Page 17 of Into the Fire
“The hell is that?”
Levi’s brows pulled together as he looked at his own front porch. Placed neatly at the top of the steps were two oversized pots, each one filled to the brim with vibrant flowers, pinks and oranges, and yellows that hadn't been there this morning.
“Wow, Levi,” Jess leaned in closer, “This yournew style? Looks like you’ve got a hidden passion for home décor and seasonal aesthetics.”
Levi rolled his eyes and stomped forward, making his way up the steps and muttering under his breath. “Jess, don't.”
Jess grinned widely behind him. “Looks good, man. You plant 'em between branding calves and yelling at fence posts?”
Levi frowned. “Shut the fuck up.”
Jess let out a low whistle. “Seems like somebody’s pretty’n up the place in more ways than one, big bro.”
Levi turned his head slowly, a warning already in his eyes. “Better watch how you say that.”
Jess smirked, still grinning. “Why? She’s just the nanny, right?”
Levi didn’t answer at first. The muscles in his jaw flexed as he climbed the steps. “I said, watch it.”
Jess raised both hands. “Didn’t say a damn thing. Just makin’ an observation about your pretty, new… flowers.”
That earned a scoff from Levi as they stepped into the house to grab a couple beers, the cool air a welcome relief after a day under the sun. Levi twisted the top off his bottle and handed the other to Jess, both of them walking back out to the porch and settling into the wooden chairs with a view of the horizon and the flower pots at their feet.
After a few minutes of silence, his eyes drew back to the planter. Levi nudged Jess’s boot with his own. “Whatcha think about just… stayin’ put. Putting down something real.”
Jess didn’t answer right away. He watched the land stretched out in front of them—the fences, the horses grazing off in the distance, the wind catching the edge of the barn roof.
“I don't know, man. Not sure if it's for me,” he gave a sad half-smile. “But sometimes it don’t sound half bad.”
Before either of them could say anything else, the front door creaked open behind them. June came flying out, giggling, her two little braids bouncing asshe launched herself onto Levi’s lap.
“Daddy! Look!” she pointed at the flowers. “Emery helped me plant those today!”
Levi smiled down at her, brushing some loose hair behind her ear. “That so?”
“Uh-huh,” she beamed. “I got to pick the colors and everything.”
Levi looked over at the pots again and nodded. “Well, they sure are pretty, June bug.”
Just then, the screen door opened again, and Emery stepped out, pulling on a beige slouchy cardigan and slipping into her flip flops she’d left by the door. She paused on the steps for a second, giving Levi and Jess a warm smile.
Planting a kiss on June's head and glancing back at the flowers, Levi couldn't help but think about how Emery had been quiet about it all, slipping into his routine without forcing it. Baking cookies and leaving them in the kitchen like they just appeared there. Taking over feeding the chickens, cooking dinners barefoot in the kitchen, like she belonged in this place.
And now flowers. Bright. Warm. Intentional.
He didn’t like change. Didn’t like being caught off guard.
Still, he found himself thinking how the orange in those zinnias almost matched the amber flecks in her eyes when he'd catch her laughing about something with June.
Jess knocked his boot this time. “You keep lookin’ at those flowers like that, and folks are gonna start thinking you’ve gone soft.”
“I said shut up,” Levi grumbled, but scowling just a little less than before.
“I borrowed a shovel from the barn,” Emery told him. “June was determined to get those flowers in the ground before the sun went down.”
“You girls did good,” His voice was lower than usual.
“I think she just wanted an excuse to play in the dirt,” Emery grinned, calling gently to June. “Come on, little lady, let’s get you cleaned up before I head out.”
