Chapter 7 #2
She shrugged. “Fuck if I know. I just like reaping the benefits. All those samples.” She glanced around the truck. “What about lifting weights like Emmett?” I shook my head, grimacing. “Beau’s into all that techy agriculture stuff, what about that? You’ve always been good with computers.”
“Doesn’t sound very me.” I glanced around the ranch, at all the people working with their hands and bodies.
They looked strong, capable. I wanted to feel like that after spending years feeling the opposite.
“I think I need something physical, something that makes my mind and body feel good. But not that insane bulking stuff Emmett does.”
“What does Levi do?”
My eyes snapped to hers. “Levi?” I squeaked.
Her eyes took on a wicked gleam. “Yes, Tess, Levi, your sexy lawyer who’s been drooling over you for weeks.
That man definitely does something physical to look like that while sitting behind a desk all day.
” My mind instantly went back to when I drove past him running in the park last week, and the way the muscles in his legs flexed with each stride, his skin glistening with sweat.
“He is not drooling over me.” I shifted in my seat. “And I’ve seen him running a few times.”
“Running has a shitload of mental benefits, actually. Maybe you should try it.” Then, she nudged me with her elbow, smirking. “And it’d be something he could help you with and for y’all to bond over.”
I blushed, looking down at my lap. “He’s already helping me enough as it is. The last thing he’d want is some needy client asking to hang out outside of work.” That’s all I was to him anyway: work.
“Okay, I’m chalking this up to Jeremy rotting your brain, but you’re hot and he’s hot, and the chemistry between you two is insane.”
“We don’t have chemistry, Delilah. He’s just nicer to me because of how interconnected our families are.”
“No. I was at that wedding; there’s something there.
Maybe he’s holding back because of everything, but he didn’t dance with anyone else like that.
Just you. So that argument is bullshit.” I wanted to believe her, but it was so hard to.
Sometimes I thought maybe he saw me as something more, but then there were times I wasn’t so sure.
I shook my head, sighing. “It doesn’t matter. He’s my lawyer, and that’s it.”
“I still think you should try running,” she murmured, looking out the window like a kid who just got scolded.
“I’ll think about it, but that doesn’t really solve my whole needing a job problem.
” I looked around the ranch at all the chaos surrounding us.
Savannah’s court case against Levi’s family to determine if we could merge Circle M and Golden Bridle was in a few days, so we had already started construction with cautious optimism.
“It’d be nice if I could do something for the ranch. That way, I wouldn’t have to explain never having a steady job.” But even then, that felt too easy. It wouldn’t feel like I’d earned it and was instead a pity handout from my family, and I didn’t want that.
She gasped, sitting upright. “Oh my God!” She slapped her hands against the steering wheel. “You’re good at math!”
My brows furrowed. “So?”
“So, be our bookkeeper! You’d be so good at it. You’re so organized and tidy, and you have that crazy math brain.”
“I don’t even know what a bookkeeper does.”
“You’d keep track of all the money coming in and going out.” While it didn’t sound like particularly thrilling work, it would be a job.
Delilah slumped back in her seat. “Man, I really am a great therapist. I’ve helped you find a hobby, a job, and hyped you up about your man. I should raise my rates.”
I couldn’t help but laugh. “Don’t you think we should talk to everyone else first before just declaring that this is my job?”
“Probably. But I’m sure they’ll be all for it. Claire’s bitched at me about organizing receipts like thirty times already now that we’ve started construction on the barn.”
“You think so?”
She pulled out her phone. “I’m gonna text her and Beau about it right now.”
I bit my lip, watching as she smiled at her phone and pulled out mine, drafting a text to Levi about running shoes with apprehensive fingers. My heart skipped a beat when his text bubble popped up right away. He’d even turned on his read receipts, so I knew when he looked at my texts.
Levi Hollis: I love my Hokas but we can go to the running store and get you fitted for shoes. They have a good return policy so if you don’t like them you can take them back.
I wondered if Delilah might be right, if there was something reciprocated, and I just mistook it for him being a nice guy. Either way, I felt lucky to have someone who took time out of their day to talk to me like Levi was now.
Me: That’d be great
Levi Hollis: Sounds like a plan. We can bring Luke and hit the ice cream shop after? I’m curious about what kind of concoction he’ll come up with this time.
I giggled, replying that Luke would love that.
“What?” Delilah asked beside me.
“Levi is going to take me to get running shoes.” I bit back a smile, feeling giddy.
“Told you,” she singsonged, opening the truck door.
I stayed in the truck, grinning at my phone. For the first time since I’d been home, I finally felt the one thing I’d been desperate for: hope. I had a possible job lined up, a potential hobby, a therapy routine, and people who genuinely cared about me in my corner.
Delilah was right, there really was nowhere to go from here but up.