Page 104 of Harmony
His gaze softens.
Which is not what I want.
I do not want, nor have I ever wanted, the Steels’ pity.
Yeah, I’ve really let that resentment and envy go.
But as Brianna said, it will take time.
“What do you want me to say to that?” Dave finally asks. “Do you want me to apologize for having money? For being born into money? I won’t. I had no control over that. I admit it’s made my life a lot easier. And yeah, your life has probably been harder because you don’t have money. Or at least not the kind of money we have. I sure as hell wouldn’t expect you to apologize for that.”
“No. I don’t want you to apologize for it. But there are some things you’ll never understand. Brianna, Donny, Brock… They’ll never understand either, even though they’re involved with my family.”
“I get it, man. But I can guarantee you Brianna and I have seen and heard shit you don’t even want to think about. Shit you probably can’t even conceive.”
I nod. “I understand. But David, two of my sisters are marrying into your family. Hell, I may marry into it myself someday. So if there’s something we should know?—”
He lifts his hand to cut me off. “All you need to know is that we’re good and honorable people…despite what our ancestors may have done. We are not them.”
“I got it. Good night.”
Dave simply nods and walks down the hallway toward the elevators.
Chapter Thirty
Brianna
I pounce on Maddie as soon as we get into the bedroom. “Okay, spill it.”
Her cheeks are rosy, and her lips trembling. “I certainly wasn’t expecting it. After all, he specifically said he had not come here for me.”
“You asked me once if I had designs on your brother. I’m not proud of the fact that I lied to you, Maddie. But you know now that I’ve been in love with him for a long time, and miracle of all miracles, he seems to feel the same way. But I’m sorry I lied to you, and I’m asking you to be truthful with me now. Do you have designs on Dave?”
She draws in a breath and falls down on her bed. “I talk to Callie about it sometimes. How attractive I find him.”
“He is a pretty boy, for sure,” I say.
“That’s what everyone says, but to me, he’s so much more than a pretty boy. His smile takes my breath away, and those eyes…”
“I understand. I’ve always coveted my mom’s blue eyes. They’re so gorgeous.”
“For God’s sake, Brianna, you don’t need to covet anything. Next to Rory, I’d put you as the most beautiful one in Snow Creek.”
“I’m afraid I can’t hold a candle to your sister. But thank you for the compliment. You and Callie are both beautiful too, each in your own way. I mean, come on. Your mother was a beauty queen.”
Maddie rolls her eyes. “A beauty queen in local pageants, Bree. Your grandmother was a supermodel.”
I’m not sure what to say to that. She’s right, of course. I’m the granddaughter of supermodel Brooke Bailey, who was huge fifty years ago. But I never knew her because she and my mother didn’t have the best relationship. She died long ago.
“I could tell you not to go falling in love with Dave,” I say, “but who am I to say that? We Steels seem to have a habit of falling hard and falling fast.”
“Don’t worry,” she says. “I’m not laboring under any delusion that the last of the Rake-a-teers is going to fall for me. But it would be nice to have someone to enjoy this trip with.”
“That’s what I’m for.”
“I know, but it’s different now.” She looks down. “You’re with Jesse. Everyone is paired off except for me.”
“Cage and Jake aren’t.”