Chapter Fifteen
Dead leaves floated off the trees.
As Levi stepped across the field, the barn manager waved him into the stalls. Another group had booked an expedition that morning. After he took them out, Levi arrived back at the resort with an emergency text from Fernando.
“Last night she was fine.” Blood dripped down the leg of his brown and white appaloosa, Stoney. “It looks like barbed wire.”
“How the hell did that happen?” Levi hissed.
“She must have gotten out,” Fernando offered.
“Then back in again?” Levi stepped into the paddock to get a closer look. Little holes cut up her leg from the calf down. Getting on his knees, he reached up to rub her muzzle.
“Yeah, we haven’t quite figured that one out yet.”
“Heard you’re in need of a doctor,” his animal vet called out from the stall door.
Levi greeted the doc and let him get to work, before signaling Fernando to follow him out. “Did you check the security feed?”
“The camera on the main building was taken out. That would have at least given us the right side of the barn. We’re still trying to pull footage from the front and back.”
Most accessible from the north, he doubted the broken cameras were an accident.
“Let me know if you find anything and I’ll get a look at the video by the trail,” Levi instructed his manager.
Pissed beyond belief, he had to harness his rage. He couldn’t believe someone hurt one of his animals, let alone trespassed on his property.
“Levi!” Katie shouted at him from her golf cart. She parked next to his truck and let a guest out on the passenger side. He sighed at the mere sight of her.
“Hey, boss, this is Larry, the builder. He’s here about the tree houses,” Katie said, with a note of confusion.
Less than a day had passed since he cut short an awesome blowjob. Not that he didn’t want to finish, but his ego had taken over. Cayden wanted control that he didn’t want to give. After he screwed her pretty little head off, without one word she grabbed the rest of his beer and moseyed up to bed. Complicated didn’t come close to describing their relationship.
“I didn’t know we had a meeting.” He reached out and shook the man’s hand.
“Oh no, we didn’t have an appointment. I wanted to get a feel for the place, because it-it will help with my designs ideas,” Larry stuttered. “Do you mind?” He pointed around the property.
“Nope, be my guest.”
Larry resembled a hobbit out of Lord of the Rings but without the charming feet. Levi wouldn’t have been surprised if the man actually lived in Middle Earth or some such place.
“Tree houses?” Katie asked, still probably in the dark about the whole mess. “For kids?”
“Adults,” he told her, fully aware where this conversation would go if he didn’t put a stop to it.
“Huh?”
“High-end luxury tree houses where honeymooners can reconnect in … the sky.”
“Oh, wow, I bet that costs a lot.”
“It does, but—”
“Is Ms. Young available?” Larry shouted down the field. The man hovered near the edge of the forest, and Levi noted how far across the property he made it.
“But what about the pumpkins?” Katie’s lip quivered, on the verge of tears.
Capable of averting more than one crisis at a time, he addressed the tree-building hobbit first. “I’ll text her, but she has prior commitments. You’ll probably have to make an appointment,” he said as Katie sniffed. Full on waterworks, he predicted, if he didn’t handle this right.
“We’ll make a pumpkin patch for the little ones. Maybe set up a petting zoo with cute animals that won’t get us sued for being disgusting.”
“Really?” She smiled with unshed tears shining in her eyes.
“Can you do me a favor and research it?”
“On it, boss.” She jogged off to her golf cart, leaving him behind with the strange little tree man.
“Where does this trail go?” Larry already started up the hill.
Levi took his phone out of his pocket to text Cayden. She didn’t sleep much last night. Although she was probably conked out, he texted her anyway, and just to be sure, he suggested she put some clothes on. Fairly cool for the season, her yoga gear simply wouldn’t cut it. “Come on, I’ll take you around the property,” he said, with the understanding that he just shot his day to shit.
****
December 2003—The Concert
Fat flakes floated down to the ground, not the sticky stuff all the weather reports claimed. In the end, it wouldn’t amount to much. Levi turned off his lights and eased two houses down from the twins’ place.
“Think they’ll come?” Greg asked.
The porch light blinked twice. He drove to the front of the one-story yellow house and parked in front. They hurried out of the truck to help Bud load his brother’s wheelchair into the cab. Greg grabbed Mike while Levi stuffed the chair in the back. With the precision of a pit crew, they made it back in the pickup in no time flat.
“Shit, my parents’ lights just came on … floor it!” Bud shouted.
As Levi hightailed it out of the twins’ neighborhood, he slid and slipped down the wet street. He almost sideswiped the Hammonds’ minivan, but righted his truck at the last minute. They laughed their heads off at their near miss and headed to Chesterfield. Mike coughed a rickety, dry rip that sounded bad.
“Maybe this isn’t such a great idea,” Bud said.
“Quit being such a girl,” Mike groused at his brother. Diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, the older twin didn’t have much longer to live. They tried everything, but nothing worked, and they were told to take him home and make him comfortable.
Considering this their last hurrah, they managed to plan Mike a good send off. “I took an extra nap, so I feel like I don’t even have cancer! Let’s spend the whole night out.”
Everyone chuckled at his joke, but they all knew the score. Instead of letting it get them down, they chatted about movies, girls, and school—empty, non-life threatening subjects.
Once Levi arrived outside of the wrought-iron gates, an underclassman waved them into Chesterfield. She signaled for them to drive left around the bend.
Thanks to Cayden sneaking him on campus, he had a good idea where to go. A large white tent had been resurrected on the football field.
“I don’t know about this,” Bud said.
Another girl used a flashlight to guide them in. He went around the fork in the road and parked in the back of the tent. In a matter of seconds, a gang of teenage girls came out to the truck.
“Well, if it isn’t tasty.”
“Simone,” he greeted the redhead.
“I’m your guide. Lord knows why anyone would break into a private school.” She winked at them. “But let’s go.”
“Hey, whoa!” Bud shouted at the three girls who grabbed Mike from the truck.
“Don’t worry, they’re on the water polo team. He’s totally in good hands,” Simone assured him. More graceful than the guys ever were, the girls placed Mike in his wheelchair and rolled him into the tent.
Bud gave everyone the stink eye before he followed behind his brother.
“Intense, much?” one of the girls muttered.
“Cut him some slack, it’s his bother.”
“Coming?” Greg asked, deliriously happy.
“I’ll catch up.” Levi waited for him to be out of sight.
“Not too many guys let their boys have all the fun,” Simone said, she held out her hand.
Accepting the naughty redhead’s offer, he placed his inside of hers and followed under the tent. Blackout dark, he had to work around equipment from the band.
“This is crazy sweet by the way,” Simone complimented him.
“Couldn’t have pulled it off without you guys,” he admitted with deep appreciation. Mike’s favorite band, The Foo Fighters, were there to play a concert for the rich kids. No amount of money would allow the townies to attend. When Cayden clued him into the lineup for her winter dance, Levi knew he would need her help to sneak them in.
A blue hue lit up the front the crowd, while huge twinkling snowflakes hung down.
“We private school girls love a good heist.” Simone stopped abruptly in front of him. “You’ve got it bad, huh?”
“Who doesn’t like the Foo Fighters?” he asked, playing dumb.
“Yeah.” She laughed. “Lucky for you she’s figured Dale out sooner rather than later, unlike the rest of us.” Simone nodded toward the food station.
With everyone fixated on the band, no one paid any attention to the mounds of desserts and snacks. Levi slipped behind a chocolate fountain that poured cocoa, while cookies and cupcakes were on display for what seemed like miles. Stationed at the punch bowl, Cayden stood facing the band. Grabbing her waist, he moved them away from any prying eyes.
“It’s me.” He chuckled in her ear.
“You’ve got to stop doing that.” Turning around, she hit his arm. “Glad you made it.” She smiled.
“Pretty sure I’ll be in the dog house with my parents.” They stood merely inches apart from each other, while David Grohl belted out “All My Life”.
“Yep, you’re royally screwed, Levi Scott.” Outdoor space heaters warmed the inside of the tent. It knocked the chill off the area but not enough to forego the hats and jackets.
As her long, curly hair flowed past her shoulders, a fuzzy white cap covered the top of her head. A gorgeous ski angel stood in front of him.
Waging a hard-fought war within himself, he tamped down the feeling to kiss her pouty lips. Truth be told, he needed to thank her then join his friends, but his feet felt rooted to the ground.
“Why the hell are you on nerd duty?”
“New experience. Besides…” She nodded toward the band.
“Not a fan?” he asked.
“Nirvana without Kurt Cobain just isn’t the same. Hey, I think your crew made it up front.”
Levi glanced up. The girls surrounded his friends while they pushed the wheelchair next to the stage.
“This one’s for my guy, Mike Caldwell. He’s going through some tough times right now,” David Grohl announced, “but I hope to see you make it through this stronger and better than ever.” They kicked into “There Goes My Hero,” Mike’s favorite song.
“Wow,” he said, impressed Cayden pulled a dedication off.
“I owed you for not telling your parents how old I really am.”
“Yeah,” he muttered, a little disappointed that her kindness didn’t turn into a declaration of love instead of an obligation to pay back a debt.
While the Foo Fighters belted out their greatest teenage anthem, he beat back the need to break his promise and kiss her. Closer to her mouth than he had any right to be, he bent his head toward her, in pursuit of her glossy pink lips.
“Time to motor.” The sound of the redhead’s voice stopped him cold. “Dale and his friends figured out you guys are here.” Simone tugged on his arm.
With a cheeky smile, Cayden glanced above her head. A few feet from where they stood hung mistletoe from the ceiling of the tent. She gave him a one-finger wave with a devious expression firmly in place.