Eight
Levi stood with his hands on his hips, staring at the two-story building behind Pete’s, in the alleyway that separated the businesses from another street. Technically, it was a garage, though not even a Mini Cooper or Jilly’s Volkswagen would fit inside. It was narrow like the other few garages with apartments over the top. Not every shop had one. Pete had been in the middle of plating orders when Levi showed, on time, and said he’d meet him out back.
The breeze lifted some random debris along the concrete. Dressed in a hoodie and sweatpants, he wasn’t cold, but he was tired and wouldn’t have minded a few extra hours of sleep.
Pete came out the back door of the restaurant. “Sorry. It got busy at the time it usually dies down. Jilly should be here any minute.”
Like his heart recognized her name, it surged in Levi’s chest. “Jilly? What’s going on?”
Pete gestured to the garage. “She was going to go through some of this stuff when she had time. Her and Gwennie insist it shouldn’t just be tossed in a dumpster, but when do I have time to clear this place out?”
He grumbled the words, and Levi was trying to follow along. What did Pete’s wife and Jill have to do with this? Why was he here?
Pete pulled a set of keys from his apron pocket and pointed to the side of the building. “You wanna clean it out, it’ll help Jill, get Gwen off my ass to get it done, and you can rent the space. It’s a bachelor pad and you’ll need to clean it up, but there’s enough room for you. I won’t gouge you on rent and I’ll give you a deal on the first few months for cleaning it out.”
Levi’s head was already spinning, trying to process everything the chef, who usually strung six words together max, was saying when Jillian hurried down the alley dressed in leggings and a dark green sweater that read: GET LOST . As usual, the sight of her made him smile. His gaze swept over her from her high, thick ponytail to her pretty pink running shoes.
“Here I am. Hi, Levi.” She leaned into Pete for a side hug like the man wasn’t a burly bear of a human.
Pete kissed the top of her head and, though it meant absolutely nothing, Levi felt the prickle of jealousy. Even if nothing happened romantically, he wanted a familiarity with her that allowed him to be in her space. He couldn’t get over how much he enjoyed being in her orbit. Even when he hadn’t had nearly enough coffee.
Pete stepped back. “Jilly helps out some with the Smile museum and historical society with Gwen. If you guys can sort what needs to go to the museum and take it over there, I’ll take care of the rest. Just get it all piled up out here. If there’s anything even worth keeping. Who knows? Maybe it’s all junk.” He tugged at his beard. “I should have tossed it all but I couldn’t make myself do it.”
Jillian lifted her brows, looking at Levi, and gave a small shrug. He’d gone years without seeing her or thinking about her, and now she infiltrated his thoughts and brightened his day. Seeing her might actually be better than a shot of caffeine.
Pete led the way up a narrow set of stairs along the side of the building. Jilly followed but glanced back at Levi. Fortunately, he wasn’t staring at her ass in those pants, so he could smile without embarrassment.
“You want off of the houseboat this bad?”
“How bad can it be?” His heart twitched when she smirked at him. She knew something he didn’t.
Pete had the door unlocked and opened when they reached the landing. Hopefully the ceiling only looked so low because the space inside was beyond full. Boxes, old PETE’S signs, vintage-looking posters—framed and unframed—vinyl benches and stools, a jukebox, a couple of street signs, and random chairs were visible from the door. When he stepped in, his arm bumped an antique popcorn maker. Levi could almost smell the butter.
His jaw dropped to his chin. Holy. Shit. He continued to look around. If he tried hard, he could visualize the space without decades’ worth of random items being piled on top of each other. Somewhere beyond some weathered paneling was the top of a fridge, so that was likely the kitchenette.
“There’s a bathroom off the back there. You can’t see it because I turned that couch upright to save space.”
Levi bit his lip hard to stifle the comment that his effort hadn’t worked. There was barely any visible floor to walk on.
Jillian stepped up beside him, her shoulder brushing his arm, her fingers dangling close enough to touch.
“You’ve added more. I’m glad you didn’t get rid of it all, Pete. There’s a lot here, and most of it might go, but I definitely see some things worth salvaging.” She ran her hand along the handle of the popcorn maker. It came away with dust that she wiped on her pants.
Levi realized he was smiling. This was going to be a hell of a job but, in the end, it would be a cool little space for him to live in while he started building his future.
“They say you can’t go back, but I’m pretty sure the entire history of Smile is tucked away in there.” If his tone leaned toward reverent, it was because Levi actually felt like he was stepping into long-ago summer days, remembering, viscerally, stopping by Pete’s for an ice-cream cone or, even better, a root beer float.
When he glanced at Jillian, her smile was brighter than the goddamn sun. His fingers grazed hers again. This time, it wasn’t an accident.
How could looking at her steal the breath from his lungs and make him feel like he could breathe in the same second?
“Pete,” Jillian said, running a hand over a stack of boxes that came to her waist, awe in her tone. “How long have you been storing things?”
Levi took a tentative step forward. “Since the dawn of time, from the looks of it.”
Pete growled. “I’m not a hoarder. I got busy.”
Jillian sent Levi a chastising look, which he figured was a very practiced mom move.
“That’s okay, Pete. This stuff has a history. Your history here in Smile.”
Levi glanced at the older man and saw the way Jilly softened him just with the kindness in her tone, expression, and body language. A completely underrated skill he admired.
“It does. Thirty years of my restaurant in there. Thirty years of Smile. I’m not even sure I’m attached to all of it, but it’s just too much to dive into. Gives me hives thinking about digging through it all. But I said I’d do it. So, now I found a way.” He grinned, pinning Levi with his gaze as his teeth peeked through his beard. “I’ll let you stay through the summer for free.”
Levi nodded rather than saying he sure as hell hoped so. It might take them that long to clean this place out.
Pete turned and walked away, leaving Jillian and Levi staring at the past. He smiled, thinking that there was no one he’d rather sort through the past with to get to the future. Looking over, he was struck again by the way she stole his breath by doing nothing more than being herself.
“Why are you smiling?” She stepped into a small square of space between a couple of boxes.
“Because I like looking at you. And being with you. And I was just thinking, there’s no one I’d rather do this with.”
Jillian turned and he saw the hesitancy, the nerves, dancing in her gaze. Levi stepped closer to her, took her hand. She had little freckles across the bridge of her nose and he couldn’t take his eyes off of them. Like Pete, he was scared to dive into this, but holding back had never been his strong suit.
Jillian’s breath faltered. “What? Why are you looking at me so intently?”
His gaze darted up, then back to her freckles, counting them. Seven. “One day soon, I want to kiss each one of your freckles.”
This time she sucked in a sharp breath that worked to erase the space between them.
She stared at his mouth as a gentle hue of pink splashed over her cheeks. “Levi.” He recognized the desire that surged in her eyes, because it echoed his own.
He reached out, slowly so she could stop him, and brushed the strands of hair that had escaped her elastic behind her shoulder, letting his fingers linger. Her lips parted and Levi was pretty sure he’d never wanted to kiss a woman this badly except for one other time in his life. And it was the same woman.
Jillian’s breath hitched in and out, her gaze wide as his hand moved down her neck, along her shoulder, in a gentle caress.
A loud, growly noise startled him away from Jillian but he kept her close to his front, turning to see Pete glaring at them. Him. Pete was glaring at Levi. Not Jillian.
Jillian bit her lip and ducked her head with a shy smile. Her forehead landed on his chest.
“Thought you two might want some lemonade,” Pete said, setting both large glasses down on one of the boxes.
“Thank you, Pete,” Jillian said without looking up.
“You’re welcome, Jilly,” Pete said, his tone amused despite the way he narrowed his gaze at Levi.
Levi rubbed his hand soothingly over Jillian’s back.
“You make sure you don’t break anything special,” Pete said to Levi.
Jesus. There was a warning he’d hear in his sleep. “I know how to take care of things that matter, Pete.”
The chef’s lips twitched, moving his mustache. “Good.”
“Is he gone?” Jillian whispered, still looking at their feet.
“He is.”
She stepped back, not looking at him as she went to the lemonade and took a long drink. Like she needed to center herself, Jillian inhaled deeply, set her drink down, and turned to face him. Uncertainty trickled back into her eyes, making his muscles tense. “We’re not kids anymore. I have a kid, and both of us live here on the island.”
He smiled teasingly. “Sure will make it easier to hang out with you.”
She sighed, a soft smile on her lips but worry present in her gaze. “It’s complicated.”
Levi nodded. He didn’t need to push. She’d been right there with him, wanting that kiss every bit as much as he did. She might need time to process and sort through whatever she felt, but this thing between them was too big for either of them to ignore. This wasn’t just a teenage crush or fond memories pulling at his heartstrings. It was his future bursting wide open. Of course, he could tell just by looking at her that if he said that, she’d run. Jillian Keller had always been cautious and careful. Being divorced and having a kid probably made her more so.
“I’m in no rush. Some things are worth the wait.”
She pulled in another one of those shuddery breaths and he had to stop himself from crossing over to her and pulling her into his arms.
“I don’t want to screw up our friendship. You’ve always mattered to me.”
He had that fear in the back of his head too. He trusted his own instincts, though, and everything inside him told him this was worth the risk. They weren’t teens anymore. They were adults capable of compromise and flexibility. He’d never shied away from working for what he wanted. And he’d never wanted anyone like Jilly.
“Didn’t I just promise Pete I wouldn’t wreck anything special? He might bury me in some other storage space if I don’t make good on my word.”
Jill looked up at him, her brows furrowing adorably, her arms going out wide to gesture to the room. “He was talking about this stuff.”
Levi loved that she really thought that. “No, sweetheart. He was talking about you.” He let that sink in. Watched her features as it did, loving the way her eyes lit up from his words. “You’re the something special, Jillian Keller. You always have been.”