“Matt,” I snapped.
He grinned and headed for the door.
Elizabeth watched him go with exaggerated appreciation.
“Well,” she said, fanning herself lightly with a receipt. “If we’re being surveilled by mysterious holding companies and I’m getting almost flirted with by responsible police officers, I’d say this establishment is thriving.”
Levi let out a quiet breath beside me.
I glanced up at him.
He wasn’t smiling. He was watching the door like he was already thinking three steps ahead. And somehow, that protectiveness felt far more dangerous than Elizabeth’s theatrics.
“I’ll be running calls nearby,” he told me. “I’ll have my phone on.”
“Okay,” I said. “I’ll be right here.”
His gaze held mine a second longer than necessary. Like he was committing something to memory. Then he turned toward the door to leave.
Elizabeth cleared her throat loudly.
He paused.
She leaned her elbows on the counter and pointed dramatically behind her without looking. “For the record,” she said, “I will also be keeping an eye on her. I may not know what’s going on, but I’m perfectly willing to kick some ass. I don’t need a reason.”
Levi followed the direction of her gesture.
Behind the counter, propped neatly against the shelving unit that held beef jerky and motor oil, was her wooden baseball bat. It had a pink grip.
Elizabeth gave him a solemn nod. “Louisville Slugger. Bought it during the Great Coupon Shortage of 2019. It has range, accuracy, and I have a solid swing. Hey batter, batter.”
Levi’s mouth twitched despite himself. “Good to know.”
“I’m not saying I’ve named it,” she continued. “But if I had, it would be Debbie. Gibson. After my mom’s favorite recording artist of the eighties.”
I closed my eyes briefly. “Please stop.”
She ignored me. “You go do brave firefighter things. I will defend this establishment—and our girl, Becca.”
Levi looked back at me, amusement softening his expression, but there was gratitude there, too. “Sounds like you’re in good hands.”
“I definitely have good hands,” Elizabeth said brightly. “And a lot of internalized rage.”
His eyes flicked to mine again, and then he gave a small nod and stepped outside.
The bell above the door jingled as it closed behind him.
Elizabeth waited three seconds before leaning across the counter and whispering, “He is absolutely feral for you.”
Something went through me that I was going to categorize as embarrassment and absolutely nothing else. My face didsomething I had no control over. I turned toward the coffee machine so Elizabeth couldn’t see it, which was a tactical error because Elizabeth noticed everything, and the sound she made behind me indicated she had noticed that too.
“Elizabeth.”
“What? I’m observant.” She straightened and tapped the bat affectionately. “Debbie and I have you covered. And, just saying, you are definitely not using that man to his fullest potential.”
Despite myself, I smiled. And somehow, between Levi’s steadiness and Elizabeth’s bat, the world felt a little less scary.
Chapter 22
