Page 9 of Stuck with the Hero Next Door

Steak and Subtext

Cassie

By the time we stepped into Will’s, I was already halfway convinced that Levi had roped me into some kind of elaborate charm campaign for Everwood. Warm lights, checkered napkins, live band, and the smell of sizzling steak and fresh-baked cornbread hit me like a culinary hug.

The hostess waved at Levi like he was her nephew and seated us in a booth by the window. She handed me a menu with a wink. “Be gentle with him, hon. He gets jumpy when women order salad.”

Levi just shrugged, clearly unbothered. “Only because they make me feel judged for ordering extra butter on the cornbread.”

I bit back a laugh and slid into the booth. “Duly noted. No salad judgment from me.”

He slid in opposite, glancing at the specials board like he hadn’t memorized it ten years ago. “We’re starting off strong.”

Belle, our waitress, appeared before I could get past the cartoon cow on the menu. “Evenin’, Levi. Who’s your date?”

“Just a friend,” he said, but I caught the way his eyes flicked toward me. “Cassie’s new in town.”

Belle’s pen froze over her notepad as she texted on her phone, then she looked up in surprise. “New, huh? You’re brave, bringing her here. One meal and she’ll never leave.”

“I make no promises,” I said, holding up my hands.

“You’ll see,” Levi added with a smile. “This place has a cult following. Mostly because of the cornbread.”

“I keep hearing about this cornbread,” I muttered, flipping the menu.

Belle leaned on one hip. “It’s like dessert pretending to be dinner. I’ll bring a basket while y’all wait for your meal.”

She vanished, and I glanced up at Levi. “Is this what dining in Everwood is always like? Everyone knows your order and your intentions?”

“Pretty much. You get used to it around the second helping of mac and cheese.”

I raised an eyebrow. “Is that also life-changing?”

“No, that’s more life-threatening,” he said seriously. “Worth it, though.”

I laughed, surprised at how easy it was to relax. Maybe it was the smell of hickory smoke, or the way Levi seemed to fit so seamlessly into this place. Or maybe it was just that I hadn’t had a proper meal—or a proper laugh—in days.

Belle reappeared with a basket of cornbread and two glasses of milk. I stared at mine like it had personally offended me.

“Milk?” I said, gesturing at the glass.

He lifted his like a toast. “Will’s specialty. It’s either this or sweet tea strong enough to fuel a tractor.”

“I’ll risk the milk.”

I tore into a piece of cornbread, warm and buttery and just sweet enough to make my eyes roll back. Levi watched me, smug but silent.

“Okay,” I admitted with a mouthful. “Maybe I never leave.”

He raised an eyebrow. “Told you.”

And just like that, Everwood got its first real foothold.

The steak arrived on a sizzling cast-iron platter that could double as a weapon if negotiations broke down. Levi thanked Belle, then cut into his steak with a reverence usually reserved for religious relics.

I poked mine with my fork. “This looks intimidating.”

“It should,” he said, already halfway through his first bite. “That steak has been dry rubbed, smoked, seared, and serenaded.”