Page 25 of Sackett (Demented Souls #17)

“I ’ll read almost anything, as long as it catches my interest. But I earned my nickname by always having a book in my back pocket.

” He remembered those early days in the army with a bit of nostalgia.

He wouldn’t go back and relive them, but he could remember the first time he felt safe.

The first sense he’d gotten of family. Even if it was only relative to the hell he’d grown up in.

Not that he shared that part of his past with anyone.

Selena tilted her head, and a crease formed between her brows despite her smile. “Sackett? How do you get Sackett from a book?”

“I was working my way through Louis L’Amour’s Sackett series at the time.

Someone was behind me, and rather than read my name off the tape on the back of my cover, he called me by what he could see on the book in my pocket, which happened to be Sackett.

” He shook his head as he remembered someone teasing him about reading and what he’d read.

He hadn’t fought it because he thought being called Sackett, after what he felt had been some pretty rough years, but what a family was supposed to be, was far better than using his abusive, alcoholic father’s name.

He hadn’t done it yet, but he was seriously considering filing to have his last name legally changed, just to get rid of the name he hated. Because every time he had to use it, he was reminded of the hell he’d gone through.

“I like that,” Selena said with a genuine smile. “You said you’ll read anything, have you ever read a romance?”

Sackett tilted his head to one side and rolled his gaze toward the ceiling as he thought about it.

“I can’t say for sure that I have, but if I did, it wasn’t particularly memorable.

I’d like to say that I’d remember if I have, simply because I could say that I have…

” He trailed off and shrugged, admitting to himself, if never out loud that he might not have admitted to his brothers that he’d read romance books.

He would never hear the end of the teasing about it, and he wasn’t going to let himself in for that, even if he knew it was good natured and not malicious.

As he thought about it, he considered, even if he could remember having read something so not traditionally masculine, would he admit it to her?

“You look like you’re having deep thoughts. I didn’t think asking if you’d read romance would be that thought provoking.”

Sackett watched her for a second, considering again, then told her what he’d been thinking about.

“Would you admit it, or have you read one and are just not telling me?” A light danced in her eyes, making him wonder if she was intrigued or amused. He wanted to know her well enough to be able to tell.

“I would. The only reason I don’t know if I’d admit it to just anyone is that I’d never hear the end of it from my brothers.

And part of that is my own fault. I’ve teased them mercilessly as each one found a woman, they were willing to give up all others for.

If they found out I’d read something like men assume a romance to be, they’d ride me hard. ”

“Why would you tease them about that?” she asked, her tone curious instead of scornful.

Sackett took a deep breath and tried to find the words to explain it.

“That’s a little complicated. The easy answer is because I can, but that’s not what you’re looking for, is it?”

Selena shook her head, still watching him. “I understand machismo a bit more, but I never understood it, if that makes any sense.”

“It does. Because I know that’s one thing to say ‘because this’ but not understand how ‘this’ works.

It’s like saying that the speed of a fall toward earth is thirty-two feet per second.

It’s an answer, but it doesn’t really tell you what that speed is.

It’s not a definitive answer. In order to find that, you’d need to know how far they were falling, the point in the fall where you want to measure the speed.

” He paused, realizing he may have lost her with that. “Did any of that make sense to you?”

“Only the basics, but I get what you mean. It would be like me trying to explain family law to you. We have our areas of expertise, and they don’t always make sense to others.

I think the average male mind is one of those things I may never truly understand.

” The way she looked at him, as if she was trying to see if he got her joke, made him think she was only half teasing. This was a teasing he didn’t mind.

“Pretty much.” Sackett laughed. “And along the same lines, I’m not sure I’ll ever understand the female mind. But I will admit, I have never tried, or at least not very hard.”

“I know who Louis L’Amour is, because my dad used to read his books but what else do you like to read? And don’t think I’m letting you off the hook of reading a romance. I’m getting an idea of what you like so I can pick you out one you’ll enjoy.”

They continued to talk about books, movies and get to know each other as their dinner arrived and while they ate.

Sackett couldn’t recall the last time he’d spent this much time with a woman that he wasn’t sleeping with.

Well, other than his brothers’ women. Those he spent a decent amount of time around, and he hadn’t even thought about sleeping with them, and he never would.

You didn’t do that to the women who belonged to your brothers, whether they were brothers by blood or not.

Even Sackett knew that, despite the shitty way he’d grown up.