Chapter 18
He’d kissed her.
Levi’s feet moved on autopilot toward the front door as his mind continued to replay what had just happened in his living room.
He hadn’t planned to do it, but he’d kissed her.
That euphoric thought was replaced by the one that still had him shaking his head in disbelief and in complete and utter exhilaration.
Against all odds and logic, she’d wanted him to kiss her.
He could still feel the press of her soft mouth across his lips.
They continued to tingle in the echo of her touch.
Whatever nerve receptors he had there were dancing a happy little jig.
He licked his lips, not even a little surprised to find the aftertaste of her still heady on his tongue.
The sensory inputs of her kiss had not ceased the moment they broke apart.
She’d imbedded herself under his skin, taken up residency in the space of his mind, and set up a direct line to his heart.
He gripped the knob and ripped open the door. “What do you want?”
Levi winced at the harshness of his own words as soon as they left his mouth. Man, he really had become a grouchy old man, hadn’t he? Besides, the woman and little girl in front of him had no idea that they’d shown up at such an inopportune time.
“Sorry.” He rubbed at the back of his neck, his conscience pricking. It was time to start making an intentional effort to be a bit more friendly to those around him. “What I meant to say was, hello, how can I help you?”
The woman in a lightweight flannel blinked in surprise, while the little girl in uneven pigtails beamed up at him. She held a cardboard box in her arms, and she seemed to be nearly humming in excitement. “You’re funny,” she laughed.
He hadn’t thought he’d said anything particularly humorous, but he remembered thinking farts were the most hilarious thing in the world when he was about her age, so obviously the bar for jokes was low for kids.
The girl’s mom cleared her throat. “We heard Hayley found some orphaned kittens that the two of you are taking care of. We brought over some supplies that might come in handy if you need them.”
“A coyote got Mittens in the spring. I had to be a step-mama to her babies, but I was a nice step-mama, not a mean one like Cinderella’s.
” The girl readjusted the box in her arms. She tilted her head as she peered up at him.
“Are you gonna let us in, or are you gonna just stand there like a bump on a log?”
“Anna Leigh!” the woman cried in horror, her eyes wide as dinner plates as an embarrassed red hue tinged her cheeks.
“That’s not the way we speak to our elders.
” She moved her gaze to Levi with contrition written in every line of her face.
“I am so sorry. We can just leave the supplies and get out of your hair.”
“But Mama!” Anna Leigh whined in protest. “I want to see the kittens! Plus, we need to show him how to make the kittens go to the bathroom.” She pursed her lips at Levi like she’d sized him up and wasn’t impressed with what she saw.
“Bet you don’t know that mama cats lick their baby’s behind to make them go potty, did you?
And you probably didn’t know that as a step-daddy, it’s your responsbability to do it now, did you? ”
Levi rolled his lips between his teeth to keep from smiling.
Something told him this little munchkin expected him to take his new responsbabilities very seriously and wouldn’t find anything she’d just said a laughing matter.
He opened the front door wider and took a step to the side in a silent invitation to come in.
“You’re right. You better show me how to be a good kitty step-daddy. I don’t want to get anything wrong.”
Anna Leigh didn’t need any further encouragement. She bolted through the open door and into the house, disappearing down the hall.
“Sorry about her,” her mother said. “She doesn’t have a filter, though Lord knows I’ve tried to install one in her brain.”
Wouldn’t that be a crying shame. “Don’t worry about it.”
“I’m Shelby, by the way. I don’t think we’ve ever been formally introduced.” She held out her hand.
Levi shook it, motioning her into the house.
“Oh my gosh, they’re so cute!” Anna Leigh’s excited voice pierced through the walls, and Levi let himself grin this time. He took a step toward the laundry room to join her, and he assumed Hayley as well, when Shelby stopped him with a touch on his arm.
“We brought supplies for the kittens, but I also stopped by to let you know that Trisha Donolly has an extra room in her house that Hayley can stay in until the road clears. I know you’re a private person and playing bed-and-breakfast host isn’t something you’d normally sign up for, so”—she shrugged—“now you don’t have to anymore. ”
Hayley leave? His chest constricted, and black spots danced in his vision. He knew she wouldn’t stay forever. That she’d eventually leave when one of the roads was cleared and the bookmobile was safe to drive again. She’d go home. Back to her life in Little Creek. But leave now? Today?
No. Absolutely not.
He ground his molars, his jaw aching at the pressure. Hayley wasn’t going anywhere. Especially not now. Especially not after that kiss.
“I can let her know—”
“No,” he growled.
Shelby recoiled at his harsh tone.
He uncurled his fingers from the fists he’d unconsciously formed and tried again with a more patient and kinder tone. “It’s fine. She’s already settled here, and the road should be cleared soon anyway. There’s no reason for her to have to move again.”
Shelby frowned. “Are you sure?”
“Yes.” More certain than he’d been about anything before in his life.
She shrugged, appearing unconvinced but not having a reason to press the matter. “If you’re sure. I’ll let Trish know not to expect Hayley, then.”
“Thank you,” Levi managed to say.
She nodded, then looked toward the other side of the house. “Well, we better head on in there and let Anna Leigh show you how to be a proper cat daddy so you can get back to your evening.”
Back to his evening, sure, but more importantly, back to Hayley.
The door to the laundry room was wide open, Hayley and Anna Leigh sitting side by side and cooing over the kittens. Anna Leigh had Harry Pawter cupped in both of her hands as she rubbed her cheek along the kitten’s soft fur.
“What are you going to do with them?” Anna Leigh asked.
“I’m not sure yet,” Hayley replied softly.
“Can I have one, if my Mama lets me?”
“Absolutely not.” Shelby’s elbow bumped Levi as she crossed her arms over her chest and gave her daughter a firm look. “No more pets. We practically live in a zoo as it is.”
Anna Leigh rolled her eyes. “It’s not a zoo, Mama. It’s a farm, and farms are supposed to have lots of animals.”
Shelby’s gaze became pinpricks. “No.”
Hayley turned to look over her shoulder at where Shelby and Levi stood. Her eyes twinkled with mischievous delight. “Better watch out, Levi. She’s stealing your favorite word.”
Levi gave her a deadpan look, which just made her cackle in laughter.
“I don’t get it. What’s so funny?” Anna Leigh looked between them.
Shelby unfolded her arms and took a step forward. She squatted down beside her daughter. “Never mind, baby. Why don’t you show Miss Hayley and Mr. Levi what we brought and how to use it. We need to get back home so I can start dinner.”
“Yes, ma’am.” Anna Leigh set Harry Pawter back down on the bed of blankets with his brothers, then reached for the box and opened the flaps. She pulled out a heating pad. “Kitties can’t regu . . . regu . . .” She scrunched up her face. “Shoot. I can’t ever get that word right.”
“Regulate,” her mom helped.
Her face brightened. “Right. Regulate. Kitties can’t regulate their body temperature, and the mama cat is the one that keeps them warm. But since there isn’t a mama cat, you use a heating pad.”
“Make sure you put it on the lowest setting and wrap it in a few towels,” Shelby supplied.
Anna Leigh looked back in the box, then pulled out a bag without looking at it as she set it on the floor. “Here’s some leftover formula mix. You just mix it with water.” She pulled out a few bottles and then gave a demonstration on the proper way to hold the kittens while feeding them.
“You know a lot about taking care of baby animals,” Hayley said with obvious pride in her voice.
Anna Leigh looked at her blankly. “Like I told Mr. Levi, being a kitty parent is a big responsbability.” She narrowed her eyes at Hayley. “Can you handle it?”
Hayley straightened her spine and adopted the most serious expression Levi had ever seen on her face. “I will do my best.”
Anna Leigh nodded, appeased. “Good.” She reached in the box once more, this time retrieving a shallow plastic pan and a half-filled bag of cat litter.
She wrinkled her nose but looked Hayley and Levi directly in the eyes.
“This part is kind of disgusting, but you just have to do it anyway.” She showed them how to rub the kitten’s abdomen and stimulate the back end with a warm moistened tissue after feeding to get the kitten to go potty in the litter box.
Shelby had to nearly drag Anna Leigh away from the kittens after all her explanations until Levi promised she could come back the next day to check on them.
“Call me if you need help!” the little girl shouted right before her mom shut the car door and drove away.
As soon as the car’s rear lights disappeared from view, a low rumble rippled through the sky overhead, pulling both Levi and Hayley’s attention up to the ominous gray thundercloud rolling into view.
“That doesn’t look good,” Hayley said.
Levi grunted, his body going rigid as if preparing for a back-alley brawl. He gritted his teeth and curled his fingers around his thumbs. Without a word, he turned on his heel and stormed inside.