“Personally, I’d given up thinking it would ever happen.”
“He’s never even gone on a single date, has he?”
Everyone talked over the other, and even though his sisters and mom were inside, their voices carried, swirling like a swarm of hornets around Levi’s head. He rubbed at his temples.
His dad leaned across the table. “Sur-ren-der.” He pronounced each syllable slowly and distinctly before straightening back up. “A woman’s mind is a confusing place for a man, and you’ve got five women in there who love you to pieces and have been speculating about your love life for so long that they aren’t going to let this go so easily. Me?” He shrugged. “You’re an adult and it’s your life, and I think we should leave you alone to live it, but those women in there”—he hooked his thumb over his shoulder—“their love is a whole lot more hands-on. Take it from someone who’s been under the microscope of their undivided attention before.”
Levi took in a deep breath, then let it out on a sigh. Even though he hated doing it, he raised his voice so he could be heard over the others in the house. “Come out and eat, and I’ll tell you what happened. And if you promise to take turns, I’ll answer your questions the best that I can.”
“Really?” Nova poked her head out of the doorway first. “Because I have a million questions.”
“I’m sure you do,” Levi grumbled.
Mom walked out next, beaming. She looked happier than when Dad had surprised her with a week at an all-inclusive resort in the Maldives for their twenty-fifth wedding anniversary.
Had they really been that worried about him? Levi kind of wanted to remind them that the key to happiness and feeling fulfilled wasn’t in a romantic relationship or marriage, but with the way they were staring at him with barely concealed glee, he knew he’d only be wasting his breath. His older sisters had both fallen in love and married service members who were currently deployed, and while his younger sisters were single, they had both been in committed relationships before. He was the only one of them who hadn’t ever been on a single date.
His dad said a blessing over the food, and as soon as his tongue hit the roof of his mouth to pronounceamen, Constance jumped. “Well? We’re waiting.”
Levi put a chicken breast on his plate and passed the serving dish down the line to Trinity beside him. “Is everyone forgetting that the reason we’re all together is to celebrate Dad’s birthday?”
That seemed to take the wind out of their sails. Until his dad piped up and said, “When you get to be my age, birthdays tend to be just another day. Having my whole family around me, well, there’s no better way to celebrate than this.” He took a bite and chewed. “Although, since itismy birthday, I find I’m curious to hear this story of yours as well.”
“The birthday boy has spoken,” Aliyah crowed.
Levi would’ve loved to have pointed out to his father that he’d just said he thought the family should leave Levi’s love life alone, but he saved his breath. He knew when he was beat. “The town of Little Creek recently acquired a bookmobile.”
“What does that have to do with the mystery woman who stayed with you?”
Aliyah pierced Nova with a knife-tipped look. “Don’t interrupt and maybe we’ll find out.”
“Girls,” Mom scolded. She nodded encouragingly to Levi. “Go ahead, Levi. A bookmobile, you said?”
He opened his mouth to continue, but a knock at the door interrupted him. His sisters groaned.
“Who could that be?” Trinity turned at the waist to look toward the front entrance.
Levi wondered the same thing as he stood to answer the door. The only person besides his family who had ever come up the mountain to his house was Jack. Levi twisted the knob, expecting to see Jack’s sweat-stained ball cap and grinning face on the other side. But it wasn’t Jack.
“Hayley. What are you doing here?”
27
Hayley smiled sweetly up at him. “We really need to work on your delivery, big guy, or I might get the impression that you’re not happy to see me.”
“No, sorry. Of course I’m happy to see you. Just surprised.” Levi shifted his weight and cast a quick glance behind him. As expected, every member of his family was straining their necks to try and get a peek at who was at the door.
He held back his groan. The timing of this couldn’t have been worse. His family was boiling over with more questions than a Jesuit priest during the Spanish Inquisition, and that curiosity was going to naturally bleed over to Hayley when they saw her. He wished he could be confident that his sisters and mom would be cool and not overwhelm Hayley with their interest, but they were more likely to jump all over her like a puppy recently released from the pound.
It wasn’t like he hadn’t planned to introduce his family to Hayley and Hayley to them, but he’d always thought that would beafterthey’d gone out on a few official dates.Afterhe felt assured that Hayley was as committed to pursuing their relationship as he was and not entertaining any thoughts that he’d somehow be better off without her or that ending thingsbefore they got started would somehow spare him a measure of future pain.
But, as they said, it appeared that time waited for no man and had literally come knocking on his door that very moment.
Levi felt the presence of others at his back before he saw or heard them.
“I apologize in advance for anything that’s about to happen or be said,” he rushed to say.
Hayley stared at him quizzically right before the door opened wider and Constance appeared on one side of him and Nova on the other.
