Page 98 of This Baby Business
Levi ignored that and stopped his preflight safety check. Now he’d have to start all over again. Man, this day. Somebody shoot him. He climbed out of the plane and walked toward Carly, unable to hear anything but the blood coursing through his veins. There had better be nothing wrong with Grace. But he’d checked his phone right before boarding and there’d been no new messages. And if there was something wrong with Grace, Carly wouldn’t waste time coming here when she could be on her way to the hospital to have a skinned knee checked by an orthopedist.
“Sorry, Levi,” Jedd said.
“It’s fine.” Levi waved him off. He turned to Carly. “Is Grace okay?”
“Yes! She’s fine. Zoey and Jill are watching her. That’s not what this is about.”
“Then…what?”
She squinted at him in the bright sun. “Why didn’t you answer my text?”
He nodded toward the plane. “I’m a little busy here.”
“That was hours ago.” She wrung her hands together.
He stared at her, his heart shifting painfully at her obvious discomfort. She knew the answer. He was too pissed to talk. Or text. He was being a child, in other words. Not wanting to deal with the fact that she’d hurt him because he’d opened himself up to the opportunity. Not wanting to face the fact that he was a grown man with a few abandonment issues. Not wanting to deal, period. Give him his bird and the safety of the open skies and he’d be all right. Eventually.
“I have to explain.” She looked past him, and Levi followed her gaze to his passengers plastered up against the windows, watching them.
“Ignore them.”
“Okay.” She took a breath and closed her eyes. And kept them closed. “I know we promised not to keep anything from each other. I was going to tell you about New York as soon as I decided, but I didn’t have a chance before you saw the text. And I do love you, Levi. That’s the truth. I wanted to tell you in a place where you had to know that I meant it. There’s no other reason I’d say this right here and now. This is terrifying. I might be arrested at any moment and, even if I’m not, I’m pretty sure Stone is going to be royally pissed at me. There’s no other really good feeling that could be influencing me right now. If you know what I mean.” She opened one eye to peek at him. “These aren’t just words to me.”
His heart pinched, because she looked so small and vulnerable out here under the bright sky. He loved her so much it physically hurt. She’d taken a risk coming out here now, knowing he was angry. Also taken a risk being the first to sayI love you. And so far, she was still all alone in that. Her courage slayed him.
Just like clockwork, Stone marched toward them looking like a pissed-off warden. This might not be a regional airport yet or have TSA, but Stone did not suffer fools. Even fools in love.
“I’ve got to go now,” Carly said and walked toward Stone.
Levi watched them both walk to the hangar, Carly leading the way, Stone following her like he wanted to make sure she wouldn’t turn back. The door opened and shut.
Never miss a chance to tell the people you love how you feel.
He had a flight and passengers waiting. But you know what? To hell with it. He turned, gave them a hold-on sign, then jogged to the hangar. Opened the door and there stood Carly, clearly being lectured by Stone while surrounded by Cassie, Jedd, Sarah, Matt and Emily. They all turned to him expectantly when he strode in.
Yeah, he didn’t know what he was doing because, for the first time in years, his emotions were calling the shots for him. This was strange, the feverish pounding of his pulse in his eardrums. His sweaty palms. So odd, it almost didn’t feel like his body as he moved toward Carly and everyone stepped out of his way. But then he picked her up in his arms and it felt very much like him. Like a part of him he’d forgotten. The best part.
She smiled, and everyone smiled now. Even Stone, though it was a reluctant pull of his lips.
“I love you, Carly.” And the words weren’t hard to say at all.
“I’m sorry?” Matt cupped a hand to his ear. “I don’t think I heard that.”
“Say it louder, flyboy,” Stone said. “So those in the back can hear.”
“He said he loves her,” Cassie said. Loudly. “Are you all hard of hearing? I’m sixty-seven and I heard him clear as a bell.”
“I love you.” Levi set Carly down. He turned to his audience. “I said I love her. But the rest of this is private.”
Emily folded her arms. “There is no such thing as private at Mcallister Charters and Magnum Aviation. We’re family here.”
A loud, obnoxious, intrusive family. The kind he’d grown up without. He loved them, too, and what’s more, he needed them. They were all going to help him and Carly raise Grace. He didn’t need to do this alone. Didn’t want to.
“I still need a minute alone with my girl.” With that, he took her by the hand and pulled her into Stone’s inner office.
Of course, they all followed and stopped just outside the door. “You’re all extremely annoying.” He shut the door.
“We know,” Matt said from behind the now closed door.
