Chapter 12 #2
His eyes looked so sad, I wanted to reach for him. “Not everyone. There are things you can’t come back from. Lines crossed that can’t be uncrossed.”
There was something in his words that made my heart constrict painfully in my chest. Before I could think about what I was doing, I took his hand.
The reaction I had to touching him couldn’t have been more different to what I’d felt shaking hands with Frank.
Levi wrapped his fingers around mine, and his eyes dipped to my lips.
“Everly—” he said in a voice so soft it physically hurt to pull my hand away and take a step back.
“Do you want to work on your pitch, or should I just do most of the talking at the next complex?”
He held his hand out and for a second I thought it was an invitation to take it again. “I think there’s a complex not far from here,” he said, his eyes shifting to my other hand.
Only then did I realize I still had the list gripped in my fist. I’d been holding it the entire time without noticing. This man had me so rattled I’d completely forgotten what half my hands were doing. I gave him the list and tried to pull myself together while he read it.
“Yep. There’s actually two.” He seemed almost hesitant when he looked up at me. “Do you want to ride together?”
That’d be a hell no. Trapped inside a vehicle with Levi’s cologne or pheromones or whatever it was that made me all tingly was the worst idea ever. “I’ll follow you.”
Levi nodded but a flicker of something in his eyes made my stomach hurt.
Chief Fitzwilliam wanted him to fit in, which meant he didn’t.
I’d never known what it was like to live in Peace Falls and not feel like I belonged.
Even when I went away to college and law school, I’d found my place easily.
I couldn’t imagine being constantly surrounded by people and still feeling alone.
No question, Levi was guarded in a way that kept others at a distance.
However, I doubted that had always been the case.
He seemed genuinely kind once anyone broke through his walls.
And kind people, no matter how guarded, were my weakness.
I may not be able to ride in a car with him, but I didn’t want him to think he’d made me uncomfortable.
“I have a feeling Frank wouldn’t appreciate either of us taking up one of his parking spots,” I said, gesturing to the near-empty lot. “He’d probably call a tow truck.”
Levi laughed, which was exactly the response I wanted and the worst possible. It made him even more handsome, and my attraction to him impossible to ignore.
“Let’s head over to Station Ave,” he said with a hint of laughter still in his voice. “I can’t wait to watch you take a shot at the grumpy asshole who manages that place.”
Grumpy asshole was a generous characterization. The man literally slammed the office door in our faces. The woman at the next place at least listened politely for two minutes before telling us to touch grass, and we only lasted that long because she was drooling over Levi.
“We need a different strategy,” I said as we walked toward the parking lot after the woman handed Levi her number. “And something we can leave behind. Or send ahead. Maybe both.”
“Like a brochure?” he asked, tossing the woman’s number into the first trashcan we passed. Watching him discard that little piece of paper made me far too happy.
“Maybe,” I said. “We’re getting turned down before we have a chance to really explain the event, let alone how it could be beneficial for the businesses.”
“This town is tiny,” he said, stopping next to my car. I didn’t miss that he’d walked me to my vehicle each time before getting into his own. “Don’t you think most people have heard of Springboard before? Frank had.”
“I love Max to bits, but he can be intimidating. People go on the defensive with him, so even if they heard the name before, they might not know how successful it’s been.”
He raised his eyebrows at me, and I couldn’t keep the irritation from my voice. “It has been successful, Levi. Max has the numbers to prove it.”
“OK,” he said. “And you think we need marketing materials to coerce folks into listening?”
I knew then that if I could convince Levi Stafford of the event’s value, I could convince anyone. “Oh my word, Levi. Stop being so cynical. We want people to have a genuine interest in helping, and so far, none of them have all the facts. Even you.”
“It’s not a bad idea,” he said. “For no other reason, if I learned more about the group I could be more than just your bodyguard.”
I liked the idea of him guarding my body a little too much. “Great. I don’t think we should visit anywhere else until we work out the pitch.”
“I could use a coffee,” he said. “Want to grab a table at Karma and work on it? Or do you have somewhere to be?”
It sounded too much like the setting of every first date I’d ever had. I needed to remember this wasn’t a date. Levi wasn’t some stranger I’d connected with on a dating app. No, he was a man I’d happily sit through a three-course dinner with before heading back to his place.
Levi tilted his head, and I realized I should have answered him already. “Yeah, sure. Meet you there.”
By the time we grabbed a table at Karma, half the café was staring at us. No question, we’d be fresh gossip before we finished our coffee.
“I texted Max and asked him to send over some numbers to highlight the group’s success,” I said.
“Max keeps an accounting of that?” Levi asked before taking a sip of his coffee.
“Not at first, but it’s required for grant applications.”
Levi’s eyes widened. “Wow. Has he ever gotten a grant?”
“He has,” I said, loving the surprise that lit Levi’s face. “I helped him with his applications last year. It’s how I first got involved with Springboard.”
“Hi Everly, Levi,” a voice called out before he could respond.
“Hi Ms. Joyce,” I said, giving her a smile. Shoot. By the time I got to my parents’ house this afternoon, they’d know I’d had coffee with Levi. Which meant all the O’Malleys would know. Which meant half the town would hear about it before the sun went down.
“What are y’all doing here?” she asked, her eyes sparkling.
“We’re working on our pitch to get more apartment complexes and businesses to take part in Springboard,” Levi said.
“That’s wonderful, sweetie,” she said, patting his shoulder.
I’d never once heard Joyce call an officer sweetie. Levi didn’t flinch, which suggested she’d called him that before.
“We should probably get back to work, Ms. Joyce,” I said. The longer we talked, the more intel she’d try to get.
“Of course, dear. Enjoy your coffee,” she said, smiling at us both.
My phone buzzed, and I glanced at the text from Max. “Max said he needs time to pull the numbers. We can at least go through the list now and divide up the places we’re not visiting together. Then I could try to convince you why Springboard is such a great organization.”
We turned our attention to the list. With each entry Levi hadn’t highlighted, I’d write an L or E after discussing who’d be the best person to visit.
“Everly,” Preston said, stepping up to our table. “Officer Stafford.”
Levi looked up from the list, his face devoid of the warmth he’d shown Joyce. My coworker either didn’t notice his coldness or didn’t care.
“What are you two working on?” Preston asked.
“The Springboard event,” I said quickly.
The two men seemed to size each other up for a moment before Preston turned to me and smiled. “Anything I can do to help?”
“Are you hiring anyone or have an apartment for rent?” Levi clipped.
Preston studied Levi like a specimen under a microscope. That same assessing look had made more than one witness crumble in court. Levi stared back. “Afraid not.”
“Thanks, Preston,” I said, giving his arm a squeeze.
Levi scowled after him. “We’re never getting anything done if people keep interrupting us.”
“Everly Hendricks,” a voice called before my former high school principal, Mr. Twillings, pulled out the chair beside me and sat down. “Nice to finally meet you, Levi," he said without introducing himself. "How’s the pig?”
The shocked expression on Levi’s face was so comical I had to fight a laugh. By the time Mr. Twillings left, Levi looked pained.
“You’re not extroverted, are you?” I asked.
“Not lately,” he mumbled.
My chest tightened again. I wanted to ask if what happened at his station in Richmond was the only reason he’d become so closed off to people. Instead, I opened my big, fat mouth and said the worst thing imaginable. “Maybe we should meet at your house next time?”