Page 26 of Bronx

She waved me in to pick up her duffle bag. "Grab that. I've got one more touch for my ranch-y outfit." She disappeared into her room and returned with a white straw cowboy hat pushed down over her head. "Now the look is complete. Just don't look at my feet."

Naturally, I looked at her feet, clad in light blue sneakers.

"I told you not to look and, yet, you looked," she teased.

"Next time leave the 'don't look at them' part out." I picked up the duffle. It was packed tightly.

"I packed too much as is usually the case, but I wasn't entirely sure what I would need."

I opened the door for her. "Told you, nakedness will be a priority, so you won't have to make too many wardrobe decisions."

"Well, that's good because I brought that too," she quipped as she locked up her apartment.

We headed out to the car. Both of us had a habit of glancing around when we were out in public as if we were just about to run off with the crown jewels. I laughed as we both simultaneously finished our survey of the area.

"Glad we won't have to be so paranoid out at the ranch. It'll be nice to let our guards down for a change." I opened the jeep door and put her duffle in the back seat next to mine.

I climbed inside and started up the jeep, not noticing until well after I'd pulled out of the parking lot, how quiet and sullen my passenger had become.

"Layla?" Had she changed her mind about the ranch weekend? Had she changed her mind about the whole damn thing?

She looked over at me with a sort of sorrow in her brown eyes. "Is that how you feel when we're together? Paranoid? On guard? Oh my gosh, Jack, is this relationship a mistake? I feel like Romeo and Juliet, without the complicated verbiage or feuding parents or balcony." She smiled at her last comment. I was relieved to see it. "But seriously, our friends shouldn't make us feel as if us seeing each other is some kind of crime."

"I agree but I was hoping we could slip under their radar for awhile, you know, just to see how things go."

She turned slightly, as far as her seatbelt allowed. "By 'how things go' do you mean you're not sure if this is going to work out anyhow so why upset Gabe and the guys? I know this is harder on you because you work with all of them, but I was really hoping that what we had—"

I reached over and took her hand. "I'm not questioning us. I've never felt more solid about my feelings for you. I've felt this way for a long time, but I wasn't sure if you were—" How had I painted myself into a damn corner? How did the conversation turn so serious just before our weekend together. I decided to just say what was on my mind. Layla, I'd learned, was an extraordinary listener, and she wasn't one to jump to dramatic conclusions. Although, my earlier comments about paranoia and being on guard had certainly darkened her mood. I had just assumed she felt the same, especially when I caught her looking around as we walked out to the car. "Bulldozer's only been gone for a little more than a year, and you two were married for six years. I wouldn't blame you for just stretching your wings on this dating thing."

"No." She shook her head. "This isn't some rebound from grief or sowing the oats I never sowed in my early years, Jack. I genuinely enjoy being with you. There are moments when I cry, I just sob thinking about Adam, when the good memories pop around. But there were bad memories too. He was not the most reliable, loyal husband, as you may have noticed. There were hardships. I loved him. He made my head spin, both good and bad. But that's not what this is. I want to be with you. I'm hoping to hell this works out because I haven't felt like this for a long time."

"I've never felt this way, Layla. Ever. I've felt this way about you for a long time, even before—anyhow, that might be why I still feel on guard. It's hard to shake the feeling that I'm betraying Bulldozer because I've been thinking about you since I met you. I was never a believer of love at first sight until that moment on the island."

"That's because you were feeling down, depressed. Your dad was just diagnosed with cancer, and from all indications, the prognosis was bad. I just happened to have the right skill set to deal with someone experiencing that kind of grief. I don't think it was love, Jack. It was just a set of circumstances that made you feel some comfort after meeting me."

I shook my head. "Nope, I know my heart. I don't give out pieces of it easily. I left that island thinking I'd never meet anyone like you again. I was jealous as hell of Bulldozer. There was no other way to spin it. Yes, you gave me comfort at a particularly dark time, but Layla, don't sell yourself short. It wasn't just the right skill set that day, it was the whole thing, the whole package. Everything about you just felt right and amazing. I didn't want those few minutes to end. The fact that you looked smoking hot in a white bikini helped. I've still got that shallow horn-dog side to me."

Layla chuckled. "Well, you are male after all. And if we're confessing our deepest thoughts right now, I left that island feeling sort of bereft too. I'd just met an incredible man, a man who was not afraid to show emotion about his terminally ill father.Andhe had amazing pecs and tight abs." She leaned her head my way. "Because I am a female, after all. I knew I'd just met someone who I could always be friends with and who I could only fantasize about in daydreams."

My face snapped her direction. "You fantasized about me? I want to hear all about that, but wait until we get to the ranch. Then we can compare notes."

Layla ran her fingers up my arm. "Oh, did Bronx fantasize about me too?"

"Oh fuck yeah. Lots of fantasies. Major fantasies and I say we act them all out this weekend."

She rubbed her hands together. "Then we're going to need a Tarzan style jungle and vines to swing on."

21

Vick was just a shadow of his former self, but his smile made up for the lack of vigor. He was in a good place about his health right now, cautiously optimistic but he wasn't kidding himself either. After two surgeries and treatment that he swore seemed worse than the disease, he had taken to using a cane. He could still sit in a saddle like a pro, but when walking he relied on his cane. 'Three legs are better than two,' he joked when he bought the thing.

Vick's smile brightened more when Layla emerged from the car. My mom stepped out onto the front porch with the three dogs close at her heels. Their farmhouse was a big Victorian two story, complete with a wraparound porch. It was the kind of house my mom had always dreamed of, and when Vick took us home to his ranch, she broke down in tears when she saw the house.

Layla wasted no time hurrying up to the house to greet them. They hugged and laughed as if they'd known each other forever. Vick introduced the dogs, Harold, Josie and Cruze. They took to her right away. Even ignored their usual favorite visitor, me.

I pulled the bags out and carried them up to the porch. The dogs had now joined me, mostly to sniff bags in case I brought treats. Layla and my parents were chatting, and Layla was going on about the beautiful ranch and gorgeous farmhouse. My parents were instantly smitten, but I expected no less. Layla had gone out of her way, providing information and links, to help them navigate the world of oncology. She'd never met them and hardly knew me at the time, yet she provided us with invaluable resources. My mom had called her a godsend and an angel. I had to agree with her on all accounts.

I stood with my arms out. "You'd think my mom would have time to hug her son," I chided.

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