Chapter Three #3
My mood lifts thanks to her as I crouch down and shower her with well-deserved affection.
I rub her fluffy black and brown ears as she wiggles, tail still going.
I’ve always loved animals, even if I’ve never had one.
Not because I wasn’t allowed, but because I wasn’t an idiot.
With how much I traveled, it would’ve been unfair to drag a pet in and out of airports and hotels like some accessory.
Growing up, my dad used to take me to this ranch in Florida every now and then. Some kind of horse rescue, Little Bird Ranch. I loved the horses there. Dad even offered to buy me one once, but I couldn’t imagine owning something and never getting to see it.
“Oh, Princess. We can pay someone else to take care of it while we’re away.”
I hated that idea. What’s mine is mine, and even as a child, I knew a horse could never be. Now that’s not even an option.
“What the hell are you doing here?” a gruff voice snaps from above me.
Absolute dread fills me as I slowly lift my chin, already bracing myself for his specific blend of rudeness, which somehow comes with the sweetest dog I’ve ever met. But when my gaze finally lands on Levi, I’m temporarily stunned.
Oh.
The homeless look was definitely more fitting for the guy’s personality, but he has apparently decided to join the land of the groomed.
Standing in front of me now, his beard is trimmed, not too short, but enough to show he actually does have a jawline, a nice one at that.
And his sandy brown hair is now cut shorter on the sides and longer on top.
Well, damn.
This look shouldn’t work, but even I have to admit, it does. If I didn’t know him, I’d say he looks handsome. If I didn’t know him, and if he wasn’t glaring at me. But unfortunately for me, I’ve met him, and I’m not impressed.
Not impressed at all.
“Someone needs to teach your daddy some manners,” I whisper to Ellie, loud enough so Levi hears me. I stand, dusting off my knees and brushing a leaf off my thigh. “Why is she outside all by herself?”
His jaw ticks, like my existence irritates him before making a noise somewhere between a grunt and a growl. Charming.
“What kind of dog is she, anyway?” I continue, intentionally cheerful. “I thought maybe a German Shepherd at first, but she’s too fluffy. Like... aggressively fluffy.”
I smile down at Ellie, deciding to ignore Levi’s poor people skills since he ignores my questions, and pet her head.
She begins nudging her wet nose at my bag.
Pretty soon, her paw is scratching at the bag too, with the kind of determination I used to reserve for online shopping.
That’s when I remember the biscuits. The horribly shaped, questionably edible biscuits.
“Oh, do you want a treat?”
Her whole body wiggles like happiness is trying to escape through her tail.
I pull out the box and glance at Levi. “Can she have one? They’re healthy and animal-safe.”
“Did you poison it?” he asks flatly.
I gasp dramatically. “Please. I’d never poison Ellie. You, however...” I raise my brow.
A sick thrill of satisfaction shoots through me before I stifle the idea, reminding myself that I would then also be in jail like my father. And while slumming it up in a duplex feels like hell, a jail cell would be far worse... but still.
“I’m not making any promises,” I mumble.
His jaw grinds again, back and forth, like he’s trying to chew through his own irritation, but he gives a stiff nod. Good, I hope he cracks a tooth.
I hand Ellie the biscuit, careful not to show the shape to Levi as I do, and she eats it up so fast that she’s begging for another one before I’ve even put the box away.
“At least someone likes them,” I mutter with a laugh. “One more for now. You can have more next time.”
At least someone appreciates my hard work.
I put the box back into my bag and rub behind her ears some more, letting my fingers disappear into her soft cloud of fur, then stand.
The air is cooling faster now, and dusk stretches shadows across the sidewalk.
The firehouse lights flicker on behind us, casting gold and red on the pavement, and the hum of someone spraying something down fills the background.
Since I have zero interest in dealing with this man or anyone else any longer than I have to, I walk away.
I’ve barely made it a few steps when a long, exasperated sigh sounds from behind me.
“And where are you going?” Levi asks, like he’s chastising a child instead of harassing a grown woman.
“I’m not sure why that’s any of your business,” I say, not bothering to turn around or even slow down.
I’m nearly a block away when the sound of tires creeping along beside me catches my attention.
A truck, Tom’s truck, specifically, rolls up, but it’s Levi in the driver’s seat.
Of course. Because the universe woke up this morning and chose chaos.
I hitch my tote higher on my shoulder and pretend he’s invisible.
He drives a little longer before the window rolls down.
“Get in,” he barks out, like I’m the dog and this is an order.
“No.” There’s not a chance in hell I’m getting in that truck with that man. I’d rather show up late to a red carpet event wearing last season’s line.
“No?” he scoffs. “What do you mean, no?”
Finally, I stop, turning to face him so he sees exactly who he’s dealing with. Planting a hand on my hip, I raise my brow, ready to make this crystal clear to him.
“No is a complete sentence.” I let that sit, let him choke on it. Then, because I’m me and I don’t know how to leave well enough alone, I tilt my head with a smug smile on my face. “And so is goodbye.”
He blinks, his jade-green eyes go wide, showing me I caught him off guard. Good.
“I don’t need to give anyone a reason or an excuse. Most people don’t care, or don’t deserve one anyway.” I shrug. “Since I’m not sure which group you fall into, and I don’t care, I’m sticking with no.”
I keep walking, hurrying my sneakers across the sidewalk, but of course, he doesn’t relent. Why should I expect that he would?
“Listen, woman,” he starts. “It’s getting dark out.”
“Oh, no. Whatever shall I do?” I mock. “Oh, right. The same thing I’ve always done, walk home, without your help.”
“Would you get in?” he grumbles.
“Not a chance. So, unless you plan to throw me over your shoulder, tough luck.”
He mumbles something I can’t quite make out before continuing his show of obnoxious masculinity. “And risk having you claw my eyes out? No thanks.”
“Great. At least you know how that would go. Then that just leaves goodbye.” I keep walking, but instead of him driving away as I expect, he continues to trail slowly beside me.
I don’t say a word, refusing to show or admit how much he gets under my skin.
I’m not sure where this man came from, but I do know that I’ve already had enough of him, as have the people beeping at him as they pass by.
Levi doesn’t seem to care either way. I’m so aggravated and distracted that when my phone rings, I forget to check the caller ID.
I don’t see that the name across the screen reads “Father’s Lawyer” until it’s too late.
A mistake I regret immediately, as my stomach drops, and my father’s voice floats through the line.
“Finally. Hey, Princess.”