I slapped my hand against hers. “About that…”
Her brows shot up. “Did something happen with Levi?”
Heat flushed my cheeks just like it seemed to do every time someone mentioned his name.
“I knew it!” Lily grabbed both of my hands in hers and jumped up and down. “You want to stay, don’t you?”
“Careful, you’re going to knock over the cake.” I pulled her away from the table, not even trying to hide my smile. “I’m thinking about it.”
She squeezed my hands before letting them drop. “Have you told him?”
“Not yet.” I wasn’t sure how he’d react. Based on how things were going, I hoped he’d be excited about the idea. But everything was so new. And even though I could feel myself falling for him, it might be too weird for us to be together with Kyle around. Levi didn’t seem to be close with his brother, but family was family. I’d never forgive Kyle for what he’d done to me, but I didn’t want to come between the brothers.
“I think he’s going to be thrilled,” Lily said. “And bonus, you can keep working with me.”
“Are you sure? I really appreciate you giving me a job, but I don’t want to take advantage.” I’d never been comfortable accepting help. It was probably my mom’s fault. She’d always taught me to be self-sufficient. After my dad died, she didn’t have anyone else to rely on, so she hadn’t had a choice.
Lily laughed. “Seriously? I’d be the one taking advantage of you. Do you have any idea how hard it is to find good help? My last part-time employee spent more time scrolling on her phone than she did in the kitchen. She even dropped it into a mixing bowl full of dough once, and I had to start a whole batch of caramel cookies over again.”
“If you’re sure…” The thought of finally belonging somewhere, of being in a place where someone relied on me, seemed so foreign, but deep down it was what I wanted. What I’d always hoped I’d find.
“Consider it a done deal.” Her elbow nudged into my side. “You’ll just have to let me know where you end up staying. I can’t imagine you wanting to leave Levi’s, but if you do, Peyton can help you look for an apartment or even a house when you’re ready to buy.”
I hadn’t planned that far ahead. “I need to talk to Levi first, but I’ll let you know.”
“Great. Now let’s get the rest of the food set out before people start to show up.” Lily headed toward the door, and I followed. For the first time in a long time, I wasn’t worried about trying to get away. Staying in Mustang Mountain felt like the right decision. Hopefully, Levi agreed.
Two hours later, the food was set out in an amazing display. Lily and I stood off to the side while the owner of the garden store prepared to cut a wide ribbon with a giant pair of scissors. Lilyhad worked her ass off on this event, and I was ready to see her get the recognition she deserved.
“Oh good, he made it.” As guests filled the room, Lily stared at the back door. I glanced up to see Mack making his way toward us through the crowd.
“Congratulations, sunshine. Everything looks great.” He swept her up in his arms and spun her around.
Lily let out a soft shriek as she clasped her arms around his neck. “I didn’t think you were going to make it.”
“And miss your big event? Never in a million years.”
I looked away as he leaned down to kiss her. That’s what love looked like…. supporting each other through the highs and lows… being there to celebrate each other’s successes or offer a shoulder to cry on when things didn’t turn out.
That’s what I wanted… what I deserved… and what I hoped I’d found with Levi.
Orville, the mayor of Mustang Mountain, stepped behind the small podium at the front of the room. The garden center wasn’t exactly located in Mustang Mountain, but that was the closest town. He congratulated the owner and talked about how small businesses were the future of small towns. Once the speeches were done, Lily and I were supposed to move behind the food table to help serve. At least, that was the plan.
All that changed when Kyle entered the building. Seeing him made every muscle in my body tense.
“What’s he doing here?” I leaned over and whispered to Lily. I doubted he was looking for new hanging baskets. He had to have some ulterior motive in mind.
Lily traded places with me, putting me between her and Mack. Some sort of silent communication passed between them.
“Don’t worry. He won’t make a scene with everyone around,” she said.
That didn’t give me much comfort. Though Kyle had never physically hurt me in front of anyone else, he never missed an opportunity to cut me down with words if he felt like I’d done something that reflected badly on him. There was no way he could have found out about me and Levi, but sleeping with his brother would definitely send him past the point of no return.
Kyle scanned the crowd, his eyes narrowing into slits when they finally landed on me. Apprehension rocketed through my limbs. His mouth hardened into a straight line like it always did when he was about to lose the ability to stay in control. Silent warning bells clanged through my head, and every instinct urged me to run.
“Mack won’t let anything bad happen,” Lily mumbled.
“You’ve got that right.” Mack put a hand on my shoulder like he wanted to reassure me.
