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At least, it hadn’t been in the past. A past they’d yet to deal with. A past they were ignoring in order to work together. A past he still didn’t think he could explain to her, nor she to him.
“Levi, call or fold? Wake up, man,” Travis said.
Levi glanced at his hand and tossed it down on the poker table. “Fold. I’m going to call in some pizza. You know where the beer is if anyone wants more.”
He wandered out, ordered the pizza, but instead of going back to the game room, he stopped in the foyer. Dana was right. The wood of the staircase balustrade was beautiful. He should have done something about it before, but it hadn’t seemed important. He rubbed his hand along the top of the newel post, admiring the intricate carving and wondering what else Dana would find that she thought had to be done. Things that didn’t pertain to making the house accessible.
What if they tried again? Could they make it work this time? Had Dana changed enough? Had he? He still couldn’t live in the city. That was a no-brainer. But could she live in Whiskey River? Permanently? Would she even want to?
“What’s going on, Levi?” Travis asked.
Levi dropped his hand. He hadn’t known Travis was there until he spoke. Which proved how distracted he’d been. “Nothing. Just waiting on the pizza.”
“Right. Because you won’t hear the doorbell even though I know damn well you’ve got some doo-dad that lets you know when someone is at the door.”
Levi shrugged. “It’s broken.”
Travis obviously didn’t buy it. “Something’s wrong. Your game has been shit tonight and I come out here to find you staring into space and stroking that balustrade like it’s a woman. Do you need to get laid that bad?”
“Funny man. No, I don’t need to get laid.” Of course he did, but that was beside the point.
“Is it Asher? He hasn’t had a setback has he?” Travis asked bluntly.
“Not that I’m aware of.”
“Are you worried about him? Is that what’s going on?”
“I’m always worried about Asher. But no more than I have been.” At least the worry was bearable now. He wouldn’t go back to those early days when Asher was first hurt for anything. Levi had flown to Germany to the US Military hospital in Landstuhl as soon as he found out Asher had been critically injured. He stayed until they knew Asher would live, which had been in doubt for weeks. Asher stayed for six weeks, then went to Walter Reed in Maryland, and eventually to Brooke Army Medical Center. BAMC was part of the SAMMC, San Antonio Military Medical Center complex, where Asher had been for several weeks. Levi was able to visit him more regularly since he wasn’t too far away. In fact, he had to force himself not to go more than once every week or two, since Asher said too many visits made him feel like Levi thought he was going to die any minute. Levi didn’t think that was the only reason but since Asher asked him to back off, he did.
“Harlan said you asked Dana to help with the remodel.”
“Yeah, so?”
“So that must have been hard considering you two can’t stand each other.”
Yeah, that wasn’t exactly the problem. But Travis didn’t know that. Neither of his partners did. Mostly because neither of them had been in town when his relationship with Dana had played out. And it wasn’t something he talked about. So while they probably knew Levi and Dana had a thing going once upon a time, they didn’t know how serious it had been. He doubted they had any idea that the two of them had lived together in Florida for three months. Until it all blew up.
And then they went and hired her to draw up plans to remodel the damn airport. Even though he’d objected, Harlan, who was their builder, and then Zack and Travis had been convinced they wanted Dana for the job. He’d been outvoted, plain and simple. Plus, he hadn’t thought she’d take the job. But she had.
“We don’t hate each other.”
Travis raised his eyebrows. “Then why have you been avoiding her since she came to town? Until you had to ask for her help, anyway.”
“We made a deal to stay away from each other.”
“Why?”
Oh, hell. “Because almost every time we’re together we wind up in bed.”
The doorbell rang.
Saved by the pizza.
*
I am so screwed. Dana had been so sure she could keep her personal feelings out of the way while designing the remodel of Levi’s house.
And how’s that working for ya?
