Chapter Four – Levi #2
“It might be nice to just introduce myself and answer questions first, and then maybe throughout the week, I can bring in some animal bones and X-rays. The kids would probably really like that.”
“That would be great! I’m assuming you mean of the animals?”
I laughed. “Yes, of animals.”
“Why don’t you bring Rhett to the ranch one of these days before camp starts, if you have the time.
That way he can get the lay of the land and meet everyone, and it won’t seem so new to him when camp starts.
I know sleepaway camp for the first time can be a bit scary, so if he knows us, it might not be so bad. ”
“He’s met Caden several times, so that’s good.”
“That is good. And I’m sure he’ll love the ranch, especially if he loves animals.”
“Thank you, Em.”
“For?” she asked.
“For being you. For doing this for Rhett and already thinking of ways to make it more comfortable for him. He’s had so many huge changes that it’ll be nice to have him feel safe and happy again.
It’s been great seeing him with my mother, of course.
They’ve been baking cookies and pies, and she reads to him every night.
Which has been a nice break for me, if I’m being honest.”
Frowning, she asked, “Did Caroline never read to the kids at night?”
My chest ached. I’d seen so many signs of Caroline pulling away from me and the kids, and if I’d only left before the accident, Brooke would still be here.
“Caroline wouldn’t have won mother of the year, but she did have her moments. The last year or so, she’d been withdrawing. We’d grown apart, and unfortunately that extended to Rhett and Brooke, as well.” I exhaled. “But like you said, that’s in the past, and it’s time to focus on the future.”
“God, I’m so sorry again, Levi. That breaks my heart for poor little Rhett. I’m sure you did what you thought was right for your kids. I imagine it would be tremendously hard to take children away from their mother.”
“I don’t think I wanted to see what was happening. It would’ve meant admitting to myself that I’d made a big mistake. Brooke and Rhett weren’t mistakes,” I added quickly. “Don’t take it that way.”
“I would never. Now, how about we change the subject? I want this homecoming to be a positive experience for both you and Rhett.”
Smiling, I said, “A change of subject, yes. Let’s do that.”
Before I could say anything else, a woman appeared at our table.
Her darker blonde hair was plaited into two braids, with flowers woven into both.
She wore a white sundress with a flower print, and a lightweight white sweater.
She appeared to be in her mid- to upper-twenties and was quite lovely. Her smile lit up the whole café.
“Hey, Emeline.”
Sliding out of the booth, Emeline hugged her. “Lilibeth! What are you doing here?”
“I’m here grabbing lunch really quick. Are we still on for our meeting tonight?”
“We certainly are. I spoke with my mother, and she’s excited.”
Both women looked at me, and I slid out of the booth.
“Lilibeth, this is Levi Tucker. He’s a good friend of the family. Well, we all claim him, but technically, he’s Caden’s best friend. He just moved back to River Falls with his son Rhett, and he’ll be working for his father.”
“Wait, Oliver and Sam Tucker are your parents?” Lilibeth asked.
“They are.”
She smiled even bigger. “I adore your parents. Your mother was so helpful when my parents moved to River Falls. Took them right under her wing. And your father got me in touch with Mitch Larson, who owns the building on Main Street where my business is located.”
“That’s how we met,” Emeline added. “My dad told me about Lilibeth and her new perfumery and candle-making store, and I knew I had to meet her.”
I smiled. “Mitch is my father-in-law.”
Lilibeth let out a soft laugh. “Small-town living. I forget how everyone seems to know everyone else, or is somehow related. I haven’t had the chance to meet your wife and kids yet, but when I first met Mitch, he showed me pictures of your kids.”
This was the fucking part I hated. Before I had a chance to say anything, Emeline took Lilibeth’s hand.
“You remember what I told you about Brooke.”
Lilibeth’s smile faded in an instant, and she closed her eyes for a brief moment. Looking back at me, she said, “I’m such an idiot. I’m incredibly sorry, Levi. I’m still trying to remember everyone. That was so insensitive of me.”
“It’s okay, Lilibeth.”
A soft smile appeared on her pretty face. “Ignoring the fact that I put my foot in my mouth, I do apologize again.”
“There’s no need. Rhett and I have moved back to River Falls, and we’re ready to start a new chapter.”
She chewed on her lower lip, clearly unwilling to ask her next question.
“My wife and I are getting divorced.”
“Mitch didn’t mention it. I mean, I don’t talk to him that often, and he did tell me that he has a strained relationship with his daughter.”
I nodded. “Yes, they do. But the divorce is for the best, and I’m looking forward to the future.”
She lit up again. “Well then, here’s to a wonderful new chapter in your life.”
Emeline smiled. “You’ll figure out pretty fast that Lilibeth is one of the happiest people you’ll ever meet. You think I’m positive? This woman gives new meaning to the words positive and upbeat.”
Lilibeth waved off Emeline. “How old is your son?”
“Rhett is six, and I’m hoping he’ll like small-town living better than life in Denver.”
“I’m from Denver, too. After high school, I did a little tour of Europe, much to my parents’ dismay, but it was a wonderful experience. I’ve been trying to talk Emeline here into going to Italy with me, but so far I’ve failed.”
Before I could even reply, she went on.
“I’m actually from Castle Rock. Born and raised there, and so were my mother and father. Liam and Whitney Asher. Those are my parents.”
I tried not to laugh. This girl was practically vibrating with energy. “We weren’t that far apart, it seems. I lived in Highlands Ranch.”
Bouncing on her feet, she replied, “I love it! Who knows, we might have crossed paths and not even realized.”
I gave a slight shrug. “You never know.”
Reaching for Emeline’s hand, Lilibeth said, “I should let you get back to your lunch. I didn’t mean to interrupt.” She turned to face me. “It was a pleasure meeting you, Levi. I hope to see you around.”
“Pleasure was all mine,” I replied as I gave her a wave and watched her walk away.
She wasn’t that far off in age from me, and I couldn’t help but wonder, when I was ready to jump back into the dating game, if she might be someone I’d want to date.
Although, there wasn’t the least bit of attraction there.
And she wasn’t nearly as beautiful as Emeline—
My heart felt like it stopped for a moment as my thoughts hit me like a brick wall.
I looked at Emeline, then back at Lilibeth.
“Talk later, Emeline!” the woman called over her shoulder as she practically skipped toward the counter.
Emeline and I slipped back into the booth.
“She’s certainly friendly.”
Emeline chuckled. “You have no idea. Lilibeth is a ball of energy who doesn’t know how to slow down.
She’s the sweetest person I’ve ever met, with a heart of gold to boot.
She’s going to come to the camps and teach the kids how to make their own perfume and cologne.
I think the kids will really love it. She’s also going to do a candle-making class with them. ”
I glanced toward the register and watched as Lucy handed her a bag of food.
“Thank you, Lucy,” Lilibeth said with a grin as she turned and headed out of the café, but not before waving once more in our direction. Emeline and I both waved back.
“What brought Lilibeth and her parents to River Falls?” I asked.
“Her mother and father retired here. They were tired of being in the city and wanted to live someplace quiet. Lilibeth wanted to be near them, so she moved here too. Her perfumery on Main Street is so cute. It’s Alice in Wonderland themed.”
“Nice. And good for her. I’m sure the kids will love having her at the camp. Rhett enjoys anything to do with science, so if making perfume and candles calls for mixing things, count him in.”
“That’s wonderful to hear.”
“Is she married?”
The moment the words were out of my mouth, I regretted them.
Emeline’s smile faded somewhat as she glanced down at the table and cleared her throat. “No. She’s single.”
Lucy brought our lunch over and set it down just at that moment. The bacon smelled heavenly. “Anything else I can get you?” she asked.
“I think we’re good, thank you, Lucy,” Emeline replied, her voice a bit more subdued.
“Her name…Lilibeth. That’s kind of like the nickname for Queen Elizabeth. But her nickname was Lilibet, right?”
Emeline nodded. “I’m impressed. Yes, it is, and she was named after said queen. Her mother didn’t like Lilibet, so she changed that part to Beth. And her middle name is actually Elizabeth. So, it’s Lilibeth Elizabeth.”
I screwed up my face. “Twists the tongue.”
She grinned, but I could tell it was forced. “It does. But it’s different.”
We ate in silence for a few minutes before Emeline broke it.
“Are you going to start dating soon?”
Her question took me off guard. “What?”
“You asked whether Lilibeth was single. I just assumed that meant you’re going to be jumping back into the dating pool.”
I laughed awkwardly. “No, I was more curious than anything. Just trying to get to know all the people in town.”
Emeline’s mood had definitely changed. And now she suddenly went into business mode. “When did you want to discuss the schedule for your volunteering? We should also decide which camp you want to sign Rhett up for. That is, if he wants to attend.”
After wiping my mouth, I set my napkin on the table. “I know you brought your calendar; we could do it now. Or I could stop by the ranch tomorrow and sit down to really take a look, unless you’ll be busy. If we wait until tomorrow, I could bring Rhett with me.”
She thought for a moment. “Is tomorrow at two okay?”
“Two works great for me.”
She nodded as she pulled out her phone. “Then I’ll add it to my calendar.”
Lucy came by a few minutes later and took our plates.
“Let me get this, since I invited you.”
Emeline winked. “Who am I to complain about a free lunch?” It seemed her friendly mood had returned.
“Did you need to get back to the ranch right away?” I asked.
She shook her head. “What did you have in mind?”
Leaning in and lowering my voice, I said, “I’m really intrigued to see Lilibeth’s store.”
Emeline sat back and cleared her throat. For a moment, I thought she was going to say she needed to get back to the ranch after all. But instead, she smiled. “Why, Levi Tucker, I do believe you’ve just painted a perfect way to end our lunch date.”
I smiled. “Date?”
Her eyes widened and her cheeks turned pink. “I didn’t mean it that way. I should have said business lunch.”
She bit her lower lip, and my eyes instantly tracked the movement. A strange sensation of warmth filled my chest, and I almost had the urge to reach up and rub it. Instead, I jerked my gaze back up to hers…but it slowly returned to her mouth.
I had the most insane desire to kiss Emeline in that moment.
“We should go,” she said, quickly sliding out of the booth, and I followed.
I glanced around the café as we left. A few people gave me curious looks, while others smiled. I sighed internally. The Daily Dirt was going to have a field day with this, and they certainly wouldn’t call it a “business lunch,” that much I knew.
Strangely enough, I wasn’t the least bit bothered by that.