“What about this one?” Darren asked as he looked at the blue sports car. They were lined up like a rainbow in perfect sync. There were red, yellow and a few green ones scattered together. Then they changed from blue to white, silver, and finally black. All of them were new, sleek, and glittering under the sunlight.

Jake rolled his eyes. “Why do you need a car like that? It doesn’t impress anyone. It makes you seem like another rich guy bragging. What about one of these?” He pointed to the row of lifted trucks at the other end of the lot. They were parked across the dealership’s boundary with four angled up on the rocks at the corner. Almost as if they were playing king of the hill.

Darren scoffed. “The only guys who drive those types of trucks are trying to compensate for something else. Are you trying to advertise to all the ladies you have a below-average package?”

“That’s a bunch of a bull, and you know it. Fancy sports cars are for guys who are too much of a pussy to get a little dirt under their fingernails and need saving like a damsel.”

“Saving from assholes who drive lifted trucks?”

Jake shrugged. “You said it, not me.”

“It wasn’t a statement! Why do I even bother? You’re never going to be anything other than a douche.”

“It’s not my fault mom likes me better. I don’t sit at a desk all day. I actually work like a real man.”

“Real men use their money for starting a family.”

“Are you saying that I’m not a real man because I haven’t found the right woman? Because it’s ridiculous to buy a big house with a fake woman and make babies who’ll be raised in a horrible home situation. Money doesn’t make kids happy.”

“No, you would rather live alone in a secluded cabin with no one near you.”

“Yes, I would. My two-story home is a lot bigger than a cabin. It’s natural and keeps me grounded. Besides, it’s better than some sleazy penthouse in the city surrounded by nosy neighbors who won’t leave you alone for five minutes because they want to watch you fail.”

Darren took a deep breath. “Let’s not do this now. We need to focus on why we’re here.”

Jake’s Adam’s apple bobbed as he held back his next retort. Though he would never admit it out loud, his brother was right. They were here for their mom, not each other.

“She likes red. We can start there.”

“She needs something safe that won’t crush easily.”

Jake nodded. It was a good start. Maybe they could get through this without getting the police called again.