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Asher laughed at that. “Yes you would have. If I’d blown it on something stupid you’d have shit a brick.”
“Fortunately I didn’t have to. Now I have two questions. How soon do you plan on being operational?”
“I have no idea. As soon as possible but I’m sure it takes a lot of time to set up something like this. In the meantime I can talk to shelters around here and other parts of the state and get an idea what we’ll want to put in place.”
“Sounds reasonable.”
“What’s your other question?”
“How much are you going to let me donate? And don’t even think of saying no. I need the tax write-off.”
Asher knew damn good and well that Levi helped fund a number of nonprofits. But he also knew it was important to his brother to be able to invest in something that would not only help Asher, but could potentially help a lot of veterans as well. “How can I answer that when I have no idea how much we’ll need? But yes, you can be a part of it if you want.”
“Good. Have you been thinking about this for a while? Or just since you adopted Maggie and the pups?”
“Maggie helped crystallize that I needed a purpose.” He wouldn’t go so far as to say Maggie “saved” him, but she’d made a huge difference in his life. And if she’d done that for him then wasn’t it worth it to try to give everyone a chance? “I haven’t been in a good place since I lost my leg. For one thing I had no idea what I was going to do. This seems like something worthwhile.”
“No argument here.” Levi got up. “Why do I get the feeling you have something else you want to talk about?”
“You’re not going to like it,” Asher warned him. “I really appreciate what you’ve done for me. You know, changing your house and all. Letting me live here. Everything you’ve done since I was injured. But it’s time I find a place of my own.”
Levi waved away his thanks. “Why now?”
“You and Dana, for one thing.”
“What about Dana and me?”
“Come on, Bro, when are you going to get married and start popping out little Danas and Levis?”
Chapter Eighteen
Levi stared at Asher. When was he going to get married and have kids? God, he wished he could. But the more he thought about it, the more impossible it seemed. “I’m not.”
“You’re not what? Getting married or having babies?”
“That’s right. Neither one.”
“If you’re going to tell me you’re not in love with Dana, forget it.”
“I didn’t say I didn’t love her. But that’s why we’re not getting married. It wouldn’t be fair to her, knowing I won’t have any kids.”
“Why not?” Asher appeared completely puzzled.
“Why won’t I have kids? You can ask me that after the childhood we had?” To Levi the answer to that question was pretty damn obvious.
“What does that have to do with anything? So our parents sucked. Big deal. Lots of people have fucked-up parents and they still have kids.”
“I’m not risking it. What if I—What if I turn out like him? I can’t take that chance.”
“That,” Asher said, looking at him angrily, “is just bullshit. There’s no way you’d ever treat any kid, much less a kid of your own, like he treated us.”
“You can’t know that. If there’s even the slightest chance—”
“Goddamn it, Levi. There isn’t. Have you forgotten what you did for me? Because I sure as hell haven’t. I never will.”
“What I did for you? I failed you, Asher. I couldn’t protect you from him.”
“You did protect me from him. I remember every beating you ever took for me.”
