Page 20 of Forbidden Match

Chapter 9

Levi

I try to treat the Monday after the best weekend of my life as any other day, especially since I’ll be working all day with Sam for the first time in a long time.

I pull into his driveway and send him a text telling him that I’m here, then stare at the closed blinds of Molly’s second-story window. For all I know she’s already at the diner working a shift, but I still imagine leaning over her bed and waking her up with a kiss.

Hell, I imagine falling into bed with her, that’s how far gone I am.

As I stare at her window, I notice that the drainpipe running down the side of the house has come loose. It’d only take a minute to screw it back into the wall, and I could use the distraction, so I hop out of my truck and grab my toolbox, glad to have something to take my mind off of Molly.

As soon as I’m about to get on the stepladder with my screwdriver, my phone rings. Thinking it’s Sam needing more time, I press the answer button and put it on speaker before putting it in my shirt pocket so I can be hands free and get the job done while I’m talking.

“Yeah?” I answer. An unknown voice asks if I’m me, and instantly I’m annoyed that my hands are full and that I’malready on the stepladder. I can’t hang up at this point, so I just sigh and say yes.

“Well, congratulations,” the voice cheerily tells me.

“For what?” I snap. “And who is this?”

“This is Madame Amour’s personal secretary. I’m calling the winners of our contest.”

I sigh as I keep screwing in the loose bolt on the drainpipe. “I didn’t win. I admitted the matchmaker got it right.”

“Yes, sir. And Molly admitted that too. So you both win the ultimate grand prize reserved for our couples who find their soulmate!”

I freeze and drop the screwdriver. “What?”

“You and Molly win the grand prize—another romantic getaway!”

Suddenly, I feel a hand gripping my shirt and hauling me off the stepladder. As I stumble to the ground, I see Sam’s fist flying toward my face.

“What the fuck?” I say, ducking his first shot. Unfortunately for me, the second lands, just grazing my chin but stinging all the same.

“Did I just hear you wonanotherromantic getaway with my kid sister, you son-of-a-bitch?” Sam yells.

Ah, shit. He heard the phone call. The woman is still talking, describing my prize even as Sam swings at me again. She seems unbothered by the fight for Molly’s honor happening on this side of the line. Wish I could say the same.

I duck, taking him to the ground using an old wrestling move I learned in high school. I don’t want to fight my best friend, butI’m not about to just take this beating either. He gets another hit in and I have to haul back my fist to get him to stop.

“Let me explain,” I say.

He manages to shake me off, sending me sprawling on the grass. We both jump up and face off, fists raised.

“What’s there to explain, you fucking asshole?” he asks, lunging at me.

Once again, I take him to the ground and pin him there, ready to give him a light whack in hopes of getting him to calm down enough to listen, when Molly abruptly rushes outside. She’s in her waitress uniform, looking adorable with her hair falling out of a loose ponytail.

“Stop it!” she shrieks. “What the hell are you two fighting about?”

“I know you two were together,” Sam says, rage in his voice.

“Ah, Molly is that you?”

Molly looks at my phone, still miraculously in my shirt pocket, and hesitantly says, “Yes.”

“This is Madame Amour’s personal secretary. Madame Amour was so happy about the obvious love you and Levi share and the tenderness he showed you that you two have won the grand prize.”

I take the phone off speaker and ask, “Can we call you back?”

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