Page 25 (1/2)

CHAPTER ONE

God, I fucking hate summer

Rory Prince shoved the ice pack against his throbbing eye and tried unsuccessfully to tune out the offensive earlyof his oldest brother’s pencil across the table ht as well have been an air horn pressed directly to the center of his forehead—and ay too efficient for nine am

“Do you mind?” Rory muttered “I’m in recovery mode”

“When are you not?” Andrew didn’t even bother to look up from the two clipboards on which he seemed determined to make endless notations “It’s Meanize Sorry I can’t accorids to another “Where did the black eye come from?”

“Yes, I thought you only gave those out,” Rory’s other brother, Jaot the drop on you?”

“So the ice pack, and his brothers hument, well aware that DFS stood for Down for the Su Beach but showed up for three months out of the year to make hell for the residents “Don’t worry, he ended up with two instead of one”

Jahed and finally lowered his worn-in copy of The Grapes of Wrath “Aren’t physical altercations a violation of your probation?”

Rory winked his good eye “Only if I get caught”

Andrew tossed aside the pencil and flattened both hands on the kitchen table “All right I tried to give everyone at least one full day off every week—”

“Jesus, man,” Rory deadpanned “Don’t spoil us”

“Look We’ve got a bar to run” Andrew er and thumb Not for the first time, Rory noticed the new lines at the corners and the ice pack started to feel heavier in his hand “I know it’s a lot, lifeguarding during the day and working behind the bar at night If I could eliminate one of thes are different than they were four years ago, though We should be used to it by now”

Things were different? Christ, what an understatement

Rory, Andrew and Ja their attention elsewhere A familiar pit took up residence in Rory’s stomach, but he filled it with cement and pasted a bored expression on his face “Look, all I know is I’ Trivia Tuesdays at the bar” He pointed at Jamie “You herd the nerds this year”

“As long as I can still participate in the quiz while serving drinks”

Rory’s lips twitched “God forbid you miss a chance to blow minds with your bottomless intellect”