Page 29 of Break Away
“Damn, I’ll have to pass.” He patted thefirefighter’s badge on his chest. “Can’t drink while inuniform.”
Eva settled herself next to Diego. Shespeared a roasted zucchini from her plate and raised her gaze toZoey. “Mm, the sauce for the grilled veggies is yummy.”
“Moving on to the important stuff, what’s fordessert?” Levi asked his cousin.
“You just sat down to eat and you’re alreadythinking about dessert?”
“I need to know how much room to save.”
“You always have room in your stomach, butI’ll tell you anyway. Maddy was whipping up peach blueberry tartsat the café this morning, and Landon is making homemade ice creamto go with them.”
“Oh man, am I glad I’m home.”
Chapter Nine
Conversation and laughter drifted from thetables. Levi felt himself relax, some of the weight he’d carriedback to Hangman’s Loss easing. He’d been honest with his motherthat he was sleeping better, but better was a relative term. Thenightmare about the shooting had woken him twice since his returnhome. Much better than the nightly occurrence it had been a monthago.
He glanced around. The people he cared aboutmost in the world were here. And sitting next to Zoey suited him.He was tipping back his glass to get the last of the margarita whena flash of light from across the arroyo caught his attention. Hestared at the spot it had come from. His mom’s house backed up to adeep gully filled with native brush that stretched about a third ofa mile across. The far side was forest service land with pinesgrowing up to the edge of the bluff. He narrowed his gaze, waitingto see if the flash repeated. It had looked like sunlightreflecting off glass or a mirror.
Keeping an eye out, he scooped up the lastbite of quinoa salad from his plate. He’d put it on his plate toget a reaction from Zoey, then been surprised to find it wasn’t toobad. Trish rose to her feet, tapping the side of a glass with aspoon. Landon rose to stand beside her.
“Attention, everyone,” his mother calledout.
Conversation eased off, even the little kidsquieting.
Landon touched her arm, leaning down to saysomething in her ear. At her nod, Landon took her hand in his andinterlaced their fingers. The stab of panic lasted only a splitsecond. Levi tensed, then forced himself to let it go. Maddy hadgiven him a heads-up so he wasn’t caught off guard.
“Thank you all for joining our gathering offamily and friends.” Landon spoke in his deliberate, quiet way.“You are the people who are most important to us.” He leaned intohis mom. “Four years ago, after my wife passed away, I moved toHangman’s Loss. I guess I was looking for a new beginning, and Iwanted to live in a place I have loved visiting since my parentsbrought me to stay at Walt Kincaid’s cabins back when I was aboy.”
Levi caught Emma tilting her head to Brad’sshoulder at the mention of her grandfather and the resort she hadinherited from him.
“I never expected to meet the second love ofmy life.” He brought her hand up and pressed a kiss her knuckles.“It took some convincing, but I got Trish to go out with me.” Heglanced at her and the adoration was hard to miss. “I guess we’vebeen inseparable ever since. This afternoon, I have the pleasure ofannouncing that I have asked Trish to marry me, and she hasaccepted. She’s agreed to become my wife and I’m the luckiest manin the world.” He dipped his head and kissed his fiancée.
Whoops and calls of congratulations filledthe air. Levi rose to his feet and crossed the lawn, Brad directlybehind him. Levi shook Landon’s hand. “Mom can take care ofherself, but she’s happier with you. Welcome to the family.”
“Thank you, Levi.”
He turned and kissed her cheek.“Congratulations, Mom. I’m happy for you.”
She placed her hands on either side of hisface, her brows lowered in a slight frown. “I hope so, Levi. Ialways thought you took you father’s death the hardest. I neverwant you to feel that marrying Landon means I didn’t love yourfather with everything that was in me. I did, and the memories ofhim are always in my heart.”
He pushed the twist of sadness aside. “Iknow. I want you to be happy. You deserve a good man, and Landonstrikes me as a good man.”
“He is. I love him in a different way than Iloved your dad, but it’s strong just the same. I never expected tofind another love, and I feel blessed.” She patted Levi’s cheek,and her voice turned husky. “Sometimes I see you and catch mybreath. You look so much like your father.”
Levi swallowed the lump in his throat. Hedipped his head and kissed her again, and she let him go.
He returned to his seat next to Zoey, whosedark eyes were full of emotion. She didn’t say anything, but sheleaned a little so her shoulder was nestled against his. The simplegesture helped ease the tightness in his chest.
Maddy climbed to the top step of the deck.“In celebration, we have champagne on the buffet table for theadults and ginger ale for the kids. Be sure to pick up a peach tartwith a scoop of Landon’s homemade ice cream for dessert. Come andget it.”
Levi rose with Zoey and they crossed the deckto get in line. Landon was dishing out ice cream in bowls for thelittle kids, while Maddy cut the tarts into smaller pieces theycould manage. A flash caught his attention once again, and Leviscanned the arroyo.
With an uneasy feeling, he returned to thetable with Zoey at his side. The tart was amazing, as was anythingMaddy made, and the ice cream was the best he’d ever had. Heglanced to where his mother sat with Landon and caught the sharedlook between them. He didn’t like things to change, but he reallywanted his mother to be happy.
Justin Trainer, also in his fire departmentuniform, joined their table with a huge scoop of ice cream on topof his peach tart. He sat beside Eva and, with Diego, entertainedthe group with the story from that morning. A call had come into9-1-1, and the crew had been sent out when the dispatcher heardheavy breathing, but the caller seemed unable to speak. Whenpressed, the caller had emitted a high-pitched keening cry andseemed to be hyperventilating. They’d arrived on scene and quicklyrealized a woman was frightened speechless by the rattlesnake she’dfound curled behind the toilet in her bathroom.
“She was sixty-three years old and dressed inshort shorts and a tank top, so more power to her. All she could dowas point to the bathroom,” Justin said. “Then this guy,” heclapped Diego on the back, “walks in with the snake grabber andgets the rattler in one try.”
