First, Best and Always
Brother Knows Best
Chapter 32 – Brother Knows Best
Raven looked as though she would sink through the floor.
“Okay” he said clapping both men on their backs, “What do ya say we sit and see what’s on the menu.”
Eric started to speak and Aaron silenced him with a look. Vin followed suit and sat quietly if not willingly. There was something about Aaron Andrews that you just didn’t say no to, at least not if you wanted to keep your teeth. At 6’3” he was every bit as tall as Eric but at 260 lbs he was decidedly larger than either of them. He was a bear of a man and not someone you wanted to cross.
“Now then” he said as he leaned on the edge of the table, “I don’t know what’s going on over here.”
Vin started to speak and Aaron cut him off, “and I don’t care…I’ve got a pretty good idea and I don’t care to hear the details.” “Listen to me gentlemen, the operative word in that sentence being ‘gentlemen’, cause this is what I know, I know, whatever this is about…don’t do it here.”
Looking at Vin he said “You sir, will not embarrass Raven any further with this outrageous behavior.” then turning to Eric said, “And you little brother will not disgrace our father’s name with this nonsense.” “As for you Raven…you should have known better, there was no way you could have put these two in the same room together without things coming to a head.” “Now, that everyone understands…we do all understand don’t we?” he said looking at each of the participants, “Good, now that we understand, I’ll leave you to sort this out….quietly.”
As he turned to go he thought better of it and turned back to his brother. “Eric…he said, if it comes to it, you better take it to the corral…don’t do it here.” With that he turned and went back to his table.
Raven sat at the table, glaring at the two men. Softly, so only they could hear it she said, “I have never been so embarrassed in all my life….”
Looking at Vin she asked a rhetorical question, “What in the world were you thinking?” Then turning to Eric, “And you, when did you turn into G-O rilla?“ “You’re both acting like a couple of two year olds, no, I take that back, cause even two year olds know how to share.”
“Share?” “Is that what you think is going to happen here Raven?” Vin asked, “Huh?” “Is it?” “Cause I’m tellin’ you right now, it ain’t gonna happen, you’ve already lied to me once today, and I’m not about to give you the opportunity to do it again.”
He angrily pushed his chair back from the table; taking a $50 dollar bill out of his wallet he placed it on the table saying “That ought to take care of dinner.” “I’m sure the good doctor here will give you a ride home, I’ll see you at the house….provided you manage to get there before I leave.”
He turned then and strode out of the restaurant got in Raven’s car and drove off.
Raven sat staring after him, shock, and amazement playing tag across her face. Eric, still angry, spoke first,
“You wanna tell me what that was about?” “Is he in the habit of layin’ hands on you like that?”
Before she could answer he spoke again, “Aaron is right, we need to take this to the corral, cause I’m gonna break his fuckin’ neck.”
“Eric!” she said disapprovingly.
“No, Jicarilla, I don’t wanna hear it, nobody talks to you like that and he sure as hell ain’t’ getting’ away with puttin’ his hands on you, I don’t give a damn who he thinks he is.”
Raven sat there speechless, thinking to herself, how much alike these two really were, heaven help you if you actually said it to either of them cause they’d both probably deny it to the nth degree, but they were alike, both tough, both sweet and caring, both smart and talented, both in love….and both fighting so hard to hold on.
tbc 33/60