Harlequin Special Edition February 2016, Box Set 1 of 2 by Stella Bagwell

Author:Stella Bagwell
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781459295872
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2016-01-15T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER NINE

Levi still wasn’t entirely sure what had prompted him to return after taking Charley home. What he’d expected to happen. For all he’d known the Lopezes would’ve been long gone, especially with two little girls and an old woman in tow.

He took the fact that they’d been still there as a sign. Of what, he wasn’t sure. His own idiocy, most likely.

Because it wasn’t like this was ever gonna go anywhere. Then again, he thought as the stomping and electrified music from the barn sucked Val and him in like moths to a flame, maybe that’s what made it easier—knowing there were no expectations. Except, he hoped, seeing more of those smiles. Hearing that laugh. Easing something inside the woman walking beside him, her hands jammed in her jacket pockets, he’d never be able to fully ease inside himself. Of course, could be she was simply pissed that her in-laws had swooped off with her children like a pair of benevolent hawks, not even giving her a chance to protest.

“You mad?” he said, figuring he might as well get it out in the open instead of letting it fester for the rest of the evening.

Predictably enough, she sighed. “Not real fond of being ambushed.”

“That what you think I’m doing?”

“I have no idea what you’re doing. Connie and Pete, though...that’s something else.”

“You can leave anytime you like, you know.”

“Heh. And did you notice Connie took my car? Because, she said, she didn’t want to have to move the car seats.” Her mouth screwed up. “Kind of a long walk back to town. So, yeah, I’m mad. But not at you.”

“You sure about that?”

A beat or two passed before she shrugged. “All I want, all I’ve ever wanted, is to make my own choices. Within reason, I mean. Sure, there’s times when your only choice is to deal with the crap life tosses at you, but you should at least have the opportunity to make your own decisions about how you deal with that crap, you know? I mean, jeez—I went from nobody giving a damn about me to people caring too much. A little balance would be nice.”

Levi chuckled. “No such thing in a small town.”

She sighed again, then shouted over the music, the general mayhem as they got closer to the barn. “I suppose you’re right.” Then she glanced over. “So what happened with Charley? He okay?”

Now who’s caring too much? he wanted to say. But he wasn’t that stupid. Somebody’d gotten a bonfire going, out in the dirt. The light flickered in her eyes, across her face. Val wasn’t all soft and pretty in a conventional sense, but she had one of those faces you couldn’t take your eyes off. He couldn’t, anyway. And he was surprised to realize that if her hand had been where he could reach it, he would’ve taken it. Which was probably why it wasn’t.

Nodding, Levi pushed his denim jacket aside to shove his own hands in his pockets. “Oh, yeah. He knew about the fireworks, but I couldn’t talk him out of staying.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.