“I’ll give you the short version,” I tell him as I lean forward, resting my elbows on my knees. Levi sits up and mimics my position. “Otherwise, I could talk for hours. Okay, so Claire’s team won the championships last year, so we’re the team to beat this season. She hit her first home run during fall league this past year, so I’m hoping she’s got one in her for the regular season.”
“Wow, really?” He asks, and I nod in response. “And how old is she?”
“She’ll be eight next month.” Levi simply hums and nods, so I continue. “Since she’s a lefty, she often rotates between shortstop and first base. And since she has one of the best swings, she’s also either batting fourth or fifth. That’s her best friend she’s talking to, Ellie.” I point to the brunette chatting away with my daughter in the outfield. “She plays catcher and has the quickest reaction time I’ve ever seen for a kid their age.”
I take a breath to continue talking when I glance over and see Levi staring at me with what appears to be admiration. Iraise a brow to which he just smiles. “She’s lucky to have such a supportive mom.”
“Thank you,” I whisper, forcing myself to glance away.
We sit in comfortable silence for most of the game, both of us roaring whenever Claire or her team make a good play or have a good hit. As the game went on, Levi and I kept moving just a little closer together until our legs were resting comfortably against one another. At one point when Claire hit a triple, we had both leapt to our feet, screaming and cheering for her, and when we had sat down, Levi rested his hand on my knee.
With their fourth win in the books, the girls run over to the table with all the snacks I had brought. I push myself up to my feet and climb down the bleachers, feeling the stares of some moms around us, but I choose to ignore them. Once my feet hit the grass, Claire comes running over and wraps her arms around my waist.
“Did you see that hit?” She asks, looking up at me with her head tilted backwards.
“Of course we did,” I tell her, giving her a squeeze. “I can’t believe you didn’t hear us cheering for you.”
Claire beams, glancing over at Levi. “You were cheering for me, too?”
“Are you kidding me? Heck yeah I was,” Levi responds, squatting in front of her with a big smile. “That was one of the best hits I think I’ve ever seen, and I watch a lot of baseball.”
“Really?” Her grin increases tenfold, and the smile on my face grows as well.
Levi glances up at me briefly before returning his attention back to my daughter. “Yeah, kid. Keep that up and you’ll go pro.”
Claire’s cheeks turn a soft shade of pink as she looks back up at me and I ruffle her hair again in response. She steps away from me, turning to run back to the bench to grab her bag when Levi stands.
“That was really sweet,” I tell him, my voice soft. “Thank you.”
“No need to thank me,” he replies, slinging an arm over my shoulder. “I was just being honest. She’s got some genuine talent.”
I hum, watching her over in the dugout chatting with Ellie. “She really does. I know it means a lot to her to have someone else here for her besides me and Blue.”
“Her father doesn’t come to watch her?”
“No,” I say simply, keeping my eyes on my daughter. “It’s complicated.”
Thankfully, Levi doesn’t press for more information, and I’m grateful that he can so easily read my body language. Claire comes running back over with her bag and Levi drops his arm, reaching for it. She doesn’t hesitate as she hands it to him and gives him that signature I-want-something-so-let-me-look-cute smile.
“Can we go get ice cream?”
Levi looks at me for approval and I give a subtle nod, unnoticeable by Claire. “Yeah, southpaw, let’s go get you some ice cream.”
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
A SATURDAY IN JULY
Istand outside of the door to Levi’s penthouse with a container of brownies in my hand. I glance down at my outfit as I wait for him to answer; a light blue t-shirt dress with a black denim jacket paired with my white converse. I left my hair down today but added some light curls.
“There she is,” Levi greets once he pulls the door open. “Come on in.”
I smile as I walk past him and into his luxurious space. The walls are made of floor to ceiling windows, giving him the perfect view of the city. The entryway hallway is wide, built in coat hooks and beautiful paintings line the dark walls, a lone fake tree directly in the corner. I slip off my shoes and set them under the small bench.
Once I exit the hallway, I’m immediately dumped into the large living room; a giant grey sectional couch sits in the center of the room, a black coffee table in the middle. An electric fireplace is built into the wall with a large flat screen television hanging above it.
If you sit on the couch and look up, you can see into his bedroom up on the second floor, which is also encased in windows. Off the living room is a small balcony where he has anoutdoor loveseat and a cute little ottoman with a white table and some plants resting on the floor.
Off to the left is the kitchen. Dark marble countertops, dark grey floating cabinetry with motion sensor lights lining the bottom so you can see at night. But my favorite part of his kitchen is the marble floor, which matches the countertops. It beautifully reflects the sun at any time of day, really bringing life to the space.
