Page 22 of Into the Fire
“You showing up on my porch with your messy hair and your city girl shoes? You are the first thing that felt like it might be worth the risk.”
She blinked, caught off guard.
He gave a small, crooked smile. “And for the record… I’m the one who should be worried about not measuring up. Not the other way around.”
The silence between them stretched, warm this time.
Her voice was softer when she spoke again. “I just hate knowing that people are assuming things.”
“Let ‘em talk,” he said simply. “We know the truth.”
Then, almost as an afterthought, he added, “And if you were trying to sleep your way to the top, you’re doing a terrible job.”
She laughed, andthis time, it was real.
“I guess I’ll have to step it up,” she teased.
Levi tipped his head. “Careful, Em.”
Their eyes held. The air shifted.
And then the porch light flickered, as if reminding them of the real world still turning around them.
“I should get going,” she murmured, standing slowly.
“Yeah,” Levi said, voice a little hoarse. “Early morning.”
As she reached the porch steps, he called after her.
“Emery?”
She turned, now at the bottom step, before hitting the gravel driveway.
“You belong here. Don’t let anyone make you question that.”
She gave a small nod. “Night, Levi.”
“Night”
9
The morning had started like all the others this week—coffee brewed and Levi out the door before the sun finished rising, June’s hair tamed into a ponytail that probably wouldn't last until recess, and a packed lunch before shuttling her off to school.
After school drop off, Emery rolled up her sleeves and started on the day’s cleaning. She had just finished wiping down the counters when movement outside the window caught her attention.
Levi’s truck.
He hadn’t mentioned coming back this early, and curiosity tugged at her.
Without overthinking it, she grabbed her sunglasses, slipped on her flip flops waiting by the door, and stepped outside, the warm air brushing against her skin as she made her way toward the barn. Maybe he’d forgotten something. Or maybe he just wanted to check in. Either way, Emery didn't hate the idea of an extra chance to see him today.
The large barn doors were open, the soft clanging of tools echoing from inside.
But it wasn’t Levi who she saw first; it was one of the ranch hands, a younger guy she hadn’t seen much of. He wiped his hands on a rag and gave her a slow, appreciative once-over that immediately made her skin prickle.
“Well, hey there,” he said with a grin that tried a little too hard to look smooth. “You must be the new girl that Levi’s been keeping tucked away at the house.”
Emery raised a brow. “I’m helping out with his daughter.”
