Page 71 of Worst in Show

He steers me out of the brewery with a hand on my back, but when we get outside, he lets go. We walk for a minute without speaking.

“It was nice to meet your brother,” I say eventually. “Were you guys close growing up?”

“In some ways. It gets competitive between boys, though.”

“You competitive? No way.”

He chuckles. “Can you believe it?”

Another arm touch. I bet if I flex my hand, it will touch his. I’m working up the nerve when the backs of his fingers graze mine. He holds still there, waiting for me.

“I believe it,” I say, letting my fingers interlace with his. His warm palm against my cool one is like stepping inside after being caught in the rain. Every touching point radiates comfort and something more urgent, and when he squeezes tighter, the pressure resonates deep in my stomach.

“I didn’t mean to be cryptic earlier by the way.” Leo looks at me. “About Bennett and the store. When I said I didn’t want to talk about it, I meant in front of the others. I don’t mind telling you.”

My chest expands. “No?”

He shakes his head. “It has to do with people I don’t want to let down.”

“Like your dad?”

“You know about my dad?” It comes out sharp.

Whoa there. “Not really, but I figured since Canine King is a family business…”

“Oh.” He pauses and nods. “Right. Well, my father and my uncles have relied quite a bit on my position in New York for contacts, so this”—he gestures around us—“is not what they want from me.”

“Are you sure? Maybe you’d be surprised—”

“I tried,” Leo says. “I suggested something like this to my father before I left the city, and he laughed.”

“But you are here. I don’t understand.”

“They don’t know I opened this branch because I’m financing it myself. I wanted it to be profitable before I told them.”

I stare at him. That’s ballsy. And I can’t imagine entirely legal. “And Bennett will tell your dad?”

A wry smile. “He’ll relish it. It’ll give him a leg up.”

“But you’re both adults now. Why does it matter?”

He’s quiet for a while. Shrugs. “Maybe because it’s always mattered. No one wants to disappoint their parents. And my mom is…” His voice trails off.

I finally dare the question I’ve been wanting to ask for a long time. “Dawn told me she was in an accident?”

He sucks in his lips. Releases them. “My senior year of high school. She fell off her horse—cracked her skull when the helmet flew off and broke her back. Still needs assistance round the clock.”

The pain in his voice reaches out and squeezes my heart. “That must have been so hard.”

“For everyone. My dad, too. The brain injury erased skills everyone else takes for granted. But she has a great assistant, and I know she’s still herself inside, if that makes sense. Stubborn, curious, passionate about animals… You’d get along great.” He smiles. “I should try to see her more often.”

I nod. “She sounds wonderful. Sorry, I didn’t mean to pry.”

“I don’t mind. Everyone has something.”

“Yeah. Maybe you could talk to Bennett tomorrow and tell him to keep it to himself?”

“Nah.” His grip on my hand tightens. “I should be able to stand up for what I want to do, right?”

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