Free DEATH IN PERSPECTIVE by Larissa Reinhart

said Todd. “I love doing that stuff with you. Especially when
     you interrogate witnesses.”
    “Is interrogating witnesses the same as drinking beer and gossiping?” Red chuckled.
    I hesitated before answering.
    In the past, I had enjoyed Todd’s enthusiastic participation in my amateur investigations.
     However, now Todd also enthusiastically participated in my daily living, and I didn’t
     know if I should encourage his involvement in my new job as well.
    We had made the transition from dating to a Vegas wedding, to exes, and on to friends
     and roommates within a ten month period. That’s a lot of transitioning. And I got
     the feeling Todd might like to transition back to our original stage. I liked the
     friends and roommates stage. Much less scary than the Vegas wedding stage.
    Although that stage had been pretty short.
    I decided to try one of Leah’s tactics and change the subject. “Nik’s working for
     Max. But he didn’t tell Casey.”
    Red slapped the bar with his rag. “Nik married her for a green card, I just know it.
     Poor Casey.”
    “Nik’s not a bad guy. He loves Casey.” I cast a quick glance toward the kitchen where
     Casey loitered to escape her tables. In my haste to cover my tracks, I had broken
     the unwritten rule of badmouthing family.
    “Maybe Mr. Max wants a personal mechanic for his vehicle collection,” said Leah, who
     never had these backpedalling problems because she had been raised right.
    “Then he should hire Cody,” said Todd.
    I swung my gaze where it stopped on Todd’s beatific features. “Why would Max hire
     my brother? Cody has a job.”
    Todd found interest in his beer glass.
    “Don’t even tell me he lost his job.”
    Leah patted my arm. “Cherry, you need to start talking to your brother again. It’s
     not right for y’all to be on the outs like this.”
    “Cody’s pushed me over the line this time.”
    “What’d he do?” Red reached to replace Todd’s empty beer mug.
    I shook my head, unable to spill. That dang family rule still applied. And it would
     mean explaining the photos which were one peek away from spewing a Pandora’s Box worth
     of crap against my family’s name. I needed to keep that lid on until I had a plan.
    “You’re holding back on us tonight,” said Red. “That’s no fair.”
    “Would you like to discuss the social media hit Shawna Branson has placed on me? She’s
     trying to stir up issues between me and Luke Harper that I’ve put to bed.”
    “I thought you weren’t sleeping in that particular bed.” Red squinted at me.
    “She’s not . ” Todd tapped a quick staccato against his fresh mug. “But Harper doesn’t seem to
     get it. I wish that guy’d leave Cherry alone.”
    “I can handle myself, thank you kindly.”
    “I thought Luke was with little Tara Mayfield,” said Leah. “I love that girl. She
     helped me organize the children’s choir last Christmas.”
    “He broke up with her,” I said. “But she’s hanging on for dear life. Sweet as pecan
     pie, though.”
    “You’re not over him,” said Red. “That’s why Luke keeps coming back. He thinks there’s
     more to plunder.”
    “Jiminy Christmas, Red. Plunder? I’m not pirate’s booty.” I shot Todd a look before
     he remarked on the word booty. “Luke and I have history. That’s hard to shake off.”
    “Why don’t you leave that history in the past?” Red gave me a hard stare. He played
     the protective brother better than my actual brother. “Every time he crooks his finger
     you run back. Besides , he’s a Branson and that family’s no better than pirates. They only care about power
     and money. JB actually used the words ‘little people of Halo’ the other day. And he
     wasn’t talking about folks your size, Cherry.”
    “I’m not running to Luke. We’re walking toward friendship. And his mother married
     a Branson. That doesn’t make Luke one.”
    “That’s true,” said Leah. “You shouldn’t judge the Bransons so