Page 14 of Into the Fire
“Smells good,” he muttered, setting down his keys on the counter and emptying the rest of the things from his pockets.
Emery glanced over her shoulder with a smile that was a little extra bright. “Don’t worry, cowboy. Still nothing fancy.”
They all sat together for dinner, and Emery noticed the way the stress seemed to melt from Levi's shoulders as he listened to June talk about the new game she played at school to help her remember how to tell how many syllables are in a word. She could see him visibly relax the more he got to just be a present dad and not be so focused on all the household chores he'd still have to tackle after already working a full day.
His smile while talking with June was more genuine than Emery had seen yet. She thought to herself that it was probably a good thinghe didn't smile more often, because holy shit, his smile was gorgeous. She knew she'd have to remind herself over and over that he was complicated, and she was temporary here. But in the same breath, she couldn't help but hope that maybe she had even the smallest part in the less stressed version of the cranky cowboy sitting at the table tonight.
Levi stood from the table, grabbing June’s empty plate and his own into one hand before heading toward the sink.
Emery stood too, gathering the last of the silverware and napkins, but before he could turn on the faucet, she reached out and touched his arm lightly, just above the elbow.
“I’ve got this,” she said gently.
Levi blinked, brow furrowing. “You cooked.”
Emery shrugged, starting to stack the plates with ease. “You need some time with her before the night’s over.”
He hesitated, glancing toward the hallway where June was already skipping off toward thebathroom, humming loudly, dragging a towel behind her like a cape.
“I don’t—”
Emery cut him off with a soft smile. “You don’t have to do everything, Levi. Go. This part is easy. It’s why I'm here.”
Levi stood there for a moment, as if weighing whether he should argue, but something about the calm confidence in her eyes outweighed his stubbornness. With a grumble that wasn’t quite convincing, he wiped his hands on a dish towel.
As he disappeared down the hallway, Emery turned back to the sink, sleeves rolled up and warm water already running. From down the hall, she could hear June giggling, her voice echoing off the bathroom tile, followed soon by the low tone of Levi reading a silly line from a book with exaggerated gruffness that made June squeal with laughter.
Emery smiled to herself, rinsing the plates and placing them gently onto the dish rack. Thehouse was peaceful, like the kind of place that held real happiness in its walls. Not perfect. But solid. Honest.
And that gruff, overworked, frustratingly handsome man was slowly, unknowingly, pulling her into it.
The sun had started to dip low behind the hills, leaving a golden glow in the deep blue sky. Crickets had begun their nightly song, and the porch light buzzed faintly overhead.
Emery sat on the porch swing, waiting for Levi to finish the bedtime routine before she took off for the day. One leg tucked beneath her, the air smelled faintly like hay and earth, a cool breeze rustling through the trees beyond the fence line.
She heard the door creak open behind her a few minutes later, the slow sound of Levi’s socked feet on the old wooden boards.
“She out?” Emery asked, handing him a jar without looking up.
“Out cold,” he said, easing down ontothe swing beside her. “Didn’t even make it through the second book.”
Emery smiled into her tea. “You’ve got a good bedtime voice.”
Levi raised an eyebrow, then smirked. “A bedtime voice? Didn’t know that was a thing.”
“It is,” she said. “Very official.”
They sat in silence for a beat, the quiet between them not uncomfortable, just… full of thoughts neither of them had quite spoken yet.
“She’s a good kid,” Emery said softly.
Levi’s jaw tightened for a second before he nodded. “She is.”
The silence returned, heavier this time. Emery could feel the question pressing at her lips before she even decided to ask it.
“She talked about her mom today,” she said, her voice careful. “Not much—just said she doesn't have one, and that sometimes the other kids make jokes about it.”
Levi exhaled slowly, leaning his hands on therail beside him. He didn’t look at her.
