Page 60 of Break Away
“I used Lucy’s bandana. It’s in the glovebox.”
Levi retrieved the bandana, unfolding it toreveal the red smeared onto the fabric. He sniffed it. “Is thislipstick?”
“That’s what I thought.”
Carefully, he refolded it, setting thebandana on his knee. “We’re going to figure this out. That’s apromise.”
Chapter Seventeen
Levi sat on Brad and Emma’s deck and took asip from a longneck bottle of beer. You couldn’t ask for a betterview. Hangman Lake reflected the orange and pink sunset, and therough peaks of the Sierras rose like uneven teeth against the sky.At the other end of the deck, Brad wielded his spatula in front ofan enormous built-in grill. On the lawn, Eva and Diego hadcorralled the kids into a game that looked like kiddie croquet.
The shooting he and his former partner hadbeen involved in might have been what had pushed him to break awayfrom his old life, but he wasn’t sorry. He only wished the serenityof the scene would help quiet his unease. Zoey was pulling awayfrom him. She’d come to the barbecue but appeared preoccupied anddistant. Not that she didn’t have reason to be worried, but therewas something else going on with her.
He glanced across the deck to where she saton a bench in what appeared to be an earnest conversation withEmma. Before that, she’d been buddied up with Eva and Diego. Heabsolutely didn’t expect her to spend all afternoon with him, butthe feeling she was avoiding him pissed him off. If there was aproblem, she should tell him straight out. He didn’t think it wassolely worry over whoever was harassing her. She’d been dealingwith that better than most people would, but he didn’t know forsure because she wouldn’t have a damn conversation with him.
Usually that would be okay. If a woman didn’twant to be with him, he let her go without complaint. He wasn’t acomplicated guy, and he dealt with people by being straightforward.He sure as hell wasn’t looking for drama in relationships. If awoman started pulling back, finding excuses not to spend time withhim, playing games, it was time to move on.
When he lost interest, he was up front aboutit. That had been his modus operandi for the past decade. But damnit, this was different. For starters, he didn’t think Zoey wasplaying games so much as running scared. She didn’t reveal much,but they had a connection, and he’d bet she felt it too. He drummedhis fingers on his knee.
Okay, hemorethan liked Zoey. Andwasn’t that a jolt to the system. He was going to figure out whowas bothering her, then they could talk it out. He wanted to knowwhere he stood, to see if he was the only one with theuncomfortable feelings.
This harassment shit had to stop. He’d baggedthe bandana with the lipstick on it and swung by the police stationbefore the barbecue to log it as evidence. He had an idea aboutthat lipstick, and there was no time like the present to bring hisbrother in on it.
He wasn’t able to get Brad away from theothers because as soon as Levi rose to his feet, Emma stepped ontothe deck with the proclamation that everyone was to come inside andgrab a plate. Resisting the need to run his theory by his brother,Levi walked into the kitchen.
Emma had all the food arranged as a buffet onthe kitchen counter. Levi spotted Zoey and edged in line behindher. She wore a tank top and skirt that emphasized her curvyfigure, and her black curls had escaped from a long ponytail thattrailed down her back, exposing the nape of her neck. Amaya seemedto have decided Zoey was her current favorite person and waspropped on Zoey’s hip.
She cast him a sideways glance when shenoticed him behind her. “Hey.”
“Hey back.”
“Unca Levi.”
“That’s right, kid. Best uncle in the worldis here.”
Zoey moved along the counter. He stacked hishamburger with lettuce, tomato, and onion, adding a splash ofketchup, while she piled her plate with what he considered sides:pasta salad, balled melon, baked beans, deviled eggs. She’d set herplate down to add her selections, but now she was having troublemanaging her plate, napkins, utensils, and a kid.
“I want a quesadilla,” Amaya announced.
“Hmm, doesn’t look like quesadilla is on themenu tonight,” Zoey said. “How about a hot dog.”
“Don’t like hot dogs.”
“Yeah, me either. I like pasta salad. I betyou do, too.”
Amaya seemed to give this idea undueconsideration before nodding her head regally like the princess shewas. “I like pasta.”
“Good girl. I’ll share mine with you.”
“Let me get that for you.” Levi reachedaround Zoey to snag her plate, leaving her no choice but to followhim out on the deck. He set both their plates down at the outdoortable. He wanted to sit with her and figured this was the best wayto ensure that happened.
“I sit with Unca Levi.”
“You bet. I’ll get us some drinks and we’llsit together.” He looked at Zoey. “What can I get you?”
She gave him a look that said she knew shewas being maneuvered, but spoke in an even tone. “Water,please.”
He returned a minute later with water for allthree of them. They ate, and Levi couldn’t help noticing that whileshe responded to Amaya’s chatter, Zoey didn’t say much to him. Theanimation that had always made her appear so vibrant haddulled.
