Emily’s shoulders slumped and her mouth twisted into the cutest pout. “Really?”
Esther smiled again. “Really.”
They gave each other a quick hug and Emily was on her way. As soon as she left, Esther approached his desk, where he’d taken a seat. But she didn’t sit in the chair across from him. “I only came by to deliver this.” She pulled out a letter-sized envelope from her purse and handed it to him. “It’s from your father.”
Levi blinked. “Excuse me?”
She smiled sadly. “It was written before he passed. I don’t know what’s inside, but I was given strict instructions regarding when to deliver it, and the time has come.”
He held the letter stiffly in his fingers.
“I’ll give you space to read. But I expect you at the restaurant promptly at noon on Wednesday for lunch. I have a busy schedule.”
He looked up and frowned. “You’re retired.”
“Yes, dear. But retirement doesn’t mean the end of one’s life.” She fluffed her perfectly coiffed hair. “It’s only the beginning.”
Esther walked away, a swish in her step, and Levi cringed. He didn’t want to know what she meant by that. God save him from sexagenarians with a romantic life.
When she closed the door, Levi stared at the envelope again. His father had written to him? What could he have possibly said? They’d rarely exchanged positive words with one another; they’d been too alike, both of them too stubborn.
Levi tore the envelope open and unfolded his father’s stationery, swallowing as he did. Memories of his dad in the very place where Levi sat now flooded his mind. And then he read.
Dear Levi,
I planned for this letter to arrive after you’d been at the club a few months, so don’t give Esther a hard time for delivering it late. She did just as I asked.
You might have wondered why I paired you with Emily Wright as your assistant. The truth is I sent her in to fix things. She has the heart I lacked, the drive I respect, and she’ll be good for you.
I know you never wanted my advice on, well, anything. But if I’d been tasked with choosing one of the Wright sisters for you, it would have been Emily. Not because the flashy one wasn’t a pleasant girl, but because you need someone who can get you through the hard times. Someone who will soften the rough edges your upbringing might have brought on. Hell, you might have inherited the rough edges from me. In that case, you come by them honestly.
I love you, Levi. I should have said it more often. I should have done a lot of things. In the end, I didn’t want our last months together to be filled with guilt—mine or yours. But I’m telling you now, courtesy of Esther’s valued and dedicated service, that you are the man I would have chosen to run the resort, regardless of your previous experience. You’re strong, and you don’t put up with fools.
Sometimes life takes us on a journey we couldn’t have predicted. I know you’ll take good care of the club and my girl, Emily. And if you open yourself to it, the way I did with your mother, she’ll take good care of you too.
Love,
Dad
Levi sat back and dropped his head against the leather chair. He brought his hand to his eyelids and pressed down. He wasn’t crying. His eyes simply stung, that was all.
Damn his father. He’d be grinning right now if he knew he’d managed to affect his stoic eldest son this way. And how the hell had his father predicted things with Emily? Had he and Esther plotted this?
No, that made no sense. Esther said she didn’t know what was in the letter, and she’d admitted to seeing a spark between him and Emily when she’d first introduced them. Her predictions came later. Which meant his father had practically hand-chosen the woman Levi would fall in love with.
Levi really hated admitting when his father was right, but he couldn’t bring himself to care.
He smiled. Let the old man be right. In this case, he’d let the whole damn world say I told you so, because Levi was the lucky bastard who got the girl.
Epilogue
Wes
Enough was enough. This was the second time she’d come into the pro shop. The shop wasWes’sterritory. Not hers.
Wes stormed across the store, past the Torque Balanced putters they got in yesterday and the women’s golf shirts. Her back was turned to him as she stared up at the outerwear. “What the hell are you doing here?”
Kaylee’s shoulders stiffened, and she turned around slowly. “Hello, Wes. It’s good to see you.” Her eyes were wary, as though she were afraid ofhim.
