Page 53 of Into the Fire
“Is he staying long term this time? Maybe I’ll invite Lainey, she’s been buried in homework, it would be good to get her out to the ranch,” Emery suggested, watching a group of kids run by, giggling and tossing backpacks over their shoulders.
“Tell her to be there around 2:00. And for Jess, looks like it,” Levi said with a nod. “He’s been showin’ up on time, workin’ hard, and I even caught him turnin’ down a second beer last night. Told me he wants to settle down a little. Said maybe he’s tired of always lookin’ for somethin’ better.”
Emery smiled softly, looking up at Levi. “Sounds like someone might be a good influence on him.”
Levi smirked. “Don’t get all sentimental on me, sweetheart. I’m just hopin’ to get through this potluck withoutmom pushin’ marriage and babies on Jess next.”
Just then, June came bounding toward the SUV, her pink backpack bouncing behind her.
“There’s my sweet Juney,” Emery smiled as she reached to open the door.
Levi watched the two of them with a lazy, love-drunk smile as June jumped into the backseat.
???
“Hey, baby, you recognize that car?” Levi asked, getting Emery's attention as she chatted with June about her day at school and the new ant farm her kindergarten class had just gotten. Emery's breath hitched, her hand that was resting on the center console now gripping it until her knuckles turned white. “That’s Denny,” she said quietly, as if all the confidence she'd found over the past few months had been stripped away instantly.
“Em, pull up a cartoon onyour phone and give it to June while we see what he wants,” Levi said as he pulled up, shifted to park, and didn't miss a beat jumping out and straightening himself to his full frame.
Denny stepped out of the sleek sports car, hair slicked back and his posture smug, eyes locked on Emery with that same twisted grin she’d hoped to never see again. Without so much as a glance at Levi and deliberate disrespect, he spat, “Quit playing this dumb housewife gig and come back with me. You’ve got a mess to clean up.”
His words were venomous, intended to poison and humiliate.
Emery’s jaw clenched, but she didn’t falter as she walked closer to Levi.
Denny didn’t stop there, turning now to Levi. “Look, I get it—you and I are probably a lot alike. But I know how she plays, I'm sure she's doing the same thing to you that she tried with me. She wasn’t just trying to seduce me—she was trying to make moves on big clients, using more than just her business skills.Thought she could climb to the top on more than merit. Stupid manipulative bitch.”
His words hung in the air, heavy with accusation. Levi stepped in front of Emery, blocking Denny’s path, his eyes blazing.
His voice was low, hard, and filled with warning. “First of all, you and I, we’re nothing alike. She couldn't stand to be around you, and now that I’m seeing you for myself, I can count a million reasons why. And second, fuck you. Fuck you for treating her the way you did. Fuck you for showing up here. Fuck you for talking about her. And get the fuck off my property.”
Denny scoffed bitterly, trying to maintain his arrogant stance, but Levi’s presence was intimidating, steady, and unyielding.
Struggling to keep his composure but refusing to lower himself to the level of the scumbag in front of him, Levi stepped closer, voice low but solid. “In case you are as stupid as you look, let me dumb it down for you. You will not speak to her or about her in that manner. Period. She doesn’t owe you a damn thing;you’ve got a fucked-up sense of reality. You show up here again or try to make any sort of contact with her, and trust me, you’ll regret your choices. Is that clear enough for you, or do I need to go inside and get some crayons to color you a picture?”
Eyes narrowing and face sneering, Denny looked Levi over head to toe, and without a single word, turned on the heel of his perfectly polished dress shoe, kicking up dust from the gravel driveway with every step back to his car.
Levi was willing to shield Emery from anything that sleazeball may throw their way, but wanting to show her strength and a unified front, he stepped aside and pulled Emery under his arm. His posture was rigid, broad, and unwavering, giving her confidence to stand tall next to him and not buckle under the final glance that Denny cast before sinking into the gleaming Mercedes and spinning its wheels before heading back down the driveway.
With Denny leaving the ranch, Emery felt like she could breathe again. Levi laced hisfingers through hers, pulling her along with him back to her car to retrieve June. He took Emery's phone, which had served as a perfect distraction from the ordeal, from June’s small hands, slipping it into his back pocket while he undid her buckle.
“Can I swing for a while?” June asked when her gaze caught on the big tree near the house where the simple wooden swing hung. “Go for it.” He dropped a kiss to the top of his daughter’s head before stepping out of the way for June to jump from the SUV and take off running and squealing.
Turning to Emery, who was still quiet, looking at her as if assessing her. Noticing a tremble in her hands and the spacey look in her eyes, he pulled her close, tucking her against his chest. Resting his chin on top of her head, and realizing her arms were still limp at her sides. Shaken up by the confrontation, he tightened his hold. “It’s okay, baby. He’s gone.” Guiding them both to the front of her vehicle, he positioned himself so that he was resting on the front bumper, allowing him to lower his face to her level. “Look at me, Em.” Her eyes snappedto his. “You’re okay,” he repeated.
“You’re okay”. His voice is certain. He wasn’t asking if she was okay; he was telling her that she was. To Emery, everything around them looked like it was spinning. June’s laughter was whooshing, and the horses from the paddock were neighing, piercing her eardrums. She could see Levi. His eyes were set. Calm and reassuring. “You’re okay.” His voice steady, His hands holding hers as he brought them to his face and kissed her knuckles before placing her palms flat on either side of his face.
The moment he guided her hands to his face, and she felt him in front of her, it was like something clicked, and she was back. Back from wherever it was she was dissociating to. Her arms tangled around his neck, closing any space between them as her breath shuddered out. His arms supported her whole weight as he buried his nose into her hair and peppered gentle kisses along her neck. She was safe with him, and she knew it.
19
The smell of grilled chicken and smoky mesquite drifted through the open air, mixing with the sound of laughter, music, and kids running and playing. The sun spilled across the ranch in a warm haze as families filled the open yard with lawn chairs, picnic tables, and mason jars full of sweet tea and lemonade.
Lainey’s attention drifted towards a picnic table, where Jess sat relaxed on the bench with his back leaning against the table and his legs stretched out and crossed at the ankle, flipping a bottle cap between his fingers like he didn't have a stress in the world. Typical. His navy tee was snug at the sleeves, showcasing a glimpse of the farmer'stan on his arms. He was talking to one of the ranch hands, but Lainey didn’t miss how his eyes kept flicking toward her.
Which, of course, meant she had been looking.
“You need something?” her voice light but unmistakably sharp as she walked over and opened the cooler near the table to grab a cider.
