his shoulders, Andy pulled him into his side in a one-armed hug. “It’ll be okay, shrimp. I’ll be back for a visit in a few weeks.” He could feel Ben’s muscles tense and tighten all over his body; he was holding himself stiff and eventually pulled away from Andy’s grip.
    “Okay, Andy. Whacha need me to do?” Ben asked softly.
    “Don’t need you to do anything, shrimp. Just keep going to school, learn lots, and do good things.” Andy pulled him back into a full hug, folding Ben against his chest and resting his chin on his little brother’s head. “I got this.”
    Releasing Ben, Andy cut his eyes over to see his reaction. Pleased with his calm aspect, he laughed. “Hey, I bought a bike. Wanna see her?” he asked, and then laughed louder when Ben’s face shone with shock and awe. They slid off the edge of the porch, both of them slapping their ass to get any dust or dirt off and grinning at each other like crazy people. They’d always liked it when they did things in sync; it emphasized the fact they were family.
    As they walked over to Andy’s truck, Ben was making all of the appropriate noises of appreciation for the bike. Andy looked proudly at her again, loving the