by Erica Penrod
She placed her deluxe version of grilled cheese sandwiches on plates for her guests—homemade bread, thick slices of cheese, pesto sauce, and sliced tomatoes, all toasted to perfection—along with a cup of tomato soup (her favorite brand in a can, although she wouldn’t point that out). Not bad for a less-than-fifteen-minute meal, although she probably should’ve served them the rest of Doris’s tuna casserole … she just couldn’t bring herself to do it. Tuna casserole wasn’t for everyone, but the neighbor’s cats would enjoy the bounteous leftovers.
“Thank you.” Levi looked up at her as she went to set the plate in front of him, but not before the sandwich slid off and landed in his lap.
“Dang it, sorry.” She gritted her teeth. The man flustered her even with the dark quarter-moon circles tinting the skin beneath his eyes. Gone was the confident intensity she’d seen earlier this morning.
“It’s fine.” He picked up the sandwich and put it on his plate. His first day at Eureka Springs Healthcare must not have gone as planned. Monica didn’t know much about Levi, other than that he was too handsome for his own good, but she’d gathered enough intel through their conversations to know the man was used to having his way. She bit her lip and swallowed the chuckle rising in her throat. He must’ve met his match in Eureka Springs.
“Yeah, thanks, Monica.” Alex gave her an appreciative smile, steering her thoughts away from Levi. “You didn’t need to cook for us.” His eyes widened as he looked over the sandwich and watched the steam rise from the soup. “This looks delicious.”
“No, thank you. Cooking for you is the least thing I could do to say thank you for all the help you’ve given me.” She turned back to the counter and served herself. “But this doesn’t count for the dinner we talked about earlier. I’m still planning on that.” Monica grinned over at Alex.
Crash. Monica glanced over as Levi’s spoon bounced from his dish to the table.
“Sorry.” His tawny skin flushed as he gathered the utensil. “Slipped from my hands.”
“Must be something in the air around here.” Monica picked up her plate. Or Aunt Gwen.
“Reminds me of you trying to catch a football.” Alex leaned back in his chair and laughed. Monica joined them at the table. “You should’ve seen this guy. Give him a mitt and ball and he was golden, but when it came to the pigskin, he had butterfingers.”
Monica looked at Levi, whose face was still red, but a softness she’d never seen until now resonated in his eyes. He met her gaze, and she got caught up in the hidden mystery of their darkness. There was more to Levi Hernandez than the serious first impression he put off.
Levi cleared his throat and nodded at Alex. “He’s just leaving out the part where no one on the planet could catch one of his spiral passes.”
Alex laughed. “Yeah, I guess neither one of us was ever going to play for the NFL.”
Levi chuckled before he sank his teeth into the sandwich.
Aunt Gwen’s spirit Monica had expected, but not this paranormal activity hovering over her kitchen table. The easy banter between the two men was nothing she’d ever witnessed before in her previous individual encounters. Their enduring friendship was evident in the way they both sat back, shoulders relaxed, and chuckled as if they’d seen each other yesterday.
Monica sipped the soup from her spoon as she eyed both men and enjoyed the scenery. Dinner and a show—what more could a girl want?
Levi had forgotten about the guy he used to be until he saw Alex. The years came rushing back to him, like the creek they’d snuck off to as boys for a summer swim. The weight, the drive and determination he had to prove himself, was lifted from his chest as he and Alex reminisced about the past. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d sat at a table and truly enjoyed himself. Business meetings, social engagements, and meaningless dates had been the bulk of his social life, and for the first time in a long time, he found himself in the company of a true friend.
“Whatever happened to you and Allie?” Levi pushed the plate back from the table. “Are you still together?” He’d lost touch with his friend after a couple years into college and didn’t know what had happened with Alex and his high school sweetheart, although Levi hoped he would’ve at least gotten a wedding invitation.
Alex’s grey eyes clouded over, and he tapped his finger on the tabletop as his thoughts seemed to drift. The atmosphere grew heavy, and Levi worried that his first impression of Monica and Alex had been right. He’d heard them laughing in the bathroom and assumed they were more than friends. Maybe Alex sensed Levi’s attraction to Monica and felt bad. As teenagers, there’d been times when Alex realized Levi was into a girl long before he ever did, but that couldn’t be what was happening here. Levi didn’t like Monica in that way—or did he? The soup churned in his gut and frustration mounted in his chest until he glanced at Monica. She shrugged her shoulders and her hazel eyes were full of question, like she didn’t know what was going on either.
“It didn’t work out.” Alex picked up the spoon and stirred circles in his soup. “We’d been on again and off again for years, until about seventeen months ago.” He paused and looked up. “She was killed in a car accident.”
Levi’s heart constricted as the pain in his friend’s voice tightened. “Man, I’m sorry. I had no idea.” He glanced over at Monica’s eyes, which brimmed with emotion, and then back to Alex.
“I’m just trying to move forward.” Alex attempted a smile, but his mouth fell flat. “I’m trying to keep busy.” He looked at Monica, and his eyes became a little brighter. “Thanks to Monica and The Red Pearl, I’ve had something to do when I’m not working or studying.”
Monica reached out and touched Alex’s hand. She smiled, but her lips trembled slightly, and Levi hated himself for the jealous twinge in his side.
“What are you doing in school?” Levi sat back and crossed his arms, his appetite shrinking with every passing second. “You were planning on medical school, last I knew.”
Alex shook his head. “No. I dropped out of school after Allie died. It just didn’t feel right.” He took a sip of water. “I moved up here to be with my aunt and took a construction job. Turns out it’s something I really love doing. I like the physical work and using my hands to build something out of nothing.”
“So why are you in school?” Monica beat Levi to the question.
Back in high school, construction was the last thing he would’ve expected his friend to make a career of. The guy had a photographic memory and was the class valedictorian. Levi had never imagined Alex spending his days in a hard hat. Not that there was anything wrong with the construction field. He depended on people in the construction world with almost every job he took on, like he did right now with the Eureka Springs Healthcare. Levi admired the architects and contractors who had the vision and talent to create a functional, yet eye-appealing space.
“I’m getting my contractor’s license,” Alex continued. “I’m working on some homes out around Beaver Lake right now. I plan to keep doing what I’m doing for a few years, even after I get my license. I don’t want to venture out on my own until I’ve got enough experience under my belt.”
“That’s amazing.” Monica smiled at Alex. “I can’t believe I didn’t know this about you.” She tipped her head back and laughed. “Although you’ve hardly said three words to me in all the time we’ve worked together until today.”
Color returned to Alex’s face. “Yeah, I guess I just got used to keeping to myself, and you don’t need to talk much when you live with Aunt Doris.”
Monica chuckled, and the air became light again. “That’s true. I can’t imagine what she and Aunt Gwen were like together.”
“No, you can’t.” Alex grinned.
Levi smiled as a thought came over him. “Alex, did you say you’re working on some places around Beaver Lake?”
“Yeah, why?”
“A friend of mine mentioned the place.”
“Mountain Cove.” Alex wiped his mouth with h
is napkin. “It’s mostly billionaires’ vacation homes, but there are a few full-time residences.”
“Cool.” Levi would have to check the place out.
“You’d fit right in,” Alex mused.
Monica’s brow furrowed as she stared at Levi and then looked back to Alex. “Why do you say that?”
Levi shifted in his chair as heat covered his face, wishing he hadn’t brought up the subject.
“Because he’s got a lot of money?”
Alex laughed. “No, Levi doesn’t have a lot of money.” He shook his head as the lines along her brow deepened. “He’s got more money than that. He’s a billionaire.”
Levi sighed. He sat back and crossed his arms as Monica turned to him. People tended to see him differently once they knew he was a billionaire, and by the wide-eyed, slack-jawed expression on Monica’s face, he knew she’d never look at him the same.
Chapter Eleven
The night had been one of discovery. Monica stood beside Levi at the kitchen sink and handed him a plate. Billionaires did dishes. “You don’t need to help me do this.” She handed him a plate. “You’re paying me to stay here.”
Levi’s tie was flung over his shoulder and his shirt sleeves were rolled to his elbows. “I want to. The work gives me a chance to clear my mind.” He dried the dish and stacked it in the open cupboard above him. “I can’t quit thinking about Alex.” He shook his head as he accepted the next dish. “He and Allie were inseparable, and I can’t imagine being together all those years, even if they were on and off, and then losing her.”
Monica scrubbed out a soup bowl and wondered who the man standing next to her was. He’d not been the same since he’d run into Alex. Gone was the rigid exterior and solemn demeanor, replaced by a man happy to be in the company of an old friend and concerned for his well-being. “I can’t either. It sure explains a lot about him.” She reached for the other bowl. “I really enjoyed seeing his other side.” Monica concentrated on scrubbing. “And I like this side of you too.”
He watched her rinse the bowl and took it from her hands. His fingers brushed over hers, and she bit her lip as a sensation, like a whisper, floated along her skin. Something flickered in his dark eyes, and he swallowed. “Thanks.” He averted his gaze to the bowl and then looked back to her. “Not many people know me like Alex does.”
“Is that because you don’t want people to know you?” Monica worried if she pushed him too far, he might retreat, but she wanted to know more about him.
Levi tossed the towel over the opposite shoulder of his tie. “I guess I’ve been so focused on work and proving myself, anything or anyone else is a distraction.”
“You should be distracted more often.” Heat filled her face, and she quickly dunked her hands in the sudsy water. “I mean, you should let people see this side of you.”
Levi didn’t say anything, like his mind was chewing on a thought.
“Can I ask you something?”
He nodded, although she wasn’t sure he was completely listening.
“Why do you work so hard if you’re a billionaire? I thought billionaires were supposed to swim in pools of money and travel the world in their private jets just for fun.”
A light flashed in his onyx eyes, and a grin tugged on the corners of his mouth. “I don’t swim in pools of money, but I do love my private jet.” The teasing tone in his voice made her knees weak. The man was adorable when he wanted to be. “But to answer your question, I work because I want to, because I want to prove I’m more than money.”
“There’s that much money in buying hospitals?” She’d had no idea he was as wealthy as Alex claimed. Sure, his car was outrageous and his suits were tailored to perfection, but he was also human. Somehow, the idea of billions made her think of a superhero-type that could run faster than a speeding bullet and see through walls.
“There is if you’ve been doing it for decades and invested the money wisely, from generation to generation.” Levi reached for the towel and began to dry the last dish. “I’m a billionaire by birthright, and technically the CEO position was supposed to go to my older brother, but he had a change of heart and didn’t want it. I’m the next in line and not my father’s first choice.”
Monica’s heart beat with understanding. “So you’ve got something to prove.” She felt that way about The Red Pearl. Her parents supported her decision, but she wanted to prove to them and to herself, that it was the right decision.
“Yeah, plus I love the job. If I do well with the Eureka Springs Healthcare project, I think the rumors will stop and everyone will know I’m qualified for the position because of more than my last name.” Confidence surged in his voice.
“I guess you’re a better person than I am.” She grinned. “I’m afraid if I were a billionaire, I’d spend all day next to my pool of money, and once in a while I’d get up and play around in my state-of-the-art kitchen, cooking and baking just for fun.” The image drifted along her mind. “Plus, I’d have a very expensive robe to lounge around in.”
Levi cocked a brow. “A robe?”
“Yeah.” Monica removed the stopper from the sink. “Whenever I’ve gone to a nice hotel, there’s a white robe for you to wear.” She shrugged her shoulders. “I guess I just associate being rich with a white robe. Your life is so wonderful, you get to walk around in a white robe.”
“Now that’s something I’ve never heard.” He chuckled. “I guess I’ll have to try it.”
The thought of Levi in a white robe made something stir inside her belly, and her mouth began to water. “That’s all the dishes.” She turned away from him and tried to collect herself.
“You really need a new dishwasher.” Levi walked up beside her, and she glanced down at the broken contraption next to the sink. “We can manage dishes for a few people, but once The Red Pearl reaches full capacity, I’m afraid we might not be able to keep up.”
Monica just smiled. The knot in her throat wouldn’t allow her to form any words. Levi said “we,” and although she knew that wasn’t the reality of the situation, the sentiment touched her. Maybe it would be a good thing if Levi returned to his normal self by morning. Her heart wasn’t safe around this guy.
It was Friday afternoon and the house was cooking—and not with delicious food.
Monica dabbed at her brow as she walked toward the hallway and turned up the AC. June was already off to a hot start, and while she didn’t mind sweating a little to save a lot, she doubted her B&B guests would feel that way. The upstairs bedrooms were almost ready. Walls were painted a pale robin’s-egg blue, and the sheets had been tossed from the furniture, so the rooms no longer resembled a gathering of ghosts. She dusted the woodwork and pushed most of the pieces back in place, but the beds were too much for her alone. Instead of fretting over it, Monica moved to add the finishing touches to the bathrooms.
She stood in the tub, gazing up at the hole in the wall, between the tiles she and Alex had mounted. Somehow the showerhead was supposed to connect to the pipe with the little connector thing in her hand. She stared at the contraption and was still baffled. The instructions might as well have been in a foreign language.
Monica huffed in frustration as she heard the front door open and Doris call her name. “Up here, Doris.” She sighed, knowing Doris probably knew as little about showerheads as she did. Monica stepped into the room and peeked her head around the doorframe. “I’m in the last room to your right.”
The stairs creaked as Doris made the climb, and Monica assumed her neighbor would find her. She went back to the bathroom and sat down on the toilet seat to reread the instructions for the tenth time.
Doris appeared in the doorway, huffing and puffing. “You’ll have to get that bedroom finished downstairs if you get any older folks who want to stay.” She gulped in a large helping of air.
“I’m sorry.” Monica looked up. “I should have met you downstairs.”
Doris’s eyes widened. “Oh, I wasn’t referring to myself.” Her nost
rils flared as she tried to smile. “I’m just a little out of shape. I’ve been telling Alex I need a walking partner.”
Monica nodded, not sure if Doris had extended an invitation or not. At the risk of hurting the woman’s feelings, she changed the subject. “Know anything about installing a showerhead?”
“Hmmm.” Doris came in and leaned over the tub to inspect the hole. “I’d be happy to take a look at it, but I’m sure Alex would love to come over and help.”
“Oh, I don’t want to bother him just yet. I’m sure I’ll figure it out.”
A deep voice echoed in the bathroom. “I’d be happy to help.”
Monica looked up and her pulse quickened at the sight of Levi standing in the doorway. “Hey.” Monica’s face flushed. “You’re home early.”
He grinned at her, and her breath caught in her chest.
Doris cleared her throat.
“Oh, Levi, this is Doris, Alex’s great-aunt.” Monica glanced between them. “Or maybe you already know each other.”
“So, you’re the infamous Levi.” Doris winked as she walked over and took Levi in her arms. Monica stifled a giggle as Levi stiffened like a board. Doris continued to hug him like he was a big old teddy bear. “I’ve heard so much about you from Alex over these past couple of days.” She pulled away but kept her hands on Levi’s arms as she looked him up and down. “He’s told me all about growing up with you.”
“Alex is a good guy.” Levi smiled at Doris, but his gaze landed on Monica, pleading for help. She discreetly shook her head. He gave Monica a slight scowl and looked back at Doris. “It was so good to see him again.”
“I know he’s thrilled to see you. He hasn’t talked this much since he got here six months ago.” Doris dropped her hands. “You’ll have to come over for dinner. I’ll cook up something special. Would tomorrow night work for you?”