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“You changed your mind about my safety then? This is safe here, and you feel better about it?” I asked, feeling hopeful.
“Yes. This is very safe. You can volunteer here and be as safe as you would be at home.”
I wasn’t sure why he seemed to think that was the case, but I wasn’t going to argue.
“Are you happy?” he asked me.
“Yes! I am ecstatic. I’m just trying to wrap my head around how they are moving into this facility. The food bank and pantry is a nonprofit, and they rely on monthly donations from their congregation. It’s how most food banks work. And this place …” I shook my head in amazement. “This is incredible. All the good they can do here. Maybe a Good Samaritan is letting them use it for free—which I find hard to believe, but it could happen. Wait.” I paused. “How did you know the code?”
“I’m not a Good Samaritan. I’m entirely too amoral to be called one.”
I stared at him, then looked around at the room. “Levi.” His name came out as a whisper as the truth started to click into place. “You didn’t do this, did you? I mean, just to keep me safe, you didn’t go and buy this place and give it to the church?”
“No, I didn’t go and buy it,” he replied. “We already owned the property. It was an investment that hadn’t been moved yet. The family owns it. Like they do most of the buildings on this street.”
I stood there, speechless. This building was worth millions of dollars.
“Say something,” he said. “I need to know what you’re thinking.”
I opened and closed my mouth several times. “I’m, uh … wow, I … I don’t know. Levi, people don’t just do this. It’s huge. It’s … why?”
He cocked an eyebrow. “Why? Why did I do it?”
I nodded.
“You. You want to volunteer. This is important to you. I love you and can’t live without you. This meets both our needs and wants.”
“Levi,” I said as a laugh bubbled out of me. “What in the world? This is not what I was asking for. I mean, it’s incredible, but I didn’t want you to spend money. I wanted to volunteer my time. Help people.”
“And you can help even more people now,” he replied.
“The church knows about this?”
He nodded.
“I bet they’re blown away,” I said. “I’m still struggling to wrap my head around it.”
Levi walked over and ran his fingers through my hair, then held my head. “I fucking live for your smiles. Whatever it takes to keep you smiling, I’ll do it.”
I wanted my forever to be longer. Just so I had more time to love him. But then again, would it ever be enough?
“I don’t have the words sufficient enough to thank you for this,” I said quietly.
“Do you love me?”
I smiled. “You know I do.”
“That’s all I need.”
Thirty-Nine
Levi
Watching Aspen walk around the private jet in awe was almost as much fun as watching her in the new food bank building. Her eyes would light up, and she’d look at me with such an animated expression. If someone had told me six months ago that I’d be so completely fascinated and find so much pleasure in watching a woman simply enjoy life, I wouldn’t have believed them.
Having her out of breath, sated, and curled up against me on the bed in the back of the plane was pretty damn perfect too. Once we had gotten to cruising altitude, I’d unbuckled her and hauled her in here, needing to be buried inside her. We would be landing soon, and I knew we had to get up.
I pressed a kiss to her head. “We need to go back to our seats for landing,” I told her.
