Fifteen
Levi looked around the lodge dining room, and even though his dad didn’t show, his heart was full. Cooking for anyone soothed his soul. Cooking for people he loved was a next-level high. His gaze landed on Jilly, standing over by her parents near the end of the long table. They were chatting with Gramps, who was good friends with Mr. Keller and had ended up tagging along. Jill’s brothers and Presley chatted animatedly with Jill’s best friend, Lainey, whom he remembered from when they were younger. He’d definitely seen her early last week at the reunion.
Jill seemed a little off when he and Ollie had found her weeding the garden in front of the house. Ollie really was an impressive helper and a hard worker. Levi had told her mom as much but there was a stormy look in her gaze, and before he could get her alone to ask if she was okay, everyone had shown up.
It’d been nonstop since. The most charming of all, Ollie bounced on her knees on a chair beside his mom, telling her a story that had her laughing. His heart actually flipped over in his chest like a pancake. He decided to ignore the fact that his dad didn’t show. His mother said he wasn’t feeling up to the boat ride, but Levi knew it was more than that.
It didn’t matter. Levi was right where he belonged. This was the start of it. Something big. Something he’d wanted for longer than he’d let himself acknowledge. Picking up a fork, he tapped it on a glass, getting everyone’s attention.
“Thanks for letting me cook for you guys tonight. And for the use of the kitchen,” Levi said, a hint of nerves sliding over his skin, making their presence known. Several of the items he’d prepared were things he was considering for his food truck. Their opinion mattered.
He looked at his mom, nodded, hoping she understood how much it meant that she’d come tonight. Of course, the Kellers were hard to say no to, and Jilly’s mom had taken care of corralling at least one of his parents into a yes.
“I’m excited to be home. I’ve been away for a long time but I think, in the back of my mind, I always knew I’d return.”
Everyone clapped, making his neck hot. His gaze naturally found Jillian, who watched him, a little smile ghosting her perfectly shaped lips.
Time to share the news. “Tonight is a chance for me to try out a few menu items for the food truck I’m planning to run. I wanted to cook for all of you and have a happy-to-be-back celebration, but I also wanted your opinions on some menu items that I’m considering.”
His mom put a hand on her chest. “A food truck?”
Levi found it difficult to swallow around the sudden dryness in his throat. He held her gaze, bracing himself.
“That’s a very fun idea. Everyone is going to love your food, honey. Even if it comes out of a truck,” his mom said.
People chuckled, and Levi bit back his groan. He was pretty sure he could make Kraft macaroni and cheese with little hot dogs and his mom would praise him like a gourmet chef.
Presley caught Levi’s gaze. “It’s an excellent idea and a sound business. You can literally drive to more populated areas if it’s a slow day. Or you could rent a space on Tourist Lane, put some picnic tables out front.”
Beckett nodded, putting his arm around Presley’s shoulder.
He could do this. He would do this. Just like going away to school—he could succeed without his dad’s full approval. Or presence.
“I love food trucks,” Ollie said, settling on her seat. “We went to Mackinaw City and there was a dessert food truck. That was the best thing I’ve ever seen in my life.”
Everyone laughed and the tension in his chest loosened. Became bearable.
“Yes. And someone let you try one of everything,” Jillian said, shooting her dad a pretty good side-eye.
Mr. Keller winked at his granddaughter. “No regrets, right, peanut?”
“Nope.” Ollie looked at Levi. “Will you have desserts?”
He smiled at Jilly’s daughter, seeing enough similarities that his heartstrings tugged, tying a new knot.
“Some. Let’s get started. I’m going to drop off sample platters with an assortment of items. Don’t be shy. I want to know what you think. I’m looking to fill a void in Smile’s offerings. Not that there are many,” he said, knowing his audience and the locals’ love of supporting their own. “Think about what’s easy to grab on a lunch break, at a festival, or at the Sunday market. I want my food to be different but fit the vibe of a town we all love.”
“Let us try it, son,” Gramps said. He ran a hand over his bushy gray beard, smoothing it down.
Grayson and Beckett got up to help him grab the pre-plated platters he’d already set up in the kitchen. He’d made two different chicken sliders, one breaded, one baked; a smaller version of his secret-recipe cheeseburger (barbecue sauce and cheese mixed right into the meat); homemade hash browns; three kinds of fries (sweet potato wedges, sea-salted wedges, and thick-cut regular ones). He had some lemon ricotta pancakes with a blackberry coulis he’d been playing around with, but he wasn’t ready to share that yet. The breakfast foods might be a touchy spot since locals often liked their favorite standbys and he wasn’t sure he wanted to operate breakfast hours.
Using four cheeses, he’d made a grilled cheese on thick-sliced bread. Of course, there were two different kinds of biscuits that his sous-chef had assisted with. She’d been a kick in the kitchen. He’d had to slow his timing and take a couple of breaths, reminding himself he wasn’t looking for perfection. He was happy that Ollie only seemed to grow more comfortable with him as they worked. She’d helped him with a couple of vegetarian options including zucchini sticks and loaded baked potatoes. Telling his friends he had the rest, Levi returned to the kitchen, giving himself a minute. His gaze landed on the dessert.
He wasn’t sure he’d offer it on a truck but he’d wanted to serve it tonight as a nod to the past, with the Keller siblings, and to the future he hoped to have with Jillian. Her brothers loved her and thought he was great. So, his friends wouldn’t be opposed to him asking her out on an actual date. Would they?
He figured Ollie, if she was anything like her mom, would love it, too. Levi was more concerned with getting her kid to like him than he was worried about her brothers having an issue.
Either way, he had some hurdles to jump and looked forward to it, because the more he thought about it, the more he and Jilly made sense. And the more he thought about her, the more he wanted to act on the undeniable chemistry between them. Kissing her was like nothing else he’d ever known. Other than cooking, it was the only thing that ever made him feel like the rest of the world disappeared.
When he was a kid, his mom had read romance novels with half-naked guys on the front. He and Beckett had snuck one and found some of the spicier bits. At the time—they were maybe eleven or twelve—they’d laughed their asses off at the proclamations of love the guy professed. Now, he understood why people wrote love stories. How the hell was anyone supposed to feel so much and not share it? And he hadn’t taken her on an actual date yet. Shit. You should take her on an actual date, you idiot.
Murmurs of delight and exclamations traveled to him in the kitchen, and Levi pushed down on the emotion coursing through him. This mattered. Their thoughts, his success. He wanted this badly. Tonight was a big step toward making it happen. He and Jilly had looked at food trucks on his iPad the other day and he’d learned that she was incredibly smart and savvy when it came to business decisions.
“Stop procrastinating, Bright. Get out there.”
He sat next to his mom, adding a couple of small things to his plate. His stomach wouldn’t settle; he hoped his mom wouldn’t mention his lack of appetite. The platters were all but empty. Laughter and chatter filled the room along with the delicious aroma of sauces and spices.
“Oh, Levi. This is delicious,” Mrs. Keller said from across the table as she grabbed another hash brown.
“I don’t remember you loving to cook when we were growing up,” Gray said, grabbing a grilled cheese square and setting it on Ollie’s plate.
“Sure he did,” Beckett said. “We couldn’t go anywhere without him and his backpack of homemade snacks. What was that sandwich you made when we were thirteen?”
Levi grinned, breaking a biscuit in half and spreading some honey-lime butter on it. He’d forgotten about that sandwich. They’d been hanging out at the Keller house and Beckett complained there was nothing to eat so Levi had rooted through the fridge and cupboards and made something up.
“That was gross, man,” Levi said.
Beckett picked up a slider. “It was awesome. He used leftover chicken Mom made, added mayo, lettuce, onions, and crushed-up Doritos.”
Levi’s mother laughed. “Him and his sandwiches with chips on them.” She shook her head and sent him a warm smile.
“I don’t know about his sandwiches,” Jilly said as she added a couple of each type of fry to her daughter’s plate while the others chose their favorites. “But he made the best s’mores of any of us.”
Levi’s chest constricted almost painfully. She remembered.
“Hey,” Beckett said. He and Presley were sharing a plate, which he’d give his buddy a hard time about if it wasn’t absolutely fucking adorable. His friend was deeply in love. “My s’mores are fantastic.”
“Agreed,” Presley said, leaning her head against his shoulder.
Beckett kissed the crown of her head and Levi’s gut clenched. Somewhere in the middle of achieving all of his dreams, he’d realized what he was missing. Levi wanted what he saw right in front of him: a partner. Someone to lean on, love, fight and make up with. Someone to grow old with. How would he define the kernel of energy and desire that lit him up from inside when he looked at Jillian Keller? Whatever it was, whatever he called it, she was the only one, then and now, that made it ignite into an all-out inferno.
Jillian’s arm brushed his as she shifted in her chair. He turned to her, surprised at the duality of his feelings. It was weird to feel so excited near someone who also made him feel so comfortable.
You okay? She mouthed the words.
He nodded, cleared his throat, and looked around the table. “What do you guys think?”
“I think the fries are awesome sauce,” Ollie proclaimed loudly.
“Me too,” Gramps said.
“This is the best grilled cheese sandwich I’ve ever eaten,” Grayson said.
Lainey nodded even as she took the other half off of his plate. “Agreed.”
“Hey!” Gray said, shooting her a look that straddled the line of amused and irritated. “Get your own.”
“You took the last one.” Lainey took a large, exaggerated bite before making loud mmm sounds.
Mr. Keller met Levi’s gaze as he picked up a lemon-pepper-and-dill wing. “I’d say when adults fight over your food, you’re doing something right.”
“Definitely high praise.”
His mom used her fork and knife for her zucchini stick.
“You can just pick that up, Mom. Try it with the red chili jelly.” He picked up the small bowl and passed it to her. She beamed at him.
“I’m so proud of you, honey. The food is delicious.”
“Thanks, Mom. I’m sorry Dad couldn’t make it.”
“He acts tough but he knows he needs to rest. The surgery went well, but it’s still surgery.”
The conversation went from there, the Kellers and Gramps asking about his dad, the Kellers talking about their summer trip.
Jilly smiled at him, nudged his shoulder. She picked up a quarter of a grilled cheese. “Lainey’s right. This is my favorite of what I’ve tried.”
He wanted to cover her hand with his or slide his onto her thigh. He wanted the right to do that, the familiarity that Beckett had with Presley. Slow your roll. A date, remember?
“A food truck, huh? Was that your plan all along?” Gramps asked.
Levi nodded. “Other than getting home, yeah.” Gramps, being the mayor, would spread the word better than the chalkboard. And that was saying something.
Grayson grabbed a loaded baked potato. “I was wondering about extending the dock. Making it wider so more people could fish off it or sunbathe. Would that be something I need to talk to your dad about?”
Levi glanced over at his mom. She shrugged.
“Jilly mentioned that as well. On my way home tonight, I’ll drop my mom off and ask him about it.”
Because he wanted people to feel free to taste and share their thoughts, and because he needed another minute to catch his breath and just settle the thoughts in his head, he drifted back to the kitchen. Music from an old-school, probably vintage radio, with an actual antenna, came in bursts through the static as he cleaned up. He smiled, thinking the Kellers ought to invest in a Bluetooth speaker.
When the door to the dining area swung open, he turned, expecting, maybe hoping, to see Jill. Instead, it was his two oldest friends instead. Something about the way they walked in together, the set of their similar jaws, and the way they watched him, set him on alert. This wasn’t his friends coming back to congratulate him on the food. This was Jilly’s protective older brothers coming to give him the talk. He should have expected it. Hell, he should have talked to them first. But he’d been blindsided by the intensity of what he felt seeing her again. It shouldn’t have surprised him that they picked up on it. He didn’t mind them taking care of their sister. As long as they didn’t cross a line that wasn’t theirs to tiptoe over.
Grayson, just a touch shorter than his younger brother, had a year and a bit on Beckett and Levi. Both brothers had dark hair, wide shoulders, and the kind of facial structure that made them universally good-looking. God, they’d had some good times over the years.
“Coming to give your compliments to the chef?” Levi leaned his body against one of the back counters that housed all the baking dishes, crossed one foot over the other and his arms across his chest. Home field advantage. Except it’s technically their home field. Shit.
“For sure. Your food is delicious, man. Jilly said you guys nailed the meeting the other day, too. We’ll get a contract written up for that and of course, pay you a more than fair wage,” Grayson said.
They split up at the island in the center of the kitchen, each coming down one side of it. Levi would have laughed at the picture they made, like they’d choreographed the move, but he knew their sister had been hurt before.
“What’s going on with you and Jilly?” Apparently Beckett was taking the lead on their real reason for coming in.
Levi held up his hands. “Nothing. At all.”
Both of them relaxed their shoulders, like he’d popped a pin in their worries.
“But I’m going to ask her out.”
“Dude. There’s a code,” Beckett said.
Levi chuckled, wrapped his hands around the edge of the counter behind him. “Come on, guys. It’s me. You know I won’t hurt Jilly. If I’m being honest, I’ve liked Jilly for a long time.”
“Correct me if I’m wrong,” Gray said, his tone quiet, his gaze… not. “You’ve been gone a long time and only just recently decided to move home, right?”
Levi nodded. “Sure. But I’ve been wanting to for a while. This wasn’t a whim.” He did know how to make informed and thoughtful decisions. “I care about your sister. I know she’s been hurt. I’m not looking to add to that. If she didn’t want my attention, she’d shut me down.”
“She was married. Her divorce wasn’t pretty.” Grayson’s voice was solemn and Levi realized that it had hurt them to watch what Jilly went through.
“I know.” Maybe not all of the particulars yet, but he knew she had scars. “But it didn’t break her. She’s one of the strongest women I know. I’m not going into this lightly, not that it’s technically any of your business.”
He and Jilly didn’t even know what they were yet, so he didn’t want to hash this part out with her brothers. Though, it was like needles under his skin to know that maybe his good friends didn’t think he was good enough for Jilly either.
“You’ve been back a week and what? Now you’re all in?” Beckett stepped closer.
Levi shook his head, pushed off the counter. “No. Not yet. I don’t know. But there’s something between us. We’re both unattached adults and you know I wouldn’t hurt your sister. I love your family and both of you like brothers. Give me some fucking credit.”
“And if you can’t,” Jilly said from behind them, making Levi curse under his breath because none of them had heard her come in, “then give me some.”
Both Keller brothers seemed to shrink a little. Beckett ran a hand through his hair. “Aw, Jilly.”
“We’re just looking out for you, Jill,” Grayson said, walking toward his sister.
Jill let the door swing closed behind her. “That’s almost as sweet as it is unnecessary. I’m a big girl and fully capable of making my own choices.”
Beckett scoffed. “And you choose this guy? He cried when he fell off a roof and he never even broke anything.”
Grayson snorted, covered his mouth. Levi shoved Beckett from behind. “We were eight and you shoved me, you ass.”
Jillian laughed. “And y’all got in so much trouble for being on top of that shed, none of you did it again. I get that there’s history here, but I don’t need you two poking your noses into my business.”
“Sorry, Jilly.” Beckett turned, clapped Levi on the shoulder, and started for the door, stopping to pull his sister into a side hug.
Grayson’s lips pursed as he met Levi’s gaze. He gave one sharp nod then followed Beckett’s lead.
That left Levi alone with Jilly. And a dining room filled with their friends and family. But right this minute, with her looking at him across the gleaming countertops, the scents of his favorite foods in the air, all he saw was her.
He grinned. Levi was a big believer in going after what he wanted. “I think you really like me, Jillian Keller. Will you go out on a date with me?”