9. Putting Down Roots
CHAPTER 9
Putting Down Roots
L evi studied the rows of freshly planted hops that covered his land. It had been a busy week since the ladder had collapsed beneath Isla, and they’d been working their asses off.
There hadn’t been any more incidents, and nothing had disturbed the cameras below the barn. Isla was convinced the sabotaged ladder had nothing to do with her.
Levi wasn’t, and would keep vigilant. If someone was watching her, they would notice the layers of protection around her. The cameras and alarms. The friends. And Levi himself.
If someone was trying to hurt her, it would be smart to lay off for a bit and then to come at her again when she was more vulnerable.
Levi’s job was to ensure she was never vulnerable.
For the past week, they’d studied hops together while working on her greenhouse, her garden, and his fields. Working on things together was a lot of fun, more so than he’d expected.
Growing up, he’d learned how to do things from his father and grandfather. He hadn’t been part of the decision-making process. They’d all followed the ways they’d learned from previous generations.
Now, he was starting from scratch, and while it occasionally scared the skin off him, it was more exciting than he’d imagined.
Working with Isla as a partner was intoxicating.
Kissing her, more so.
He wanted still more, but he wasn’t going to push her and be another asshole in her life. She’d had enough of those. He’d keep stealing kisses and let her hands explore further and further each time.
He wanted his mouth on her naked skin, wanted to hear what sounds she made as she came. He wanted to thrust into her until they were both too exhausted to move.
But he’d wait until she was ready. He hoped like hell it was soon.
That made him grin. He was an adult who could control himself. Around Isla, he just didn’t want to. He wanted to watch her lose control and follow her right over the edge.
He realized he was almost at the fence to her property, and he hadn’t even consciously decided to move. The woman was a magnet.
His phone rang with a call from Troy. With a sigh, he answered it. “What’s up?”
His buddy laughed. “I know where you’re headed, but Sean says today is the day to demo those buildings in town. I’m hoping for all hands on deck. Talk Isla into coming too.”
With the thoughts he’d been having, Troy’s phrasing made him grin. “I’ll get on that.” Then he hung up.
Levi neared the fence and spotted Isla in her window greenhouse, pretty as a picture. The sun was shining, and the dog slept at her feet. Put that photo on the front of a magazine, and it would fly off the shelves.
Everything about the scene made him feel content. It was like coming home. Being at peace.
Isla looked up and saw him. Her smile was instantaneous and had him picking up his pace. He leapt the fence which made her roll her eyes.
She was laughing when he strode into the greenhouse, and he captured it with his mouth. Pure sunshine.
It took an effort to pull away. Her hands were still in a pot of soil as her eyes fluttered open. “Hey.”
He kissed her nose. “Hey yourself, gorgeous.”
That had her laughing and scrunching her nose. “That’s me. Wellies, overalls, and a hoody. All covered in dirt.”
He looked her over and nodded. “Exactly.”
She pulled her hands out of the pot and brushed them off as she rolled her eyes again.
He checked out her worktable. “Anything that can’t wait? Troy and the others are going to start demolishing some buildings in the town square today, and they’re looking for extra hands.”
Her lips rolled in, and her hands twisted together.
He took them in his own. “What is it? What’s wrong? We don’t have to go if you don’t want to.”
Her eyes widened. “It’s not that. I’m not always good with new people. I’ve only met a few people in town.”
“I get that, but I’m guessing Tansy and her friends from Midnight Lake will be there. Definitely Sean and Branna. But no pressure. If it makes you uncomfortable, we don’t go. No big deal.”
She sighed. “Yes, it is. I’m being silly. Everyone here has been so nice. I’d like to give back.” She closed her eyes and drew in a deep breath. When she opened them again, he saw determination in her gaze. “Give me a few minutes to clean up and change.”
“I think you’re perfect the way you are, but go ahead. I have to grab my work boots and some tools too. How about I drive back and pick you up?”
Her grin was back. “Okay.”
She moved to the cottage and unlocked it. Levi didn’t hop the fence until she was inside. It would be good for both of them to mingle with the people from town. He didn’t need a big social circle, but the more people in town who got to know Isla, the more people who would watch her back.
As he jogged through his field, Levi realized that while he’d kissed her breathless many times this week, he hadn’t even thought to take her on a date.
Now here he was picking her up to demolish a building.
Definitely time to up his game.
I sla looked down at her jeans and sweatshirt. They were clean and a step up from her overalls, and that was probably as far as it went. Her wardrobe ran more to dig in the dirt clothes than date clothes.
Although this wasn’t a date.
In the time she’d known Levi, she hadn’t worn anything sexier than her wellies and overalls. At least she knew he liked her for who she was and not for anything superficial.
But her surface could use some work. She’d never been much of a girly girl, which was another reason for her father’s disapproval. He figured a woman’s job was to support a man and provide heirs of the male variety.
She tried to shove thoughts of him to the side, but he’d been cropping up in her thoughts more often since the ladder incident. She knew he wouldn’t have been behind that. He probably hadn’t thought of her in years, so why was she thinking of him?
Was it time to make contact? She was in a place she liked. She was comfortable with the future she was planning. Maybe it was a good time to reach out. She didn’t want anything material, and she didn’t need a relationship with the man who’d tossed her away, but she wondered if it would be possible to build one despite the past. Besides, clearing the air was supposed to be good for the soul. Forgiveness was hard. Could they forgive each other?
Isla grabbed her work boots with a grin. Her father would never understand her choices. The simple pleasures of growing things and working hard. He wanted to be surrounded by what he considered the finer things in life, and he wouldn’t consider her work boots one of those things. She did. Isla tied them up and smiled. Her choices made her happy, and she wondered if her father felt the same about his. She was surprised to realize she hoped he did.
Either she was learning to deal with her issues, or she was finally growing up past the hurt. The thought had her smiling as Levi drove up in his truck. “Come on, Hopper. Let’s see if my new attitude can help me deal with meeting new people.”
Levi hopped out of the truck and moved around to open the passenger door. Her cheeks flushed, as no one had ever done that for her.
He guided Hopper to the back seat and then leaned down to kiss her. “I want to take you on a date.”
She laughed as she realized his thoughts had echoed her own. “I’d love to go on a date with you.”
Heat flared in his eyes. “Good.” He kissed her again, and the heat in his eyes had transferred to his lips. Her entire body tingled, and when he lifted his head, she found she’d grabbed onto his t-shirt and was holding tight.
She released the fabric and patted it into place, then caressed it so she could feel the muscles beneath. “You make me forget everything.”
His hands flexed on her waist, and then they slid down to squeeze her butt. “Same goes.”
Those big hands slid up under her sweatshirt, and his thumbs grazed over her breasts. Even through the fabric of her t-shirt and bra, his touch had her nipples reacting. The zing reached right into her core and she leaned into him.
Levi growled into her ear and brushed his thumbs over her breasts again.
Hopper barked, and they broke apart. Levi sighed heartily and removed his hands. She couldn’t keep in the whimper, which made his eyes flare again. “Soon, Sprite, soon.”
Then he lifted her by the waist and set her into the truck. He closed the door, and she watched him take a deep breath before walking around to the other side. It almost gave her time to compose herself. If they didn’t get naked with each other soon, they were liable to combust.
He was muttering as he climbed into the truck and turned it around to head to town. Then he blew out another breath and sent her a sardonic look. “The sooner we make that date, the better.”
“We could count this as a date.”
He grinned. “I like the way you think. Okay, date one is demolition. Date two is dinner somewhere. We’ll have to find out where to go.”
Isla was too involved with thinking about what might come after the date that she completely missed the short, hilly drive into Phail. Levi pulled into a mostly filled lot.
The main drag of the town was called Phail Way. She spotted Phail Phoods across the street, and the diner she’d heard so much about was the No Fail Diner.
Apparently, if you were stuck with a terrible name, you made the most of it with a light-hearted sense of humor. Exactly how she would think about being stuck with a self-centered father.
A group had gathered in front of a trio of buildings across the street from the parking lot. The buildings looked to be well over a hundred years old and empty. Sean and Aisling were at the front of the group, and they waved as she and Levi joined everyone.
Sean called out. “Good timing. Everyone, if you haven’t met them yet, that’s Tansy’s friend, Isla Duggan, who bought the land north of our farmhouse.”
Her face flushed as everyone turned to look, but she managed a smile that hopefully didn’t look too forced.
Sean continued talking. “And that’s Oz. He spent time with me and Arrow in the military.”
Beside her, Levi sighed and then called out. “It’s Levi, Levi Connors. In case Falcon hasn’t noticed, we’re not in the military anymore.”
The crowd chuckled, and Sean clapped his hands. “Okay, I hope everyone brought muscles. As most of you know, Piper Keenan is having us create a park on this block. It will be a big boost for the town, but to get started, we need to get these buildings out of the way.”
Aisling nodded. “Do your best to be careful when taking things apart. I’m hoping to keep as much of the wood as possible. We can reuse a lot of it when we build the gazebo and some of the other park features. We’ll see if anyone has any use for the windows and everything else we pull out.”
That made Isla smile. No wonder Tansy was good friends with these people. Not only would they reuse the materials, but she didn’t see a single-use product in sight. People carried reusable cups for their coffee or other drinks.
Sean continued. “Aisling and I will divide everyone into teams, and then let’s get Phail Way Park started.”
Hopper leaned into her legs while the crowd moved around them. Maybe she should have left the dog at home.
A young girl appeared at her side. “Hi, I’m Nina, and I hear you’re Isla.”
Isla nodded at Nina, who looked to be about ready to start high school. “Hi, Nina. Nice to meet you.”
“Can I pet your dog? What’s his name? Or her name? Is he a boy or a girl?”
Isla grinned. “He’s a boy, and his name is Hopper. Do you know how to approach a dog who doesn’t know you?”
Nina’s smile brightened the whole area. “I do. I get to work with Kimi Twinishe every week. Do you know her? She’s Phail’s vet, and she’s amazing.”
Isla agreed. “She is. Kimi came to check out Hopper when we found him. We think someone abandoned him in the woods.”
Nina’s eyes clouded with sadness, and she knelt beside the dog. “Hi, Hopper. I’m Nina.” She held out her hand for him to sniff. “I’m sorry someone left you to survive alone, but I’m really glad you found Isla and Levi.”
The dog sniffed her hand, then licked it. When he moved closer to lick her face, Nina laughed and threw her arms around him.
A petite woman approached. “Nina, honey.”
Nina turned to smile. “Hi, Mom. Meet Isla and Levi. I asked permission before I touched the dog. They’ve met Kimi, and she let them keep him. His name’s Hopper.”
The woman aimed a bemused smile at Isla and Levi. “Nice to meet you. I’m Addison. Nina doesn’t have many boundaries, especially around animals. I hope she’s not bothering you.”
They all looked at the dog, who was now on his back with his belly exposed for Nina to rub.
Levi smiled. “It’s all good. Hopper’s having a blast. Nice to meet you as well.”
Aisling came up to their group. “Hi, and thanks for coming, everyone. Levi, can you help Sean and Troy with the roof? They tell me you’ve got some experience with construction and demolition.”
His gaze shot to Isla’s, and she nodded. She’d be okay.
Then Aisling turned back to them. “Would you three mind helping sort whatever comes down into piles? Jim and Carl could use some help. I think Tansy, Bella, and Mitch are over there too, but there will be a lot of stuff.”
It wasn’t long before she was sorting wood and windows with the group. The conversation was surprisingly easy, and she contributed more than she’d expected. Nina’s fascination with the idea of a greenhouse made completely out of windows helped.
Her heart was full as they worked. Everything about Phail was turning out to be exactly as she hoped. Good people. Happy town. Levi.
A sudden chill swept through her, and she stopped working to look around the group. Levi was on the roof with his friends. Everyone was safe and working hard.
Just because nothing had worked out for her before didn’t mean the same thing was happening again. But the sun couldn’t chase away the chill.