But Adam didn’t smile. Instead he hesitated. He never hesitated.
“Uh-oh,” she said. “Is this where you tell me the three of you launched into a life of crime?”
“No, I was already well into my criminal career by then, all on my own.” He rubbed a hand over his eyes, looking weary. “I already had two arrests for underage drinking and then I got caught trying to steal a car.”
“Oh, Adam.”
He shook the sympathy off. I was young and stupid and angry. Brady helped steer me through the aftermath of that disaster on the condition that I straighten my shit out or he’d straighten me out himself. Painfully.”
Lilah felt her heart turn over in its chest. “He cared about you, like a brother.”
“At the time it felt more like a prison warden, but yeah. The point is, he always came through for us when we needed him.”
“And you want to come through for him now?”
“Yeah. This land is one third his. And it’s good to have him here.”
“Where he’s safe,” she guessed. “For those few years he kept you safe, and you’d like to return the favor. Look at you trying to save us all.”
He grimaced. “Jesus, don’t make me out like a saint.”
“No, a saint would have brought something good to top off my ice cream with.” She smiled at him. “And I think it’s sweet. Even if Brady, and me for that matter, don’t like to accept help.”
“No,” he said quietly. “But you want him.”
“Yes,” she admitted, unwilling to lie. “Is that going to be a problem?”
He shrugged, his eyes dark and troubled. “Just… be careful. He’s not the white-picket-fence type.”
“I don’t want a white picket fence.” Yet. Because the truth was, she did want to meet the One and get married. Someday. But she’d waited this long, she could wait a little longer.
And in the meantime, there could be Brady. The pros far outweighed the cons. He wouldn’t let Adam and Dell scare him off, and she didn’t have anything to lose because they both knew the score up front. He was leaving. So there were no expectations and she could be free to enjoy herself.
A lot.
A corner of Adam’s mouth quirked as he read her thought like a book. “Brady was tossed around more than we were. Something like four or five foster homes before Sol got him.”
“Which makes it all the better that he has you guys and this place.” And me…
Adam nodded. “Yes. He’s had a lot of people in his life who didn’t stick. So you should know… he doesn’t tend to stick either.”
“That’s actually pretty funny coming from you.” She hugged him. “Listen to me, okay? I’m not looking to make him stick. I’m just looking for some company.”
“So you’re okay being his one-night stand?”
“Not a one-night stand, no,” she said. “I’ll take a couple of nights. Or as long as it lasts. On our terms, his and mine. Not yours.” She kissed his tense jaw. “Love you, though. Always will.”
Adam just sighed and reached for the ice cream.
Seven
B rady stood by the unlit fireplace and stared at the rug in front of it.
Or more accurately, the thing on the rug.
It was staring back at him. It was now midnight. An hour ago Brady had gone to sleep. Or tried to. The loft, being one room, allowed noise to carry, so when the dog had started crying and howling almost immediately, it was a shocking decibel level considering the pup was maybe seven pounds.
He’d tried everything. A blanket. A ticking clock from the mantel. Soft music from his own iPod. Okay, not soft, he didn’t have soft, but hell, it was hard rock, the good stuff.
Every single time, the dog would appear to settle and Brady would crawl cautiously off to bed. He’d get comfortable and start to drift off.
And then the hell would begin all over again.
“They tell me that you’re one hundred percent canine,” Brady said, hands on hips. “But I’m thinking you’re one hundred percent pussy.”
The dog-Brady refused to think of it as Twinkles-let out a low whimper and rolled over, exposing its belly.
“Jesus.” Brady sank to the couch in nothing but his knit boxers. “Come here, then.”
Its sorrow apparently forgotten, the dog leapt up with enthusiasm and bounded over. He tried to jump up onto the couch, making it only about six inches off the ground before falling to his back on the floor.
Brady shook his head. “Failing is not an option, soldier. Try again.”
Gamefully, the dog did just that, getting even less height this time before he once more hit the floor. With another sad whimper, he sat at Brady’s feet, tail tentatively sweeping the floor.
Brady sighed and scooped a hand beneath his little concaved belly, lifting him up so that they were eye to eye. “Out of all the trucks in all the land, why mine?”
The dog wriggled joyfully. “Arf.”
Brady blinked, then found himself grinning at the unexpected bark. It had been high-pitched and soprano, but hell it was better than a meow. “So you are a dog. You’ve got to work on the pitch, man. Can’t have all the chick dogs thinking your boys never dropped.” No need in telling him he probably wouldn’t get to keep his boys.
“Arf!”
He’d created a monster. Brady laughed, then started to set the dog down, but he clung to his hand. Shaking his head, Brady set the thing on the couch next to him, where he immediately crawled into his lap.
Brady stared down at him and realized he was shivering. “You’re nothing but a bag of bones.” Pulling the dog against his chest, they had a little moment, and finally the dog stopped shivering. He licked Brady’s chin.
“Listen,” Brady said. “This is just temporary. Tomorrow we figure out what the hell Lilah’s game is and she’ll find you a home. She’s good at it.”
The dog didn’t even blink, but in its chocolately eyes, Brady saw a hint of sadness. “Don’t even try the puppy eyes, they don’t work on me.”
The dog blinked slowly.
Brady pointed at him. “Knock that off.”
His answer was a soft whine.
“Look, I’m just passing through, that’s it.”
Not getting it, the dog set his head against Brady’s chest and let out a shuddery sigh.
And Brady did the same. In his life, he’d taken responsibility for more people than he could count, but he’d steered clear of animals, never keeping one for himself. He’d not needed the extra burden. “If I were going to keep a dog,” he said, “it would be a big one. Or at least one that could get up on the couch by himself.”
He would have sworn censure filled the dog’s dark gaze. “Hey, I’m just being honest here. You little things are yappers.”
The little guy put his ears down, the picture of innocence.
And Brady had to laugh. “Right. Save it for someone you can manipulate, okay? Maybe the ladies.” He thought of Jade and Lilah, both of whom had manipulated the hell out of him. “I deserve this,” he muttered.
The dog cocked its head.
“Never mind. I’m so tired I’m talking to a dog.” He got up, set the dog on the blanket, and then dropped like a stone onto the bed. He remained tense a moment, waiting, but he heard nothing and slowly relaxed.
Ahhh, sleep. He was halfway to paradise, lying on a warm beach with a beer in one hand and the silky coconut-scented skin of a woman under the other. And yeah, okay, maybe the woman looked a little like Lilah, right down to the mossy green eyes and deliciously curvy body, which was at the moment wearing nothing but the smallest of string bikinis…
And that’s when he heard it, the one sound that could bring him back from the beach and the sexy woman on it: “Arf!”
Fuck.
“Arf, arf, arf… ”
The next morning, Brady came awake to a noise he didn’t recognize and rolled off the bed, automatically reaching for his weapon.
When he realized he wasn’t in combat, was in fact a million miles from any combat zone, he lay back down and scrubbed a hand over his face.