She expected to be led into a bedroom, but a cool breeze hit her skin.
“This is a part of the club they won’t show you,” Case explained as he led her on to the rooftop. “I’m afraid the founding members keep this for themselves. I’m not a founding member, obviously, but they let all the McKay-Taggart guys up on the roof. Wait here for a sec while I get the lights on.”
She was left standing on the roof, the night soft around her. She’d ditched her shoes about an hour in while she and Case watched a couple of scenes and then had a drink in the bar. The scenes had been lovely, filled with a combination of heat and deep affection, and then they’d sat and talked. He’d told her about how he’d come to McKay-Taggart, complete with the craziest story of how he’d raided his own brother’s building on a helicopter and gotten his ass kicked.
She’d told him very little and that hurt. Only a few more weeks and she would tell him everything. She would tell him about her brothers and the company they’d founded. He would see how alike they were.
She walked out onto the roof. Someone had used outdoor-style carpet to cover the floor. It was a little scratchy on her bare feet, but she liked it. The lights of downtown Dallas were soft around her. Most of the buildings in this area of town were businesses and dark, but a few had decorative lighting and the blues and greens and whites made the world seem a little hazy and surreal.
And then she was surrounded by twinkle lights.
She smiled because she was in one of the most romantic settings she’d ever seen.
To her left was what looked like a gorgeous outdoor living area complete with a fire pit. A pergola wound with the soft white twinkle lights covered the space.
“This is beautiful.”
Case walked over to the side of the building. The top was lined with sturdy walls that he leaned against as he looked out over the city. The taller buildings loomed over them, like giant trees in the middle of a concrete forest. “I like to come up here to think. It’s quiet at night. I don’t have a balcony at my apartment.”
“I don’t either.” She kept a small place in Austin, but she was on the road for her job so often she was rarely there. She’d rented an apartment here in Dallas and she’d brought up her favorite keepsakes. She’d told herself it was all about her cover, but she liked the city. The last six weeks she’d felt more settled than she had in years. “I have to admit, the older I get the more I think about buying a house.”
Case groaned as she joined him. “I don’t know about that. Theo bought a place and immediately had to replace all of the damn plumbing…well, Erin did. After…”
“She still lives there?” She asked the question in a quiet tone because he didn’t usually mention Theo.
“Yeah. I think she’s going to stay.” He stared out over the city. “It’s good, though we’ve got a bunch of legal stuff to deal with. Apparently dying brings up lots of stuff you need a lawyer for.”
“It should be simple. If he didn’t have a will, you would be his next of kin. You can sign everything over to her.”
He turned, a surprised look on his face. “That’s what I’m doing. Everyone outside my group thinks I’m crazy to do that.”
“From what I’ve been told he loved her. He would want you to take care of her and you’re the kind of man who would do it. I don’t think it’s crazy at all. It’s admirable.”
“He hadn’t paid off the house. Erin can afford it but I put everything I had into it so it’s easier for her. I’m pretty much back where I was before I joined the Navy. No savings.”
She would have next to nothing without her brother. Was he trying to explain that he wasn’t a great catch on the financial side? Because she couldn’t care less about that. She’d learned so long ago that money didn’t make a man. She reached out and put a hand on his arm. “You don’t need much, I’m sure. I know I don’t. I like a nice pair of shoes every now and then, but money isn’t everything, Case. Sometimes knowing you’ve done the right thing is worth all the money in the world.”
“I’m just trying to explain that while this club is beautiful and my brothers have made something of themselves, I’m kind of a work in progress.” He reached out, his hand cupping her cheek, thumb tracing the line of her jaw. “I’m not worth a lot and I understand that sometimes women want more than I can give them. I like you, Mia.”
She smiled because he was saying all the right things. Had he been burned before? Was that why he was being so forthright? “I like you too, Case. I’m not looking for a man to take care of me. Not financially anyway. I’m very independent. At least I try to be.”