One of a Kind: Lionhearted / Letters to Kelly

Leo went to get Marilee. She said a subdued, hurried goodbye to Cag and Rey and then their wives. Leo waited patiently, vaguely aware that Cag and Rey were standing apart, talking in hushed whispers. They were both staring at Leo.

As Marilee joined him, Leo began to get the idea. Corrigan had sacrificed dancing so that he could pump Leo for gossip and report back to the others. They knew he was drinking, which he never did, and they’d probably seen him hobble back into the room. Then he’d wanted to leave early. It didn’t take a mind reader to put all that together. Something had happened, and his brothers—not to mention their wives—couldn’t wait to find out what. He glared at Corrigan, but his brother only grinned.

“Let’s go, Marilee,” Leo said, catching her by the arm.

She gave one last, hopeful glance at Janie, but was pointedly ignored. She followed along with Leo until the music muted to a whisper behind them.

When Marilee had been dropped off, and they were alone in the car, Corrigan glanced toward his brother with mischievous silvery eyes and pursed his lips.

“You’re limping.”

Leo huffed. “You try walking normally when some crazy woman’s tried to put her heel through your damned boot!”

“Marilee stepped on you?” Corrigan said much too carelessly.

“Janie stepped on me, on purpose!”

“What were you doing to her at the time?”

Leo actually flushed. It was visible in the streetlight they stopped under waiting for a red light to change on the highway. “Well!” Corrigan exclaimed with a knowing expression.

“She started it,” he defended himself angrily. “All these months, she’s been dressing to the hilt and waylaying me every time I went to see her father. She damned near seduced me on the cooking table in her kitchen last month, and then she goes and gets on her high horse because I said a few little things I shouldn’t have when she was eaves-dropping!” “You said a lot of little things,” his brother corrected. “And from what I hear, she left town in a dangerous rush and had to be slowed down by our new assistant chief. In fact, you called and asked him to do it. Good thinking.”

“Who told you that?” Leo demanded.

Corrigan grinned. “Our new assistant chief.”

“Grier can keep his nose out of my business or I’ll punch it for him!”

“He’s got problems of his own, or didn’t you notice him step outside with Judd Dunn just before we left?” Corrigan whistled softly. “Christabel may think she’s her own woman, but Judd doesn’t act like any disinterested husband I ever saw.”

“He’s got a world famous model on his arm,” Leo pointed out.

“It didn’t make a speck of difference once he saw Christabel on that dance floor with Grier. He was ready to make a scene right there.” He glanced at Leo. “And he wasn’t drinking,” he emphasized.

“I am not jealous of Janie Brewster,” Leo told him firmly.

“Tell that to Harley. He had to be persuaded not to go after you when Janie came back inside in tears,” Corrigan added, letting slip what he’d overheard.

That made it worse. “Harley can mind his own damned business, too!”

“He is. He likes Janie.”

“Janie’s not going to fall for some wet-behind-the-ears would-be world-saver,” Leo raged.

“He’s kind to her. He teases her and picks at her. He treats her like a princess.” He gave his brother a wry glance. “I’ll bet he wouldn’t try to seduce her in the rosebushes.” “I didn’t! Anyway, there weren’t any damned rosebushes out there.”

“How do you know that?”

Leo sighed heavily. “Because if there had been, I’d be wearing them.”

Corrigan chuckled. Having had his own problems with the course of true love, he could sympathize with his brother. Sadly, Leo had never been in love. He’d had crushes, he’d had brief liaisons, but there had never been a woman who could stand him on his ear. Corrigan was as fascinated as their brothers with the sudden turn of events. Leo had tolerated Janie Brewster, been amused by her, but he’d never been involved enough to start a fight with her, much less sink two large whiskeys when he hardly even touched beer.

“She’s got a temper, fancy that?” Corrigan drawled.

Leo sighed. “Marilee was telling lies,” he murmured. “She said Janie had started all sorts of gossip about us. I’d kissed her, and liked it, and I was feeling trapped. I thought the kiss gave her ideas. And all the time… Damn!” he ground out. “Tess knew. She told me that Marilee had made up the stories, and I wouldn’t listen.”

“Tess is sharp as a tack,” his older brother remarked.

“I’m as dull as a used nail,” Leo replied. “I don’t even know when a woman is chasing me. I thought Janie was. And all the time, it was her best friend Marilee.” He shook his head. “Janie said I was the most conceited man she ever met. Maybe I am.” He glanced out the window at the silhouettes of buildings they passed in the dark. “She likes Harley. That would have been funny a few months ago, but he keeps impressive company these days.”

“Harley’s matured. Janie has, too. I thought she handled herself with dignity tonight, when she saw you with Marilee.” He chuckled. “Tira would have emptied the punch bowl over her head,” he mused, remembering his redheaded sister-in-law’s temper.

“Simon would have been outraged,” he added. “He hates scenes. You’re a lot like him,” he said unexpectedly, glancing at the younger man. “You can cut up, but you’re as somber as a judge when you’re not around us. Especially since we’ve all married.”

“I’m lonely,” Leo said simply. “I’ve had the house to myself since Rey married Meredith and moved out, almost a year ago. Mrs. Lewis retired. I’ve got no biscuits, no company…”

“You’ve got Marilee,” he was reminded.

“Marilee sprained her wrist. She’s needed me to drive her places,” Leo said drowsily.

“Marilee could drive with one hand. I drove with a broken arm once.”

Leo didn’t respond. They were driving up to the main ranch house, into the driveway that made a semicircle around the front steps. The security lights were on, so was the porch light. But even with lights on in the front rooms of the sprawling brick house, it looked empty.

“You could come and stay with any of us, whenever you wanted to,” Corrigan reminded him. “We only live a few miles apart.”

“You’ve all got families. Children. Well, except Meredith and Rey.”

“They’re not in a hurry. Rey’s the youngest. The rest of us are feeling our ages a bit more.”

“Hell,” Leo growled, “you’re only two years older than me.”

“You’re thirty-five,” he was reminded. “I’ll be thirty-eight in a couple of months.”

“You don’t look it.”

“Dorie and the babies keep me young,” Corrigan admitted with a warm smile. “Marriage isn’t as bad as you think it is. You have someone to cook for you, a companion to share your sorrows when the world hits you in the head, and your triumphs when you punch back. Not to mention having a warm bed at night.”

Leo opened the door but hesitated. “I don’t want to get married.”

Corrigan’s pale eyes narrowed. “Dorie was just a little younger than Janie when I said the same thing to her. I mistook her for an experienced woman, made a very heavy pass, and then said some insulting things to her when she pulled back at the last minute. I sent her running for the nearest bus, and my pride stopped me from carrying her right back off it again. She went away. It was eight long years before she came home, before I was able to start over with her.” His face hardened. “You know what those years were like for me.”

Leo did. It was painful even to recall them. “You never told me why she left.”

Corrigan rested his arm over the steering wheel. “She left because I behaved like an idiot.” He glanced at his brother. “I don’t give a damn what Marilee’s told you about Janie, she isn’t any more experienced than Dorie was. Don’t follow in my footsteps.”

Leo wouldn’t meet the older man’s eyes. “Janie’s a kid.”