Flame (Steel Brothers Saga 20)

“I think,” I say, “this has more to do with Raine’s lack of trust than it has to do with your bisexuality.”

“I know it does, but it still hurts when she accuses me of things that just aren’t true. When I’m with a man or a woman, I’m all in. I don’t stray. That’s not my style. And sure, I’m attracted to others. Of both sexes. But that doesn’t mean I’m going to act on that attraction.”

“I know, Rory.”

“I don’t even think about it,” she continues.

“If Raine is that insecure, she’s not going to find happiness with a lesbian either. She has issues.”

“We really had some great times,” Rory says. “I do miss her.”

“I know. But you said yourself she wasn’t your forever.”

“No, she wasn’t. That’s obvious now. Plus, she wasn’t interested in children, and I am.”

“Really?”

Rory nods. “I never told you because I didn’t want to believe it myself. I always thought she’d change her mind. I guess it doesn’t matter now. Of course, I’m twenty-eight. My biological clock is ticking.”

“Don’t be silly. You have all kinds of time.”

“Raine is younger,” Rory says. “I figured she had all kinds of time to change her mind about kids. She could be the one to have our child. Now I guess it’s up to me.”

“Not necessarily. You could find someone younger.”

“What if I fall in love with a guy next? Then it’s all on me.”

“You’re putting way too much pressure on yourself, Rory.”

“Easy for you to say. You’ve got two more years of fertility than I have, plus a guy who’s probably already thinking about impregnating you.”

Funny. Donny and I have so much going on that I haven’t given the future a thought. I do want kids. I don’t think I’m quite the mothering type that Rory is. Just watching her with her students has shown me she’ll be a great mom, plus she was a little mother to Maddie when our younger sister was born. Me? I’m a little too sarcastic and abrasive. I do love children, though, and I do want them. Does Donny? Probably. The Steels are all about family.

“I don’t know about that.”

“Are you kidding? I’ve seen the way he looks at you. Raine never looked at me like that. No one has.”

“That’s not true, Ror. You were the homecoming queen.”

She scoffs. “High school bullshit. That ended up taking me to a place I never wanted to go that’s coming back to kick both our asses. I’m talking about now. We’re adults. I’ve been in several relationships with both men and women, and not one of them has looked at me the way Donny looks at you. He has stars in his eyes whenever he looks at you, Callie. You’re one lucky woman.”

I can’t deny the butterflies I get when Donny gazes at me with those gorgeous hazel eyes. But Rory is the beauty of the Pike family. She’s Mom’s Mini-Me, and Mom was a beauty queen. Maddie is adorable too, but Rory… She’s something special. If she were slightly taller, she’d be walking runways.

“I won’t deny I’m lucky,” I say.

“So what did he say?” she asks.

“About what?”

“About Lamone. The past. All of it.”

I swallow. “I haven’t told him yet.”

She pops her eyes open. “What?”

“Well…we got back to the room, and one thing led to another…”

She raises a hand to stop me. “Please. Spare me the details. It’s bad enough my little sister’s getting some and I’m not.”

“Ror…”

“I’m sorry. That was uncalled for. But I thought you decided.”

“I did. And I will. But we got to the room, and then…you know. He was mad. Really mad, Ror, and he took it out on me.”

“Lucky girl.”

“Yeah.” I clear my throat. “Anyway, I was going to tell him after, but he got a phone call from Dale, which he had to take. It could have been about his dad.”

“Right.”

I look at my watch. “It’s been a while. Maybe I should go back and make sure everything’s okay.”

Rory nods.

“You okay here?”

“I’m fine. I promise. Just having a little pity party for myself. It’ll pass.”

“Hey, we’ve been through a lot. I promise you we’ll put Pat Lamone and his high school antics behind us. Donny will help.”

“I know he will. I just wish…”

“What?”

“I wish it had never come to this, Cal. We took care of it back then, but now it’s back to haunt us.”

“Only if we let it. Lamone’s up to something, and I’m pretty sure he wants money, which he thinks we can get because of my relationship with Donny.”

“If that’s the case, then why did he tell Donny those lies about us? Wouldn’t it have made more sense for him to come to you and threaten to tell Donny unless you paid him off?”

Damn. She’s right. And why in hell didn’t I come up with that theory? A wannabe lawyer should do better.