Great. So that’s how he remembered me. “Wow, Levi, you are so good for my ego,” I sighed.
Mateo snorted, but didn’t say anything.
“I’m back for now. I’ve actually been here for a week, I’ve just been getting settled,” Levi said. “I forgot how fucking hot this place is. And dry.”
Austin nodded. “I heard. I texted, but when I never heard back, I thought people were making things up. You’re staying over on Armadillo?”
Wait, what?
Levi nodded. “Yup. It’s a cute little house. Way too small for me, but fine for now.”
Surely fucking not.
“Yeah, the couple who redid that did a good job. They really spruced it up. I helped out with a couple of things when they first started the project. It’s pretty popular with tourists.”
Leviwas my new neighbor? How in the hell had I not seen him over the last week? An entire fucking week? Had he even left the house?
“Are there even many tourists here?” Levi laughed.
“More than you’d think. A lot of outdoorsy folks roll through here.”
I narrowed my gaze on Levi as the two of them chatted, thinking about the sports car I’d seen. Levi was drivingthatthing?
Austin chuckled as he slid his arm around my shoulders to give me that overprotective brotherly hug I knew all too well.Oh boy. I pressed my lips into a thin line, wondering what was about to come out of his mouth.
“Well, you can keep an eye on my baby sister then. She’s across the street from you.”
Levi’s expression didn’t change, but as his gaze met mine, everything inside me melted into a pool of panic. It was just my luck that he was my new neighbor. I didn’t need to be thinking about the fact that he’d be right across the street from me.
“And you’re just a couple blocks from Mateo,” Austin said casually. “His house is over there too. You’d have to drive to mine, though. And you should, assuming you got a car.”
Mateo’s mustache twitched. “Oh, he’s got a car,”
Levi let out a deep hum, but smiled. “Maybe not anymore. It’s currently on top of a cactus outside of town.”
“I’ll call Dallas and have him tow it,” Austin offered.
“I think it just needs a tire changed,” Mateo said. “Should be easy.”
“That’s good. What kind of car?”
“A little sports car.” Levi sighed and ran his fingers through his beard. My gaze lingered on the motion a little too long. “Should have rented a truck. Mateo rescued me.”
“Sounds like Mateo. He keeps us all from falling apart.”
Well, that was the truth. I glanced up at my brother and narrowed my eyes on him. The circles under his eyes were a little darker than usual, and that haunted look he’d worn since Dad died lingered beneath the happy mask he always put on.
I poked him in the ribs. “You look fucking tired.”
“Hey.” His smile slipped slightly “Nice to see you too. Why have you been a stranger lately?”
“Because you annoy the shit out of me. You keep scaring all the good men off.”
“Hey,” Austin quipped.
Mateo smiled, but it didn’t make his eyes crinkle like normal. Levi raised a brow, watching me closely. I leaned into Austin a little more despite the fact I was telling the truth. Hedidannoy me, but I also loved him.
I just wished he’d stay out of my love life.
