“No problem Wyatt.” Miley moved on, organizing the coolers with fresh arrangements in prep for opening.
“Well, you ladies have a good day.” Again he tipped his head in a kind, gentlemanly gesture and then he was out the door. I watched through the front picture window as he crossed the street and walked toward the driver’s side of his police cruiser parked a few spots down from the main entrance of Java Jitters.
As people walked the sidewalk, they’d wave at him, and he’d quickly return a kind hello. The townspeople seemed to love him, respect him even.
“Wyatt’s a nice guy,” Miley said as she stepped up to my side. “I remember he was on sight when your mom had fallen, and he was so gentle with her. Never left her side until they loaded her up in the ambulance and shipped her off. Even after that he’d drive out to your parents’ house, checking on things when he knew your father was at the hospital with your mom. It was sweet actually.”
My chest felt tight, for so many reasons, but mainly because I had been wrong about him.
Truth was that I wasn’t the same person that I was in high school. We all change, we all grow up and we all have regrets.
I busied myself throughout the day, visiting with those customers who stopped by. Most just browsing, but others genuinely interested in purchasing something.
I was working on the small vases I’d deliver first thing the next day to Wren’s Cafe. They placed an individual vase on the center of each table daily. Fresh cut flowers in a variety of colors. It really brightened up the place.
I had my back to the lobby, knowing that Miley would tend to any new customers I was completely focused on the task at hand.
When I felt a set of hands grip my waist I jumped and screamed out in surprise. Spinning around I dropped the vase in my hand and due to Levi’s fast reflexes he caught it just before it hit the floor. “Levi,” I slapped at his shoulder making him chuckle and step back to shield himself. “You scared me half to death.”
He was holding his stomach laughing at my expense, with tears in his eyes. I noticed Miley standing at the counter her eyes widened in surprise, but her lips tilted up in a smile. She was so quiet and so hard to read. Maybe it was due to the fact that we barely knew one another, but I could never figure out what she was truly thinking.
“You need to lighten up Sadie.” Levi regained my attention. My heart was still racing fast. “You’re too wound up, relax.”
“Well, maybe if you didn’t sneak up on me when I was focused, I wouldn’t be so wound up.”
“I’m pretty sure that wouldn’t matter.” Challenging me, he waited for me to argue. One day when there was a girl brave enough to venture into Levi Land he was going to drive her mad, I just knew it.
“Ass,” I mumbled and grabbed the vase from his hand, placing it back onto the table before me.
“And to think I showed up here to offer to take you to lunch.” Levi and his charm. “I was even gonna pay too.”
Leaning my hip against the large wooden table I peeked over at Levi, fighting my own smile. One could never truly stay mad at him, it was his smile, it warmed one almost instantly. “Will there be desert?”
“Please, do you know who you’re talking to? There is always desert.” For years, every day at school Levi would bring me a snack cake, matching his own. His mom just automatically packed two, knowing that he’d need one for me too. We equally had a loving relationship with sugar.
Choosing to forgive him, because like I said staying mad at him was impossible, I said a quick goodbye to Miley. Assuring her I would be back in about an hour, I linked my arm through his and he led me outside. Everything in Mason Creek was within walking distance, which was the opposite of the city. I loved that if I wanted to go grab an ice cream I could just walk outside take a left and after a few hundred feet I would find Twisted Sisters Ice Cream Shack. Hattie and Hazel Jackson and their wonderful creations, they had a flavor for every season. Weather never seemed to phase those two ladies, come hell or high water they were there serving sweet goodness and cackling the entire time. Loved those ladies, and time hadn’t changed them one bit.
“Italian?”
“You know it.” The pizza at Sauce It Up was amazing, but then again everything was. I’d never ordered something there I didn’t fall in love with.
I ignored the curious stares of those we’d passed. I already knew what most were thinking, and this time tomorrow there will be rumors of some love affair between Levi and me. We’d gotten used to brushing off that idea long ago; Levi was like the brother I’d never had.
Tucked back in a corner booth, him digging into his huge pile of spaghetti and me enjoying my personal pizza he surprised me with a question. “What’s going on with you and Wyatt?” Practically choking on my food, I took a drink and when I felt like I could clearly breath again I made eye contact. Of course, he was smirking and thought he’d had me on something, which he did not.
“Absolutely nothing, he’s my landlord.”
“And Cole?”
“Again nothing.” Apparently my old friend was a busy body too. “He helped me find a house, and yes he stopped by to offer me a housewarming basket but nothing more.”
“Lunch, dinner, or even a cup of coffee.” The way he said those words reminded me of Cole. Levi was attempting to imitate him with a slow purr. Rolling my eyes at him I tossed my napkin, hitting him in the forehead. “I heard you shot the guy down before he even got to finish the sentence.”
“It wasn’t like that.” Okay fine, it was. Cole was nice, but he wasn’t my type. Apparently, my type are those men that break my heart and humiliate me. Ugh, why do girls always want the guys they shouldn’t. Another bit of information I would keep to myself.
“Do landlords generally lurk around in the shadows, listening in on conversation of their tenants?” Leaning back against the tall back of his bench seat he didn’t look away from me, which made me nervous. “I’d say there’s something there, something maybe you both are too scared to talk about or explore.”
“Nothing but old memories I’d like to forget.”
“Sadie,” Levi moved forward, getting closer as he looked around to ensure no one was close. The thing was in Mason Creek even the booths seem to have ears so whatever he’d had to say would be front page news tomorrow. “He made a choice, the wrong one. He knows that, we all know that. Hell, we all saw his life fall apart because of that wrong choice.” What happened that I was missing? I was too stubborn to ask, because then it meant I was interested. And I couldn’t be. That would be like jumping into a burning building knowing that I was going to get burned.
“Did you bring me to lunch just so you could be a Nosy Nelly and gossip like a girl?”
We faced off, him staring at me, me staring right back refusing to give in. Then without warning, we both broke out in laughter and the seriousness of our lunch date had quickly passed.
After that, the conversation flowed nicely. We talked about his family, and mine. Talked about his job and the shop. I told him about my interest in photography and he pushed me to pursue that interest.
But right now, with everything that was going on, I knew that would have to wait. But maybe one day, we’d see.