9
The morning had started like all the others this week—coffee brewed and Levi out the door before the sun finished rising, June’s hair tamed into a ponytail that probably wouldn't last until recess, and a packed lunch before shuttling her off to school.
After school drop off, Emery rolled up her sleeves and started on the day’s cleaning. She had just finished wiping down the counters when movement outside the window caught her attention.
Levi’s truck.
He hadn’t mentioned coming back this early, and curiosity tugged at her .
Without overthinking it, she grabbed her sunglasses, slipped on her flip flops waiting by the door, and stepped outside, the warm air brushing against her skin as she made her way toward the barn.
Maybe he’d forgotten something. Or maybe he just wanted to check in.
Either way, Emery didn't hate the idea of an extra chance to see him today.
The large barn doors were open, the soft clanging of tools echoing from inside.
But it wasn’t Levi who she saw first; it was one of the ranch hands, a younger guy she hadn’t seen much of. He wiped his hands on a rag and gave her a slow, appreciative once-over that immediately made her skin prickle.
“Well, hey there,” he said with a grin that tried a little too hard to look smooth. “You must be the new girl that Levi’s been keeping tucked away at the house.”
Emery raised a brow. “I’m helping out with his daughter.”
“Is that what they’re callin’ it these days?” he said with a chuckle, stepping a little too close under the pretense of hanging the rag still in his hands. “Didn’t think Levi had it in him to bring someone like you around. Thought maybe he'd sworn off women for life.”
Emery crossed her arms, unsure what this guy's angle was as she held his gaze. Before she could open her mouth to say anything, he started up again.
Cocking his head as if weighing her up, he leaned in just an inch from her shoulder. “Gotta say, I like that pretty pink toenail polish you've got on. Got me wondering what you've got on under those cut-off shorts.”
Before he could continue, the door to the tack room behind them creaked open, followed by heavy, purposeful boots stomping down the aisle of the barn.
Levi.
His jaw was tight, his posture solid as he walked in and caught the end of the exchange. His eyes flicked between Emery and his ranch hand, narrowing slightly.
“Get to work, Cole. You shouldn't be out here chatting on work hours,” Levi said, voice sharp enough that Emery was glad it wasn’t directed at her.
Cole stepped back, suddenly all business. “Just bein’ friendly, boss.”
Levi’s gaze didn’t waver. “You've got enough work to keep busy without the commentary. You’ve got fence posts to load.”
“Right. On it.” Cole disappeared fast, leaving just dust and awkwardness behind him.
Emery looked over at Levi, who was still watching the spot the guy had just vacated.
“You gonna growl at me too?” she asked lightly, trying to ease the tension.
Levi looked at her with something unreadable in his expression. Protective. Intense.
“I don’t like the way he looked at you, and I heard more than enough to decide that I don’t want him around you,” he muttered.
She tilted her head. “I can handle some guy trying to get attention. I’ve dealt with worse. ”
“That doesn’t mean you should have to,” he said gruffly. “Especially not here.”
The edge in his voice surprised her. Not angry, just territorial in a way she hadn’t seen before.
She stepped closer, brushing her hair off her shoulder. “Is this a general ‘protecting the help’ thing or...?”
His jaw worked for a second as if he was chewing on whether or not he wanted to say what was on his mind.
Finally, he looked at her, the deep blue of his eyes sharp but steady.
“You’re not just the help, Emery. Not to me.”
Her heart gave a quickened, heavy beat. The muffled sound of a phone alarm buzzed from her back pocket—a reminder she’d set to switch the laundry.
She gave a soft, almost breathless laugh and stepped back. “Guess that’s my cue.”
Levi nodded once, eyes still on her. “Guess so.”
But as she walked back toward the house, she could feel his eyes on her the entire way, and this time, she didn’t mind one bit .
The afternoon sun had shifted by the time Emery pulled into the school pickup lane, still thinking about the look Levi had given her in the barn.
Guarded, but there was something more behind it.
Like there was something he wanted to say, but he was too stubborn—or too scared—to speak it.
She sighed, fingers tapping lightly on the steering wheel.
You’re not just the help, Emery. Not to me.
Those words had followed her all day. Was she overthinking it? Did she take it the wrong way? Was he having the same thoughts pop into his head as she was?
When June finally appeared among the small crowd of kids, Emery’s smile fell. Something was wrong.
Her little face was blotchy, her eyes rimmed pink. She was dragging her backpack behind her and didn’t wave or run over like she usually did.
Emery’s heart pinched.
“Hey, bug,” Emery greeted gently as June climbed into the back seat. “Rough day?”
June didn’t answer right away. She just buckled in, staring out the window.
Emery didn’t push, just waited until they were back on the road before trying again. “Wanna talk about it?”
June’s small voice finally broke the silence. “Some girls were being mean.”
Emery’s grip on the wheel tightened slightly. “What happened?”
“They said I talk too much. And that’s why I don’t have a real mom. Just a babysitter.”
Oof. Emery’s chest ached, and her knuckles whitened on the steering wheel.
June sniffed. “I said you're not my babysitter, that you are my Emery. But they just laughed.”
Emery swallowed the lump in her throat. “Well, for the record, I think talking too much is what super smart people do. And I happen to love being your Emery.”
June glanced sideways, still fighting tears. “You’re not just a babysitter, are you?”
“No,” Emery said softly. “I’m your friend. ”
That seemed to land better. June didn’t answer, but when they pulled up to the house, June looked calmer, but Emery’s heart still hurt.
Levi stepped out onto the porch as they arrived, his brows knitting together when he saw their faces.
“She okay?” he asked, voice low as June trudged inside without a word.
“She will be,” Emery said, stepping closer. “Some girls at school said some pretty crappy things.”
“Shit...” Levi swore under his breath, eyes flicking toward the house.
“Hey,” she said gently, placing a hand on his forearm. “You’re doing a good job with her. She’s kind, strong, and resilient.”
He looked at her then, tension in his jaw, that familiar storm behind his eyes.
“I hate that people talk,” he muttered. “About her. About you. About us.”
Emery’s breath caught at the last part.
Levi didn’t say anything else, just reached up, brushing a thumb across her cheekbone as if he didn’t even realize he was doing it. His touch was rough from his calloused working hands, but careful.
“I know, and I'm sorry to add more stress to your shoulders, but you were right, I only care what you say,” Emery told him, a little breathless.
That seemed to knock the wind out of him. For a beat, he just looked at her. Then he stepped back, dragging a hand through his hair.
“I should… check on June,” he said, his voice hoarse.
Emery nodded, pulse still hammering.
“Dinner in an hour?” she asked.
“Yeah, I’ll grill again. This time, I’ll try not to burn the vegetables.” He paused in the doorway, half-turned.
“I’ve got dinner,” she said with a small smile. “June could use some time with her dad.”
His eyes softened, something unspoken passing between them. He gave a short nod and disappeared into the house.
Inside, Emery had begun dinner and now heard June's squeals of happiness and a muffled, “Daddy, can we do something fun tonight?” that put a smile on her face and tugged at her heart.
She busied herself in the kitchen, chopping vegetables for a quick stir-fry and humming along with the playlist on her phone. The house smelled like garlic, onion, and warm rice as the sun dipped lower in the sky.
After dinner and an announcement of "that was actually good!" from June and a mock-offended “Gee, thanks,” from Emery, Levi disappeared out back, returning with an armful of firewood he had grabbed from the side of the house.
“Is he building a fire?” Emery asked as she and June stacked their dishes in the sink.
“For s’mores!” June grinned. “He said the best nights are nights with s’mores. That’s the rule.”
A little while later, they were all outside. Levi had started a small campfire in the pit just past the back porch. The flames crackled against the breeze while dusk painted the sky in lavender and corals.
Emery and June sat side by side on the old glider bench, their knees touching. Levi crouched near the fire, poking it with a stick, his face cast in flickering amber.
“Emery?” June asked, voice hushed and curious.
“Yeah, June-bug?”
“Do you think… you’d ever wanna be a mama?”
The question caught Emery mid-breath.
She turned slowly, meeting June’s wide, thoughtful eyes.
“Uhm,” Emery said softly, glancing briefly toward the fire. “I don’t know. I’ve never really thought that it would be part of my story.”
“Why not?”
Emery hesitated. “I guess I didn’t grow up thinking I’d be good at it. Or that I’d have someone to do it with. Life just… went a different way.”
June was quiet for a moment, then said, “You’re super good at it. ”
Emery blinked fast, her throat suddenly dry.
“I’m not your mama, June.”
“I know,” she said simply. “But I think if someone got to have a mama, they’d be lucky if it was you.”
From the fire pit, Levi shifted, not speaking, but Emery could feel his eyes on them.
Her hand found June’s small one in the dark and gave it a gentle squeeze.
“Thanks, sweet girl,” she whispered.