“She’s jealous because without even trying you are immeasurably more beautiful than she will ever be with all the makeup in the world.” The knuckle of his first finger skimmed a trail along her jaw.
Okay, the man knew how to make a woman’s knees go weak. She sagged against him and pressed her forehead into his chest. “I can’t do this, Levi.” She shook her head.
He curled one hand around the back of her neck and pressed his lips close to her ear. “Did you know that for the past four years I haven’t been near one woman but that I thought of you?”
She stiffened. “I’m sorry you had to think of me so often.”
He chuckled. “Is that a note of jealousy I hear?”
She rolled her eyes even though she knew he couldn’t see. The man’s ego knew no bounds.
“Truth is, I’ve had exactly two dates in the last four years. And I went into both knowing they weren’t right for me.”
She could feel her heart beating against her sternum now.
“I kept comparing them to this girl I knew from home. And no one even came close.”
Slowly, her heart rate slowed, and she felt every muscle in her body stiffen. She eased away from him and nudged his hands back into his own personal space. “Well, you had a funny way of showing that to the ‘girl from home.’”
Shoulders slumping in defeat, he huffed out a breath and dropped one hand onto his hip as he scrubbed at the back of his neck with the other. “I’m sorry I hurt you, Havyn. You have no idea how much.” There was true contrition in his expression.
She met his gaze then and felt a punch in her gut when she noticed a glimmer of moisture brimming in his eyes. Swallowing down the urge to throw herself back into his arms and proclaim all was forgiven, she reminded herself to be strong. “I just don’t…I need time, Levi. I’m sorry.”
He blinked hard. “I can deal with that. I certainly left you waiting long enough.”
Criminy… This talk had somehow gotten far too serious. She gave him a pseudo-stern frown. “I was not just hanging around waiting for you, I’ll have you know.”
A hint of a smile tipped up the corner of his mouth. “Oh yeah? And how many dates have you been on in the last four years?”
Angling a look at the ceiling as though deep in thought, Havyn methodically ticked through all ten fingers and started in on another round before she glanced down at him with a grin. “Just kidding. But more than two.”
He raised his brows and leveled her with a do-tell look.
Warmth filled her face. “Okay, three.” She snapped her fingers. “Four if you count the time I ran into Grady Williams at the theater and we were going to the same movie so we sat together.”
With a huff of gentle amusement, Levi folded his arms and leaned one shoulder into her doorframe. “Sounds like I might have some serious competition.” Slowly, the humor seeped out of his expression. “All the men in Seattle must be daft.” Like a general perusing territory he planned to lay claim to, his gaze skimmed the length of her.
Heat started at the center of her shoulder blades and flooded through her. And as his gaze rose to meet hers once more, her stomach curled in a familiar wave of desire. “I’m just going to…” She stepped back, motioning to her bed. “So you should…” She made a shooing motion at him.
A lazy smile accompanied his equally lethargic stretch. “So, since you’re still thinking about us…what are my chances of getting a goodnight kiss?”
She laughed. “None.” She refused to acknowledge just how tempted she was.
Resuming his position with his shoulder planted against her doorframe, he tilted his head toward her door, a twinkle hovering in his gaze. “Your door’s open. Better come over here and shut it.”
A tremor of pure yearning washed through her, but she stood her ground and only offered him a chuckle. “Get that for me on the way out, would you?”
With a smile of surrender, he gave a little bow and settled one hand on the doorknob. “I concede the battle. But”—his voice dropped to a low murmur full of promise—“the war’s not over.” With that he pulled her door shut.
The strength left her legs the moment he was out of sight, and she plopped down onto her bed with a low huff of disbelief. This could not be happening to her. Four days ago she’d been living her life, happy and content, finally over the man who’d lacerated her heart. And now, she was in grave danger of quite giddily handing that very same man her barely patched-together heart on a silver platter.
Where was that pride of lions when she needed them?
All the next day Havyn heard nothing from Chelsea except snippets about cute puppies between long-drawn-out descriptions of absolutely every little thing Cannon had said or done the evening before. After dinner Cannon invited everyone down to his place again. The Portmans and Jeremy quickly agreed, having missed seeing the little mutts the night before due to jet lag, like her. Trying not to feel hurt that Chelsea had so quickly abandoned her to rush to Cannon’s side after the meal was over, she eyed the group gathering by the door in indecision. She really would like to see the puppies, but she’d feel like a third wheel tagging along with Cannon and Chelsea, and she certainly didn’t want to get paired off with Jeremy. As she scanned the room in indecision, her gaze collided with Levi’s.
He was spinning a football between his hands, and when she looked his way he held it up with the lift of a brow and tipped his head toward the lawn outside.
Grady, Pastor Chad, and Rayne were sitting together in the living room embroiled in what looked like a pretty deep discussion. That would leave just the two of them to toss the football.
She swallowed. How many evenings had they spent playing catch over the years? If he was trying to remind her of what they’d had, he was doing a good job of it. Suddenly the danger of getting paired off with Jeremy seemed quite tame in the face of other possibilities.
She shook her head at Levi and hurried after the group just headed out the door to Cannon’s place.
To her chagrin, Levi tucked the football under one arm, shoved his hands into the back pockets of his jeans, and sauntered after them.
The African evening offered a whole host of unique smells and sounds. The winds rustled through the stand of eucalyptus trees that grew between Cannon’s place and the main house, filling the air with their signature biting scent. Cicadas serenaded the night in trio with crickets and frogs. Across the valley she could see the flickering orange of the village fires, and a lonely set of drums filled the evening with a rhythm that made her feet want to dance.
Cannon’s place was a small brick rambler with only five rooms, counting the tiny bathroom. The moment she glimpsed the little white bundles of grunting, mewling fluff, she was so glad she’d decided to come.
“Oh my goodness!” Havyn fell to her knees by the box and stretched her hand out to the pure white, black-eyed mama dog, who was lying on her side as seven puppies nuzzled and squabbled for milk at her belly. “Hi there. Aren’t you the prettiest thing ever? Yes, you are.”
“I told you,” Chelsea chuckled.
Mama dog’s tail thumped several times, and she laid her head back down as she realized no one here presented a threat to her offspring.
Havyn glanced up at Cannon. “What kind of dogs are they?”
Cannon ran his fingers across one cheek. “Well, just mutts really. Cotton there”—he gestured to the panting mother—“is a mix between a toy American Eskimo and a Pomeranian. The pups’ father was a Pom also, but he had more brown in him.”
Tiny claws scratched against the newspaper lining the bottom of the box, and little grunts and slurps emanated from the motley crew. One of the seven puppies had a black ear and a tiny black paw, and two others had brown spots on a paw, but other than that, from the tips of tiny ears to the ends of curly tails they were pure white fluff.
Satiated, one pup released his latch on a nipple and lolled atop his siblings with a squeaky groan and a stretch.
Cotton apparently took
that as a sign that all her offspring should be done nursing, because she hopped up, spilling disgruntled puppies one atop each other like so many pick-up sticks.
Squawks, squeaks, and grunts of protest arose from the box as the pups’ little heads bobbed and they scooted around trying to find the source of sustenance and warmth once more.
Havyn couldn’t help a chuckle at their pathetic mewling. Chelsea knelt by her side and picked up the chubbiest of the little guys. Havyn was drawn to the smallest one—the one whose tiny ear was tipped in black. She and Chelsea held the pups out side by side. The one she held was half the width of the other one.
They shared a laugh as Cannon said, “Yeah, I’m always having to help that little gal out. One of the other six is always honing in on her milk supply.”
Havyn rotated the pup so that its face hovered just in front of hers. “Have those mean brothers and sisters been starving you?”
Its only reply was a whispery sigh as it squirmed. Its full belly was obviously making it a bit uncomfortable in her palm.
As she snuggled the little fluff ball into a more comfortable position against her shoulder, she glanced across the box to see Levi holding one of the little guys. But his gaze was on her, instead of the puppy. There was a contentment reflected on his face that gave her a warm feeling. She looked down and concentrated on the heap of four puppies left in the box, who’d piled on top of each other in the corner and were now sound asleep.
Suddenly she felt a wet spot at the front of her shirt. With a gasp she pulled the puppy away from her shoulder and looked down, aghast. A round wet spot now filled the place where the puppy had lain against her. Carefully she deposited him in the heap with his siblings. “Just see if I ever snuggle with you again, little vixen.”
Levi chuckled low and deep and set his puppy back in the box. Standing to his feet, he took up his football again and motioned up the hill to the big house with it. “I’ll walk you up so you can change.”
The thought of being alone with him in the symphony of sounds and smells outside had her heart beating with such anticipation Havyn knew she needed a barrier. She glanced at Chelsea. “Do you want to come?”
Her friend’s gaze darted to Cannon and Jeremy, who were in a quiet discussion at the dining room table. She shook her head and whispered, “I’ll be up after a bit, okay?”
Traitor. “Okay.” Feeling like a teenager walking home from a first date, she followed Levi out the door.
Despite her nervousness over being alone with him on such a beautiful evening, Levi kept his distance as they walked in companionable silence—just as she’d asked him to the night before. She tried to morph her disappointment into relief, but didn’t quite succeed.
When they reached the big house without him having said anything, she eased out a breath. Why were her feelings so mixed up when it came to this man? Better to simply stay away from him, right?
Yes. She would just change and shower and then hide out in her room and read a book for the rest of the evening.
But just as she was about to step in the front door, Levi laid a hand on her arm. A thrill jolted through her, and she clenched her jaw, willing it away. “Yes?”
He tossed the football up a little ways and caught it. “It’s just catch, Havyn. Get changed and cleaned up and then come out for a bit? The moon is full…the stars are bright…for old times’ sake?”
She really shouldn’t. But one glimpse of his pleading expression and she really wanted to. She gave a tiny nod. “Give me a few minutes.”
His smile stretched so wide she could see the white of his teeth even in the shadows of the verandah. “I’ll do that.”
When she returned a few minutes later, he was standing on the lawn studying the canopy of stars overhead.
He pitched her a glance and then jogged a few paces across the brightly moonlit lawn. “Have you ever seen so many stars?” He held the football aloft, waiting for her to indicate her readiness to catch it.
She gave him a thumbs-up, and after she’d caught his perfect spiral she took a second to study the sky for herself, feeling the tiny nubs of the leather under her fingers. It was true that the sky in Seattle looked nothing like this. Stars seemed to fill every tiny speck of this skyscape. “It really is beautiful. Must be because there are no city lights around here to dim the stars?” She tossed the football back to him.
He caught her pass, then nodded. “Yeah, I’m sure that’s true. So how are your mom and GranCracker?”
His use of the pet name he’d always called Gran made her bobble the ball he’d just arced back toward her. But as she jogged to retrieve it, warmth toward the two women who’d raised her washed over her. “They’re good.” She turned and spiraled the ball back to him in a high sweep. “Mom is still working her real estate business, and Gran is just as busy as ever. She has her book club, Bible study, and part-time job at the library. And still volunteers two days a week at the Pregnancy Resource Center.”
“That’s great. I’m glad they are both doing so well.”
“What about you? How are your mom and dad?” she asked as she caught his return pass.
He gave a dry chuckle. “They are both doing well, but I’ve been giving them a bad time. They just bought a place in Arizona and are about to become snowbirds. Mom says she ‘simply can’t take another Seattle winter.’” He said the last words in near-perfect imitation of his mother’s voice.
Havyn chuckled with him. Mrs. Carter was indeed a fair-weather gal, if ever there was one. She complained when the thermostat dropped below sixty-five. “Well, this winter we did have a whole week of temps in the thirties.” She snapped the ball back to him.
“I know! She nearly died!” He laughed. “So tell me about your job. What do you like best about being a PE teacher?” There was a note of true interest in his voice that made her feel soft and warm.
She cleared her throat. “I love everything about it. What other job in the world do you get to go to and mostly just play with kids all day?” She paused, then giggled. “Well, there are a few, I suppose, but in my job, if a kid is acting up, I only have to put up with him for forty-five minutes. Or not even that…if he’s really misbehaving, I just send him to the principal.”
“If he’s misbehaving? Why did you pick a he for your example, hmmm?” Humor danced at the edge of his voice.
She laughed. “Oh, it’s always a he, trust me!”
He sailed the ball back toward her. “I have a feeling that has less to do with their gender and a whole lot more to do with showing off for their beautiful teacher.”
Havyn’s heart gave a flip, and she misjudged his pass. The ball bounced at an angle off her fingers and spun into a tip-over-tip collision course with the large picture window just behind her and to her left. She gasped, but even though she seemed to be watching the action in slow motion, there was nothing she could do to prevent what happened next.
The ball ricocheted off the window with a heart-sickening crack that shot fractures through the glass in every direction from the point of impact. The ball bounced once off a rock at the edge of the flowerbed and then tumbled to a stop on the lawn a few feet away. She stared dumbly from the ball to the window and back again, feeling her jaw go slack.
Levi jogged to her side and stared at the window for a good long while himself.
Pastor Chad, Rayne, and Grady appeared on the inside, all of them looking warped and splintered. With hands cupped to their eyes and noses pressed carefully to the shattered-but-still-intact window, they attempted to see what had caused the impact.
Levi turned a humor-filled gaze on her. “Oh boy, you did it now.”
Havyn’s jaw dropped. “Me? We did it now.”
He shrugged and massaged fingers and thumb along his stubbled jawline. “I’m just saying, you were the one who was on the receiving end. And it was right to you. An easy catch. Wonder what made you miss?” A twinkle belied his teasing blame.
She laughed to cover the sudden increase in her p
ulse and hoped he didn’t notice the breathy quality of it. “How do we get ourselves into these situations?”
“Yes. How do we?” He cocked his head and studied her for a moment, a hint of seriousness in his eyes despite the twinkle lingering there.
She swallowed and bent to retrieve the errant football.
When she didn’t respond to his question, he finally looked back at the glass. “What is this now? Three times?”
For some reason, despite how badly she felt about breaking the window, she couldn’t stop another grin. “Four if you count the time Chelsea walked through that sliding door when we had her blindfolded for that pin-the-tail-on-the-donkey game.”
He snapped his fingers. “How could I have forgotten that one?”
Rayne and Grady stepped away from the glass, presumably to resume the discussion they’d been in for the past hour.
Pastor Chad poked his head out the front door. “You two okay out here?”
Levi beat her to the response. “Yeah, sorry about that, Pastor. We’ll make sure the window gets fixed before we leave.”
Pastor Chad headed back into the house muttering, “Wait here while I find you some packing tape.”
“Packing tape?” Havyn and Levi shared a curious look, then both turned at the same moment to frown at the door.
Levi leaned over till his shoulder bumped hers and whispered, “Do you think he’s going to tape our fingers together so we can’t play catch and send us to bed without dessert?”
Havyn couldn’t stop the bark of laughter that escaped. Gran had threatened them with that very punishment on more than one occasion. Unfortunately, her laugh popped loose just as Pastor Chad stepped back outside.
With a little gasp, Havyn clapped a hand to her mouth.
The pastor’s eyes narrowed, and he shook his head slightly as he lumbered off the verandah and headed toward them.
Levi lowered his voice and leaned even closer. “Great. Now you’ve really gotten us in trouble.”
She backhanded his bicep. “Be serious,” she hissed, then pressed her lips together hard, intent on keeping her own humor at bay.
My Blue Havyn (Hearts of Hollywood - Christian Romance Novellas) Page 6