Love Him Free (On the Market #1) - E.M. Lindsey Page 0,27
he moved in with his boyfriend.’ A slow smile crept over his lips. ‘James.’
Rocco’s eyes went wide, then he laughed. ‘James?’ he spelled.
Simon nodded. ‘Irony. He’s going to love that he’s named after a pocket dog.’
“Pocket dog,” Rocco said aloud, then laughed again. ‘Do you like him?’
Simon worried his bottom lip between his teeth. ‘Levi or James?’
‘Either,’ Rocco signed. ‘Both.’
‘I love my brother.’ That was the easiest answer. ‘My parents died when we were pretty young. Levi was a baby when our dad died. He was barely four when our mom died.’ Simon was surprised at how steady his hands were, but he supposed all the years between then and now tempered his grief. ‘It was a car accident—she and I were heading to Colorado Springs, and she swerved into the wrong lane. I woke up in the hospital.’ Simon rubbed at his sternum where he had a thin scar that never totally faded. ‘She was brought in with me, but she never woke up.’
‘I’m sorry,’ Rocco signed, the sympathy on his face genuine and without the sort of patronizing air most people used when offering condolences.
Simon waved him off. ‘It was a long time ago. We lived with our grandmother, but she died when Levi was twelve. I was in college.’
The truth dawned on Rocco, and it flared in his eyes with empathetic pain. ‘You had to leave school.’
Simon nodded, giving a small shrug. ‘She left me the bakery, so I took care of Levi and ran the place. I had no idea what I was doing, but I lasted this long.’
Rocco winced. ‘Is there no way to save it?’
‘Money,’ Simon answered with a harsh, frustrated laugh. ‘It’s always money. I had to take out a loan, and I’m not making enough to pay it all back along with the other expenses. Levi has a food truck now, and he’s doing well. I’ll probably close at the end of summer.’
Saying it like that—even on his hands—was profound. Simon had known it. In the back of his mind, he’d known. He wasn’t hiding from the fact that Bette’s Chametz’s legacy was coming to an end all because Simon was nothing more than a failure. He had been a terrible parent to Levi—had never quite figured out how to show his brother love and compassion. He had been a dumping ground for his mother’s grief, and he’d been little more than an anxious disaster for Bubbe to take care of.
None of it was a surprise, but it hurt. It hurt that he couldn’t do this one thing—even if he truly didn’t want it. There was no point in trying to turn it over to Levi, either. Even if his skill and willingness to step outside of their restrictive kosher certification could bring more people in the door, it wouldn’t be enough. It couldn’t save Simon from the hole he was in.
He’d find a way to tell Levi—and then it would be done.
A warm hand touched his cheek again, and Simon’s breath rushed out of his lungs. He turned his eyes up to find Rocco’s holding his gaze, his look as firm as the caress of his fingers. His heart thudded against his ribs, want pooling in his belly. He ran his tongue over his lip, and then… he leaned in.
The knock startled him back before Rocco could respond—to either accept or reject the offered kiss. He’d forgotten about the pizza, and his face was so hot he thought he might burst into flames as he scrambled to his feet and hurried toward the door.
He clutched his card between his fingers, but as he reached for the doorknob, he felt a hot, firm body behind him. Rocco’s chest pressed against him as his large hand grabbed the handle and wrenched the door open. Simon’s ears were ringing with shock, loud enough he couldn’t hear the pizza delivery woman who was holding the two boxes in one hand.
Simon stood there—wordless and still as Rocco thrust cash at her. He took the pizzas with one hand, signed his thanks with the other, then shut the door. Simon’s senses were flooded—overwhelmed. The smell of spices, dough, and cheese took over, and below that the undercurrent of Rocco’s cologne. The hot press of his body remained against his back, the slow puffs of his breath brushing the back of Simon’s ear.
And then, a steady hand turned him. Rocco’s eyes were still dark, but Simon couldn’t get a read on his expression.