“Well, those two get along,” I say, my eyes scanning the loft. I flick them back to Levi, who is watching me with a grin spread across his smug face. “What?”
“You’re bringing a hockey player out here? Of course we’re going to get along, we love hockey.”
“So, what’s the deal?”
“It’s you.” Levi’s eyes rock to the loft then back to me. “And a hockey player. You told me you were done with these types.”
“He’s not anything more than one of Travis’s friends and a client.”
“Yeah, whatever,” Levi murmurs. “I’ve got radar for this, I’m a guy. As soon as Austin hugged you, December made sure to grab your arm so we’d know…”
“So you’d know what?” I’m laughing now. “You’re trying to stir me up now, aren’t you?”
You know those moments when you can feel someone is watching you? I’m having one now, so I look back up at the loft not expecting to see anything, but I’m surprised when I find Jake looking down at me. He holds my gaze for a moment before he smiles. Austin calls his name out from behind and he disappears again, leaving me to slowly pull my attention back to Levi.
“See,” he says, with something more than smugness dripping on each word. “He is watching you. I’m telling you…”
“Stop talking.” I laugh as I lean forward and put my hands on his makeshift desk. “Hey, you know how you and Austin were in the Big Brothers Big Sisters program?”
Levi nods. “Best thing to happen to us. Don’t know if we would have ended up in football if we hadn’t been enrolled.”
“That’s what I thought. Look, my mom is trying to put together a fundraiser for the one in Sweetkiss Creek. Maybe you guys have some cool swag I can throw into the auction?”
“What are you thinking?”
I shrug. “I don’t know. Jersey? Tickets to a game? A date?” The last suggestion is a joke, but Levi’s eyebrows shoot up.
“A date?” He scratches his chin. “I’d like to offer Austin up for a date.”
“Stop it,” I say, tossing a piece of paper at his head. “Forget I said date and have a think about a jersey or tickets or something. Maybe a meet and greet with both of you? I’ll supervise.”
“I’ll talk to Austin and see what we can do.” Levi then levels his gaze at me. “But now, about that hockey player…”
“What?” Austin says from where he’s descending the stairs. “What kind of drama are you filling in Riley’s head now?”
Snapping the invoice from Levi’s hand, I find a pen and scribble my name across it. “He’s trying to get me to take Becks off your hands, that’s what he’s doing.”
“Seriously?” Levi whispers as his eyes light up. I knew this was the change of subject I needed. But now, I’ve got one of my oldest and dearest friends thinking I want a dog. “If you took Becks, that would be awesome. Would you still bring him out so we could see him?”
“Well, there’s Brad Pitt…”
“He’s a turtle.”
Jake’s eyes light up. “You have a turtle?”
“He’s my baby.” I look back at Levi. “Seriously, I’m not even sure I can have a dog at my new place.”
“Come on, trial basis?” He grins as he opens a desk drawer and pulls out a leash. “I’ll throw in a leash for free.”
“Only a leash?”
“How about the first month of dog food, a new dog bed, and his next round of shots.” Levi throws his hands in the air. “Please, Riley? I honestly don’t want to get rid of this dog, but if he goes with you, then I know he’ll be safe. And happy.”
“And he can see him again because he’s a sucker,” Austin says, tossing a handful of hay at his brother’s head.
I look at Jake, who is busy trying not to laugh. “It’s a responsibility I’m not sure I can…”
“Dogs are the best kind of responsibility,” Jake interjects, looking at the Porter brothers. “Not trying to butt in, just advocating for Becks over there.”
