Chapter 19
Claire
After our toe-curling, panty-melting, incendiary make-out session, I decided that the only next right course of action was to fall into my next project. I’d made my intentions clear. It was up to him, but in the meantime, I needed to keep my mind occupied. And hands .
The ball was in Levi’s court.
Both balls. Heh .
The strangest thing was happening to me. Since Levi’s first accidental brush, and especially since that kiss—though kiss falls short of describing the experience that was making out with Levi—I was lustful. Well and truly full of lust. I’d find myself daydreaming about the feel of the warm comfort of just riding in Levi’s truck and then suddenly imagined sliding across the seat to straddle him and kiss him senseless. Or I’d be thinking about his passion as he spoke of his work, that serious blaze in his eyes that matched the fire we’d been sitting in front of at the pumpkin measuring contest, and remember how good his lips tasted. I’d elaborate on my fantasy to run my hand up his thigh and test that hardness I had witnessed firsthand.
My body was a live wire. My bras rubbed me in ways I wasn’t used to, and my hand drifted under the covers into my panties every night. But it wasn’t near enough. Like scratching an itch on a knuckle, it provided no relief. I was insatiable. I had never been this restless and wanting before in my life, and quite frankly, it was humiliating because now, more than ever, Levi finally seemed to be sticking to his rules. Picture my dramatic eye roll here. When I had mentioned the boundaries, I’d sort of hoped he’d dash them out the window and say fuck the rules, take off your shirt.
But alas, he was well and truly a gentleman. And because I was leaving soon, it was best .
I wasn’t sure about his hesitation. Was it some old-fashioned and misplaced sense of chivalry? Was it that maybe his body was into it, but the rest of him wasn’t? That made my stomach hurt, so I didn’t think about it. But what else could it be? It was times like these when I wished people could just have blunt conversations, but then I imagined his pity as he rejected me and the gurgle in my gut was back. Best not to think about that.
This would be so much easier if he just listed out every single thought he had on the subject matter as he had in the listing.
“Ugh,” I groaned.
“Are you okay?” Levi asked from the driver’s seat.
“Ah!” I jumped and gripped the door handle.
He chuckled and looked over at me disbelievingly. “If I had a nickel every time I scared you by simply existing …”
“Who carries change these days?”
“Did you really forget I was here?”
“Ha.” I chuckled good-naturedly. “No, of course not.” Honestly, yes. I was so lost in my thoughts I forgot he was right next to me, driving us to town. “Just thinking,” I added.
“Anything you want to share with the class?” he asked in a gravelly growl.
Why haven’t you kissed me since the pumpkin night last week? Why weren’t we locking lips with the little time I had left? Why won’t you show me to your aubergine room? I’d say that last one with bouncy, suggestive eyebrows. Why haven’t we updated the rules to include mild groping? After all, what’s a bit of friendly groping between neighbors?
“No. Just thinking about my new story.” I settled on.
I had made it clear that I was interested. Anything more would be pushy or clingy.
He straightened. “Oh. Anything interesting?”
I hadn’t told Levi at the time, but something about his mom’s art had rung a bell in my brain. In that way I hadn’t felt in a while. That incessant buzz of a new story taking wing and beating against the inside of my brain. He gave me full access to the formerly locked room. And what a room it was. The life of Lily Carmichael was remarkable.
And so I chased the serotonin and lost myself to this new lead for the past few days. When he mentioned he had to go into town to meet Pace, I latched myself on to his plans in the hopes of searching the library for stories or chatting with some locals to get more information and maybe another story for the online journal I was still playing around with.
“I’m not sure yet,” I said.
He glanced over at me with a little bit of worry.
“Don’t worry. I’m sure you’ll be the first to know when I’m hooked on something real.” I patted his shoulder. “Whether you want to or not,” I teased.
He parked the truck behind the Cozy Creek B let’s get more slightly awkward but wholesome PDA.
“Well, isn’t that a sight to see,” a woman’s voice said as I crossed over to the opposite street’s sidewalk.
An older woman was sitting, one leg in a cast propped up on a chair outside Cozy Creek Confectionery.
“That was—I think he just—We aren’t really—I don’t know what we are, to be frank,” I said. “Hi. I’m Claire Wells. I’m staying up at Levi’s place. ”
“I’m Gigi. This is my shop. I’m currently laid up, but my granddaughter is in town helping out.” She gestured a hand to where Levi had just kissed my cheek.
Remember that? Remember how he kissed my cheek like it was the most natural thing in the world?
“That’s none of my business, doll. I’m just happy to see Levi come down from that place and not all by himself. It is what Lily would have wanted.”
“Were you friends with Lily Carmichael?” I asked as curiosity mobilized my feet in her direction.
“I was. We all were,” she said with a smile.
“Levi showed me some of her photos. I’d love to know more about her.”
“Did he now? Well, well.” Her eyebrows lifted higher in surprise. “Why don’t you come in and tell us about it, and I’ll answer your questions about Lily.”
Inside, I was introduced to Gigi’s granddaughter Madi, a stunningly gorgeous woman my age with perfectly manicured nails, highlighted hair, and designer clothes. I tried not to be hyper-aware of my oversized sweater, undone face, and hair in a messy bun, but there was no need to feel self-conscious. Both women welcomed me warmly, and we sat and chatted like instant new-old friends. We talked over each other, bouncing jokes and rapidly changing topics in the best way. And neither of them seemed to mind my stream of consciousness oversharing. They gave me several more story ideas for my online journal and the people I could talk to in town, and I was excited at that prospect. Not in the same way I felt about a new story but like a little sugary treat for my brain and the few regular readers I now had.
It was nice to sit and chat with these women. It soothed a part of me that I didn’t know needed soothing. I loved my father, we were close as could be, but there must have been something on an evolutionary level that made sitting around chatting with these two feel so comforting, so natural.
We talked about Lily and all she meant to the town and how devastating the loss was.
“I still wish there was something we could do,” Gigi said. “But Levi won’t talk to anybody. He barely talks to Pace.”
As they spoke, more information came to the surface about the less charming aspects of Lily’s past. Of course, there had been a man who had swept through town and broke her heart.
At some point, I decided this was the sign I needed. I was eager to get back to Little Cabin and learn more. An idea was forming, and I needed focus and quiet.
I glanced at my watch to see that an hour had flown by.
“He’s been pacing back and forth,” Madi said. “For the past ten minutes, at least.”
Outside the shop window, Levi looked up from where he’d been striding by, only to look away again quickly.
“That’s my fault,” Gigi said. “Last time he came in here, I tried to talk to him, and now he’s avoiding me.”
I frowned but stood. “I better get him home,” I said jokingly. “Before he leaves me.”
“The way he’s looking at you, I doubt he’d leave you alone anywhere,” Madi said.
I tucked my chin and shrugged in my coat, avoiding the implications. I couldn’t even say what was happening between Levi and me, let alone try to describe it to these strangers.
“Come back next week?” Madi asked.
“I’d like that.” I smiled.
Maybe it would be nice to chat again. Maybe I could chat with some other people in town too. For now, I was anxious to get to work and find out all I could about Lily Carmichael.
Levi
“I thought you were fixing the Aubergine Room?” I asked Pace as I gestured for him to hand me the Phillips screwdriver he twirled lackadaisically around his fingers.
We were at Ruth’s B something warred behind his light blue eyes. Finally, he slid a smile back in place. “Nah, I’m good. I just got off a shift and am tired, is all.”
I held his gaze and waited. Sometimes, if I remained silent, I could wait him out in the awkwardness, and he’d break first, spilling whatever it was that was bothering him.
He flicked his eyes to the side, breaking the eye contact.
I waited, still watching him closely.
He cleared his throat and chuckled. “Really, man. I’m fine.”
“If you need to?—”
Ruth popped her head in. “The power went out in the downstairs parlor. Hi, Levi.” Ruth flashed a wide smile at me, her gaze snagging, distracting her from whatever she’d been about to say. “Look at how flushed you are. Must be that pretty brunette chatting with Gigi across the street. The one I saw you dancing with?”
Pace gave me a look, fighting a grin.
I bent to pick up my stuff to leave. I’d had enough.
“I was wondering, if you have a minute, I’d love to ask you about some photos of your mother’s?” she asked me.
I shook my head. The adrenaline still bolting through me. This was too much. It was all too much .
“Maybe next time. I have to head home. Pace is going to finish up here, Ruth,” I said.
She gave me a long look that almost made me back down before she nodded. “Okay, sweetie.”
Pace opened his mouth and closed it tightly after I pointed at the black spot on the wall switch.
“Yeah. I’ll finish up here,” he said.
This had been the reminder I needed. No leaving the house. Definitely, no falling for the tenant.