Page 37 of Love Me Dangerous

This is new thinking, so I tread lightly. “At one time, you had a lot of passion for that story.”

Ferg returns and collapses in the grass between the V of Jesse’s legs, tongue hanging sideways while she pants.

“Did you apply for that internship?” I ask.

“I don’t want to work on a miniseries.”

I resist the urge to roll my eyes. “How do you know unless you try? And it’s about making connections. Look at it like a stepping stone.”

“I’m going to L.A.”

My heart feels tight and sharp behind my ribs, making me wince.

“What about Neve?” Though I think she’s contributing to my brother’s distorted view of the world, she’s in Finn River and not L.A.

He shrugs. “We aren’t exclusive.”

I don’t press this because what’s the point? He’s got it worked out in his mind that he can have everything he wants.

“When will you leave?”

“A couple of weeks, maybe.”

He looks at me for the first time. I try to hold onto the purity and focus I see in his determined gaze. I need it to banish my fears.

Banish the hurt.

“You’ll tell Dad?” he asks.

For the second time today, I blink back tears. “Yeah.”

Linnie’s school bus rumbles past our driveway.

“Stay and take Linnie out on the quad,” I say. Even though she’s been riding her own dirt bike since her tenth birthday, a quad ride with her brother would be ten times more fun.

“Can’t,” Jesse says, already walking toward the garage. “Tell her hi from me, though.”

Gritting my teeth, I let myself out through the gate and hurry down the driveway to meet Linn. It gives me the space I need to get my shit together, but Linnie’s serene eyes tense when she steps off the bus.

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing!” I smile. “How was your day?”

She watches me a moment longer, then shrugs. “It was okay.”

The bus door squeaks shut, and the wheels crackle on the gravel as it continues down the road.

I lift her backpack from her shoulder and sling it over mine. “I rescued an owl today.”

Her eyes widen. “Where?”

I rattle off a quick summary.

“Who’s Zach? Is he a volunteer?”

I choose my words carefully, or she’ll know there’s more to the story. “He’s doing some work for the ranch, and he just happened to be there.”

And I just happened to kiss him.

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