Chapter 4
Magnolia
It’s warm in the bed I’m in. Warmer than I’m used to. Lately, it’s been downright cold. In the back of my mind, I can hear a noise, like a whisper of someone breathing, which is weird, no one has slept next to me in over a year.
Popping an eye open, I gasp silently as the person next to me comes into full focus.
It’s Levi Harrison. What the fuck did I do last night?
I remember going to the Laurel Lean-To, pissed because my soon-to-be-ex-husband contested our divorce at the eleventh hour.
I’d desperately wanted to go into the holiday season without the failure of my marriage hanging over me.
More than anything, I’d wanted a new beginning, but he couldn’t even give me that.
Vaguely I remember Levi showing up when I’d gotten on the table at the bar and started taking my clothes off.
Holy shit. It’s probably going to be posted in the local gossip group, and I’m never going to hear the end of it.
I’m old enough to know better, pushing the edge of twenty-nine. I should’ve had all my stupid decisions like this out of the way at this point in my life.
“I can hear you thinking over here,” Levi says, his morning-deep voice giving my body a visceral reaction. My nipples peak, in between my legs ache, and my fingers itch to reach over and touch him.
“Sorry if I woke you up.” I have to clear the gravel from my voice, and cobwebs from my mind. “I was just trying to figure out how I got here.”
“You don’t remember your show at the bar? And then riding in the back of my SUV to get you here?”
“Yes to the bar, no to the SUV.”
He smirks. “Next time I’ll have to cuff you before I put you in the back.”
“Why did you make me ride in the back like a criminal?” I huff, as I turn over and look toward the ceiling. This bed is comfortable, much more comfortable than mine. I have to admit the company isn’t half bad either.
“Because you can’t ride in the passenger seat. There’s too much gear, and there isn’t enough room unless you’re a child. Designed to be that way.” He rolls over, propping his head on his palm.
I allow myself to glance over and take the man in.
He’s got dark circles under his eyes, but they’re an impossibly deep brown this morning.
Lashes that are way too pretty to belong to someone who doesn’t know how hot he is fans against his cheeks.
Stubble darkens the bottom half of his face, and I’m reminded that this isn’t a boy anymore.
He’s not my best friend’s brother who had trouble growing a mustache.
He’s my best friend’s brother who owns this house, this bed, and looks like if I let him, could own me too.
“Thanks for getting me last night, if I haven’t thanked you yet.
I kind of remember some of the conversation we had once we came back here, but the rest is a little fuzzy. ”
“I didn’t take advantage of you, if that’s what you’re thinking.”
“Did I take advantage of you?” I throw out, a smile on my face.
“No,” he laughs. “I gave you some clothes to wear, we ate a frozen pizza, you told me a little bit about what’s going on with you and Cody, and then we went to sleep.”
Cody. I hate even hearing the damn name. “Did I cry on you?” I hope I didn’t. I’m sick of crying, and that seems to be what I do all the time anymore.
“Just a little. Nothing I couldn’t handle, and judging by what you told me, you deserve to cry some. It sounds like he’s being a real dick.”
This is what I’ve needed. Someone who hasn’t been part of the situation to agree with me. To not make me feel as if I’m crazy in believing he’s out to get me. “He has been.”
“I do have a question though.”
Good God, what did I tell him while I was feeling emboldened by alcohol? I’ve been known to come off with some seriously private thoughts when I’ve been drinking. “What’s that?”
“Why did you tell me you have no place to go? I offered to take you to Molly’s so you wouldn’t be by yourself. You said she was sick of your shit, and then I said I’d take you home, and you said you have no place to go.”
Had I really said that? I hadn’t meant to, but I guess I did. “I don’t feel like I have a home any more,” I begin to explain. “That’s part of why he’s contesting the divorce. He wants me to provide him with a place to live, and so far I’ve refused to. So he’s taken over the house.”
“He’s what?” He sits up in bed, face a mask of anger and annoyance. “He isn’t allowed to do that. It’s your home too.”
“You know we built the studio in the back? It’s basically a mother-in-law suite.
If the business ever slowed down, we were going to rent it out.
So it’s got a full kitchen, bedroom, bathroom, and plenty of storage.
I’ve moved in there, because I can’t live with him anymore.
” I stop for a second, gathering my thoughts and making sure my throat isn’t so tight I can’t speak.
“But it doesn’t feel like home either, it makes me feel as if I’m a guest. Like I’m going to lose every single thing I’ve worked for, Levi. Do you know what that feels like?”
He situates himself so that he’s got his legs crossed, his back leaning against the headboard, and he’s facing me.
“No, I don’t know what it’s like to feel like you’ve lost everything.
But I do know what it’s like to feel like you’ve lost the most important things.
” His voice is lower, on this side of painful when he begins speaking again.
“You might not remember it, but at one point in our childhood, our mom and dad almost got divorced. Dad stopped wearing his wedding ring, he moved out for a while. Molly and I were scared that they wouldn’t be together anymore, and our lives would change.
There were many late night conversations, where we wondered if we’d have to choose which parent to live with, and what that would look like.
Thankfully for us, our parents figured it out. ”
“Then you know. Everything changing is hard, and Cody being an asshole makes it even harder. I never thought we’d do this to each other.”
The air between us is disturbed as I think about the mean things he’s done. Levi must sense it, because he speaks again. “What do you mean do this to each other?”
My stomach is nervous and tears pool in my eyes.
I haven’t told anyone what I’m about to tell him.
Not even Molly, and that alone speaks volumes about how much I trust him.
My lawyer has heard some of it, but most I’ve chosen to keep to myself, even though it may help my court case.
“He’s just mean. Like I’ll order groceries and they won’t pay attention to my instructions about where to deliver them.
They’ll leave them on the front porch of the big house, and instead of bringing them back to me, or letting me know.
He’ll just take them inside and keep them.
The other day, he blocked me in with his truck, and wouldn’t move, although I had to make a delivery.
The internet is in his name at the house, so he had it disconnected from the studio.
It took me a full day to figure out what he’d done, and then I had to wait for them to turn on the studio in my name, which means I lost valuable time.
He did the same with the electricity and water.
It caused me to work for forty-eight hours straight to catch up on orders. ”
As I’ve been speaking, I’ve been watching Levi’s face. It gets harder with each other. The set of his mouth firmer the more I tell him. “That’s evil, not mean. What a fucking asshole. Magnolia Grace, you don’t have to put up with that shit. The house is in your name, too. Isn’t it?”
“Yeah, but I just don’t know how much more fight I have left in me.
He’s worn me down so far, Levi. Some days I just don’t even care anymore.
The only reason I’m fighting for the business is because it’s my livelihood.
I built it myself. Without his help, no matter what he wants to tell people.
It was my idea, my hard work, my dedication to posting on social media, and a great product, that made it what it is today.
He had nothing to do with any of that. I will go down fighting for it.
” And as I say the words, I realize how true they are.
I’ve been tired lately, trying to figure out if I really want to fight.
Every day it’s something else with him, but as I talk to Levi, I realize I’m not ready to give this up.
I’ve put my time, my blood, my sweat, my tears into it. All he’s done is reap the benefits.
In the quietness of the moment, Levi reaches over, grabbing my hand with his. “You know you’re not alone right. The Harrison family will fight for you. You’re one of us whether you want to be or not.”
It’s on the tip of my tongue to tell him that I’d much prefer he fight for me on his own.
But that’s not what he’s saying, and it’s definitely not appropriate.
Instead, I smile gratefully. “I know, and I appreciate it.” Glancing at the clock, I see it’s well into the afternoon.
“Do you mind taking me home? I have a bunch of orders I need to at least get started on today. Or take me to my car? I’m sure it’s still parked at the Lean-To. ”
I hate asking for help, and I’m sure he knows that, but it is what it is right now, and I can’t exactly walk back into town.
“Yeah, it’s still there. Dakota texted me last night that he’d make sure it’s not towed.”
His partner, the one he’s on shift with more often than not. “Tell him thank you when you see him. Are you working tonight?”
“Yeah.” He yawns. “We’ve got a few more weeks on nights, and then we’ll rotate back to days for a while.”
“That must be hard. Trying to keep life going while working a rotating shift. Pretty hard on a relationship too.”
He chuckles, his eyes running over my face. “Is that your way of asking if I have a girlfriend?”
“Or boyfriend.” I raise my eyebrows. “Just wondering if there’s gonna be somebody pissed off that I spent the night here, last night.”
He laughs harder, lifting his hand up to scratch a portion of his bare chest. “No, there’s absolutely no one who will be pissed that you slept here last night.
And if they were pissed, then they wouldn’t be the person for me.
You’ve been a part of my life for a long time, Magnolia Grace.
I’m not willing to give that up just because someone might be jealous. ”
I don’t say anything, but watch as he gets up and starts moving around the room. Why in the world couldn’t the man who is supposed to love me for the rest of my life say those things? Why is it the one man in Laurel Springs I just can’t have?
“I’ll take you back to your car. C’mon, I’ll give you some more clothes to wear.”
And as I follow him around the room, I can’t help but think about how hard my heart is thumping against my chest.