10
She rolled over and slapped her phone until it shut up, then buried her face in the pillow for a moment, sighing. She hadn't slept—not really. Her brain had decided to play a highlight reel of every second of last night's kiss on repeat, and every flirty text that followed.
Stupid, perfect mouth. Stupid Levi and his stupid confident charm.
She dragged herself out of bed and shuffled to the bathroom, muttering to herself as she squinted in the mirror. Her hair looked like it had been in a wind tunnel. Her eyes were puffy. And despite all that… she smiled. Like an idiot.
A completely smitten idiot.
She pulled her hair into a loose braid, wanting something different than her go-to messy bun. Next, she gave a quick brush of bronzer over her cheekbones and a swipe of a clear lip gloss right as her phone buzzed.
LEVI: Drive safe. No falling asleep at the wheel. I don't want to have to come drag you out of the ditch.
She snorted and texted back while brushing her teeth.
EMERY: Appreciate the concern. Still recovering from last night’s attack on my self-control.
LEVI: Should I apologize or take that as a win?
EMERY : Definitely a win. But I’m exhausted, and it’s your fault.
LEVI: I'm sure you look great, exhausted and all. I’ll have your coffee poured and waiting.
Her toothbrush almost fell out of her mouth. That was sweet—what happened to the cranky cowboy? She wondered as she sent back a single eye-roll emoji and tossed her phone on the bed before she could become even less functional.
The drive over was quiet, a sleepy, warm morning that contrasted with the buzz of nerves bouncing under her skin.
By the time she pulled into Levi’s gravel driveway, her stomach had tied itself into a knot, with her overthinking at an all-time high. What if it were awkward now? What if the kiss had been a one-time thing? What if he regretted it?
She barely had time to step out of the car before the front door opened.
Levi leaned against the frame, sipping his coffee like he wasn’t the sole reason she only got two hours of sleep and spent half of the morning debating which hoodie said casual and collected best.
“You look like you slept like crap.” his tone was entirely too smug.
She raised an eyebrow. “Good morning to you too, sunshine.”
He smirked. “Rough night?”
“Would’ve slept fine if someone hadn’t kissed me senseless and then sent a series of flirty texts.”
“Not sorry,” he stated. “I stand by all of my actions.”
She rolled her eyes but couldn’t help the laugh that slipped out as she shoved past him still standing in the doorway, making her way to the kitchen. And just like that, the nerves eased.
He handed her the cup of coffee that he had left waiting for her on the counter. “You’re gonna need something strong to survive my kid this morning. She's already acting feral.”
She brought the mug to her lips and moaned as she took a big gulp of the black coffee.
She then turned and bent into the fridge to retrieve the creamer she kept stocked in his kitchen.
He whistled low, his eyes taking in the way she filled in the jeans she’d picked this morning.
“Just so you know, I slept like shit too.”
She glanced over her shoulder, trying to act unaffected but failing miserably. “You’re gonna make it real hard to pretend this is all just about babysitting.”
He grinned, wide and shameless, a good look on him. “Baby, I’ve already stopped pretending.”
But once June rounded the corner, it was almost as if he had a completely different personality.
Emery smiled gently. “Morning, Juney.”
June reached for her eagerly, and Emery stepped forward, scooping her up with ease. “You’re already sticky. That feels like a warning for the day we're going to have.”
“It was Grapes,” Levi offered, as if that explained anything.
Emery laughed and tickled June’s side. “You’re lucky you’re cute.”
When she looked at Levi again, his smile was there but restrained. Guarded. The same mouth that had kissed her breathless last night and had been nothing but flirty ever since was now held tight with caution.
He didn’t touch her. Didn’t even brush against her when she handed June off to sit in his lap while she went back to the counter to prep her school lunch.
It wasn’t cold. But it wasn’t… last night.
“Hey, June—run up and pick out your clothes for school,” Levi said as he scooted her off his lap and pointed her in the direction of the stairs.
“You’re acting weird,” Emery said softly once June was out of earshot.
He looked over, both hands on the counter. “Yeah, I’m trying not to be stupid here. I don't know how to do this part.”
“Too late,” she muttered under her breath, mostly joking.
He shot her a look, and she softened. “It's okay, I get it. She’s little. This is… a lot.”
“Yeah,” his voice dropped lower. “But I also can’t stop thinking about you. So...”
Her breath caught, but he didn’t move closer. He stood and grabbed his keys, wallet, and cell phone, putting them in the proper pockets of his perfectly fitting jeans.
He was trying. She saw it. He wanted her, but not at the expense of his daughter’s safety or trust.
So, she let it go, for now.
But as she turned toward the table, she murmured over her shoulder, “You’re lucky I’m patient.”
He smirked faintly. “You’re lucky I’ve got willpower.”
The moment hung between them—warm, charged, and waiting for the next time the hallway was empty, or June was out of earshot… and he’d let his guard slip again.
? ? ?
It was a half day at school for a grading week, and it threw a wrench in June's routine. She somehow seemed extra tired and wired at the same time, and by the time Emery finally convinced her and got her down for a nap, she was mentally wiped, but also a little bit proud of herself.
She stepped quietly out of June’s room, pulling the door shut with a soft click. The hallway was dim, quiet, and peaceful with the successfully negotiated nap.
Coming down the stairs, she saw Levi standing at the kitchen sink, washing his hands. He must have come in as she was getting June down. He dried his hands and leaned against the counter as she walked into the dining room, his gaze warm and heavy.
“Your child,” she whispered. “Is lucky she’s adorable.”
He chuckled low in his throat. “So are you.”
Her brows lifted. “I’m adorable?”
“At this moment?” He stepped closer to her, voice low and lazy. “Yeah. Kinda wild-eyed. Bit of glitter on your cheek. A little flustered.”
“You noticing glitter is a red flag.”
“I notice a lot about you.”
His words hit somewhere deep in her chest, but she kept her voice playful. “Yeah? You been staring again, Levi Walker?”
“Maybe,” he murmured, closing the distance between them until her back hit the opposite wall. His hand came up, fingers just brushing her hip, grounding but still careful.
He didn’t touch her like last night—not yet. But his eyes dropped to her mouth, and her heart thundered.
“June’s asleep,” she said.
“I know.”
“No tiny witnesses.”
“I know,” he repeated, even quieter this time. “But I’m still gonna be good. For a little longer.”
She smirked up at him. “Define ‘a little.’”
His hand slid just a little higher, his thumb grazing under the hem of her t-shirt. “Until I forget why I’m trying so hard not to touch you.”
Her breath caught .
“You’re gonna make me lose my mind,” she whispered, almost a challenge.
He grinned, that slow, lazy kind of grin that made her knees weak. “Baby, I think we’re already past that point.”
And then with just a breath of space left between them, he leaned in, lips brushing her cheek, his voice a rasp against her ear. “Later.”
And just like that, he stepped back, leaving her against the wall, flushed and buzzing and wrecked with want. For now, she'd have to settle for watching him walk back out of the house and down the driveway to the paddock on the far side of the barn to finish up his afternoon work.
Later.
She was going to hold him to that.
? ? ?
The house felt cozy with the smell of butter and garlic, a sauce for the pasta simmering on the stove.
Emery moved around the kitchen with ease, barefoot, her hair twisted up in a messy bun that struggled to contain her loose curls and flyaways, and one of Levi’s old flannel shirts thrown over her tank top.
It swallowed her frame in a way that made him lose his train of thought the moment that he stepped through the door.
His boots hit the floor with a quiet thump. June’s laughter came from the living room, chasing the last of her nap fog as she flipped through books on the rug.
He froze for a beat in the doorway, his boots dusty and a faint sunburn on his neck. The kind of tired that weighed heavily on his shoulders. But all of it faded the second his eyes landed on Emery.
“Hey, cowboy,” she said, soft and familiar, like it was the most natural thing in the world. It was becoming just that, more and more each day.
He tried not to smile too much. Failed entirely.
Her eyes went wide for half a second, realizing he was staring because she was still in his flannel, and she laughed, holding up a hand in mock guilt. “Okay—wait, before you say anything, I know this is yours.”
Levi raised a brow, not moving from the doorframe. “Didn’t say a word.”
“I spilled juice on my sweatshirt,” she said, tugging at the oversized collar like it was suddenly too noticeable. “Like, not a little. A full-on grape juice massacre. And I wanted to throw it in the wash before it stained.”
“So, you raided my closet?”
She gave a sheepish smile, brushing a strand of hair from her cheek. “It was in the dryer. I wasn’t creeping, I promise.”
He grunted softly, lips twitching. “Didn’t say you were.”
Her eyes narrowed. “But you are staring.”
“I mean…” He tilted his head. “It’s working for you, Em.”
She breathed lighter, laughing as she turned back to the stove. “You’re ridiculous. ”
Levi stepped farther into the kitchen, wiping his hands on the back of his jeans. The soft clink of June’s toys filled the background. “Smells good in here.”
Emery stirred the skillet. “You’ve got your daughter to thank. She said she was ‘craving cheesy noodles, like macaroni, but fancy.’ So, I improvised.”
“Fancy noodles, huh?” he muttered. “I leave for four hours, and she’s suddenly got a developed palate.”
“She also said she’d only eat it if I sang the ‘fancy noodle song’ while I stirred.”
He chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck. “I’ll up your hazard pay.”
Emery grinned, but she caught the shift in his posture, something heavier under the humor. He lingered near the edge of the kitchen, one hand resting on the counter, eyes scanning her face like he was about to say something important.
“What is it?” she asked gently.
He glanced toward the living room, where June was now deeply focused on her stuffed giraffe, using the stethoscope in her little ears to give it a check-up, then turned back to Emery. “I need to ask you something.”
She gave a small nod. Picking up on his nervous energy, she set aside the spoon she was using to stir. “Okay.”
“I’ve gotta move cattle tomorrow. To the far field on the perimeter of the property. It’s an overnight job—dusty, long, pain in the ass. We usually crash in the bunkhouse out there, especially if we don’t finish by dark.”
“Sounds... awful,” she teased lightly.
He smiled but didn’t lose the seriousness.
“I need someone to stay here with June. Just one night. She’s good at her bedtime routine, and she sleeps through the night with no problems. I can ask mom if you don't feel comfortable or have plans, so please don't just say yes because you feel like you can't say no.”
Emery’s brows lifted slightly. “Levi, that was it? You made me nervous, but would you trust me with that?”
“Yeah,” he answered without hesitation. “I already do.”
The words landed between them like a truth they hadn’t quite spoken out loud before.
Emery’s expression softened. “Of course. Yeah.”
He blinked. “That easy?” Relief softened his face. “Thank you. I’ll leave the truck in case of any emergencies. Numbers are on the fridge. She knows the drill.”
She turned back to the stove, and he lingered for just a second longer before backing away. “I’m gonna go shower. Wash this day off.”
She gave him a little nod, already reaching for a strainer. “Good, you’re getting dust on my fancy noodles.”
He shook his head and turned toward the stairs, peeling off his dirty shirt as he went.
Halfway up, he paused and pulled out his phone. His fingers flew over the screen before he hit send.
Then he stopped and leaned against the wall, just out of sight, but angled perfectly to see her in the kitchen.
He watched as her phone buzzed on the counter.
She glanced over, wiped her hands, and picked it up.
LEVI: If I come back downstairs and you’re still barefoot in my kitchen, wearing my shirt and making dinner looking like that… I’m gonna have a hard time trying to behave.
He watched it happen. The flush that touched her cheeks, the soft bite of her lip, the exact second she realized he was watching her from the stairs.
She looked up, eyes locking onto him.
“Shower,” she said, voice a little breathless but full of sass. “Now. Before you make a scene.”
He grinned. “Yes, ma’am.”
And with that, he disappeared up the stairs—still smiling, because yeah, tomorrow might be long. But coming home to her?
That was already starting to feel like the best part.
He was buzzing with the feeling that something between them had just shifted again… and this time, it wasn’t going back.