Page 77 of Get Lost with You
Ollie looked up at Grayson, who gave a very subtle nod. What were these two up to?
Before she could ask, Ollie pulled a slip of paper out of her pocket and handed it to Jilly.
“What’s this?”
“Open it,” Ollie said.
Jilly’s hands shook as she unfolded the long, thin piece of paper she recognized as lodge stationery. On it, handwritten, was a message:
Jilly,
I have to tell you something. Can you please meet me at the side of the lodge where the forest leads to the ropes course? I’ll be waiting.
Levi
She looked at her daughter, who was holding her brother’s hand. Both of them had strange smiles on their faces.
“What’s this?”
Grayson tutted teasingly. “Come on, Jilly. Are you so old you don’t remember passing notes?”
“It’s a note from Levi, Mom. You have to go.”
Her daughter’s gaze was filled with so much hope and happiness, it infused Jillian with bravery. She inhaled shakily, let it out. Teenaged Jilly burst to life inside of her.A note from Levi Bright.Her fully adult self realized that this moment mattered. She needed to apologize to the man she loved and take ownership of what she’d done. It’s what she would want her daughter to do. One of the things that kept eating at her this week was Levi’s comment about what she was teaching Ollie. There was no way to protect anyone from hurt. It was part of life. But she could teach her to be accountable, to try her best, and not let go of something wonderful just because she was scared.
Jillian crouched down to meet Ollie’s gaze with a startling realization. Ollie taught her that last one. Now, she was giving her the go-ahead and the courage to grab on to something special.
“I love you,” she said.
Ollie wrapped her arms around Jilly’s neck. “I love you, too.”
When she stood up, she pressed a hand to her stomach like that could steady her nerves. The paper crinkled in her grasp.
“You deserve happiness, Jilly,” Grayson said quietly.
“So do you,” she whispered as she passed him.
Walking through the lobby, out the door, and down the stairs, her steps slowed. What if Levi wanted to tell her that he needed to leave? That he couldn’t be here anymore? That she’d made her choice and it wasn’t him, so he wouldn’t stay?
She stopped herself before rounding the corner of the lodge. Standing still, she pulled in a deep breath, closed her eyes, and heldit for a few seconds. The sounds of birds in the distance and her heavy heartbeat were all she could hear. Exhaling, she opened her eyes and took a step toward the unknown, believing that no matter what happened, wherever this took her, loving Levi Bright was worth the journey. And the risk. Now, if she could just get him to forgive her and take her back.
Thirty-seven
Levi wiped his hands on his jeans. He hadn’t felt this sweaty or nervous since… never. Absolutely never had he ever felt like there’d been more on the line. And then Jillian rounded the corner and it was like looking into a regular mirror after staring into a fun house one. Everything that was distorted came into focus. Only, instead of looking at himself, he was looking at her; his future. His heart revved like an engine and his pulse went haywire.
She looked at him, their gazes locking for one heated second before she saw where he was standing. He’d argued more than once with his dad when the finishing touches were happening. Steven wasn’t satisfied with just instructing—he’d wanted a physical hand in securing the pergola in place and, all in all, it’d turned out stunning.
His dad had called in a favor to get the concrete to anchor the footings securely the very night they came up with the plan. From there, his dad had the precut, pretreated wood shipped over early the next morning, and his guys had created the crisscross top quickly. Once the posts were secured and the top was attached, Levi and Gray had carefully strung hundreds of twinkle lights through, over, and around, with Ollie kindly pointing out when they’d missed a spot.
Jillian’s hands flew to her mouth with a gasp and she hurried forward, dropping her hands as she looked up and turned around. “What is this? How did this get here?”
Laughing softly, some of his nerves easing, he stepped closer. “We built it. For you.”
She whipped her head toward his with another sharp inhale. “What do you mean you built it for me?”
When he went to take her hands, he saw she still had the paper. He smiled, tried to take it. She wouldn’t let it go. Holding on to it with her, he asked, “What are you doing?”
She tugged it back. “You’re not taking the first and only note I’ve ever received from Levi Bright. It’s mine.”
