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Nothing makes David Steel Simpson stand out.
Jesse doesn’t respond, and it’s not like I expect him to.
Or if he does, he’ll probably say something like, “Cry me a river, poor little rich boy,” and he’ll be right.
Finally I speak. “I’ve got to make my mark in this world, Jesse. I want to be something more than one of Bradford Steel’s grandchildren. I want to be something more than the next CFO of Steel Acres and Steel Enterprises.”
“What do you want to do?” he asks.
I bury my face in my hands, run my fingers through my hair. “That’s just it. I don’t have a fucking clue. And if I don’t know that, I sure as hell can’t be any good to any woman, and that includes your sister.”
“Don’t you break her heart,” he warns.
I look up at him. “That’s why I have to end whatever’s between us before she gets too invested. And I think…”
“What?” His voice is pointed, and his expression is far from happy.
I swallow. “I should probably go home. Because I’m not going to find my path in life on a rock and roll tour.”
He closes his eyes and takes a deep breath before responding. “Look. I’m the last person in the world who’s going to tell you to keep sleeping with my sister, okay? End it if you have to, but do it soon. I don’t want her hurting any more than she already will.”
I stroke my chin. “I’m not sure she’ll be that hurt. She didn’t say anything about me coming to her room tonight. I was there right outside her door, and all she said was, ‘Good night Dave.’”
“So?”
“She didn’t invite me in.”
“Did you ask to go in?”
“No.”
“Maybe she wanted you to.” He shrugs. “How the hell should I know? I don’t know how women’s brains work. They’re a complete enigma to me. I grew up with three sisters, and they all acted nuts at some point or another. Blame it on hormones, on the double X chromosome, or maybe just the Pike genes. I don’t fucking know. Just go easy on her. Please. We’ve all been through some major trauma.”
“Don’t I know it.” I take a drink of the cognac, let it slide down my throat, warming me.
“But there’s something I want you to think about,” Jesse says.
“What’s that?”
He shrugs. “Your life is far from over. You’re twenty-four, and you just lived through something that could’ve ended us all. I mean, I know the pilot said we were never in any serious danger, but it sure felt that way, and we all thought it was over.”
“And…?”
“My point is relax, for God’s sake. You’re alive, Dave. You’re fucking alive. And you’re in Paris. Take a few days and enjoy it. Take your well-earned vacation, at least until we leave France. I’m not saying you should sleep with my sister.” He wrinkles his nose. “Trust me, I’d rather you didn’t. But take a few days without worrying about what to do for the rest of your life. You don’t need to go home and figure it out right away. It’s impossible anyway.”
I meet Jesse’s gaze. There’s sincerity in his dark eyes, and I think if I hadn’t screwed his sister, we might be able to be friends. He’s Donny’s age, and they were never friends, even though they had so much in common. Maybe they will be now since our families are joining.
“I need to ask you something,” I say.
“Sure, go ahead.”
“Brock and Donny are marrying Rory and Callie.”
“Yeah.”
“Are you going to marry Brianna?”
He grins from ear to ear. “Absolutely.”
