Page 71 of Into the Fire
He pulled back just enough to meet her eyes. “You. This baby. All of it. I want it.”
“Even if it's another wild little girl?”
He smirked, eyes shining. “If it is, I hope she looks just like you.”
26
Emery stood barefoot at the sink, wrapping both hands around a cup of hot coffee. Outside, the world was waking slowly—dew glistened on the fence posts, a few distant cows grazed lazily, and a light breeze drifted in through the open window.
Behind her, the back door creaked open. Levi stepped in, smelling faintly of hay and with ash on his boots, heavy on the floorboards. He had been out chatting with Jess about plans for rebuilding where the barn once stood. He was still moving a little stiffly, recovering from the bruises and aches of the fight with Cole, the barn fire, and the stress of nearly losing everything. But there was a lightness in the way his eyes settled onEmery. Something softer. Easier.
“Hey, Daddy, you coulda woke me,” she grinned, glancing over her shoulder at him.
“Em—you know what it does to me when you call me that. And I know,” he said simply, walking up behind her and wrapping his arms around her waist, letting his hands rest over her flat belly, tucking his chin into her neck. “But you looked too pretty sleepin' like that, all peaceful on my pillow to bother.”
Placing a couple of kisses up her neck and across her jawline, he continued, “Figure I’ll fix the gate by the smaller paddock today and maybe get to that tractor tire swapped out. Jess’ll handle the far field. Gage said he’d swing by to update us and he should be here any minute, so as much as I love you wearin’ nothing but my shirt, standing barefoot in my kitchen, you probably better run up and get dressed, I’ll make you some toast, so you’ve got something in your stomach.” he gave her a lite smack on the ass and a kiss on her cheek as she set her coffee down and headed up to get readyfor the day.
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Sheriff Carter stepped out of his vehicle, his tan uniform crisp, his hat down low. His face was serious, but not heavy. Just business.
“I figured I’d come out in person,” he said. “Didn’t want this one to come over the phone.”
Levi met him at the bottom of the porch stairs and folded his arms. “Appreciate it.”
Gage nodded. “Cole talked. All of it. Every last bit. Told us how Denny had been wiring him money, feeding him details. The stalking, the letters, the Barbie stunt—all of it tied back to Denny. And Cole gave us more than enough to nail them both.”
Emery came down the steps slowly, anxiously twisting her hair into a low braid, then tossing it over her shoulder. “What happens now?”
“Charges are stacked pretty high—stalking, conspiracy, arson, assault. Hell, I don’t even know what else the DA’s gonna tack on, but they’re not walking free. Denny’s lawyers tried to start his usual song and dance, but Cole had the receipts. Literal ones.Bank transfers, burner phones, the works.”
Levi exhaled hard, dragging a hand down his face. “So, they’re done.”
“Done,” Gage confirmed. “You’ve got nothing to worry about. You can breathe easy.”
Emery looked like she didn’t know whether to cry or laugh. She took a few steps closer to Levi, who drapped his arm gently around her shoulders.
“Thank you,” Emery said quietly, her voice thick with relief.
Gage smiled gently, tipping his hat toward her. “You’ve had more than your fair share of chaos. You and this place, you deserve some peace.”
Levi nodded. “We’re gettin’ there. Thanks for your help.”
“Don’t thank me,” Gage said, tossing a wry glance at Levi. “You’re the guy who cracked Cole’s jaw in the middle of a burning barn.”
Emery gave a soft laugh and leaned into Levi’s side.
As Gage climbed back into his cruiser and droveoff, Emery turned to Levi. “It’s really over?”
Levi looked down at her, his thumb brushing against her cheek. “Yeah. It’s over.”
“Good,” she said, standing on her tiptoes and wrapping her arms around his neck. “Maybe we can finally just live.”
Levi kissed her slowly, taking his time. The kind of kiss that tasted like the start of true freedom.
“Damn right, we will.”
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