Page 132 of Burning for You

Levi holds my hand, as if proud of hearing it. Then he appraises Jesse’s reaction. “Friggin’ Jesse Holt is blushing! This is indeed a start of a new era.”

“You know, your pants saved me,” Jesse laughs. “I would’ve bled to death.”

Levi helps Jesse sit. “How the hell did Josh Bright get you?” he asks.

“It was a fucking ambush. I was following you, and the bookshelves suddenly turned into some Indiana Jones stuff.”

That coward! I wish I could’ve left a clue about that fateful library.

“We fought in the dark. Shikes! I fucking suck at close-quarter combat,” Jesse grumbles. “Then, I couldn’t even shoot him.”

“Where did you go?”

“I found a nook and hid there while tending to my wound. Then I heard him attacking you.”

Levi hugs his brother. “What would I do without you?”

“Now, now, don’t get too melancholic with me,” Jesse says, patting Levi’s shoulder awkwardly. “I still have to deal with that fucking Giro.”

Levi takes Giro’s card and shows it to Jesse.

“Hell, I think he fell in love with Miss Meyer here,” Jesse says. “I mean, her fighting spirit.”

Pride fills me, even though I have no idea what kind of man Giro is.

Levi steals a kiss, as if reminding me that he loves my fighting spirit more than Mr. Giant Worm.

With a smirk I’ve never seen before, Jesse asks me, “So, what do uncles do?”

I put on my own look of wisdom and answer, “Conspire with their nephews or nieces against their dad, and buy them dangerous toys.”

Jesse guffaws.

“I won’t let you corrupt my kid!” Levi says, slapping Jesse’s back. The younger Holt kisses his brother’s forehead. “I love you, brother.”

Jesse grimaces. “I’ll be a good uncle. I’ll give your kid a friggin’ puppy.”

Behind our laughter, I hear a knock at the door. A head pokes in carefully.

My dad stands like a statue. Seemingly afraid that he’s going to be kicked out, he stays by the doorway. “I just want to know you’re okay.”

“Umm… I’ll leave you to it, I guess,” Jesse says, leaving the room.

“You’re Jesse Holt?” Dad says. “It’s good to finally meet you.”

“Err… yeah, you too,” Jesse says.

A nurse seems to have spotted Jesse, and he’s getting an earful. At the end of the short argument, it sounds like Jesse is forced into a wheelchair.

“I’ll see you later,” Levi says and kisses me.

“No, Levi, please stay,” Dad responds with a smile. A strange look, because he’s never smiled like that, and I think he’s trying hard to stop himself from crying. “I’m here to see if you two are okay.”

Levi nods his head in relief.

“Come in, Dad.”

Dad stoops to hug me.