Chapter 15
Arizona
Since I had a late showing, by the time I got home from work, the kids had already done their homework and eaten dinner. Now, they were relaxing, watching a movie.
“Hey, guys.” I ruffled Austin’s hair in greeting.
He was quick to shrug my touch away. “Shh, we’re just getting to the good part.”
“If it’s so good, then why are you on your phone instead of paying attention?” My eyes flicked to the mobile device in his hand, and I frowned. Gone was the cracked screen, and if I wasn’t mistaken, it was a newer model than the refurbished one I’d gotten him a couple of years ago.
When I reached over the back of the couch and grabbed it, he turned around, shouting, “Hey! Give it back!”
I shook the cell. “What’s with the new phone?”
“I was due for an upgrade!” He huffed, throwing his arms wide.
That motion drew my attention to the smartwatch on his wrist. As I scanned the space, I saw a laptop and a tablet on the coffee table, both sporting the stickers of Austin’s favorite band, so there was no doubt the electronics belonged to him.
“How’d you get all this stuff? And don’t feed me some story about mowing lawns, because I know for a fact everyone in this neighborhood employs a service to do that.”
Full of teenage attitude, Austin replied, “I used my credit card, okay?”
My eyes bulged out of my head. “You have a credit card?”
He scoffed. “It’s not a big deal, okay?”
Head about to explode, I yelled, “Not a big deal? One, you’re not old enough to be approved for a credit card, so if you falsified an application to get one, we’ve got an even bigger problem.
And two, do you have any idea how credit cards work?
It’s not magic when you swipe that plastic card; you get a bill later demanding payment.
And if you don’t submit the full amount, they charge you an astronomical rate of interest.”
Lifting one shoulder, Austin appeared completely unbothered by my reality check. “Levi said he’d take care of it.”
The anger simmering beneath my skin shifted toward the man who, on a daily basis, proved to be the bane of my existence.
Chest heaving and nostrils flaring, I likely resembled a fire-breathing dragon. “Levi?! Levi gave you a credit card?”
Remaining silent during most of my tirade, Maisie piped up. “We needed school supplies.”
Using one finger, I pointed between the two kids seated on the couch. “You both got one?”
Wide-eyed, she nodded. “Uh-huh.”
“And he couldn’t have just given you some cash for pencils and notebooks?”
My grip had loosened on Austin’s phone, and he saw the opportunity to snatch it back as he countered, “Nah, this new school is fancy as fuck—”
“Language!” I barked, but he merely rolled his eyes.
“We needed a specific model of laptop and a tablet that came with a stylus for graphic design on top of a bazillion little things like dry-erase markers, rainbow-colored sticky notes, a calculator that has a hundred buttons, the list goes on and on.”
Processing what he was telling me, I gripped the back of the couch. “So let me get this straight: Instead of taking you to the store to buy what sounds like thousands of dollars’ worth of stuff, he decided it was easier to give you carte blanche to rack up charges on his account?”
Austin cheesed. “He’s kinda awesome, right?”
I grunted. There were a lot of words I’d used to describe Levi, but awesome was not one of them.
“Where is he?”
“In the pool. Swimming laps,” Maisie supplied.
With a pointed look toward Austin, I said, “Hope you had fun with your little shopping spree, because I’m confiscating that card.”
He groaned, his head dropping back against the cushions.
Shucking my heels, I marched in the direction of the doors that led to the pool deck, ready to give my husband a piece of my mind.
If he wanted to spoil the shit out of his daughter, that was his prerogative, but he’d crossed a line when he decided to give Austin access to unlimited funds, undermining the years I’d spent instilling the importance of hard work and fiscal responsibility.
This arrangement was temporary, and despite whatever payout Levi agreed to once we parted ways, that money would be tucked away to ensure Austin’s future—college, a car, a down payment on a house of his own. The life of luxury enjoyed under this roof would become a distant memory.
Stepping outside, I rubbed the exposed skin of my arms against the evening chill, having discarded my blazer in the front hallway when I’d gotten home.
As promised, I found Levi carving a path through the water, his muscular body moving effortlessly from one end to the other.
When he didn’t notice me standing on the edge of the pool, I hiked my skirt up above my knees, dropped my butt to the concrete, and dipped my legs in.
On his next lap, Levi must’ve seen my feet beneath the surface because he stopped in the middle, his head popping up.
He slicked the dark hair away from his forehead with a smile as he glided toward where I sat. “You’re home.”
Despite my best efforts, I found it impossible not to track the rivulets of water cascading down his broad shoulders. His bare chest glistened with moisture, and my gaze dipped to the trail of hair that started just below his navel and disappeared beneath the waistband of his swim trunks.
“Arizona?” There was a smug undertone to Levi’s voice. He’d definitely caught me ogling him.
Focus, dammit!
It took a full minute before I remembered why I’d come out here in the first place.
“You gave the kids credit cards,” I accused.
“Aw, babe,” he cooed. “Don’t worry. I got you one too.”
I placed the sole of my foot on his chest and gave a firm shove before saying through gritted teeth, “That’s not why I’m upset.”
He floated a foot away from where I sat. “All right, how about we skip the guessing game, and you just tell me what’s got you all riled up.”
“They’re too young to understand the value of money, and they never will if you make it so they can swipe a card anytime they want and buy whatever their little hearts desire.
You might be willing to support Maisie forever, but Austin will only be here for a year.
It’s already going to be difficult returning to the life we had before you barged your way into it.
I’m begging you not to make it any harder. ”
Smile slipping, Levi moved close enough that he could fold his arms atop the pool’s edge. Staring straight ahead, he said, “If I tell you something, do you promise to keep it between us?”
Cautiously, I leaned closer. “What’s going on?”
His eyes snapped up to meet mine. “I need you to promise me, Arizona.” The stern tone of his voice set alarm bells off in my brain.
“Okay, I promise.”
Levi sighed heavily. “Austin was getting bullied at his last school.”
A familiar guilt twisted in my gut. “Yeah, I know.”
His eyebrows rose. “You do?”
I hummed. “Where we lived wasn’t nearly as nice as this area, but we were still stretched.
I’m good at my job, don’t get me wrong, but Mom’s medical care costs a small fortune, draining my bank account at the end of each month.
All too often, Austin is forced to wear clothes that have seen better days or put off getting new glasses when his prescription changes, and those things don’t go unnoticed by his peers.
It eats away at me that in taking care of one of them, the other suffers. ”
Hanging his head, Levi confessed, “Maisie got all worked up after physical therapy the other day. Austin convinced her to keep their pricey supply list a secret, citing concern that I would change my mind about allowing her a permanent place in my life.” He let out a stuttered exhale.
“Like I would carelessly toss her aside over fucking money.”
Heart in my throat, I rasped, “I had no idea.”
“You’re right about one thing, Arizona. They’re kids.
They shouldn’t be worried about money; that’s our job.
My parents were hardworking Americans, and there were plenty of times when I went without things I wanted, but I always had what I needed.
That’s all I was trying to do for Maisie and Austin when I got them those cards.
I figured they could order those supplies and anything else they needed when we aren’t around, which is a lot, given we both have demanding careers. ”
My eyes slammed shut in an effort to keep the tears burning behind them at bay.
I felt like a total bitch, coming in hot to ream him for overstepping, when the truth was, he had the best of intentions.
Voice thick, I apologized. “I’m sorry for jumping down your throat when I should have been thanking you for looking out for Austin.”
His touch on my knee had my lashes lifting. “All of this is new for me, and I’m doing my best to learn on the fly, but I should have asked before making a decision that involved Austin. I promise to do better next time.”
“With all of us under the same roof, there can’t be separate rules for Maisie and Austin. We need to work together, so I’d like to propose a compromise.”
Levi’s ears perked up. “I’m listening.”
“How about we trade in the cards you got them for ones that we can reload with a certain amount? That way, we can ensure they have access to funds when they need them, but they can’t go crazy racking up charges.”
He pursed his lips, nodding as if impressed. “Yeah, that’s actually a great idea. It teaches them to be responsible with what we give them.”
“See? Two heads are better than one,” I teased, the tense mood from earlier having lifted.