“I don’t know who you think you are?—”
“I’mthe one who has been to every single game for the last two months, cheering her on in the stands.I’mthe one who taught her how to ride a bike and goes on walks with her and Winston.”
Travis’s brows furrow in confusion. “Who is Winston?”
“The fact that you don’t know speaks volumes,” Levi states before continuing his rant. “She calls to tellmeabout her day at least five times a week, not you. She convinces Marlowe to make brownies because she knows they’re my favorite and wants to surpriseme. When she thinks of who is going to show up for her, she thinks of her mother and me. Not you.”
Travis’s gaze flits over to mine, but Levi keeps speaking. “No, look at me, not her. I’m not finished. She may not be my daughter, and I may have not been in the picture that long, butI’ll be damned if I let you ruin all the hard work Marlowe has put in to help Claire in your absence. You don’t deserve either of them. If you cared about your daughter at all, you’d walk away.”
Joe lets out a low whistle, breaking some of the tension, but Travis’s jaw is clenched as his hands furl and unfurl at his sides as if he’s itching for something to hit. He rolls his shoulders back, slowly running his gaze up and down Levi before he tilts his head to the side slightly.
“Just because you’re in the picture now doesn’t mean you will be forever.” Travis’s words don’t land like I think he was hoping they would, Levi still standing strong, steady and unwavering. He turns his eyes to me. “I guess I’ll find you some other time to talk.”
“I honestly hope you don’t.”
His mouth tightens into a thin line as he tries to hold his head high. “I’ll see you soon, Marlowe.”
“You’ll be seeingussoon,” Levi amends, his hand reaching down and intertwining with my own.
Travis just smirks. “We’ll see.”
He turns on his heel and disappears the way he came, and my body doesn’t relax until he is completely out of sight. I release a shaky breath, running my free hand through my hair as I turn to my right and look up at Joe.
“Thank you for coming over here to intercept.” I give him a grateful smile. “I don’t know what I would’ve done if Claire saw him.”
“No need to thank me.” He returns my smile with a shrug. “You did the same for me with my ex-wife a couple of years ago. It’s the least I can do.” Joe glances to Levi and gives him a nod, which he returns. “I’m glad she has someone to stand up for and protect her and Claire. When Blue isn’t around, I mean.”
We both laugh, a genuine smile helping to ease the knot in my stomach. Cheering behind us causes the three of us to turnaround and notice that the game has just ended. In unison, we make our way back over to the field, Levi’s hand never leaving my own.
“Thank you,” I whisper, giving his hand a squeeze. “No one has ever stood up for me like that before. No one that wasn’t my best friend, anyway.”
“I hope you know this by now, but I want you both, Lowe. Not just you.” His words cause my face to soften as he pulls me to a stop. He cups my face in his free hand, his thumb gently brushing my cheek. “You’re the best package deal I could’ve ever asked for.”
Dipping his head, he presses a gentle yet meaningful kiss to my lips, pouring his feelings and his words behind it. Pulling away, he rests his forehead against mine for a moment before standing up fully. Glancing over his shoulder, I see Claire come walking over to us.
Levi slips his hand out of mine as she approaches and walks straight to him. He swoops her up in his arms and she buries her head into his neck, the action causing my heart to clench.
“I played so bad,” she mumbles, the words muffled. “I let my team down.”
I shake my head, about to respond when Levi beats me to it. “Hey,” he says gently, pulling her away from his neck to set her back on her feet as he kneels before her, his hands on her biceps. “Bad games happen to the best of us, okay? It’s best not to dwell on the bad, but instead learn how to move forward. If you lose, don’t lose the lesson.”
Claire nods and then wraps her arms around his neck, and his find their way around her waist, hoisting her back up. Watching the two of them together has my heart constricting more than I thought possible, and tears spring to my eyes. I turn around and bend down to grab her bag she dropped, usingthat moment to be inconspicuous as I wipe at my cheeks before turning back to the pair to see a knowing smile on Levi’s face.
“Ms. Reyes!” a high pitch female voice yells, drawing my attention before I can say anything to Levi’s look. Turning around, I see Joe’s daughter running over to us. “My dad said Claire can spend the night if it’s okay with you. So, can she?”
I glance over her head, and Joe gives me a small nod. Looking back at my daughter, I see her head is no longer buried in Levi’s neck, a grin covering her face.
“Yes, that should be fine,” I respond. His daughter squeals, jumping up and down. Levi sets Claire down and she runs past me to join her friend. “Where’s my hug?”
Claire flushes, but comes back over to me as I squat down and she wraps her arms around my neck. I give her a quick squeeze and a kiss to the top of her head. “You have fun now. Call me if you need anything.”
She nods, peeling away from me and chasing her friend into the parking lot with Joe trailing behind them. I turn back to Levi to see him already staring at me, a smile revealing that small dimple in his cheek.
“You know what this means,” he says as he closes the gap between us, resting his hands on my hips. Lowering his mouth to my ear, he whispers, “We get some unexpected alone time.”
I hum. “And how do you plan on spending it?”
“With my head between your legs, if you’ll let me.”
