Flame (Steel Brothers Saga 20)

“Mom was a lovely person, but she was hardly brilliant. She worked as a cashier at a grocery store.”

“Circumstances. She didn’t go to college, and she didn’t have a rich family.”

“Still, as you say, I didn’t go to college either, but I’m a brilliant winemaker.”

“You learned from Uncle Ry.”

“True. For God’s sake, Don, will you work with me here?”

“I know what you want me to say. That our birth father must have had intelligence. I’m not buying. How much is nature and how much is nurture? We grew up as Steels. We learned from the Steels. They taught us everything we know. Leave Floyd Fucking Jolly out of it.”

He nods. “Good enough. I suppose it doesn’t matter how we’re born. It’s how we live.”

“Absolutely.”

But I wonder…

How can we live with ourselves after what we did to the Murphys?

Chapter Twenty

Callie

I arrive at the Steel house right at seven—after pulling over and sitting in my car for ten minutes to avoid being early.

I don’t know why I’m playing this game. Donny and I love each other.

Just a lot on my mind.

I should be with Rory, dealing with Pat Lamone. Instead? I’m here, and I know where the evening will lead. Indeed, I want it to lead there.

Sex is a great escape.

The reality, though, is that there’s no escape for me. Not from my past, and not from Pat Lamone.

I knock on the door, and Fred and Ginger, Talon and Jade’s two labs, bound to the doorway as I peer through the side window.

Then Donny, looking particularly scrumptious in jeans and a simple T-shirt, his feet bare, walks to the door and opens it.

“Hey, sweetheart,” he drawls.

Sweetheart. The endearment spears right into my heart. He’s never called me sweetheart before. He’s called me baby a few times, but sweetheart? Never.

“Hey yourself,” I return.

He pulls me inside and into a hug. Different, but so comforting. Sure, he usually grabs me and plants a raw kiss on my lips, but he’s in a different mood this evening. It’s coming off him in waves.

And I’m okay with that.

I’m in a different mood as well.

He’s got his dad on his mind. He’s worried.

I’ve got Rory and Pat Lamone and past indiscretions on mine.

And…I’m worried too.

He kisses my ear and whispers, “I’ve missed you.”

“I’ve missed you too,” I say into his shoulder.

He releases me, kisses me quickly on the lips, and grabs me by the hand, leading me into the spacious country kitchen. “Darla made red snapper.”

I gasp in mock surprise. “Not Steel beef?”

“Remember our conversation in Aspen about how I like fish as much as beef? And turkey as much as beef?”

“What about chicken and duck?” I counter. “What about tofu?”

“Chicken and duck are great.” Then he makes a face. “Don’t give me that vegan stuff, though.”

I smile. “I actually don’t mind vegan if it’s done well. But I’ll always be a meat and fish eater.”

“You’ll like tonight’s meal, then. Darla bakes it with garlic and fines herbes.”

Garlic? I guess if we both have garlic breath, it won’t matter. I love the stuff.

“She also made us a green salad and sides of fingerling potatoes and broccolini.”

I inhale. “It all smells great.” Then I cast my gaze to the table.

It’s set for four.

I tamp down my disappointment. “Who’s joining us?”

“Just Dale and Ashley, and only for dinner. We’ll be alone later.”

“I didn’t mean…”

“Sure you did.” He cups my cheek, thumbs my lower lip. “And so do I. I want to be alone with you, Callie. I need to be alone with you.”

I open my mouth, but nothing comes out.

“I love you,” he says. “Nothing has changed.”

“I…didn’t think it had.” And I hope to God, if he ever finds out about Pat Lamone, that it won’t.

“Didn’t you?”

“No. Not really. I did wonder why you didn’t show up at work this morning, but I believe you when you said you didn’t hit send on the text, because I did the same thing.”

“Great minds…” He laughs.

More like cluttered minds. He had a lot on his this morning, and God knows my mind is cluttered with things I’d prefer never to deal with again.

“Yeah. Weird that we both did it.”

Except it’s not weird at all. It makes perfect sense.

“Everything’s ready.” He looks out the French doors. “Here come Dale and Ashley now.” He pulls open the doors.

The dogs rush out in a tangle of wagging tails and panting tongues, and Dale and Ashley enter.

Ashley gives Donny a hug, and then she turns to me with her arms outstretched.

Weird. We hardly know each other, but I give her a hug.

When I pull back, she says, “You get used to the hugging thing. It was weird for me at first too.”

My cheeks warm, and I can’t think of a reply.

Dale doesn’t hug me. Just nods and says, “Hi, Callie.”

“Hi, Dale.”

“Everything’s ready,” Donny says. “Let’s sit. I brought up a bottle of something red for you, Dale, even though we’re having fish.”