3. Levi
3
I stand at the kitchen sink, scrubbing the last of the dinner plates while Jackson clears the table, gently stacking the remaining dishes.
The kitchen is large in its square shape. It’s an open concept with a ‘rustic charm’ as my sister-in-law, Pepper, calls it. With wooden beams overhead and a window offering a view of the expansive ranch.
The last interview didn’t show. And I take it the woman realized it’s too far and not worth the drive. It was too bad. She sounded super laid back and…well, motherly. She also had somewhat of a sharp tongue which tells me she doesn’t beat around the bush. Her whole vibe told me she’d fit in just fine here.
I almost want to call her back and ask her if she’d like to interview by phone if she’s concerned about the long drive for nothing.
I glance over my shoulder at my little boy. “Thanks for helping out, buddy.”
He opens the freezer like it’s routine or something.
“Hold it right there.”
He turns to me, all innocent.
“Didn’t you have an ice pop at Uncle Noah’s today? ”
“Just one.”
“One is plenty. Go brush and get ready for bed.”
He closes the freezer with a look I accept as worth a shot . “Can we read a story before bed?”
I bite down a grunt. “Sure we can. Pick one out, I’ll be up in a minute.”
Jackson’s footsteps echo through the wooden floors as I dry my hands on a towel, wondering if it’s really all that hard to just…do this all myself.
We don’t need anybody, do we?
Except maybe our family. I’m grateful to my brothers for always stepping in to help when I need it.
Both of them.
We lost Elliot two years ago to a skiing accident. His death ripped us up inside. But the four of us stuck together, refusing to let another death in our family destroy us.
Dad checked in on us daily. He was the opposite of the man he was when Mom died.
Chase thought he was hovering.
Noah called it overcompensating.
I saw it as Dad needing us as much as we needed him. Regardless of the motive, we survive better together.
And hell, with both my brothers settling down with the loves of their lives, I may never need a mother figure for him. Pepper and Charlie will be plenty for that.
I suppose.
But still, I can count on them. They’re not Lilly. They’re not going anywhere.
I toss the leftovers into the fridge and shut off the lights. Thank heavens Dad took pity on me and prepared take-out dinner. Otherwise, the kid would have had mac and cheese while I picked at a can of tuna .
I’m usually an enthusiastic cook—hell my gourmet kitchen is built for it—but summers are long and hot on the ranch. Good help is slowing down, and I’ve got Jackson at my hip or on my mind all day to worry about meal prep.
The bully candidate was right about one thing. The kid needs stability. Routine.
I find Jackson already in pajamas, eagerly flipping through a comic book. The room is a blend of childhood treasures—both mine and his.
I pluck a book from the shelf. Noah and his live-in girlfriend, Charlie, are opening a bookstore in the fall. Charlie brings a new book for Jackson every Sunday dinner at Dad's, impressively keeping up with his interest.
That woman is as talented at reading young minds as she is at stealing the heart of my grumpy little brother.
They met when Noah was in law school, and Charlie was a lost undergrad—dated briefly until a horrible misunderstanding tore them apart. A few months ago, she was wrongfully evicted, and instead of suing the bastard landlord on her behalf, my little brother moved her into his place. It’s no surprise those two gave up their stubborn feud and ended up in the sack.
My voice is steady and warm as I start to read. Jackson snuggles close—something I know he’ll be getting too old to do soon enough—so I soak it up, pulling him against me. His eyelids grow heavy before I even get to the second page.
About halfway in, I close the book, watching Jackson’s small chest rise and fall in a peaceful rhythm.
I bend to kiss his forehead. “Night, cowboy.”
Back downstairs, I survey the rest of the floor. Place wouldn’t mind a housekeeper either. I read something about a messy home causing unidentifiable stress.
I wonder if we’re both affected by it .
Jackson seems fine, but hell, what if the mess symbolizes how chaotic his life is? How I need to be careful that his mother doesn’t come back into his life. How protective I am of his heart. His expectations.
His need for a mother Lilly never wanted to be.
I check the time. Only nine o’clock. Why the hell does it feel like midnight?
I sigh, shutting the lights to blind myself of the mess in the living room.
Worry about it tomorrow.
I don’t get far up the stairs when the doorbell rings.
Who the hell?
I peek out to the driveway, the porch lighting doesn’t give me much, but there is a car—a small, old car—now parked next to mine.
I yank the door open and blink—my breath catching in my throat.
Tessa’s chest hikes as she lifts her chin. Those wild auburn curls hang longer over her shoulder. Her freckled skin now slightly sun-kissed. Her lips, still full and smooth, with that little part in the middle still drawing my gaze like it’s begging for me to part them further.
“You’ve got to be kidding me,” I finally say.
She grins and holds up a hand. “Sorry, I’m late. I’m your six o’clock.”
I frown at her delusion. “You’re not my six o’clock. My six o’clock was a no show by the name of—Tessa, what the hell are you doing here? At my door, after dark.”
“Bessie is my closest friend—and occasional colleague. The job you posted required a quick call before setting an appointment, so…she did me a solid.”
“Did. You. A. Solid.”
She rolls forward and back on her heels. “Yep. Clever, huh?”
My glare is hard. Icy, hopefully. But as usual, she’s not fazed.
“Bessie is super cool. You’d really like her. ”
I raise my brows. “Great. Is she looking for a job?”
“Come on, Levi, what was I supposed to do? This is the only job opening in town. Trust me, I hit refresh seventeen times on my drive over. I mean yes, I expected you to laugh in my face, but hear me out, I’ve already written your pros and cons list.”
Her face is no laughing matter. Even in the moonlight, she’s a vision and a half.
Tearing my eyes off her pouty features that are about to do a number in my pants, I scan the rest of her. She’s in jeans and a white crop top, highlighting her toned, tanned arms and neck.
And hold the fuck up.
I drag my gaze back to hers. “Did you say only job?”
She rolls her eyes and whips out her phone, swiping the screen open and shows it to me. “See?”
I wince. “The fuck happened to that thing?”
She tucks it in her back pocket and keeps her eyes on me. “Chucked it across the room when I saw the post.”
I cock my head. “Disappointed I don’t need a love interest?”
“You kidding? That’s the best fu—” She glances over my shoulder. “ Freaking part. Which is a pro on this list. Aren’t you even curious to see it?”
Yes.
“No.” Then I step out onto the driveway and close the door behind me. “Now I get why you didn’t show up at my dad’s inn. You’ve really got some nerve coming back here. I should have you arrested for trespassing and theft.”
“Theft?” She scrunches her nose nervously, and fuck, it’s cute. “Is staying at a hotel room without ever booking it really considered theft?”
“It’s a goddamn crime, Tessa,” I bark, taking a step toward her, getting a whiff of baked goods and flowers off her skin .
She pulls her face away from my advancement but not her feet. “Can I interview for the position of Jackson’s nanny?”
“You just did.” I back up. “And you didn’t get the job.”
She sucks in a deep breath, her eyes drifting like she’s buying time. With new determination, they meet mine again. She pulls out a worn piece of paper from her other back pocket.
“Pro: Wiggles already knows and adores me, I mean come on, even you have to admit that.”
I fold my arms, my chest puffing with irritation.
“Pro: I may not have experience, but I’m playful and totally not looking for a love story.”
I feign sleepiness.
Her eyes flutter from me to her list. “Pro: Job comes with a free room—” She scrunches her face. “Shoot, that one was for me only.”
Now that makes me laugh in her face. “When do we get to the cons?”
She flips over the list, scanning it.
“Not mine. I already know them. Tell me yours .”
She deadpans me. “I don’t want to work for you any more than you want me.”
My eyes sweep over her. Intrigued as fuck how she ended up here. But the last time a woman intrigued me enough to trust her, I got burned. I step back into the house. “Then it’s settled. Goodbye, Tess.”
I shut the door, releasing a ragged breath.
With a heaviness in my chest, I pace my living room. This has to be some sick joke. Tessa knows I’d never in a million years hire her.
Hell, I even made it clear last year when she offered to watch Jackson for one night for Chase’s bachelor party.
I hated how much I wanted to take her up on the offer. And being the dick that I am—overcompensated for it in my response when I told her she wasn’t exactly the ideal candidate to care for a child .
The hurt in her eyes that day haunted me all night.
I release a breath and stride back to the door, swinging it open. Tessa is seated on the hood of the beaten-up Camry she arrived in. Her chin resting on her knees like she’s waiting for a pickup truck.
Folding my arms, I lean on the doorframe. “Need a place to crash before you head back to where you came from?”
Tessa hops off and dusts her hands on her hips. “Thought you’d never ask.” Then she strides over to the door, stopping at the threshold like she’s afraid to pass me.
“Don’t you…have a bag or something?” I ask.
She smirks. “I’ll leave it in the car. Wouldn’t want you thinking I’m making myself comfortable or anything.” She’s a breath away and I try to convince myself I haven’t missed that raspy, sassy voice.
I give the front door a little kick. “Fine with me.”
She enters and I lock it behind her. “I’ll bring you down some linens.” I point to the small den just past the foyer. “You can crash on that couch.”
I have two empty bedrooms upstairs but there’s no way I’m letting Jackson see Tessa here.
He grew a little too fond of her last year, and I don’t know what Kool-Aid she’d been feeding him, but I’m not having any of it.
“Help yourself to the kitchen if you want anything, but if you don’t mind, I’d like you gone before Jackson wakes up tomorrow. The kid asks too many questions as it is.”
“I’ll be up before he is,” she assures me sharply, scoping out the den.
If I’d ever heard a guarantee from anyone, that was it. “Great,” I mutter before rushing up the stairs, shaking my head at myself as I round up a pillow and light blanket.
She’s got one part right—I wouldn’t have to worry about her looking for a real-life love story because one thing I’d learned about Tessa is that she’s a flake. A flight risk. Temporary .
She has every intention of leaving.
Who’s to say I’m not going to come home one day and find Jackson scared and alone because she decided it was time to go again?
Something’s up with that girl—there were times I was curious as fuck to know what it is—but that’s just asking for trouble.
And I don’t want trouble anywhere near Jackson.
Or me.
I toss the linens on the couch.
She smiles. “I won’t let the bed bugs bite.”
I point a finger at her. “Seven. The sun will be up, and you will be gone.”
“Seven,” she repeats.