Total pages in book: 87
Estimated words: 81401 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 407(@200wpm)___ 326(@250wpm)___ 271(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 81401 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 407(@200wpm)___ 326(@250wpm)___ 271(@300wpm)
When Levi stops to take a picture of a shrub that is in full bloom with various flowers I can’t help but giggle.
“What’s so funny?” he asks as he pockets his phone.
“That’s like the tenth photo you’ve taken since we started walking. Why do you keep taking so many?”
He shrugs and looks away. I immediately feel like crap for embarrassing him. “I’m sorry,” I say to him. “I was only curious.”
“It’s probably stupid, but I thought if I could plant some of these around my house, the girls will feel more at home and not pressure me to move to Los Angeles.”
I think I am officially feeling emotions that I shouldn’t right now. Not only am I mesmerized by his accent, but the fact that he’s willing to try to make his home more like this park, for his girls, really has my heart racing a bit faster than it should be.
“That’s probably the nicest thing I have ever heard someone say.”
Levi smiles. It’s not one of those ear-to-ear ones, but the cock-eyed grin that is meant to knock a woman’s socks off. I quickly look down at my red-painted toes and laugh. It’s probably a good thing I’m wearing flip-flops because my normal combat boot attire probably wouldn’t feel very good on my bare feet.
“You’re a good man, Levi Austin,” I add to curb the pregnant pause that is happening between us.
“You don’t know me that well. You may change your mind after we get to Nashville,” he says as he steps closer. If I were in the right frame of mind I would move toward him and maybe reach up and kiss him, but that isn’t me nor do I see myself doing that anytime soon. What Van has done. . . It's going to live with me for a long time. Having someone break your trust like that isn’t going to be easy to overcome.
To anyone walking by we probably look like a couple about to fall in love. To me, I see two people who met by chance with one of us trying to pick up the shattered pieces of his children’s hearts and the other completely broken. I guess that is the beauty of perception.
“I should go,” he says, breaking the warming tension between us. I automatically step back even though I hadn’t moved an inch. “I want to talk to my ma about the girls.”
“If it’s too much trouble, Cabo will accept me,” I tell him, wanting him to know that I have other alternatives, which honestly is what I should do. I shouldn’t be asking a man I just met to whisk me away from his family in their time of need when I’m perfectly capable of hiding out on my own.
“If I didn’t want to take you to my ranch, I would’ve told you no,” he says, closing the gap between us. My reflexes take over, and I launch myself into his arms. It takes him a moment before he’s cocooned me to his chest. It feels nice, but a bit overwhelming, to be hugging a man other than Darian or Van. But the difference is good. It’s welcoming.
“Thank you, Levi.”
“You’re welcome, Zara.”
We both pull away and shyly straighten our clothes. Not that they’re rumpled, but more out of awkwardness.
“I’ll call you in a bit,” he tells me. “I’ll have my publicist charter a flight, so no one knows you’re leaving.”
“You don’t have to do that.”
“Yes, I do,” he says with a grin. “Wait for my call.” He turns, leaving me standing on the edge of the pathway as I watch him walk away. Not once or twice, but three times I catch him looking over his shoulder at me until he disappears out of sight.
I find the nearest bench and sit, pulling my knees up to my chest and wrapping my arms around my legs. Joggers run by. Mom groups with strollers power walk by, chatting animatedly among themselves, unaware and not caring that I’m sitting on the bench here. That is why I like this park. No one cares who you are. To them, you’re just another person, enjoying the beauty of nature.
My eyes focus on the ground, as I get lost in my thoughts. My mind drifts to the day that I caught Van and the assistant going at it. The scene plays out like a technicolor dream, followed by him and Laura, even though those are completely made-up. I can’t help but picture him with every female I know after that. My stomach lurches and tears fall down my cheeks, but my heart doesn’t ache. The burn I had before is gone. I am angry though. I’m so pissed at Laura and her assistant for putting me through this. It’s not like they didn’t know he was married. Even if he came onto them, they should’ve said no.