18 #2
Emery stood, giving the principal one last look before following them out. Levi held the door open for them both, his free hand settling on her lower back in silent confirmation.
The school parking lot was mostly cleared out, except for a few straggling cars and the lingering tension from the principal’s office.
June's arms were looped around Levi’s neck, her face buried into his shoulder as he carried her across the lot toward his truck.
Her little sobs had quieted, but Emery could still feel the weight of everything that had happened pressing on her chest.
Levi’s free hand was now laced in Emery’s, firm and grounding, but she couldn't stop the guilt from bubbling up.
“Levi,” she started softly, breath catching as she practically jogged to match his pace. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to overstep in there—”
“Don’t,” he cut in, voice low but firm. “You didn’t.”
“I shouldn’t have said what I said,” she almost whispered, her voice tight with emotion .
“Emery, don't,” Levi said, walking with such long strides that Emery had to take two steps for every one of his just to keep up.
“It was probably my fault anyway. I made it worse. I should’ve let you handle it.”
Levi stopped abruptly just shy of the truck.
He shifted June slightly in his arms, careful not to disrupt her comfort, and then he turned to Emery.
With one smooth, deliberate motion, he backed her up against the passenger door, his body shielding hers from the world like he could physically block out her doubts. His jaw was clenched, eyes stormy.
“I said, don’t,” he rumbled low, rough, and certain. “Don’t you ever apologize for what you did in there.”
Emery blinked up at him, breath catching. His hand was still holding hers tight, thumb brushing across her knuckles.
“You stood up for my daughter,” Levi said, voice full of something raw and thankful.
“You saw her hurting, and you didn’t wait for permission.
You don't need permission. You were angry. You were right. And the only reason those people in that office have a problem with it is ‘cause they don’t yet know what you mean to me. They don’t know,” he said, voice almost a growl now.
“That you don’t answer to anyone when it comes to my daughter.
That you're not just some woman helping out around here.”
Emery opened her mouth to respond, but he wasn’t finished.
“I’ll make it real clear, baby. Your voice is my voice now. You speak, it’s as good as me saying it myself. They’ll get used to it. I’ve got you; no one will question that I back you 100%.”
His words didn’t just land; they settled inside her, deep and unshakeable. She felt it in her chest, in her bones. The heat of him, the unflinching truth in his eyes, the way June was cradled protectively between them.
Emery reached up with her free hand, fingers brushing over the fabric of his perfectly faded shirt. “Levi…I love her. I hate seeing her hurt. ”
He leaned in, close enough for her to feel his breath on her lips.
“You’ve got nothing to be sorry for,” he murmured. “She loves you too, and I’ve never been more proud.”
And then he kissed her. Soft at first, but it deepened quickly, his hand sliding up to cup her jaw while the other still held his daughter tight.
It was a kiss that said mine in every way a man could claim something without speaking.
Emery melted into him, one hand braced against the truck, the other tangled in his shirt like she’d fall over if she let go.
When they broke apart, June stirred and mumbled something sleepily, and Levi leaned back with a quiet smile.
“Let’s get our girl home,” he said, his voice a little lighter now. “Then I’m gonna thank you properly.”
Emery’s cheeks flushed, but she didn’t look away. Not from him. Not anymore.
Back at the house, the quiet felt somehow loud .
June had gone straight upstairs after they got home, curling up on her bed with her favorite book and a stuffed animal tucked under one arm.
Levi had offered her a snack, which she politely declined, saying she just wanted a little time to herself.
He’d kissed her forehead and let her go without question.
Downstairs, Emery stood near the kitchen counter. Levi was at the sink, rinsing a coffee mug, his jaw set tight—his standard grumpy cowboy baseline, shoulders still a bit high with tension.
“Levi,” she started quietly.
He didn’t look over. “You better not try to apologize again.”
She exhaled, a bit frustrated. “If you’d just let me finish—I’m not apologizing for standing up for her. I’d do it again.”
That got his attention. He turned slowly as he dried his hands with a dish towel and dropped it on the counter, his body a line of restrained power.
“I’m apologizing…” she went on, her voice pausing slightly, “because I don't want to be adding mo re weight to your shoulders. One more fire to put out. One more thing you have to micromanage, and I know you hate that. One more person you have to—”
“Baby, stop.” His voice was steady enough to silence her words.
She blinked up at him, chest rising and falling.
“You don’t make my life harder,” he said, stepping closer, his tone low but unshakable. “Not one goddamn bit. You think I had to micromanage that situation because of you?”
He took another step, now right in front of her, towering, and so close she could feel the heat radiating off his body.
Her breath hitched.
In a swift, controlled motion, he gripped her hips and effortlessly lifted her to the counter, stepping between her knees and bringing his body against hers. His hands slid up to hold her face with such care that it made her weak.
“You’re mine, Emery. I’m yours.”
And then he kissed her—deep and forceful, no hesitation. No room for doubt. His hands threaded into her hair at the base of her neck.
She clung to him, with the promise in his touch that there would never be another moment where she’d question where she stood in his life.
“This isn’t a fling—fuck a trial. I need you to tell me now if this isn't what you want.”
“I want all of it, Levi,” she whispered. “Every part of you.”
Pulling back just enough to rest his forehead against hers, their breaths tangled, he whispered, “No more doubting it. No more tiptoeing. You’re everything to me, Emery. And I need you to know that.”
Her breath caught as Levi’s words sank into her like wildfire. Everything in his expression, his clenched jaw, the storm in his eyes, the tenderness behind his grip—told her this wasn’t just a heated moment. It was a turning point. A full surrender .
18
Emery glanced down at her phone, reading Levi’s message again as she strolled along the little downtown strip.
LEVI: Running into town for fencing supplies and gotta drop my truck at the shop. Meet me in an hour? We’ll grab June from school together.
She smiled to herself, warmth in her chest despite the cool early fall breeze. Things with Levi had shifted so quickly; she loved how things had become more real, more steady. More… permanent.
She was only a block away from the hardware store when she saw him, standing beside his truck, arms crossed as he talked to a woman Emery didn’t recognize.
Blonde. Too polished for ranch life. Laughing a little too loudly and playfully swatting at his arm that he held across his chest. His jaw set, and he took a step back.
As she stepped closer, she could make out what the blonde was saying. At first, it sounded like small talk. Then she heard it—
“Oh, Levi, I was so sorry to hear about what happened at the school. I had hoped you weren't being a little too trusting. I mean, some nanny shows up, and suddenly June’s getting into fights?” The woman laid a hand on his arm again, this time leaving it there.
“It’s no wonder she’s acting out. She’s being influenced by someone who doesn’t know how to be a proper role model. ”
Levi’s posture stiffened just as Emery came into view.
She froze for a split second. Her heart dropped, an ache tightening in her chest as her mind tried to interpret what she was seeing, hearing.
She didn’t mean to eavesdrop, but her feet stopped anyway.
That hurt look hit her face before she could stop it.
But Levi’s eyes found hers, and everything changed.
He tossed the woman’s hand off his arm as he reached out, taking two long strides to close the distance. One arm wrapped around Emery’s waist and pulled her into his side with a certainty that left no room for doubt, planting a sure and lingering kiss on her lips.
The woman scoffed uncomfortably beside them.
“She’s not the nanny,” Levi said, turning back to the woman with a voice like steel wrapped in velvet. “She’s the best damn thing to ever happen to June.”
The woman blinked, flustered. “Oh, I just meant…”
“I don’t care what you meant,” he cut in, eyes hard. “You don’t talk about her like that. You don’t know her, and you clearly don’t know me if you think I’d let someone I didn’t trust with my whole life around my daughter.”
His hand tightened slightly on Emery’s waist, grounding her, reassuring her, making sure she heard him too.
The woman stammered, her cheeks coloring as she took a small step back. “I was just trying to help.”
“You want to help?” Levi said, jaw tight. “Stop spreading gossip and worry about yourself.”
With that, the woman turned, practically speed-walking in the opposite direction.
Only once she disappeared around the corner did Levi turn fully to face Emery. He reached up, gently brushing her cheek with his fingertips.
“I saw that look on your face, sunshine,” he murmured. “Don’t even think it, baby. Not for one second.”
Nodding, Emery let out a sigh. His eyes searched hers, and he brushed a thumb along her jaw.
“Come on,” he said, letting his hand slide to her lower back as he guided her toward the truck. “We’ve got time before June gets out. Let’s get something sweet, so you stop thinking about people who don’t matter.”