Molly had ridden back to Adam’s with Levi, and she’d stayed there. Grace was upstairs, hopefully working on college apps.Please, God.Mia had been on her phone all afternoon, doing damage control. She’d gone upstairs before he returned from Adam’s.
Levi felt keyed up, like he’d had too much caffeine, when he hadn’t had any at all. What if Mia took him up on his offer to get her out of town? She could fly off into the great blue yonder, and he’d never hear from her again.
That shouldn’t bother him. Guests came and went all the time. It was part of the business. But this wasn’t his first clue that she’d come to mean more to him than she should. She’d gotten under his skin. Maybe it was best that she did leave.
His chest tightened at the thought. What was happening to him?
He needed to find something productive to do. He took a seat behind the front desk and called Skeeter to see if he was available for a flight tonight if that became necessary.
Next he replied to his former boss at FC. He’d put it off too long, reluctant to turn down the job offer. He hoped it wouldn’t ruin future opportunities at the company. He’d loved his job. He’d even loved the city. So much to see and do.
Success there hadn’t come easily. The firm hired him fresh out of college, and his youth and Southern accent didn’t exactly charm the subcontractors. He worked hard to prove himself, and they came around eventually. By the time he’d left they’d been coming to him for advice.
Levi leaned back and sighed. No use dredging up all that. He needed to focus on making the inn profitable. A buyout would give his sisters a nice start in life. Get Molly closer to her dream of owning an inn in Tuscany. Pay for Grace’s college. He had to take care of his sisters before he could even think of going back to his old life.
Thumping on the steps—the slow, deliberate thumps of a person on crutches—diverted his attention.
“Need some help?” he called.
“I’ve got it.” Mia turned the corner on the landing, and he caught sight of her for the first time since he’d gotten her home safely. Weariness lined the planes of her face, and hopelessness shadowed her eyes.
“What did your agent say? Do you need to leave?” His lungs seized in his constricted chest as he awaited her reply.
“He left that up to me. But no, I’m staying put for now—if you guys will still have me.”
And just like that the tightening in his chest gave way. He breathed. “Of course. You’re welcome to stay as long as you want. But you should probably get your foot up. What else do you need?”
She gave him a wry look as she negotiated a step. “I need a new life, is what I need.”
He guessed being famous wasn’t all it was cracked up to be. There was a great discrepancy between fantasy and reality.
“This too shall pass,” he said gently.
“That’s what I hear.” She tilted her head and gave him a sheepish look. “I’m really sorry for the inconvenience, Levi. First you had to lock your doors, and now you have to pull all the blinds, and everyone’s going to get ambushed every time they walk out the door. I know this is really disruptive to your business.”
As if to prove her point the phone pealed again.
Levi grinned. “What’s a few extra phone calls?”
“And a few vultures on your doorstep? I hope they didn’t harass you too badly.”
“Don’t worry about me. I can handle myself.” He steadied her as she reached the bottom.
She looked up at him, an enigmatic smile hovering around her lips. “I’ll just bet you can. You’re kind of good in an emergency, you know. That’s a handy skill to have.”
He gave her a wry grin. “You wouldn’t believe the situations that can arise around here. Experience is a good teacher.”
“I don’t doubt it. Still, the ability to think on your feet isn’t necessarily a learned one. If it were, I’d be Wonder Woman by now.”
He grinned. “Are you hungry?”
“I’m fine. Grace made me a salad earlier. I actually came down to ask what the will said. I’ve been dying to know.”
“No idea. Haven’t read it yet.”
Her eyebrows jumped even as her face softened, and a look of gratitude danced over her features. “You waited for me?”
That she could be so grateful for such a small thing was a wonder. Not exactly the spoiled princess he’d expected. “We were supposed to read it together. Do you want to do that now?”
