Chapter 27

Kate is quiet on the way back to the ranch. When we find Levi walking along the road, we stop briefly enough for him to hop in and the air hangs even heavier as he adds his broodiness to the tension. It’s been a long night, so it’s probably just something like that. But still, I worry.

Perhaps we shouldn’t have pushed Kate. Maybe one of us should have asked first if it was okay that all three of us pursue her.

Of course, Levi ain’t pursuing anyone right now. Big bastard refuses to admit he likes Kate and yet we have all the evidence we need now that he’d nearly killed a guy for her. I’d talked to the EMTs while Dakota had been busy slow dancing with Kate. Apparently, that asshole has some extensive damage and we’re gonna be lucky if we don’t have charges brought up on us. It’s worth it though. He’d grabbed Kate. Any one of us would have done the same thing in that position.

Of course, Dakota and I might not have gotten so close to killing him.

Levi’s demons are. . . well, they’re bigger than either mine or Dakota’s. We all have our darkness, sure, but the monsters that haunt Levi are arguably more dangerous. That’s why it’s a good thing he doesn’t usually hang around other people, but he’d come out because of Kate. I have no doubt about that. He’d even danced with her! I can’t remember the last time I saw him dance. It had to have been before his accident.

“We all just gonna sit in awkward silence the rest of the way home?” I grumble, glancing between the three of them. When no one answers, I sigh. “It really wasn’t that big of a deal. It’s all good?—”

“Levi almost killed that bastard,” Dakota points out.

Levi snorts. “Almost. I was going to, had you two assholes not stopped me.”

“We can’t just go around killing people,” I tell him like he’s a petulant child. “That’s bad.”

“He grabbed Kate’s ass and when she told him to back off, he grabbed her tit. I think it was warranted,” Levi gruffs, looking out the window to avoid eye contact.

Silence falls and Dakota looks over at Kate where she sits silently. She doesn’t say anything, and she certainly doesn’t look at any of us. Her eyes remain focused out the window on the road and nothing else.

“Kate?” Dakota asks.

She glances at him and then her gaze dances away. “It’s true,” she murmurs. “The guy had it coming.”

We let her words hang in the air between us.

“You good?” I ask hesitantly.

She turns and meets my eyes. “Oh, yeah. I’m fine. Why do you ask?”

I raise my brow. “You’re acting strange.”

“Just tired,” she says, turning to face the front again, her eyes on the window. “It’s been a long day.”

Dakota nods. “Let’s get you home then.”

She blinks at his use of home, but she doesn’t argue. I like that. I like that a lot.

Because if I have anything to do with it, I’d like Steele Mountain to be her home forever.

A rock kicks up beneath the wheel and clangs and before I’m conscious of it, I flinch. Dakota’s eyes meet mine in the mirror and I shake my head. Don’t bring it up. I’m fine. It’s just every now and then a sound like that catches me off guard and puts me right back in?—

It doesn’t matter. I take a few deep breaths like my therapist showed me and push it away. It works. It always works. Almost. . .

When we pull back up to the ranch and Dakota throws the truck in park, it takes a minute for everyone to register we’ve stopped. Levi hops out first, but when I expect him to storm off, he comes around and opens Kate’s door for her. He doesn’t look her in the eyes as he offers her a hand out. His knuckles are bloody and torn, but Kate doesn’t hesitate to take his hand anyway.

“I’m sorry I ruined your night,” he murmurs.

My eyes widen and when I look at Dakota, I find his are the same. When’s the last time we heard Levi apologize to someone other than us? Jesus, I don’t think I’ve ever heard it.

“You didn’t,” Kate counters, her voice strong. “That guy deserves every ounce of pain coming his way. Don’t apologize for it.”

His eyes flick up to hers briefly before he looks away again. He nods, accepting her words, before releasing her hand. “Night.”

And then he turns and storms off, his limp more pronounced than usual.

Kate lingers there for a moment, her hand hanging in the air before she clears her throat. “I should check on William.”

I hop out of the truck and rush over to her door. “I’ll walk you to your door,” I offer.

She doesn’t complain. Instead, she takes my hand and lets me lead her away. Dakota gives no protest, but I don’t expect him to. Kate is quiet on the walk over and when she opens the door and greets William, she only meets my eyes when she turns and prepares to close the door in my face.

“Penny for your thoughts?” I ask, leaning against the doorframe.

Her bottom lip rolls beneath her teeth as she contemplates my request. After a few seconds, she finally speaks. “I’m. . . confused.”

“About what?”

“You,” she admits. “Dakota. Levi.”

I smile gently at her. “If you’re uncomfortable with our attention, we can stop. We should have asked first.”

She hesitates. “Is that. . . what this is?”

“Now, witchy woman, you ain’t ever been pursued by three men who are friends before?”

“Not openly,” she admits, before running a hand through her hair. “Is this some sort of competition between you? Is that what this is?”

I shake my head. “No. Not at all. We don’t compete against each other.”

“But you expect me to pick one of you?” she asks.

“No again,” I say with a grin. “You can pick as many or as little of us as you like. Dakota too much of a control freak? No worries. My personality too big? That’s okay, too. Levi gets your knickers in a twist? Well, alright then.” At her growing confusion, I sigh. “Dakota, Levi, and I are brothers in all but blood. We ain’t ever followed social protocols and out here in the mountains, ain’t no one to witness it but us. The way we figure is if we all like the same woman, why would it be strange to share her? We share everything else.”

Kate stares up at me with wide eyes. “So. . . you want me to date all three of you?”

“Well, Levi hasn’t openly said he’s in, but we can see he likes you. As long as you’re interested in the three of us, then yes. If it’s too much, we can back off. But what I’m really saying is it’s okay if you kiss Dakota in a parking lot. It’s okay if you dance with Levi and make that burly man soft. Just as it’s okay that you have your wicked way with me whenever you want.” I wiggle my brow for effect and get a smile out of her. “None of us will be mad at the others or you. That’s what I’m saying. You hold the reins in this instance, Katie Cat. No one else does.”

She purses her lips. “Wow. You three must be really close.”

I shrug. “We’ve all helped calm each other’s demons.” I tilt my head. “We could help calm yours, too.”

Her eyes flick up to mine. For a second, she doesn’t say anything, but then her expression grows demure. “Is this a one at a time thing or. . .”

I glance over my shoulder. “It looks like Dakota went inside already but I could go?—”

“Too long,” she breathes, grabbing a fistful of my shirt. “I wanna have my wicked way with you now and I’m still all wound up.”

I take off my hat and hang it on the rocking chair beside the door. “Yes ma’am,” I muse. “Anything you desire.”

So maybe Katie Cat doesn’t have as much trouble with it as I thought.

When her lips find my chest, I barely remember that there was anything to worry about at all.