22. Coming Up Roses
CHAPTER 22
Coming Up Roses
I sla wanted to snuggle into Levi and sleep for a week. But they had to get home first. And before that, she’d have to talk to her father and whoever else was there. The very thought had her shoulders drooping.
Lia came back in with instructions she went over before emailing them to both Isla and Levi. Then, the doctor let her dad into the room. She was still sitting on Levi’s lap but didn’t have the energy or desire to move.
Her dad approached her with tears in his eyes, and he reached out to gently take her hand. “Isla. Are you really okay?”
She squeezed his fingers. “I’m fine.”
Levi snorted. “She’s going to be covered in bruises, and everything’s going to ache again.”
She rolled her eyes. “I’m fine.”
Her dad reached in and hugged her. “I can’t believe you put yourself in such danger for me. I was too busy talking to Jim and Carl. I wasn’t paying any attention, and I’m so sorry.”
Her chest filled with emotion again, and she hugged him hard while Levi’s arms came around them both.
When she had herself together enough, they all leaned back from the hug, smiling. Lia walked in, her manner brisk. “Okay. Enough big emotions for the day. You need to chill out. Warm bath and pain relievers. Then lots of sleep.”
Her dad smiled and moved to give them room. “I’m going to head to the B&B for the night. I’d love to see you tomorrow.”
“I’d love that too, Dad.”
He hugged her again. “You’re a hell of a woman, Isla.” He looked at Levi. “If you need anything, call.”
Levi nodded, and she wanted to roll her eyes, but it touched her heart. Her dad was showing he liked and trusted Levi.
When he stood, Levi kept her in his arms, but she patted his chest lightly. “I’m good to walk as long as you’re with me.”
He frowned but set her on her feet and settled his hand around her waist. “Let me know if it’s too hard.”
This man. He was such a warrior, but he never overrode her wishes.
The aches definitely ached, but moving didn’t feel awful. Maybe it would loosen her up. In the waiting room, Joe waited. He held out his hand. “Give me your truck keys, and I’ll bring it over.”
Levi nodded and passed them over. Once they were in the waiting room, her dad hugged her once more and then moved off with Jim and Carl, who waited on a bench. “We’re sending over some meals for you both. You get yourself healed up. Again.”
With a smile, she waved them away. Her dad was in excellent hands.
A thought shot through her, and she turned to Levi. “I didn’t even think about the driver. Was it Glen? Did they get him? Did he hurt anyone else?”
Levi shrugged. “No idea. I only had eyes and ears for you.”
No wonder she loved him.
Lia shrugged as well. “I don’t have any idea either. We’ll have to ask Joe, but I’ll keep the door locked until he comes back.”
Levi nodded and tugged her to sit on the nearest bench.
Nerves didn’t have much time to settle because Joe was back in only a few minutes. When Lia opened the door for him, he grinned. “No need to lock up. I guess I should have told you a few things before I left.”
Levi growled, making Joe laugh. “Sorry. Anyway, after Dead Eye here shot out the tire, the car didn’t make it much further.”
“Wait. What?” She turned to Levi. “You shot out the tire? While the car was moving?”
He shrugged while Joe laughed. “He sure did. While he hollered your name and raced across the road like an Olympic sprinter.”
“That’s amazing.”
Levi shrugged again and pointed at Joe. “Go on.”
“Before the car stopped, about six of us had it surrounded with guns aimed at the asshole’s head.”
Isla shuddered, and Levi tucked her close.
Joe grinned. “The idiot started to wail like a newborn. Begging us not to kill him.”
“Did anyone shoot?”
Joe rolled his eyes. “Of course not. Your slimy cousin is currently being held in Marcus’ cruiser with a rotating crew of guards. With the other jerk being in the cell, Marcus doesn’t have enough space, and he wants to question Hicks before he puts them in the same room. We need a better setup for Marcus.”
“He wouldn’t need it if I hadn’t come to town.”
Levi squeezed her and kissed her hair. Joe and Lia both chuckled. Lia sat down beside her. “We’re going to have a get-together, and share stories one day. You’re definitely not the first one to have trouble follow you here. Marcus has been talking about upgrading for a while. This will give him more support for his funding requests.”
They chatted easily for a few minutes, and then Lia pointed them at the truck. “Home. Rest. Relax.”
Levi lifted her into the truck and clicked on her seat belt. Then he kissed her with enough soul that hers filled.
They were quiet on the drive home as he eased over potholes and around corners.
The lights were on in the house. Troy and Piper came onto the porch with Oreo and Hopper when they pulled up in front of the cottage.
Levi helped her down from the truck, and then both Piper and Troy hugged her gently. Hopper leaned into her and licked her hand until she petted him. “Hey, boy. I’m so glad to see you.” And she loved that their friends knew they’d feel better with their dog at home with them.
Piper pointed at the cottage. “I’ve put a lasagna in the oven on low. I’m not sure who made it, but I think it was someone from Midnight Lake. No one is going to bother you tonight, but let us know if you need anything. We’re so glad you’re going to be okay.”
Walking into the cottage was like coming home. Her man. Her dog. A warm meal making the place smell like heaven. Once Levi locked the door and set the alarm, she turned into him and wrapped her arms around him. “I love you.”
He exhaled a shaky breath. “I love you too. I think I’ll be seeing that scene in my head for years to come. I thought I’d lost you, Isla.”
His voice shook, and his arms tightened, but still held her gently. They stood for a long minute, wrapped in each other’s arms. Then he bent and lifted her. “There’s no one but us. Let me help.”
She leaned into his chest. “Thank you.”
He lifted her into his arms and headed to the bedroom. “Bed or bath? You want to ease out some of those aches?”
She nodded, and he set her on her feet, then started up the bath with another of her bath bombs.
“You’ll join me?”
He grinned. “Absolutely, but no funny stuff. You need to heal.”
She laughed. “If I have you with me, I don’t need anything else.”
L evi had learned patience early on, watching seeds grow and strengthen. He’d out-waited Mother Nature’s temper tantrums and learned to reseed and rebuild. In his military days, he’d honed that patience.
But watching Isla hurt and not being able to do much about it made him want to beat the shit out of Glen Hicks and Ed Pringle again and again and again.
She moved slowly and gingerly, and bruises once again covered her. But she didn’t complain, and her eyes proved she was relieved it was over.
Their friends had instructed them to take a few days off after the crash. Ginny and Carl had dropped off food. Addison and Nina had appeared to take Hopper out to play. And Levi’s buddies took care of the fields.
The two idiots might be in custody, but Levi wasn’t able to leave Isla alone. Not yet. Panic continued to streak through him whenever he dropped his guard.
“Let’s take a walk.”
He turned from where he’d been staring out the kitchen window to find Isla wearing the baggy overalls he shouldn’t find sexy as hell.
She smiled and crossed to him, then wrapped her arms around him. “I need some fresh air, and if you don’t burn off some of that anger swirling inside, you’re going to pop.”
He sighed and returned the hug. “You weren’t supposed to see the anger.”
Her laughter filled him up. “Right. That’s not how it works, Levi. I see all sides of you.”
And that should be scary as hell, but it wasn’t.
Hopper bounced with excitement and pranced around the door while Levi pulled on his boots. When Isla bent to grab her rubber boots, he stopped her with one finger. “I’ve got it, Sprite.”
She laughed softly. “I’m not broken, Levi. I can get my wellies.”
He didn’t answer until he had the boots on her feet. As he stood, he ran his hands softly all along her legs and hips and up to cup her face. “You’re definitely not broken, but you’re bruised, and I want to help.”
She studied him with her serious eyes and nodded. “I’m not used to people having my back, but I’m getting used to it.” Then she leaned in to kiss him.
The kiss started to smolder when Hopper jumped up to place his paws on their shoulders, making them laugh. He kissed her nose. “Rain check.”
Isla grinned as they let Hopper out and locked up behind them. The sun peeked between the clouds, and the day promised to be warm. A good day for the farms.
They were heading to Isla’s greenhouse when they spotted movement across the fence in Levi’s fields. The initial panic that someone was messing with them faded as he recognized their friends.
“They’re putting up your trellises.”
Her voice was thick with tears and had him turning to her. “Until I was in the military, the only people who had my back were family. Then, these guys became family. I should have suspected something when they told us to take a few days off. Want to hide before they see us or go ruin their surprise and help?”
Isla grabbed his hand and headed to the fence. She didn’t protest when he lifted her to sit on top, nor when he lifted her down the other side. It didn’t take long for the team to spot them. In fact, he’d guess that Troy and Sean had known the moment they emerged from the cottage.
Piper stood and put her hands on her hips, although the smile on her face belied her posture. “We thought we’d get more done before you showed up.”
Levi checked over what they’d already accomplished. “Looks like you’ve been working on farmer’s hours. This is fantastic. Thanks.”
Some horns beeped, and Reg, along with several people from town and more from Midnight Lake, spilled out of a few cars. Everyone had dressed to help. Levi had to swallow hard at the show of support.
Soon, he was teaching the entire team how to install the trellises and how to gently wind the plants onto them. Flynn had arrived with lawn chairs and pronounced that Isla and Tessa were in charge of winding the plants onto the trellises.
He didn’t mention Isla’s injuries or the fact that Tessa’s legs wouldn’t support a lot of standing. He simply accommodated them both. The women smiled at him and then sank into the chairs to start the process.
By the end of the day, they’d finished the field, a task that would have taken him more than a week.
They set up chairs and benches around a bonfire and ate the pizzas he’d talked Sean into making. He held Isla’s hand where she was curled up in the chair next to him. They were surrounded by good friends, silly dogs, and all kinds of hope.
It reminded him of so many family gatherings at his Kansas farm. Good people tired out from the hard work of helping each other but willing to hang out and share some laughs. He’d felt guilty about abandoning his farmland and his history back in Kansas.
Looking around, he couldn’t imagine his parents and the rest of his ancestors being anything but happy for him. Maybe those traditions, those hopes and dreams, weren’t attached to a specific piece of land. Maybe they were attached to the feelings filling him up.
Home.
Family.
Teamwork.
Contentment.
Love.
Isla hid a yawn behind her hand, and his love for her nearly swamped him. She’d pushed through all of her aches and pains throughout the day and hadn’t complained even once about anything. Instead, she’d laughed and worked right along with everyone else.
But she had to be done in.
Levi stood and swooped her out of the chair into his arms. “Good night, everyone. Thanks for everything.”
A chorus of goodnights followed them as he walked across the field, with Hopper trotting alongside them.
“I can walk, you know.”
He grinned down at her. “You can. And I enjoy watching the sexy sway of those hips when you walk, but you didn’t take a single break today. You must be totally wiped out.”
She shrugged. “Everyone worked hard. I can’t believe it’s all done. It’s going to be amazing to watch them grow.”
No one else was recovering from being hit by a car, but he didn’t bring that up. Instead, he enjoyed the deepening of dusk and the feel of her in his arms.
Contentment was exactly the right word.
At the fence, he set her on the top and then swung up to sit behind her and wrapped his arms around her. Hopper wriggled under the fence and then sat beside them, leaning his weight into their legs.
They watched the sun dip to the horizon and light up their fields.
Isla’s voice was barely a whisper. “It’s beautiful. I’m so glad Tansy invited me up here.”
He chuckled. “Me too. And I’m glad Epic talked me into joining his venture. We’ve made a good place here, Isla. I can see our entire future spreading out here before us.” They’d make their own traditions, a blend of old and new.
“I love you so much, Levi. I love what we’re building, and I can’t believe I’m lucky enough to spend that future with you.”
He swung down from the fence and lifted her into his arms again. “I’m the lucky one, Isla.”
She laughed as she leaned into him. “Let’s call it a tie.”
He could live with that.