“She wants you to throw it for her,” Levi says, the tension gone from his voice.
I lean over, and picking up the ball, I throw it as hard as I can. Lick sets off at a crazy speed, then jumps into the air and catches the ball.
For the next hour, I play catch with Lick, a comfortable silence falling between Levi and me. The dog has an endless supply of energy, and I begin to work up a sweat.
Besides the times people pop in to check on me and Jill comes over to visit, I’ve tried to avoid everyone in town as much as possible. That’s not the case with Levi. I assume it’s because he’s so quiet, and I love playing with his dog, so I don’t read too much into it.
Finally, Lick calls it quits and lies on the grass, panting so hard, her tongue is hanging out the side of her mouth.
I look at Levi again, and when I see the relaxed smile on his face, I’m hit with an intense wave of attraction.
No, Kelcie. Stop it. You’re too broken. Don’t go getting a crush on him.
Clearing my throat, I ask, “I’m not sure what the time is, but would you like some tea or coffee?”
“I’d love coffee.”
We gather our dishes and walk back to the house. While I get everything ready for our beverages, Levi clears our plates and places them in the dishwasher.
My phone rings, and I suppress a sigh as I walk to the couch where I left the device.
When I see Colby’s name, the sigh escapes before I answer, “Hi.”
“Is that man still there?”
“Yes.”
“I don’t like this one bit, Kelcie. He looks like trouble. I’m coming over.”
“No, you’re not.” I move a little farther away from Levi. “I’m actually having a nice evening.”
“You couldn’t have a nice evening with me?”
Instantly, I feel tired, as if the meager energy I’ve managed to scrape together just ups and vanishes.
When I remain quiet, Colby says, “I’m sorry. I’m glad you’re feeling better. I just wish it were with me and not some stranger who only moved to town two months ago.”
“I have to go.” I glance over my shoulder and see that Levi is busy pouring water into my teacup and his mug. “We’ll talk another time.”
“Be careful and call if you need me.”
“Good night.”
I end the call and notice there are many missed calls. Checking them, it shows they’re all from Colby, and I shake my head.
I really appreciate his friendship, but I know he’s only hanging around in the hopes of having a romantic relationship with me.
“Everything okay?” Levi asks.
I force a smile to my face as I turn around. “Yes.” Setting the phone down on the couch again, I notice the time showing on the screen.
Crap. It’s already ten p.m.
My gaze darts to Levi. “I didn’t realize how late it is.”
He picks up the mug and takes a sip of the coffee before he asks, “Do you want me to go?”
“No.” My honest answer catches me completely by surprise, and I feel my cheeks flush with heat.
