“That’s good to hear.”

“Let me guess,” Diego grunted. “Rent is due.”

Alex smiled. “Since you brought it up, that was kind of the point of you getting a job. So you could start paying your way.” He flipped the pancake, then took a sip of his own coffee, which was strong and sweet and just the way he liked it. “But hey, I hear Mom keeps your room just the way you left it, so you know, there’s that.”

Diego rolled his eyes and took his coffee to the table. He lounged in one of the chairs and let out a long sigh. “Don’t remind me. I’ll get you the rent soon but the Camaro needs an oil change first.”

Alex shot his brother a look. “I understand you want to take care of your car, but how about a little something toward groceries at least?”

“Quit hassling me.” Diego grimaced. “You’re so much like Dad. Trying to parent me.”

“If you really feel that way, maybe you need to reconsider what’s going on here, because that’s not what I’m doing.” An ironic statement considering he had made breakfast. He added the last pancake to the stack and carried it to the table where the syrup and butter already waited. He refilled his coffee before sitting down across from Diego. “This is my house, after all. I get to say what happens here. That doesn’t mean I’m trying to parent you.”

Diego forked three of the Frisbee-sized cakes onto his plate. “Look, I get it. You’re hot for the shorty next door and I’m wrecking your scene, but I need to build up some scratch before I get out of here. Giving you money isn’t going to help my financial report, you dig?”

Alex stopped in the middle of putting pancakes on his plate to stare at his brother. “I don’t even know where to start answering that.”

He dropped the pancakes onto his plate. “Actually, I do. I’m not hot for the shorty next door. I like Roxy. As a friend. That’s it.” That wasn’t it at all, but that was none of Diego’s business. “And don’t call her shorty. That’s disrespectful.”

He doused the pancakes with syrup. “Secondly, the only way you’re going to rent a place is to save up first and last month’s rent or whatever it is they want these days, but it’s not going to be a small amount. You understand what that means? Saving? It means you have to put money away until you have enough. If you’d been able to do that in the first place, you wouldn’t be living here with me to begin with.”

“Yeah, but—”

“No buts. I’m trying to help you here. How much did you make last night?”

“A hundred and fifty.”

“Great. Give me seventy-five.”

“What? No way, dude.”

Alex ate a big bite before answering. “I’m not going to keep the money. I’m going to save it for you. It’s that or I’ll expect immediate payment for food, utilities and rent. Which right now probably amounts to about thirteen hundred dollars.”

Diego seemed to be considering it. “And if I don’t pay?”

Alex fixed his face into the same expression he used when dealing with a potential suspect. Firm, all business, don’t mess with me. “I’ll change the locks the next time you’re at work.”

“You wouldn’t—you would.” Diego cursed softly. “Harsh.”

Actually, he wouldn’t. “Seventy-five. And don’t lie about your tips because I can and will ask Bridget.”

Diego sighed and muttered, “Fine.”

Alex bent his head and smiled. That had been easier than expected. “When do you work again?”

“Tonight. My next day off isn’t until Wednesday.”

“Excellent. At that rate, you’ll be in your own place before you know it. What are you doing the rest of the day then?”

“Laundry. And then I’m going to lay out and get some sun.” He grinned. “The babes like me with a tan.”

“Nice of you to oblige them.” Cats of all sorts loved to lie in the sun. Feline shifters were no different. But Alex raised a skeptical brow for a different reason. “Just don’t be bringing any of those babes back here, got it?”

Diego rolled his eyes and ate the rest of his meal in silence, which suited Alex. He was being hard on his brother, he knew that, but if Diego was comfortable here, he’d never leave. Alex loved his brother, but he wanted his house back as much as he wanted Diego to get on his own feet. Alex finished his food, put his plate in the dishwasher and went back to his room to change. He needed groceries. Feeding one panther shifter was hard enough, but feeding two meant trips to the Shop-n-Save were almost bi-weekly. He jotted down a quick list, then grabbed his keys.

By the time he came back out, Diego was already sprawled on a lounge chair on the deck. Alex shook his head. Must be nice to be that carefree.

He went out to his car.

Roxy was backing out of her driveway in the Vette, top down, scarf tied around her hair and looking very much like she had the day he’d pulled her over. Hot as all get-out.

She braked the car and waved at him. “Hiya, neighbor.”

He walked over, smiling. The chance to talk to her was an unexpected but welcome pleasure. “Hey. Headed out to get another ticket?”

She snorted in amusement. “Very funny.”

Still grinning, he shrugged. “Just wondering if I should see who’s on duty and give them a heads-up.”