Page 24 of Break Away
She shrugged. “Saturday things.”
His gaze was expectant, and when she didn’telaborate, he raised an eyebrow. “Come on, Zoey. Give me more thanthat.”
“Why are you asking?”
“Isn’t that obvious? You’ve recently been thevictim of two crimes. If they’re related, I need to find out who’stargeting you.”
“Remember that authoritarian cop thing Idon’t like? You’re doing that.”
“Asking what you’re doing tomorrow is mebeing an authoritarian cop?”
“Yes.”
“My job is to serve and protect. That’s whatI’m doing.”
“I am not your responsibility, and what I doon a Saturday is my business.”
Even in the shadows cast by the porch light,she could see the flash of temper. He straightened, hands on hips,none of the easygoing, junk-food-loving guy she’d had dinner withearlier. This version of Levi was all serious business.
“The hell with that. I’m doing my job, and Ineed your cooperation. See this?” He motioned to the destruction onher porch. “When someone is targeted, the perpetrator usuallystarts small, but when that doesn’t satisfy them, theyescalate.”
“Then it doesn’t make sense that this isrelated to my accident. That had a lot more impact, no punintended, than throwing around cushions and ruining a bunch offlowers.”
Levi speared a hand through his hair,exasperation evident in the gesture. “Is there anywhere you andLucy can spend tomorrow night?”
“Yep. Right here in my own little cottage.”She gave him a fake sweet smile as she moved past him to pick upthe strand of broken lights. Setting them carefully aside, she wentthrough her front door that Levi had left slightly ajar. Flippinglights on inside, she crossed to the kitchen to retrieve the broomand dustpan. When she stepped onto the porch again, she gave Levi afeigned look of surprise. “Still here?”
He ignored her snarky tone. “What about Evaand Diego? I’ll call Eva and see if you can spend tomorrow nightwith them.”
“Don’t you dare.” She pointed a finger athim. “I am not going to impose on Eva and Diego, in no small part,another pun for you, because me spending the night means Lucyspending the night. And beyond that, I don’t want to go anywhere.Someone throwing things around on my porch, while it hits the oddscale, is hardly life threatening. This is my home, and I’mstaying.” While she spoke, she swept broken glass into a pile.
“You being hit by a car is life threatening.You’re damn lucky your injuries weren’t a lot more serious. Ifthis,” he indicated the porch with his hand, “is connected, then Idon’t want you here by yourself when I’m not nearby.”
She tried for a patient tone. “I appreciateyour concern, Levi. I won’t be alone because I’ll have Lucy, andwe’ll be fine. Amazingly, I managed to live here quite happilybefore you moved in, what? A week ago?” The patient tone didn’tmake it quite to the end of her statement.
“Will you be reasonable?”
“Reasonable? What exactly is that? Men use‘reasonable’ to suggest that women are emotional and not capable ofmaking rational decisions. For you, me being ‘reasonable’ means todo what you want me to do.”
“Fuck that. My mother would kick my ass ifshe thought I didn’t respect women or their intellect.”
“Well, my mother would kickmyass ifshe thought I didn’t stand up for myself and for what I believein.”
“Now you’re being difficult.”
“You want to see difficult? How about this?”This time her finger pointed to the steps. “Why don’t you get offmy porch, Levi Gallagher? And while you’re at it, why don’t youtake your reasonableness and shove it up your ass?”
***
Levi throttled up the drive to the cabin asolid twelve hours after he’d left, set the kickstand, and cut theengine. He sat there, letting the silence roll over him. Ridingthrough Yosemite and over the Tioga Pass made for some beautifulscenery, but five-plus hours on a motorcycle added on top offive-plus hours in the Suburban and he was feeling a bit rough. Heeased off the bike and stretched.
He had to check on Zoey.
Her Prius was parked out front, and there wasa light on inside the cottage. He hoped she was home and everythingwas okay. He’d confirm that, then figure out what he had in hisfridge for dinner before hitting the sack. He’d also have toapologize. He had two sisters and knew how this worked. It didn’tmatter that he’d been right last night; his approach might havecome off as a little heavy-handed, and god knew Zoey didn’t likeheavy-handedness.
He pulled the helmet off his head as heclimbed the steps to her porch, stopping in his tracks when hespied her through the front window. She was in the living room, onher phone, talking animatedly with her hands the way she sometimesdid. She wore one of those flowy skirts, and her curly hair formedspirals around her head. Her all-in laugh carried through thewindow and shot him through with an unexpected clutch of lust.
Lucy’s bark announced him as he raised a fistto knock on the door. A moment later it opened. Zoey stood there,and his heart took a solid jolt he felt deep down to his bones. Shegave a half smile. There was still hesitancy in her expression, buthe’d count the smile as a win.
