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“You need to go,” he shouted to be heard above the storm.
“I know!” Instead of leaving, she pulled his head back down for one more intense kiss that left her senses so addled she wasn’t sure she could remember her own name, let alone how to drive home.
“I could do this all night, Grace, but I can’t let you stay.” Without warning, Levi lifted her up and set her in the car, kissed her cheek, and then closed her door.
He mouthed “good night” and stood in the rain, watching her leave. Even in her rearview mirror as she looked back, he remained rooted in place, observing her departure.
Chilled from the rain and the unfamiliar sensations coursing through her, Grace turned the heat on high and drove home.
A smile slowly spread across her face. Levi Gibson was an even better kisser than she’d imagined.
“Grabmeoneofthose breakfast bars, please, then let’s hustle,” Grace called to Cindy as she shoved her feet into a pair of red slingback sandals and laced up the ties on the front.
“Got them. Would Levi eat one?” Cindy asked, leaning around the doorway in the kitchen.
“Probably, even though I’m sure he ate something wonderful like eggs and bacon and fresh berry muffins baked by his mother for breakfast.”
Cindy laughed and reappeared with three chocolate chip breakfast bars. “How on earth did you talk Levi into taking us shopping today? Don’t men hate that sort of thing?”
“Generally, yes, but I think he’s just glad for whatever time we get to spend together.” Grace glanced down at the navy peasant blouse she’d tucked into a navy skirt with wide red and narrow white stripes running horizontally across it. With four big navy buttons for trim, two on each side of the high waist, she hoped the outfit looked cute.
Cindy, who could usually sense her thoughts, gave her an approving nod. “You look amazing. It appears your hair is being more cooperative than usual today.”
Grace grinned and glanced in the mirror. This morning she’d used a little extra styling product to get it to hang straight, parted down the middle. How long the style would last was anyone’s guess.
Most of the time, her thick, wavy hair had a mind of its own. As long as she could get it contained in a bun for work, the rest of the time she didn’t worry about it too much. But since she’d started dating Levi, vanity won over convenience, and she’d spent more time than she cared to admit trying to tame her hair.
“Just hope the rain stays away, or I’ll have a frizzy, wavy mess in my face all day.”
“Rain, rain, go away …” Cindy chanted.
A knock at the door caused Grace to give Cindy a look full of anticipation. She turned the knob and pulled open the door to find Levi standing there, straw cowboy hat in his left hand, wearing a cotton plaid western shirt in hues of light tan and bright blue, accentuating the blue of his eyes and the breadth of his shoulders.
“Howdy, ma’am,” he greeted in a drawl that caused both Grace and Cindy to laugh.
“Did you take a trip to Texas you failed to mention when I spoke to you Thursday?” Grace asked as she grabbed a white sweater and her purse, then waited for Cindy to step out to close the apartment door behind them.
“Nope, but I thought I’d see if I could pull it off. How did I do?” he asked as they hurried downstairs.
“Tolerably well, cowboy.” Cindy nodded her thanks to him when he held open the door as they left the lobby. “Are you sure you want to take the two of us shopping?”
“I’m here, aren’t I?” Levi grinned at them both, then opened his pickup door when they reached it.
Grace took his hand and got in, sliding into the middle, and Cindy jumped in beside her.
Once they were on their way to Nampa, Cindy broke out the breakfast bars. Grace unwrapped one and handed it to Levi.
“What’s this?” he asked, then took a big bite.
“A breakfast bar. They’re supposed to be full of nutrients.” Grace bit off a small piece, then grinned at Levi. “We mostly eat them because they are chocolate chip bars dipped in chocolate, but they have the word breakfast on the box, so we don’t feel guilty about indulging in them first thing in the morning.”
“Candy for breakfast,” he muttered, then hurriedly ate the rest of the bar in two bites.
Levi rolled down the window and the fresh air blew into the pickup cab. It felt so good, Grace wouldn’t even complain about what it was doing to her carefully styled hair.
“Do you two often spend your Saturdays shopping?” Levi questioned, glancing first at Cindy, then at Grace.
“Not often, but my cousin’s wedding is next weekend, and we need new outfits to wear.” Grace gave Levi a long glance. They’d been dating for six weeks now, but she still tried to convince herself it was just a passing thing. However, the strong current of connection she experienced every time they were together was unlike anything she’d ever known or even dreamed of experiencing. Being with Levi was easy and enjoyable. She felt like she’d known him forever, even as she kept peeling back one layer after another to find more things about him that she loved.
