Chapter 9
Levi
“Is Magnolia okay?” Dakota asks as we head downstairs to the evidence room.
It’s where we keep the confidential funds that we can use to make undercover buys with.
There is plain old cash, along with fake credit and debit cards.
I’ve only been down here once and that was when I was newly hired and getting a tour of the place.
I try to play it off when Dakota asks me.
If he knows that Magnolia and I are talking on the regular, and especially if I’ve invited her to stay at my house.
Everyone will fucking know. “Yeah, I texted her to make sure because I know Molly will be all up in that business. Especially with Dad responding to the scene.”
He gives me a glance like he doesn’t believe me. “You’ve had a crush on her for years. I’m sure you’re chomping at the bit to move in and be the one who fixes everything that’s broken.”
That kind of pisses me off. “She’s not broken, Dakota.”
“I didn’t say she was,” he holds up his hands as if he can stop the anger from my words. “I meant more that the situation is broken.”
“Well I mean look at it from what her point of view probably is. We’re weeks away from Thanksgiving. Who wants their home life to be in disarray this close to the holidays. Especially when everyone in Laurel Springs knows exactly what’s going on. Have some compassion.”
I’ve given away too much, I can tell by the way he’s eyeballing me. It’s as if he can see right through me. “Yeah, and you’re just saying all this as a brother who cares about his sister’s best friend for his sister’s sake? Come the fuck on, Levi.”
We’re downstairs and I shoot him a glare. “You and I are best friends, and I know for a fact you aren’t telling me everything you’re doing. Let it go, my friend.”
He clamps his mouth shut quickly, and I wonder just exactly what he is hiding. If he wasn’t, he would’ve kept at it, and not worried one bit that he was pissing me off. Now though, I’ve gotten him to leave me alone, and there’s no sense in starting all this over again.
“Gentlemen, what can I help you with?”
Erin has worked in the evidence room for years, although she’s not much older than we are. She graduated with my sister, so while I don’t know her well, we can have a conversation. “We’re going undercover,” I say with a grin.
She grins back. “Oohh exciting. Is this y’all’s first undercover operation? It’s always fun when it’s the first.”
“Yeah.” Dakota slaps his hands on the counter. “Have you got any tips for us?”
“Don’t blow your cover.”
The three of us are quiet for a minute, and then we look at each other and laugh.
“No seriously,” she laughs. “The two of you are going to do well because you’re friends. Typically when officers are friends, it feels more legit.”
“That makes sense. They said we’re supposed to get our cash and cards from you,” I tell her as I lean against the counter.
“Yep, I make the cards, which anywhere else would be illegal, but I get to do it for a job. How cool is that?” She’s so happy to be doing this. I wonder if this is what I’m like to others going to work every day.
I truly love this job, and I want to be good at it.
Even though law enforcement runs in my family, I never want to take it for granted, and I’ve always yearned to excel.
“That’s pretty damn cool.” I chuckle. “It’s the same for me though.
I mean how cool is it that we’ll be able to pretend to be other people? ”
She grins back at me. “Really cool.”
Dakota looks between the two of us. “Y’all get super excited for this, don’t you?”
We both nod, and then go on discussing how cool it is we get to do this and get paid.
It’s been a long day. I spent a good portion of it with Director Drake and Dakota planning what our next moves will be.
As I pull into my driveway, there’s another SUV, and I’m reminded that Magnolia is here.
I’ve never come home to someone else in my house before.
Except once or twice when my mom brought food out, or my dad was helping me with a DIY project.
There’s never been a woman here.
Which settles deep in my stomach as I realize how much I want it. How happy I am that she’s here. It’s going to be hard when she leaves, but as I park and grab my stuff, I vow that I’m going to enjoy this however long it lasts.
As I come through the door, I’m thankful I have to unlock it. I was worried she’d let her guard down out here, but this makes me feel better. There’s a song playing on what I’m assuming is her phone, she’s singing along loudly to it, shaking her ass as she stands at my stove.
I clear my throat loudly, hoping that she will hear because the last thing I want to do is scare her. But she doesn’t.
“Magnolia,” I try.
Nothing.
“Magnolia,” I try again.
Nothing.
This time I raise my voice slightly. “Magnolia Grace.”
She jumps slightly, but not nearly as much as I thought she would. “Sorry, I was listening to my music a little too loud.”
The way she apologizes makes me think that Cody didn’t like her doing anything she enjoyed. “You can listen to your music as loud as you want here. There’s no one around for miles, and I sure don’t give a shit.”
“Thanks.” She smiles at me, and it’s one of those smiles that goes right to her eyes. “It helps me to concentrate. By the way, I’m making dinner.”
It smells amazing. “What is it? My stomach is growling.”
“Just some baked chicken, broccoli, and mac and cheese. Nothing elaborate, but after a long day working, I like to have a decent dinner. What do you normally do?”
This is where I admit that I’m horrible at this part of being an adult. “Want the truth?”
“Always.” She grins, taking a drink from her bottle of beer sitting next to her.
“If I don’t stop and grab something on the way home, I end up buying stuff to make a sandwich. When I want to eat really well, I go home.” I smirk, scratching the back of my neck. “Mom is always ready to feed her youngest.”
“I’m sure she is.”
“So whatever it is you want to give me for dinner, I’ll take it.
I’m not picky, and if it’s hot, I’m gonna be happy.
” Walking over to my closet, I start taking off my gear, but I can feel Magnolia’s gaze on me.
She watches as I take off my duty belt, jacket, and unhook the holster at my thigh.
I check the gun and put it in the gun safe I use while at home.
Some officers keep their guns at work, but I prefer to bring mine home with me.
“When you come home and take all that off, how does it feel?”
“What do you mean?”
She shakes her hair out slightly, before taking another drink from her beer. “Like when I get done at the end of the day. I always take a shower, but when I get to take my bra off? It’s the best thing in the world. That’s when I know I’m done for the day, and it’s okay for me to relax.”
Now I’m thinking about what she might look like without a bra on, and if I don’t watch it, I’m going to be walking around here with a hard on that’s bound to make us both uncomfortable. “I guess so, but it’s really more when I get to change into my sweat pants.”
Her eyes move down my body to the waistband of my tactical pants. I wish I knew what she was thinking, but she licks her lips before telling me, “Why don’t you go change? Dinner will be done here in a few minutes. Are you good to eat together or would you like to have some time by yourself?”
“If you’re here Magnolia, I wanna be hanging out with you.”
She’s pleased by the way she smiles. “I wanna be hanging out with you, too. I kind of took over your table. Is it okay to eat in front of the TV?”
“That’s honestly where I normally eat anyway. Let me change, and I’ll be right back.”
“Take your time.”
Walking down the hallway, I hook a left into my bedroom.
I’m feeling more nervous than I imagined I would.
It’s not as if I’ve never been alone with a woman before, but I’ve never been alone with one here, and it didn’t mean as much as this does with her.
Shutting the door, I take a minute and realize that this is exactly what I’ve wanted for a good portion of my life.
Always wondered what it would be like to have a life with her.
Although I’d thought about that as a teenager, and didn’t realize what that looked like as an adult.
There’s a lot of pressure on this situation, but I’m completely aware that the pressure is coming from myself.
Quickly I change into my favorite pair of sweatpants and t-shirt, then head back into the living room.
Magnolia is bent over, pulling dishes from the oven, and I can’t help but notice how firm her ass is in the leggings she’s wearing.
I’m not even sure what Cody was doing. He had the perfect woman, and he didn’t know what the fuck to do with her.
My stomach growls loudly, and we both laugh because it reverberated off the walls. She’s dishing up the food onto plates, and my damn mouth is watering.
“I hope this food lives up to that growl.”
“It’s going to, trust me.” I gratefully grab the plate and head over to the couch. Putting the plate down on the coffee table, I wait for her to come over. “Anything in particular you wanna watch?”
“I love comedy, drama, or trashy reality TV,” she says. “But I do love a long-running show too. One that has like ten seasons, and I can just binge.”
“I’m the same way,” I tell her, as I dig into the food in front of me. “What have you watched?”
She looks at me, chewing thoughtfully and then swallowing. “The Big Bang Theory, Schitt’s Creek, Gilmore Girls, Friday Night Lights, Grey’s Anatomy, Chicago Wednesday, every Law and Order. I like them all,” she says. “I’ve kind of always wanted to watch ER or Supernatural.”
“Oohhh ER? I’ve always heard people talk about that show, but it’s older, and I’ve never known anyone who wanted to invest that much time in it.”
She raises her eyebrows, and leans over, elbowing me. “Is that gonna be our show, Levi?”
I want anything that’s going to be ours, so I nod. “Yeah, that’s gonna be our show.”
It takes a few minutes but I find the streaming service it’s on, and queue up the first episode.
This feels as if it’s one of those big moments in our relationship, where the littlest thing might mean more than either of us realize.
Which is why I look over at her when the credits are on, because I want to remember this moment for the rest of our lives.
No matter how long she’s here, I’m going to enjoy the hell out of it.