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Wishful thinking?
They hadn’t really tried to work it out again. Two nights of wild sex didn’t constitute trying. But they’d both been so sure it wouldn’t work out.
“Dana, I know this isn’t what we agreed on. I really appreciate you taking on this project. It means a lot to me.”
“I’m happy to do whatever I can to help a wounded veteran. Even if he weren’t your brother.”
He shifted, looking a little uncomfortable. “I was afraid you’d turn me down. It won’t be possible to stay out of each other’s way now.”
She knew what he was implying. “No, it won’t be. We’re both adults. We should be able to keep our hormones in check.”
“We should,” he agreed.
She met his gaze and heard as clearly as if he’d said it: But will we?
Chapter Three
Wednesday night was poker night and this was Levi’s week to host. Since the major thing that involved was making sure he had plenty of cold beer, he wasn’t worried. Everyone else was supposed to bring some kind of food or snack. They usually remembered to at least bring a bag of chips or cookies. And if everyone forgot they ordered pizza delivered.
His doorbell rang and he went to open it. “Hey, Harlan,” he said, greeting Travis’s older brother. Harlan was the builder whose construction company was in charge of remodeling both the airport and soon his home. “I’m glad you’re early. Dana agreed to handle the house remodel. I’m not sure when she’ll have the plans, though. We just agreed on it a few days ago.”
“She’s usually speedy with the preliminary plans,” Harlan said. “Once she has them we’ll set up a meeting between the three of us. Here would be best.”
“Sounds good. Are those cookies I smell?” Levi asked, motioning to the large sack Harlan held.
“Straight from Cookies and S’more(s). Want one?”
“Depends. Are there any chocolate chip?”
“See for yourself,” Harlan said, handing him the bag.
Levi opened the bag, pulled out a couple of cookies and gave Harlan back the bag. Munching on a cookie, he said, “Dana said two months wasn’t enough time to do the remodel. Or at least, that it was a lot to expect. Is she right? Am I deluding myself that we can get it done?”
“No, I don’t think you’re delusional. Obviously you’ll want to do his living area first, so we’ll concentrate on that and the rest will follow. Don’t worry, Levi. We might not get everything you want done, and realistically we won’t before Asher gets here, but we’ll be sure that his bedroom and bathroom are ready. And the doorways and entrance ramps.”
“Thanks.” He dusted off his hands and stuck them in his pockets. “That timeline is probably optimistic, anyway. He could easily be in the hospital in San Antonio for three months or maybe a bit more. If he has a setback or isn’t improving as quickly as they’d like they won’t discharge him to outpatient. But I want to be prepared in case they do let him leave.”
“So you really don’t know when he’ll get to leave the hospital.”
“No. But I’m worried he’ll change his mind about living with me. I kind of had to kick his ass to get him to agree to come here after he’s discharged. Said some crap about not wanting to be a burden, but honestly, I’m not sure that’s all there is to it.” He ran a hand through his hair. “But I’ve convinced him, for now, anyway.”
“That’s not surprising, is it? He’s been on his own for a long time now, hasn’t he?”
“Since he was fifteen, more or less.” When they’d both gone into foster care. Levi had only been in the system a few months, until he turned eighteen, but Asher had spent two years living with different foster families. Every one of them a damn failure. Levi shoved that thought out of his mind. He’d done everything possible to take guardianship of Asher, but the state hadn’t allowed it. “He went into the army at seventeen.”
“He’s a Green Beret, isn’t he?”
“He was, yes. Now he’s a medically discharged former Green Beret.”
“Adjusting to civilian life after that long in the military would be difficult in itself, I’d think. It’s bound to be even harder to adjust to serious injuries and needing help simply for everyday living.”
“Yeah, I’m sure it is.” Not to mention, despite Asher’s denials, Levi thought it would be a miracle if Asher didn’t have PTSD.
Later, after everyone who was coming had shown up, Levi couldn’t keep his mind on the game. Not because he was worried about Asher, though he was. No, he couldn’t get Dana out of his mind. Why in the hell was he still, after all this time, so hung up on her? And why the hell couldn’t they work it out?
The sex between them was amazing. But fantastic sex wasn’t enough to keep a relationship going.
Probably.
