Chapter 7
BREAKFAST WITH CRAZY PEOPLE, AKA MY FAMILY
FAWN
Waking slowly, I soak in the feeling of the warm body I’m pressed against and blink my eyes open. Taking in the expanse of Levi’s naked chest and the feel of his abs under my palm, I grin, pressing my face closer to his skin, breathing in his scent. Last night after we made out for a while, we got up and took Muffin for a walk. Then we stopped at the Chinese spot on the corner and ordered lo mein to share. Once we got back to his place, we got into bed and ate while watching TV. I planned on getting up and heading over to my place to sleep, but I must have fallen asleep at some point during our second make-out session.
“You awake?” Levi’s rough, sleepy voice asks as his fingers tighten around my hip.
“Kind of,” I murmur as he pulls me deeper into his side.
“What time do your parents normally wake up?” he asks quietly.
“Maybe eight,” I mutter as his fingers slide up my bare side and my eyes close.
“It’s nine thirty.”
“What?” I practically shout as I sit up quickly with my hands against his abs. I bend half over his body to look at the clock on his bedside table. “Shit,” I groan. I never sleep this late. Ever. “I gotta go.” I hop off the bed to look for the shirt he took off me last night. My sisters and parents are probably having a field day talking about me. I can practically feel my ears ringing.
“So I’m guessing we can’t make out for a while?” he says, and I find him sitting with his back against his black leather headboard, his deep-gray down comforter around his waist, and an amused smile on his face.
“Um . . .” I lick my lips, moving my eyes from his wide chest to his abs, wanting nothing more than to dive back into bed with him.
“Baby.” He chuckles, and my eyes fly up to meet his once more. “You keep looking at me like that, and I won’t let you leave this room.”
“I have to go.” I shake my head to rid the sight of him half-naked from my brain. “My sisters are probably already at my apartment, and I have no doubt they are all talking about me not coming home last night,” I say while pulling my sweater down over my head.
“I thought about waking you after you passed out, but I didn’t want to let you go.” He didn’t want to let me go . . . Oh my . . . My stomach dips, and my legs get weak. “I’ll take Muffin out before I come over for breakfast.”
“Um . . .” I chew the inside of my cheek. “About breakfast.” I try to sound casual as I sit down on the edge of the bed to put on my socks.
“You don’t want me there.” God, when he says it like that, I feel like the world’s biggest jerk.
“It’s not that, exactly, it’s just that my family can be a little . . .”
“Crazy?” he asks with a smile.
“Yes.” I nod. “They can be a little crazy,” I concur as I stand. “And—”
“I’m coming,” he states, cutting me off. He throws the blanket off his waist and moves to sit on the side of the bed.
“I . . .” The words I was about to say catch in my throat when his large hands wrap around my hips and I’m pulled between his spread thighs.
“I’m coming,” he repeats firmly, the look on his face daring me to argue.
“Okay,” I agree quietly, looking into his eyes, which appear darker than their normal gold this morning. I think there is something significant about this moment and him wanting to spend time with my family.
“Good, now kiss me.”
“Kiss you?” I blurt like an idiot. Last night he seemed to like being in charge. I didn’t have to instigate anything; all I had to do was follow his lead—and he is a damn good leader.
“Yes, kiss me.” My eyes drop to his mouth, and I bite my bottom lip, debating how to go about kissing him. “Fawn.”
“Hmm?” I hum, studying his mouth.
“Kiss me,” he whispers, and I watch his lips move as they form each of those words.
Leaning closer I slide my hands through his thick, dark hair watching his eyelids lower, then press my mouth to his softly. Feeling his warm lips and his breath mingle with mine, I lose myself in him. Sliding my leg over his to straddle his lap, I listen to his groan of approval and shiver when one of his hands slides down to grab ahold of my ass. The other moves up into the back of my hair, where he grips tight in a possessive hold that makes my stomach dip.
“Damn, but I could seriously become addicted to your mouth.” He breathes against my lips, and I smile against his.
“Ditto,” I whisper, nipping his bottom lip and hearing him growl right before he takes over the kiss, thrusting his tongue into my mouth and making me whimper. Rocking against him I tip my head to the side to deepen the kiss, then mewl in disappointment when he slows the kiss and pulls away, resting his forehead to mine.
“We better stop,” he says, sounding like he doesn’t want to stop at all, and I nod, closing my eyes and pulling in a much-needed lungful of air.
“Yeah, I need to get home,” I agree, opening my eyes to find his on mine.
“I don’t want to let you go,” he says, and I know in that moment I could get lost in him.
“Then don’t.” I close my eyes again, not wanting him to see that I really mean Don’t let me go, ever.
“I don’t plan on it.” He tips my head down so he can press a sweet kiss to my forehead. “Up you go,” he urges, and I reluctantly get off his lap, then watch him stand. “Are you okay?”
No would be the answer to that question. I feel like my life has changed in a huge way. I feel like . . . god, I feel like crying. “I’m good,” I lie, and his hand wraps around the back of my neck. He drags me closer so I have no choice but to rest my cheek against his chest.
“You good with me and you?” he asks softly, and I nod, not looking up at him. “That’s all that matters.” He kisses the top of my hair, letting me go once more. When he turns his back to me, I watch his muscles move under his skin as he opens a drawer and pulls out a long-sleeved navy-blue thermal and puts it on over his head. I want to pout a little that he’s covering up, but I don’t have time to do that. Instead my eyes drop to his ass, which is covered in a pair of formfitting dark-blue, almost black, boxers as he trades the sleep pants he put on last night when we got back from walking Muffin for a pair of thick gray sweats. Turning back toward me once he’s dressed, he smiles. “Come on.”
He takes my hand and pulls open his door. Muffin, who is still on the couch, lifts her head to look at us, then slowly pulls herself to stand, placing one paw on the floor at a time. As soon as she’s up, she wanders slowly to Levi, bumping him with her nose and not even paying me one bit of attention.
“My dog is seriously in love with you.”
“The feeling’s mutual, though I’m thinking of giving her a nickname.”
“Why?” I ask, watching him pet her before moving to pick up a pair of shoes and carrying them across the room.
“Muffin’s not exactly something I like calling her when we are out. I was thinking Brutus would be good.”
“She’s a girl.” I tell him something he should know as he takes a seat on the couch to put on a pair of worn sneakers.
“Why Muffin?” he asks, lifting his head to look at me.
“Do you mean why did I name her Muffin?” He nods. “She was rescued from a breeder out on Long Island,” I say, giving Muffin a rubdown when she finally pulls herself away from Levi and comes over to me. “I was visiting my parents over Christmas break last year when a story broke about a breeder out on Long Island who was being charged with animal cruelty. When I saw the news, I went to my dad to ask him about it. He told me that the Humane Society had brought more than a hundred dogs to the local shelter to either be rehomed or put down because they couldn’t adjust to life outside the cages they were forced to live in. That day I went to the shelter to see if I could help in some way. I didn’t plan on getting a dog, but I needed to do something, so I volunteered my time. That’s when I met Muffin. She was the runt of her litter and was scared to death of everyone. No one thought she would make it because she wouldn’t eat and she was having a really hard time adjusting. Every day I would spend time with her and the other dogs during breakfast before taking them on a walk or helping with cleanup around the kennel,” I say, watching his eyes soften. “Then one day I was doing what I had done the whole week prior. I was sitting on the floor eating while watching the dogs play, and Muffin, who had always stuck to the corner of the room and to herself, ran toward me to get the blueberry muffin I pulled out of my bag. I didn’t even have a chance to stop her before she ate almost the whole thing in one bite.” I smile, looking down at her. “After that she was glued to my side. If I was there, she was with me, and when I had to come back to New York, I couldn’t leave her behind, so I paid a thousand-dollar pet deposit on my apartment and brought her home.” I bend down to give my girl a hug around her neck. “So that’s why I call her Muffin,” I finish quietly, taking a chance to look at him when I feel the vibe in the room shift.
“Jesus.” He shakes his head, resting his elbows to his knees, studying us. “You better go before I stand.”
“What?” I pull myself from Muffin trying to understand what just happened and why he suddenly looks pissed.
“I want you, Fawn.” He pauses, rubbing his hand down the morning scruff covering his jaw. “I want you, and if I get my hands on you right now, there will be no going back, so you need to leave.”
“Oh.” I lick my lips and look at the door, then back to him, torn between leaving and letting him have me however he wants.
“Go, baby,” he growls, so deep that I swear I feel it skim through every single cell in my body.
“Right,” I whisper, picking up my Uggs that I took off last night and left next to his door. I pause with them against my chest. “Levi.” I turn my head toward him with my hand on the knob to find him still sitting.
“Yeah?”
“Just so you know, I want you, too.” I swing the door open and hurry out and across the hall before he can reply. After knocking on my door, since I don’t have a key, it only takes a half a second for my dad to answer, and when he does, I swear he’s fighting back a grin.
“Well, look who the cat decided to finally drag home.” Here we go.
“Morning, Daddio,” I mutter as he kisses my forehead, and then I scoot past him, dropping my shoes to the floor.
“Where’s Levi?” Mom asks, looking behind me without so much as a hello in my direction.
“He’s taking Muffin for a walk, he’ll be over soon.”
“Did you hear that, Libby? Levi’s taking Fawn’s dog for a walk after she spent the night with him,” Mac says and I look to where my sisters are seated on the couch.
“I heard it, sis.” Libby smirks, and I roll my eyes at the two of them.
“Could all of you do me a favor, and for once, just try to act normal and not embarrass me?” I plead.
“We would never embarrass you,” Mom says, and my head swings to her and I raise a brow. “Well, not on purpose, anyways,” she concludes in a mutter.
“Dad,” I say, pulling my eyes from my mom to look at him.
“When have I ever embarrassed you?” he asks, and I stare at him in disbelief.
“I don’t know, maybe the time Jimmy came over and you asked him if we were having sex.”
“That was a serious question.” He frowns, scratching his beard.
“I was thirteen,” I cry, feeling embarrassed for my teenage self all over again.
“Kids nowadays are having sex young. I wanted you to be safe.”
“Just, please, no talking about sex . . .” I pause to look at everyone. “At all.”
“I don’t know, maybe I should have a talk with him. After all, you did spend the night with the man.”
“Oh lord.” I cover my face with my hands and rub hard.
“Did you have sex with him?” Mom asks, and I pull my hands from my face to look at her, standing in the kitchen mixing a bowl of pancake batter.
“No, but even if we did, I wouldn’t talk to you or Dad about it.”
“Why not?” she asks, sounding offended.
“Mom,” I sigh.
“Well, I have years of experience. I should be the person you talk to about sex.”
“Yeah, Mom’s an expert.” Libby giggles, and I turn to glare at her as Mac makes a gag face in her direction.
“No one”—I wave my hand around encompassing all of them—“is allowed to even mention the word sex once Levi is here,” I growl, then stomp toward my bedroom and shut the door. Going straight to my bathroom, I wash my face and brush my teeth, then start up the shower. I know I don’t have a lot of time, but I need a few minutes to prepare myself for the torture that I know is coming. My family behaving like normal people is about as likely as winning the lottery.
Stripping out of my clothes, I get in under the warm water and wash my hair, then put in conditioner and leave it in to soak while I scrub head to toe with my berry-scented body wash. Once I’m clean, I comb out my hair, then rinse it with cool water. Shutting off the tap, I wrap myself in a towel and step into my room, sighing when I find my sisters on my bed.
“Levi’s here,” Mac says, and I look at the door, wondering if I should go out and rescue him before I get dressed. “He’s fine. When we came in here, he was helping Mom with breakfast.”
“Great,” I mutter, grabbing a pair of underwear and slipping them on under my towel.
“So you stayed the night with him—does this mean you’re finally going to tell us what’s going on between you two?” Libby asks, and I look at her over my shoulder while I put on my bra.
“We’re . . .” I pause, not sure what we are exactly. “We’re seeing each other.” I shrug, figuring that’s a safe and true statement. I mean, he didn’t say I was his girlfriend or anything, but he did say we were going to see what happened between us.
“So you’re dating?” Mac asks.
“Kind of.” I pull in a breath and shrug. Turning to grab a shirt, I pull out one with the Goonies on the front and toss it toward the bottom of my closet before proceeding to search through my stack of tees for one that doesn’t seem childish. Sadly, all my shirts are basically the same—they all have witty sayings or cartoon characters on them. Giving up on my search and wanting to be more comfortable than fashionable, I settle on a long-sleeved, baby-blue tee with the Muppets on the front.
“Are you going to wear that?” Libby asks as I pull on a pair of black leggings.
“Shut up, Libby,” Mac says as I step back into my bathroom to put on deodorant and spray leave-in conditioner in my hair.
“I’m only saying it because Levi doesn’t look like the type of guy who would date a girl who dresses like a fourteen-year-old,” Libby states when I come back into the room a minute later.
I look down at my shirt, and my stomach twists uncomfortably. She’s right—Levi doesn’t look like the kind of guy who would date a nerdy, awkward girl with out-of-control hair who prefers wearing leggings and baggy tees. He looks like the kind of guy who only dates models who look like his gorgeous sister-in-law.
“Don’t change,” Mac says, and my eyes go to her. “If he doesn’t like you for you, screw him.”
“You’re only saying that because of Edward.” Libby shakes her head, and I look at Mac.
“What happened with Edward?”
“Nothing.” She turns to narrow her eyes on Libby.
“So you want me to tell you what’s going on with Levi and me, but you don’t want to tell me about you and Edward?”
“There is no me and Edward,” she states in a growl, fisting her hands on her lap.
“What happened?” I ask, looking at Libby when I see Mac’s lips are sealed.
“He has a girlfriend,” Libby says quietly, and my eyes widen.
“What?” I take a seat next to Mac, and her cheeks darken. “Since when?”
“I don’t know.” Mac shakes her head. “I thought I was finally making progress with him. I thought he was finally noticing me. Then, out of the blue, he calls me three days ago and asks if I want to get a drink with him and a couple of friends. Of course, like an idiot, I agreed. Then the next thing I know, I’m sitting in a booth across from him and his girlfriend while they make out.”
“I’m sorry, Mac.” I rub her shoulder. She’s been crushing on Edward forever, so it had to be devastating for her to watch him with someone else.
“It’s for the best,” she mutters, moving off the bed to stand. “Lesson learned.” She shakes her head, smoothing her hands down her denim-covered thighs. “Never again will I work at trying to make a man notice me.”
“You deserve more than a guy like him anyways,” I tell her truthfully, and her face softens. “Seriously, he wasn’t even that cute.”
“True story.” Libby smiles, hopping off the bed. “Now, Levi, on the other hand, is beyond hot. You better hold tight to that man.”
“He’s lucky to have you, not the other way around—don’t ever forget that,” Mac says, looking at me.
“Mac’s right,” Libby says softly, wrapping her arm around Mac’s shoulders. “Levi is hot, but you are beautiful. If he doesn’t want you, someone else will.”
“Do not make me cry,” I grumble as tears burn the back of my throat. My sisters might drive me nuts most of the time, but I wouldn’t trade them for the world.
“Seriously, how lucky will he be if he gets to be a part of this family?” Libby laughs, and Mac and I follow along with her.
“Speaking of Levi, I better get out there before Mom asks him when he plans on marrying me or offers sex advice.” I grin.
“Our parents are crazy.” Mac shakes her head as I open the door.
As soon as I step out of my room, Levi’s eyes come to me and fill with an intimacy that makes my belly melt. “Hey, baby.”
“Sorry I wasn’t out when you came; I just needed a shower.”
“It’s all good. Your mom put me to work to keep me busy.”
“Did you know Levi can cook, Fawn?” She grabs his biceps and grins, giving it a squeeze as she wiggles her brows suggestively at me from behind his shoulder so he can’t see. “Honey, I suggest you get knocked up soon so he doesn’t get away.”
“What?” Levi chuckles, looking back at her while my jaw drops and lands on the floor with a thud.
“Oh . . .” Mom looks around, then looks at my dad, who is sitting across the island from her with his chest moving in a way that shows he’s laughing silently. “I . . . never mind.” She shakes her head, waving her hand around like a lunatic. Feeling my cheeks getting hotter by the second, I bite my lip. I can’t believe she just said that—well, I can believe it, because she is my mom, after all, but seriously, why can’t my parents be normal?
“Well, now that you’ve made things totally awkward,” Libby says, moving past me toward the kitchen, “what do you need help with, Mom? Do you want me to find you a turkey baster?” My eyes slide closed. I can’t believe I thought for even a second it would be okay for Levi to come over for breakfast. I really should have known better. Opening my eyes back up, I find Levi watching me closely.
“I’m so sorry,” I mouth, and his face softens.
“It’s all good,” he mouths back, then turns when my mom asks him to help with something.
“Come here, kiddo,” Dad calls, patting the stool next to him, and I move slowly across the room to slide into the seat. “He’s not running for the hills, so I’d say you’re okay,” he says quietly against the side of my head, placing a kiss there, and I nod.
“So, Levi, you said your family lives in Connecticut. Are you planning on going to see them for Thanksgiving?” Mom asks.
“No.” He shakes his head while putting some butter into a pan on the stove. “I’m on call Thanksgiving. So I’ll be home.”
“You’re going to be alone on Thanksgiving?” Mom asks, and he nods, giving her a smile.
“Yeah, it comes with the job.”
“Don’t I know it,” Mom says quietly, looking at my dad with soft eyes filled with understanding.
“So what made you want to move to New York?” Dad asks, and Levi’s gaze goes to him.
“I got offered a promotion if I transferred to the NYPD. It was an offer I couldn’t turn down, so I packed up my house, put it on the market, and moved.”
“How long have you been a detective?” Mac asks, leaning with her elbows on the island next to me.
“Four years now, give or take a few months.”
“You’re young,” Dad states, sounding surprised.
“I’m younger than most of the guys doing my job, but before I was a detective I was working undercover for two years.”
“Really?” I question. His eyes come to me, and he nods once.
“That must have been scary,” Mom says, patting his shoulder.
“It wasn’t scary, but I didn’t enjoy living a lie or breathing the same air as the scumbags I was investigating.”
“I bet not,” Dad says, picking up the cup of coffee in front of him and taking a sip.
“Do you want coffee, honey?” Mom asks me when she sees me eyeing my dad’s cup.
“Yes, please.” I smile, and she moves to where I keep my cups and grabs one before heading for the coffeepot. When a phone rings, I look at Levi, who pulls his cell out of his back pocket.
“Sorry, I gotta take this,” he apologizes, putting it to his ear and walking out of the kitchen to the front door, which he opens and closes behind him.
“Kiddo.”
“Yeah.” I look at Dad.
“Coffee.” He nods to the counter, where a fresh cup of coffee is now sitting in front of me. Nodding back, I pick it up and take a sip, then turn to the door. When it opens, Levi comes in, running a hand through his hair and looking agitated.
“Is everything okay?” I ask, and his eyes come to me.
“I’m sorry, but I gotta go.” He shakes his head; then his eyes move to my mom and dad as he walks back toward the kitchen. “It was nice meeting you both.”
“You, too, sweetie, and if we don’t see you before, have a great Thanksgiving,” Mom says, giving him a hug.
“You, too,” he mutters as my dad stands and shakes his hand.
“Get my cell number from Fawn. If you ever need anything, just let me know,” Dad says, patting his shoulder before stepping back.
“Will do,” Levi agrees with a smile as both of my sisters hug him quickly before stepping back. Watching him, I wonder what I should do, then his eyes come back to me and he holds out his hand. “Walk me over to my place.”
“Um . . . sure,” I agree, sliding off my stool and taking his hand. “I’ll be right back,” I say over my shoulder as he pulls me toward the door.
“Sure, honey,” Mom mutters from the kitchen, but my eyes are locked with my dad’s, and I see something there that makes me feel uneasy.
“What happened?” I ask his back as he pulls me across the hall.
“There was a murder downtown,” he mutters, pulling me inside his apartment and closing the door behind us.
“I’m so—” My words end as I’m backed against the wall and his mouth crashes down on mine. The second his tongue slides across my bottom lip, my lips part and my fingers fist the fabric of his shirt to hold on. No one has ever kissed me the way he does. No one has ever made me feel the way he does—like he’s marking me, claiming me as his. When he pulls his mouth away, I pant, keeping my eyes closed, needing a second to recover.
“I’m sorry about breakfast, baby.”
“It . . . it’s okay.” I blink up at him. “I understand.”
“Yeah.” He smiles, dragging his thumb down over my lips and chin. “My girl gets me.”
His girl. Man, I love the sound of that.
“Go enjoy the rest of your morning with your family.”
“Okay,” I agree, but he doesn’t move to let me go, making my stomach feel warm once more. “You need to get ready,” I remind him, wishing he didn’t have to. He bends his head; his mouth touches mine once more, this time so tenderly that I almost don’t feel it.
He takes a step back, pulling me from the wall, muttering under his breath, “Never hated my job before.” My legs get weak, and my heart pounds. “I’m off tomorrow—we’ll go out.” He opens his door, and I look up at him.
“Tomorrow’s Sunday,” I say as he surprises me by taking my hand, locking our fingers together for the short few steps to my door.
“Do you have plans?”
“Um . . .” I pause. “No, no plans, just Sundays I always do my laundry and clean.”
“All right, we’ll hang at your place while you clean, then order in food.”
“It will be boring for you to hang around while I clean.”
“You have a TV, babe. I’m good with hanging on the couch watching a game. I just want to spend some time with you.”
“Are you sure?” I ask as we stop outside my apartment.
“Are you gonna be there with me?” he asks, and I frown.
“Do you mean will I be at my house while you’re there?”
“Yeah, babe, that’s what I mean.” His lips twitch.
“I’ll be there,” I confirm like a dork.
“Then, yeah, I’m sure I want to be there with you.” He leans in, kissing my forehead. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Okay.” I nod, then look across the hall to his door, worrying my bottom lip.
“What’s wrong?”
“Can you call and let me know when you get home?” I ask, then immediately drop my eyes from his, because that probably sounded clingy and girlfriendish. “I mean, just so I know you’re home safe.”
“It might be late when I get back,” he says, putting his fingers on my chin, pulling up until my eyes meet his once more.
“You don—”
“You gonna be worried about me?” he questions, searching my face.
“No . . .” His eyes narrow, and I blow out a breath. “Yes,” I grumble, and he smiles softly, rubbing my chin with his thumb.
“I’ll call.”
“Okay.” I pull in a breath through my nose, then lean up on my tiptoes, pressing a kiss to his cheek. “Be safe, Levi.”
“Always, gorgeous. I’ll talk to you later.”
“’Kay,” I whisper against his mouth when it touches mine. “’Bye.” I drop to my flat feet, then turn and open the door, stepping inside. I give him a wave as he steps back.
“Later, baby.”
“Later,” I agree, watching him head across the hall to his place. He stops to look at me once more before he goes inside.
“Kiddo, breakfast is ready,” Dad says behind me, and I shut the door and turn to find all eyes on me.
“What?”
“Oh, you’ve got it bad.” Libby grins.
“Whatever,” I mutter, moving toward the kitchen.
“I don’t know, I’d say Levi is the one who’s got it bad,” Mom says, studying me thoughtfully. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen a man more in want than he is.”
“I don’t like it,” Dad says, and I pull my eyes from my mom to look at him and see that same look in his eyes that I saw right before I left a few minutes ago.
“I thought you liked Levi.”
“I like him just fine, but—”
“But what?” I cut him off, feeling my face fall.
“I want a different life for my girls than the one I subjected your mom to. Can’t you find a nice teacher or a doctor to date?” So that’s his sudden problem with Levi.
“Darling,” Mom whispers, and he shakes his head at her.
“No, I know how hard my career has been on my family.”
“Your career has given us a beautiful life.”
“All the holidays I missed, birthdays, anniversaries?” He shakes his head, rubbing his hands down his beard. “I know that was hard on you and the girls.”
“Dad, none of us suffered,” Mac says softly, and his eyes go to her. “We knew your job was important, and we also knew that you and Mom would find ways to make up for the times we missed out on with you. I don’t know about Libby or Fawn, but I never felt like I missed out on anything.”
“I never felt like I missed out on anything, Dad. You were always there when it was important,” Libby says, and his eyes go to her and soften.
“Dad,” I call, and he pulls his eyes from Libby to look at me. “You were out making the world a safer place for Mom, Libby, Mac, and me. There was never a time I resented you for that. Never,” I say, meaning that from the bottom of my soul, and he closes his eyes briefly.
“I just . . . I know the life of a detective is a demanding one, and I know that your mom has had to give up a lot for me.”
“I didn’t give up anything for you,” Mom snaps, glaring at him. “I love my life, I love my girls, and I love you, you big lug, and I wouldn’t change any part of it even if I could.”
“The worry?”
“I’d worry about you if you were a banker, I’d worry about you if you were a fisherman. There isn’t a line of work you could do that would erase that worry. I love you; every time you leave the house I worry if you’ll come back, but I worry even when you leave to go to the grocery store.”
“I just want Fawn to understand what she’s getting into with a man like Levi.”
“I know, Dad, and I love you for worrying, but let’s say I didn’t explore things with him. Let’s say I let my fear of what could happen win and I missed out on one of the best things in my life because I was scared. Would you be okay with that?”
“You’d be disappointed in her if she did that, Dad,” Mac says, and he pulls in a breath, then lets it out slowly.
“You’re right, I would be disappointed in Fawn if she let fear rule her life,” he says, then looks at me. “Do you really like this guy?”
“I do. I don’t know what will happen between us or where our relationship will go, but right now, I like spending time with him. The rest will have to wait—we’re just getting to know each other.”
“I say he’s a keeper. I mean, he did stick around after Mom suggested you get knocked up. I think that says a lot about him,” Libby says, and I smile as Mom lets out a huff.
“Just please be careful,” Dad says quietly, and I nod, then walk to him when he opens his arms to me.
Giving him a hug, I close my eyes. “I love you. Dad, you are still the best dad in the whole world.”
“I love you, too, kiddo, to the moon and back.” Giving him one more squeeze, I step back, then smile as my mom engulfs me in a tight embrace.
“I love you, honey, and I have to say I really, really like Levi.”
“Mom.” I roll my eyes as she lets me go.
“I know, I know, you are just starting to get to know each other, but a mom can pray, can’t she?” she asks, patting my cheek.
“Just don’t get your hopes up too high.”
“If you say so,” she mutters, then lets me go with a whimsical smile on her face that says she’s already planning a wedding and knitting baby booties. Lord, save me.