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He looked up at Mallory with pure wonder in his tone. She said that I was the handsomest man she d
ever known.
Mallory smiled. You re not bad, he conceded. Not a patch on me, of course.
Cane laughed, as he was meant to, because Mallory might be tough and capable, but he was the
ugliest of the three brothers and everyone knew it.
Nice of her to boost your spirits, Mallory said.
Cane flushed. She wasn t saying it for that reason. She meant it, he replied.
Then you don t have to worry about Tank cutting in on your territory, do you? Mallory asked.
I suppose not. He lay back on the bed after Mallory pulled off his street shoes for him. Thanks,
he said.
Mallory smiled. You re welcome.
I shouldn t have snapped at her like that, Cane said sadly. I don t know why I go for her throat
every chance I get. I mean, she s the only person outside my family who ever gave a damn about me.
She s rescued me from bar brawls half a dozen times. She and Darby came looking for me after I left
the bar, saved my life. First thing I say to her is an insult, after all that.
Could be that you re conflicted, Mallory suggested. You know how Bodie feels. But how do you
feel?
Cane lifted his eyes to the ceiling and frowned. I don t want to get married.
Well, Bodie s not the sort of girl you can have a loose relationship with, Mallory cautioned. She
doesn t just do lip service to her ideals. She really feels them.
I know that. It complicates things. He sighed. I want her, he confessed. I have for a long time,
ever since she was old enough for that sort of thing. I ve kept it hidden, until recent days. He glanced
at Mallory, who sat down on the bed beside him. She doesn t care that I m& disabled, he said after a
minute. I mean, she really doesn t mind it. Not like that woman in the bar who said she couldn t sleep
with a one-armed man because the thought of it was repulsive to her. He clenched his teeth together.
The memory still hurt.
You never used to resort to trying to pick up women in bars, Mallory reminded him. His own face
hardened. And I ll remind you that that sort of woman isn t likely to use soft soap with any man
any more than a prostitute would. No woman who doesn t care for a man is going to be sympathetic.
Unless the price is right, Cane said cynically.
Money talks.
It shouts.
Mallory nodded. He cocked his head. You know, as you get older, that playboy image is going to
lose its sheen. You ll see kids playing in the yard here when mine come along, Tank s if he marries
someone. You ll be left behind, living from bedroom to bedroom, with nobody to come home to who
gives a damn if you live or die. It s a pretty dismal picture from my point of view.
Marriage is a trap. Not for you, Cane added quickly. You and Morie are like soul mates. I m
happy for you. But I can t give up my freedom for any woman.
What is freedom? Mallory asked philosophically.
I can come and go as I please. Date anyone I please. Sleep with anyone I please. He laughed
hollowly. Except that I don t please anybody, like this. He indicated what was left of his arm. He bit
his lip and drew in a deep breath. Mal, I haven t& slept with a woman since this happened, he
confessed heavily.
Mallory was shocked. You ve been very vocal about approaching women....
Approaching, yes. Trying to prove that I could still function as a man. Cane averted his eyes.
Nobody wants me like this.
That s not true.
Cane sighed. Bodie does, I know, he said. But she comes with strings attached. A wedding ring.
Marriage. A family. He looked at Mallory. I m not ready for that.
You re thirty-four years old. You re ruining your life, Cane. Drinking isn t going to help. It s just
going to land you in jail eventually. The wreck was a warning. You were tapped on the shoulder and
reprimanded. Somewhere down the line, tragedy is waiting for you. And for us, because we re your
family and we love you. This isn t an experience I ever want to repeat. You don t know what it took
out of us, in the hospital waiting to see if you lived or died.
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