“So Ruby and Allison run a bakery. What about you, Eva? What do you do?” Mom asks, and Eva sits up straight in her chair.
“I don’t work, I’m a full-time mom,” she says, and I swear I hear either Allison or Ruby snort.
“That’s the hardest job in the world,” Mom says quietly, and Eva nods, but her eyes narrow when Madeline giggles and Libby laughs. Madeline insisted on sitting next to Libby when we were setting the table, because apparently they hit it off when they were out at the parade and sightseeing. Looking at my sister, I watch her make a face at the little girl that makes her giggle again. Libby has always had a way with kids, especially little girls, because they are all about the color pink, hair, and makeup, just like she is.
“Madeline, you know better than to play at the table,” Eva says, and her daughter looks at her with wide eyes. Libby bristles next to her and shoots daggers at her mom.
“Sorry, Mom.”
“She’s fine,” Lucas says, and Eva turns her head to glare at him.
“It’s not fine, she knows better.”
“Jesus,” Lucas growls as his jaw tightens.
“I’m going to go get the desserts and bring them over,” I announce, probably a little too loudly as I stand quickly and look around the table. I need to get out of here for a few minutes. I need to get away from everyone before I say something to Eva that I will regret.
“I’ll help,” Libby says as she pushes away from the table.
“Me, too.” Mac stands and without a backward glance I head for Levi’s apartment for the pies and cakes Allison and Ruby brought over.
“Oh my god, that chick is just awful,” Libby mutters shutting Levi’s front door as I walk across his apartment to his bedroom, where Muffin has been most of the day. She’s done much better with the men around, but I haven’t wanted to risk her getting out by accident.
“This whole day is awful,” I say under my breath. My family showed up, Levi’s family showed up, I almost ruined the turkey, I found out the guy I’m falling in love with had a fiancée at one time, I found out the ex-fiancée is moving to the city, and to top it all off, Eva is a bitch. I want to go home and crawl into bed with a book, but unfortunately that isn’t possible, seeing how everyone is sitting in my apartment.
“Are you okay?” Mac asks as I take a seat on the couch with Muffin, wondering if anyone would notice if I disappeared to take her for a walk—for a couple of hours.
“Yep, fabulous.”
“Liar.” She shakes her head as she takes a seat next to me. “Talk to me, what’s going on?”
“You want to talk? Let’s talk about why it looked like you know Wesley,” I say, raising a brow and she looks away from me.
“You’re right, we don’t need to talk.”
“I give up.” I shake my head at her while I stand.
“Where are you going?” she questions, watching me attach Muffin’s leash to her collar.
“I’m taking Muffin out for a walk. Can you and Libby take the desserts over to my apartment and tell everyone I’ll be back in a bit?”
“Sure,” Mac agrees softly. I look to Libby, who has a fork in her hand and is digging into one of the pies.
“Yeah,” Libby says, chewing and swallowing. “But do you think Levi’s going to be happy about you just taking off?”
“Levi’s not going to care,” I say, then realize I don’t have a coat and I’m sure it’s cold out. Determined to leave, I head for Levi’s hall closet and grab his hoodie, putting it on along with his down vest.
“Do you want me to go with you?” Mac asks, and I shake my head.
“No, I just need a few minutes alone.”
“All right,” she agrees as I head for the door. Leaving them at Levi’s apartment, I take the stairs with Muffin leading the way. As soon as I push through the front door, I come face-to-face with Lucas, who is standing on the sidewalk, smoking a cigarette.
“You taking off?” he asks me, and I try to smile but know it doesn’t quite meet my eyes.
“No, just taking Muffin for a walk. She’s been locked up most of the day,” I explain, wanting to hurry away from him, but I know that would be rude, so I stay put.
“Look, I’m sorry about Eva . . .” He pauses, running his hand through his hair, and I realize just how much he looks like his brother when he’s agitated. “She doesn’t always know when to stop.” One could say that. One could also say she’s just a bitch, but what the hell do I know.
“It’s fine,” I say, shrugging it off. “I’ll be—” I start to tell him I’ll be back and step away, but he cuts me off, stopping me in my tracks.
“Heather and Levi were never meant to be together, so please know that you have nothing to worry about when it comes to her.”
“I’m not worried,” I lie, and his lips twitch into a smile.
“He cares for you, more than I’ve ever seen him care about anyone, so don’t let Eva put shit in your head. She and Heather were friends, and she’s got it in her head that Heather is meant to be with Levi. But I promise you, that is not the case. They don’t belong together. They—”
“Please stop,” I say softly, cutting him off before he can say more. “Levi and I haven’t had a chance to talk about her or them, and I’d rather wait until he’s ready to tell me . . . No offense.”
“None taken.” Lucas smiles at me, then takes a drag from his cigarette before tossing it into the street. I want to tell him he should quit smoking and not litter, but I keep quiet, knowing that he probably doesn’t want to hear me nag him about his bad habits—one of them being his wife. “Do you want me to go with you?” he asks, giving Muffin a head rub when she moves close to sniff his hand.
“No, I’m sure you want to get back inside. I’ll be back in a few.” I like Lucas—or what I know of him—but the idea of spending more time with anyone right now is about as appealing as getting my nails pulled out one at a time.
“You sure?”
“Yes, thank you for the offer. That’s very nice of you.” He nods, then looks at the door, and I can tell he doesn’t want to go back inside. God, why can’t I be one of those women who is a bitch and just doesn’t care about how people feel? “Actually, I think I could use the company, and Levi doesn’t really like me walking Muffin alone since she has a tendency to take off. And with her size and mine, it’s hard for me to control her.”
“You sure?” he asks, studying me, and I put on another fake smile.
“Yep.” I nod, then start across the street to the park, making sure to look for traffic as I cross the road. Seeing him walking alongside me out of the corner of my eye, I head down the tree-lined path. “Madeline is very sweet,” I say, trying to fill the awkward silence that has settled between us as I keep my pace slow, in no rush to get back to the drama at my place.
“She’s the best thing that has ever happened to me,” he says quietly, and I smile at that, because even without hearing him say those words, I know he loves his daughter—you can see it in his eyes when he looks at her. “I’m getting a divorce.”
My step stutters and I almost trip as I swing my head in his direction. “I’m sorry,” I say, not sure how to react to that news, but very sure high-fiving him would not be appropriate.
“Don’t be, I’m not . . .” He shakes his head. “I don’t even know why I just told you that when I haven’t even told my family about my plans,” he says. I stop to let Muffin sniff around a tree off the path and look at him. “Have you ever felt like you’ve been living, but not really living at all?” he asks quietly. I nod. “I’ve been living a lie for the last five years of my life. Since the moment Eva got pregnant, I’ve been doing the right thing for everyone else. I’ve been doing what’s best for everyone but myself.”
“I get that . . .” I don’t know how he feels, but I understand what he’s saying and I’m sure feeling that way isn’t easy on a person.
“Sorry for putting this all out there. I don’t know, maybe I just needed to tell
someone else to make it more real or some shit.”
“It’s okay.” I smile softly, resting my hand on his biceps. “Sometimes you just need someone to talk to who isn’t involved and doesn’t have an opinion.”
“Yeah.” He pulls in a deep breath, then lets it out. “It’s for the best, especially for my daughter,” Lucas says in a tone that is full of regret and sorrow. Without thinking, I wrap my arms around him, needing to offer him some kind of comfort. It takes a second, but his arms wrap around me, and he hugs me back. “Thanks,” he whispers, and I nod, then start to pull back when Muffin tugs the leash in my grasp and runs around us, basically tying me and Lucas together.
“Muffin,” I shout, then scream her name as she runs around us again, drawing us even closer and tighter together.
“Muffin, heel.” Oh, thank god, Levi. I close my eyes, then open them back up and peek around Lucas’s shoulder and watch Levi walking toward us.
“This is—”
“Awkward but not surprising,” Levi cuts me off as he comes over to take Muffin’s leash and untangle me from his brother. Feeling my face heat in embarrassment, I pull myself off Lucas as soon as I can then take a step back and run my hands down my thighs. This day keeps getting better by the minute.
“You okay, baby?” Levi asks, and I don’t even look up at him.
“Yep, totally cool,” I say as Muffin comes over to me, wagging her tail and looking between Levi and me, like, Look who I found. Isn’t it so exciting, making me glare at her.
“I’m gonna head back,” Lucas says, and I nod as he lifts his chin toward Levi before shoving his hands in his pockets and walking off.
“You didn’t tell me you were going to take Muffin out,” Levi says as soon as Lucas is gone. My eyes go to him.
“I didn’t think I needed to, and it wasn’t something I planned. I just needed to take a break for a few minutes,” I say in a rush.
“You’re pissed,” he states, studying me, and I shake my head. I don’t feel pissed, I just feel annoyed and on edge, and I really can’t wait for this stupid day to be over with.
“I’m not pissed. Like I said, I just needed a few minutes alone.”
“You weren’t alone, you were with Lucas,” he says, and I would swear there is an edge of jealousy in his tone—but that would be ridiculous, so I push that thought aside.
“I could tell he didn’t want to go back inside, so I invited him to walk Muffin with me.”
“Why didn’t you tell me you were heading out?” he repeats, and I begin to get annoyed.
“I already told you why. I needed to think.”
“To think about me and Heather?” he asks, and I narrow my eyes on him.
“Is there a you and Heather?” I ask. His lips twitch, which makes me want to kick him in the shin.
“Definitely not.”
“You were engaged to her, though, weren’t you?” His eyes narrow a little.
“How do you know that?”
“Your mom told me. Well, she didn’t tell me the woman’s name, but I put two and two together at dinner when Eva kept bringing Heather up.”
“Christ.” He shakes his head running his fingers through his hair. “That’s something for me to talk to you about when I’m ready.”
“Okay, so when would that be?” I question, and his eyes lock on mine.
“I don’t know, twenty years from now . . .”
“What?”
“Baby, my ex was part crazy, part bitch. She’s not exactly someone I spend a lot of time thinking about.”
“But you were engaged to her?”
“Yeah, when I was young and my dick did the thinking for me, I was engaged to her.” He pulls me close with his fingers in the front pocket of my jeans. “I know what Eva said upset you.”
“She didn’t upset me,” I lie, and his eyes narrow. “She just annoyed me. She’s not a very nice person.”
“No, she’s not, but she’s the result of thinking with your dick and an unplanned pregnancy.” That was a little harsh—probably true, but still harsh.
“Lucas is asking her for a divorce,” I say, then close my eyes, wondering why the hell I just told him that when it’s not my news to share.
“Did he tell you that?”
“Forget I said anything. I don’t think he’s ready to tell everyone yet.”
“How long were you two on a walk before I caught up with you?”
“I don’t know, five minutes.” I shrug, and his eyes soften.
“Hmm.” He shakes his head and I wonder exactly what that hmm means, but I don’t want to ask him about it.
“I wish we were alone. This day has been a disaster.”
“It’s been good,” he says, and I widen my eyes in disbelief.
“Are we on different planets right now?”
“Baby, think about it. Our families met, our moms—who just happened to be old friends—reunited, I didn’t get called into work, and I spent the day with my woman. Yeah, there was a little bit of drama, but all in all, it’s been a good day.”
“You missed the part where I didn’t know about the giblets in the turkey and had to unstuff the damn thing, then restuff it,” I grumble.
“What?” He smiles, tucking a piece of hair behind my ear.
“Why are you with me?” I ask instead of answering his question, then cut him off when it looks like he’s going to open his mouth to speak. “I can’t cook, I dress like a nerd, I’m clumsy and always doing dumb stuff, plus my family is crazy. Why are you with me?” I repeat and he drops his forehead to rest against mine.
“Do you know how hard it is to find a woman who isn’t all about herself? To find a woman who isn’t superficial and self-centered?” he asks quietly.
I whisper, “No.”
“I do know how hard it is. And I also know that the kind of beauty you hold is so rare most men would be lucky to even catch a glimpse of it.”
“So because you think I’m pretty—”
“No,” he cuts me off, taking my face between his palms. “It’s not because you’re gorgeous, which you are, it’s because the parts of you that make you you are beautiful. That’s why I’m with you. I’m with you because you’re real, you care, and you don’t know how to put on a front or be mean. I’m with you because you’re the kind of woman who goes to a shelter to volunteer when most wouldn’t even think about wasting their time. Because you worry about a little girl that looks at you like you have the ability to change her life. Because you are the kind of person who won’t judge a guy you don’t know when he tells you he’s getting a divorce. I’m with you because the idea of not being with you isn’t something I want to consider.”
Oh.
My.
His words cause my breath to freeze in my lungs and tears to burn the back of my eyes.
“You really like me,” I say after a moment, and his lips twitch into a smile.
“I more than like you, gorgeous, but yeah, I really like you.”
I’m such an idiot. I close my eyes and drop my face to his chest. “I’m sorry about just leaving . . . You’re right, I was worried about what Eva was saying and worried that you would want to get back together with your ex. I . . . I worry that you’re going to realize I’m not worth the hassle.”
“You’re definitely worth it.”
How does he know just what I need to hear?
“Thank you,” I say, pulling my face back to look at him.
“Baby, caring for you isn’t a hardship.”
“Don’t make me cry.”
“I don’t want you to cry, I just want to know that we’re good and that when our families take off, we’ll still be good. Today has been crazy, and I know you’re stressed.”
“I’m good, but I will be better once everyone leaves. Meeting your family has been great, but our families together . . .” I shake my head. “That’s a little much for me.”
“Well, before we head back, I want you to prepare yourself. Our moms are already pl
anning our wedding.”
“What?” I blink up at him, and he grins.
“They were arguing over where we would get married when I took off, so keep in mind that when that day comes, we’re getting married at the courthouse and telling no one about it until it’s done.”
“What?” I breathe. His eyes lock on mine and fill with something that is so beautiful it makes every part of me feel warm.
“That’s not for now,” he says softly, rubbing his fingers down my cheek. “That’s for when the time’s right, but we are not having a wedding.”
“What if I want a wedding?” I ask, wondering where the hell that question came from.
“Do you want a big wedding?”
“I don’t know, I’ve never really thought about it before.”
“You’ve never thought about getting married?” he asks in a tone filled with disbelief.
“Well, once I saw a Harry Potter–themed wedding on YouTube and thought that would be cool,” I say, and his eyes close right before he drops his forehead to rest on mine once more.
“We are not having a Harry Potter–themed wedding.”
“Why not?”
“Because we’re not.”
“But . . .”
“It’s not happening, babe.” He stops me with a quick peck to my lips.
“What if it’s important to me?” I say, not ready to let the idea of a Harry Potter–themed wedding go now that the idea is in my head.
“Is it important?”
“Well . . .” I chew the inside of my cheek as my stomach dances with butterflies at the thought of being Levi’s wife. “I guess not really. But if the day comes that we do get married, we’re not doing it at the courthouse, because my mom and yours would somehow find out. So we will just have to go to Vegas.”
He smiles right before he takes my mouth in a kiss that has me wishing we weren’t in a public park but alone in his bed. When he pulls away, his lips touch my forehead, then he takes my hand and leads me back to the building, where thankfully everyone is getting ready to take off so they can beat the Thanksgiving Day traffic.