Total pages in book: 76
Estimated words: 76205 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 381(@200wpm)___ 305(@250wpm)___ 254(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 76205 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 381(@200wpm)___ 305(@250wpm)___ 254(@300wpm)
“I’m not.”
“Oh, please.” Rory shakes her head. “We may be four years apart in age, Jesse, but I know you better than you know yourself.”
“I mean it, Ror. I’ve made my peace with it.”
It’s not lying, exactly. I don’t like the idea of anyone in my little sister’s pants. I wasn’t thrilled about it with Callie and Rory, for that matter. But Maddie…
“She’s so young,” Rory says, as if reading my mind.
“Yeah, she is.”
“Same age as…Brianna.”
“Yeah, I was waiting for you to bring that up.”
“So get over yourself. The Steels are good people. I can vouch for them.”
“You can vouch for Brock.”
She shakes her head and swallows the bite of roll she took. “I can vouch for all of them,” she says. “Callie and I have done a lot of talking about the family, and we’ve gotten to know them well. I mean, we already knew them, but since we got involved with members of their family, we talk to them more. Spend more time with them. They’re good people, Jess. But I think you already knew that.”
“I did.” I take a sip of water.
“And for what it’s worth, I agree about Maddie. She’s very young. But so is Brianna, and she seems to know what she wants.”
“Yeah… I worry about that a bit.”
“Why?”
This isn’t stuff I really talk to my sister about, but I need to confide in someone. Cage and Jake left our dinner early, so Rory and I are alone.
“It’s hard to put into words, Ror. I’m not the kind of guy who wears his feelings on this sleeve.”
“Except you are, Jess. You’re an artist. You write songs about the feelings you’re having.”
“I’ve never written a song about this,” I say, “and that’s the God’s honest truth.”
“What are you getting at?”
I sigh. “I’ve never told a soul this. Except for Brianna, of course, but I’m not sure she understands.”
“Go on.”
“I’ve been attracted to her for a while now. In fact, we even shared a kiss before we left for the tour.”
Rory’s eyes pop open wide. “You did?”
“Yeah, outside of Murphy’s one night. She’s so beautiful, but I know a lot of beautiful women. Hell, I grew up surrounded by beautiful women.”
“Moms and sisters don’t count.”
“I know that. But it’s not like I’m mesmerized by beauty or anything. I’ve seen beauty before. I’ve been with beauty before. I’ve fallen in love with someone beautiful before. But with Brianna, it was just…”
“Quick?” she asks.
I scratch my chin, thinking. “Not quick so much as…unexpected. And different. Very, very different.”
“So, not quick…”
“Yeah, not quick after all. Because when I’m honest with myself, I realize that I’ve been noticing her for the last several years. And there are things about her that I respect so much. Like her devotion to her family and to her ranch. I mean, other than Brock, who else is that devoted to the ranch?”
“Dale,” she says.
“He’s not devoted to the ranch so much as to wine. The art of making wine.”
“But I think it’s the same thing,” Rory says. “He’s staying home, working the land. Taking part in the family business. Whereas most of them aren’t.”
“What does Dave even do?”
“To be honest, I have no clue.” She chuckles. “I guess we should ask.”
“I think Brianna said he works with his dad. So I suppose he does contribute to the family business, though he’s not working the land.”
“I think you’re right, come to think of it.”
“But Brianna’s different,” I say. “It’s like the land is part of her. She looks the part. All cowgirl. A hundred percent. None of the rest of them are like that.”
“Excuse me?”
“Except for Brock, of course.”
“But you don’t think of Brock that way.”
“Not even a little bit. I’m sure he’s a very handsome man, sis, but unlike you, I’m only attracted to one sex.”
She laughs a little then. “It’s funny. I really had no clue whether I’d end up with a man or a woman, and when Brock came along and pursued me, my first inclination was that he’d be a great father for my child.”
“What?” I clench my jaw.
“Yeah. I actually asked if he’d be willing to father a child for me.”
“You what?”
“I did. Not my finest moment, of course. But after Raine and I broke up, I realized what I really wanted was a child.”
“And he said what?”
“He refused. So I went to a sperm bank.”
“You what?” I echo myself.
“Yeah. But the counselor I talked to didn’t think I was ready after we went through all the questions.”
“And are you?”
“I am, Jesse. But Brock and I have decided to wait a few years. Because if the band takes off, I don’t want to be going on maternity leave just yet.”
I’m not sure what to say to that. Because, yeah, the band may indeed take off. And if it does, we need Rory. But she could still tour. Up until probably five or six months. Then once she had the kid, she could come along. But Brock would have to come with her, or she’d have to bring a nanny for the baby. Of course, being married to Brock Steel, she’ll be able to afford the best nanny in the business. Maybe she wants to take a more hands-on approach to motherhood. Knowing Rory, I’d bet everything that’s it.