Page 6 of The Sunny Side (Rojo 2nd Generation: Rojo Police Department #3)

“I think that’s a fine idea, Delphine! ” Tansy agreed as she pushed her chair back and stood up.

Darcy did the same, but she didn’t step away from the table.

Instead, she stepped up onto her chair and then stood right in the middle of the table, knocking Collette’s wine glass over so that red wine sprayed across the front of her like blood splatter in a slasher movie.

I looked up at my sister in shock and then quickly looked away when I found I could see straight up her skirt.

Just as I turned to look at Tansy, she whistled loudly and spread her arms out before she loudly announced, “Now taking the stage is none other than Denver’s finest, Darcy Middleton! ”

I snorted out a laugh and put my hand over my mouth, not sure which train wreck to look at first. Darcy was twerking in the middle of the table, her short skirt giving glimpses of the hot pink boyshorts she had on, Tansy was clapping and whistling like she was at a concert, my father looked so horrified that I wondered if he might finally have that stroke the doctors had been warning him about for years, and Collette had finally conquered the limits of her botox and lifted her eyebrows more than a quarter of an inch as she stared up at Darcy in shock.

I came to the realization that if I didn’t do something, the girls would go even further, and our trip would be delayed because I’d have to bail one, or maybe even both, out of jail.

I stood up and slapped Darcy on the ass before I did an almost perfect impression of Collette when I yelled, “Young lady! Get down off that table before you embarrass the family! The Middleton name means you have a certain reputation to uphold, and swinging your ass in front of a room full of people is not on par with what’s expected of you. ”

Darcy cackled as she jumped off the table and landed beside me. Like a gymnast who had just finished a perfect floor routine, she lifted her arms in triumph, turning one way and then another, before she hooked her arm in mine and took off for the door.

Tansy was trailing behind us, pointing at different club members around the room and calling out things like, “Mr. Robinson! I saw your mistress at the spa this morning. She said it’s not your fault that you can’t get it up.

You’re looking fantastic, Mrs. Brinkley.

Your tennis instructor must be giving it to you good ! ”

“Jesus, Tansy, come on before someone tries to kill you,” I called out over my shoulder.

“Thank you for nothing, ladies and gentlemen. It’s been one helluva run, but you can all fuck off!” Tansy yelled before she sidled up next to Darcy and took her other arm. “Great twerking, by the way! Have you been practicing?”

“Yes! I learned it in that dance class I took as an elective last semester. You think I got it down?”

“You hit it outta the park,” I assured her. “Ladies, I do believe that our last encounter with the asshats in that room is going to leave a lasting impression.”

“Shouldn’t we be terrified that Daddy is going to cut us off and we’ll end up begging for scraps on the street corner?” Darcy asked with a giggle, referring to what our father had threatened us with a million times over the years.

“Oh, whatever shall we do?” Tansy wailed dramatically. “How will we ever survive?”

“We’ll manage somehow,” I assured them with a grin. “It’s time to put on our big girl panties and conquer the world!”

“To Texas!” Tansy yelled.

Not to be outdone, Darcy pushed the door open and then hollered, “Yeehaw, motherfuckers!”

Through my laughter, I managed to choke out, “I can’t take the two of you anywhere!”

◆◆◆

I checked my side mirror before I pulled into the right lane so I could take the exit coming up. I couldn’t see a thing out of the back window because my new SUV was stuffed with everything I owned, and then some.

“Exit coming up, sexy bitches!” Darcy’s voice rang out over the handheld radio that she’d bought just for this trip. Yes, we all had phones, but that was just Darcy’s way. She liked having the latest gadgets, especially if they were shiny or made noise.

“10-4, Hot Mama,” Tansy answered. “New Mama, are you excited?”

I rolled my eyes at the nicknames Tansy had insisted on using over the airwaves but picked up the radio and hit the button to answer. I knew that if I didn’t, she’d never shut up.

“Children, what did I tell you about using these while we drive? It’s almost as bad as using your phones.”

“If we don’t use them while we’re driving, then what is the point?” Tansy asked.

“You forgot to say ‘over and out,’” Darcy chided.

“I’m not finished talking, Sexy Mama!”

“I was talking to New Mama!”

“You didn’t say over and out either!”

I was going to kill them before this day was over. “The first thing I’m going to do as your newly elected mother is put both of you up for adoption. Just shut the hell up and pay attention to the road! Don’t make me pull this car over, dammit!”

“Technically, it’s an SUV, not a car,” Tansy sassed.

“Shut up!” I yelled into the radio.

I had enough on my mind without having to listen to them bicker, but I knew that the drive had been just as lonely for them as it had been for me.

After the emotional turmoil of the past few days, it would have been better if we could have traveled together.

Even if there was squabbling, at least we wouldn’t have been alone with our thoughts, fears, and worries.

I was trying to muster up some remorse for how we’d told our father, but there was just none to be had. I still giggled every time I thought about the look on his face, and when I added Collette’s into the mix, I completely lost it.

We couldn’t stop laughing when we left the country club, even when we knew the last thing we should do was drive away in our cars - the cars that our father had purchased for us as gifts that were still in his name.

We had originally planned to get on the road yesterday afternoon after we picked up the moving truck and car trailer, but we’d discussed the very real possibility that our father would call and report one, or all, of our cars stolen.

With that in mind, we headed to the nearest dealership and found suitable vehicles.

Since we each chose SUVs, that did away with our need for the truck we’d rented, which I’d considered a blessing.

I had no urge to drive that damn thing through Denver traffic and then all the way down to Texas.

I didn’t trust my sisters to do it either.

However, yesterday's car shopping adventure meant we couldn’t leave until today, which should have been fine.

And it was until we woke up to the police banging on the door this morning and found that our father had reported that we had broken in and were squatting in his residence.

He told them he wanted us removed immediately.

I was glad we’d cleaned out our cars and left them with the valet at the country club before we took an Uber to the dealership. I was certain that our forethought had been what had managed to get us out of Colorado without charges for grand theft.

If things went the way Petra thought they might, we’d be the only ones in our family without a felony on our record. And by the time all the court cases were wrapped up, we’d probably be the only ones with any money left to our names.

That thought really made me giggle.