Page 71 of Code of Heart
“But the house needed so much work when I bought it that this space became the ‘someday’ project. I did what I could—hiredcontractors for the major stuff—but a lot of this?” She gestured toward the walls and the rough flooring. “I learned how to do it myself. Spent years watching tutorials and reading everything I could get my hands on.”
Levi turned to her; eyes filled with something that made her stomach flip. It looked suspiciously like genuine admiration. “You did all that on your own?”
She crossed her arms, feeling defensive even though his tone wasn’t judgmental. “Not everyone has the luxury of throwing money at a problem, Levi. I had to figure it out, one step at a time.” Her voice softened as she added, “Though…I’m starting to think Eleanor might’ve pulled a few strings without telling me. The contractors suddenly had open schedules with prices that didn’t match the market at the time…”
Levi stepped closer, his expression warm and sincere. “I didn’t mean it as anything but a compliment. I’m really impressed. And, if I’m being honest, a tad emasculated. You built this place into a home with your own two hands, and I’m not even sure I can hold a hammer properly.” He spun slowly in a circle, arms outstretched. “And now look at you. You’ve got unlimited potential up here for a few small bedrooms…definitely an office. Hell, you could put in a small bowling alley.”
She snorted. “I don’t want a bowling alley, small or otherwise.”
“Agree to disagree. But seriously, this is incredible, Auri. You should be proud of what you’ve done here.”
Auri. No one had ever called her anything other than her full name before.
“Sorry…Is it okay if I call you Auri?” Levi’s tentative question melted any hesitation she had.
She allowed the warmth of his words, and the intimacy of the name settle under her skin as she nodded. She didn’t want it to matter. She barely knew him…but it did.
Pulling herself together, she turned toward the stairs. “Alright, let’s get this day started. I’m going to need every available second to mentally prepare for meeting your friends tonight.”
Levi let out a long, dramatic sigh. “I’m not sure even divine intervention could prepare you for this performance,” he muttered.
And despite herself, she laughed.
Levi
Levi finished packing in far less time than he expected. He wasn’t sure if that was a good thing or a quiet reflection of how empty his life was. Either way, it meant he would be home before lunch, with time to spare—enough time to brace Aurelia for the impending circus of meeting his friends.
They meant well, but that didn’t mean they weren’t a collective disaster when put in the same room.
As he loaded his overnight bags into the car, his mind kept circling back to Aurelia’s story, specifically about sleeping in her car, alone, night after night. The thought of her curled up in the backseat, parking in questionable areas simply to get a few hours of restless sleep, made his chest ache. That kind of survival wasn’t only difficult—it was dangerous. And yet, despite all of it, she hadn’t just survived; she had built something beautiful from nothing.
She deserved the world, and Levi had every intention of learning how to give it to her. If she let him.
The matchmaking profiles had only scratched the surface, neat little summaries that left out the cracks and scars that told thereal stories. If he wanted to understand his wife, he would have to earn that knowledge the hard way, through time and trust.
But first…they had to survive dinner with his friends.
Aurelia insisted on bringing dessert despite his assurances that it wasn’t necessary.
“I’m not showing up empty-handed. That’s bad manners,” she said, giving him the kind of glare that made it clear this wasn’t a topic open for debate.
Levi had wisely decided this wasn’t the hill to die on.
When he returned to the house with the first load of bags, he found Aurelia at the stove, stirring something thick and suspiciously lumpy. A faintly sweet, lemony aroma filled the air, but the texture…he couldn’t hide the skepticism on his face even if he tried.
Aurelia turned, immediately spotting the look. One hand perched firmly on her hip while the other brandished a wooden spoon at him like a weapon.
“What’s that look for?” she demanded, arching a brow in challenge.
Levi lifted his hands in mock surrender. “Nothing! I’m merely wondering what sort of weird, lumpy concoction you’re brewing over there. I thought you said this wasdessert?”
Her eyes narrowed into dangerous slits. “Thisisthe dessert,” she hissed.
“Oh. Right.” He cleared his throat, trying, and failing profoundly, to sound convincing. “Looks…delicious?”
She scoffed, leveling the spoon at him with deadly precision. “You’ve obviously never had rice pudding. And it shows.”
So many things he could have said, yet he had chosenthat. Fantastic.
