Page 17 of Her Cowboy Prince Charming

“Yeah. I guess. Though, she’s an adult. I don’t ask for an accounting of her whereabouts. Jessie can do whatever she pleases.”

He regarded his friend closely, not certain if there was something underneath his words or not. “Can she?”

“I mean, within reason. But you know... I realize she went to that masquerade the other night. I realize that she came home and left one shoe sitting in the entryway.” He leaned back in his chair and made his focus level as he regarded Damien. “And I saw the other one down in the cabin you’re staying in.”

“Shit,” Damien said.

“And that response tells me you’re not really confused about how it got there.”

“She didn’t leave it there,” he said. Because that was true.

“How’d it get there?”

“I... I had it.”

“Right. So...”

“Is this the part where you throw me out in the snow?”

“No,” Levi said, rapping his knuckles on the table. “It’s not. Because God knows she’s not a kid. She’s not stupid. And she’s been in love with you since the dawn of time.”

“If you knew that, why didn’t you say anything?”

“Because I figured... I figured you didn’t feel the same. Anyway, it’s not really my ideal scenario. I don’t think my sister should necessarily be with somebody the same age as me who has never once acted like he wanted a commitment. But then I also figure...she’s gotta make her mistakes. And if she chose to be with you... Well. It’s her mistake.”

“Maybe I’m not a mistake.”

“Maybe,” Levi said. “I’m open to that.”

“I don’t really know what to do with this conversation. I was expecting threats of violence.”

“I’m only going to commit acts of violence if you get out of pocket. Like I said. Jessie is twenty-three years old. I don’t have shit to say about who she sleeps with. Never have and never will.”

“Well,” Damien said, the words leaving his mouth before he could think better of them, “that’s because she’d never slept with anybody before.”

His posture straightened slightly, and Damien saw a lick of fire in Levi’s eyes. And he could feel danger.

“Well, that changes the complexity of things slightly.”

“It’s complicated. And it’s probably not a story you want to hear.”

“Oh, I guarantee you that I don’t. But what I wanted to make sure was... Don’t hold anything back on account of me. That’s it.”

“Well, I was,” Damien said.

“If being with her is something that you want, if it’s something that makes you happy...then be with her. I mean, assuming she wants to be with you.”

“That’s the question,” Damien said.

Levi’s blessing was the first step in being certain this wouldn’t ruin the only family he had left. He couldn’t control what Jessie would do.

But he could change himself. Make real, firm decisions about what he wanted.

He didn’t have any excuses left.

He was the one who had to take this step.

Jessie had done it first. Tried to kiss him. Been the honest one about the attraction between them.

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