“I can do that,” Levi told her. “I’m not much for cooking, but there was a time that I used to be pretty handy.”
“All right then,” Mary Alice said. “The room is twenty-five bucks a night or one-fifty for the week, so long as you do what I ask of you.”
“Also doable,” Levi assured her.
“Good, good,” Mary Alice said with an approving nod. “Come on, let’s get you settled in your room. Those clothes could certainly use a washing. Do you have any bags?”
“They’re in my bike,” Levi sighed. “Back at Murph’s.”
“You can run over and get them later,” Mary Alice assured him. “For now, let’s get you upstairs. You might want to consider a shower before you go back out in public.”
“Yes, ma’am,” Levi said with a nod before he turned his attention back to Kassidy. “Hey, thanks for all your help today,” he told her, his real smile returning. “I’m going to assume I can find you at that bakery on Main Street? I need to pay you back for all this kindness.”
“Yup,” she confirmed. “We live upstairs in the apartment above it, so if you need something, I’ll be there, but I definitely don’t need anything. Like I said, it was my fault, or at least both of our faults.”
“Cool,” he said. “Well how’s this? I may need some breakfast in the morning. I’m sure a bakery can provide that.”
“Definitely,” she promised him.
With that, he offered her a wink and then followed Mary Alice up the short set of steps to the front door of her home.
Kassidy waited before they were both inside before she turned away from the looming house and started back toward Main Street. Her mother was probably starting to panic and she hadn’t thought to bring her cell with her. It was supposed to be a short trip, but she was glad it had turned out to be a bit longer than she’d expected.
By time she got back to Main Street, she was a bundle of nerves. He had told her he planned on coming back to the bakery in the morning for some breakfast and she was certain she would wear something a little less frumpy than the old jeans and t-shirt she usually wore to work. She’d need to plan something out before then.
Another million thoughts were racing through her head, but the next most important one was making sure she listened to some of his music when she got the chance. Without even hearing it, she could imagine the kind of things he sang about and what kind of music he played. She just knew his voice would be like an angel’s – full of life and passion – and she couldn’t wait to find out if she was right.
But her fantasies were cut short when she saw who was up ahead.
“Kassidy, hey,” a familiar voice said as she got within a block of her home.
“Oh, Paul, hey,” she said when she greeted her ex-boyfriend. It had been more than three years since they’d started – and stopped – seeing each other. Despite having three years of college under his belt, he hadn’t changed much. He was still tall and lean with a face most women would be happy to have chat them up on the street, but she just didn’t feel it. He was a good guy, but not the guy for her.
“Can I walk you home?” he asked her and she wanted to say no, but her parents had always taught her the value in being polite, especially to people who were only being nice to her.
“Sure,” she mumbled and fell in step beside him. “So, uh, how was college this year?”
“Magnificent,” he told her. “I’ve been named secretary of the Alpha Beta Psi fraternity, with my grades I made the dean’s list, and I’ve got an internship lined up for Saturdays when I return to school in the fall. Senior year will be challenging of course, but it’ll be worth it when I get into law school.”
“That’s great,” Kassidy said, but he wasn’t done there. Paul went on about school, how successful his frat had been in bringing in charitable donations, and everything else about himself.
It was only when they stopped out front of the bakery that he turned his attention toward her. “So, how’s the bakery business doing?”
“Good,” she said. “My dad has some new pecan scones to try if you want to grab one.”
Paul shot down her offer with a raise of his hand. “I’m okay,” he told her. “But how’s the business doing? It must be hard for you guys with ShopMart only a mile down the street.”
Kassidy fidgeted awkwardly at his question. She didn’t like to talk to people about the problems they may or may not be having. Her parents never did, and she wouldn’t either.
“It’s fine,” she said. “Things have really been picking up since people have started coming back from school, plus there are the tourists on their way through to the state park. And you know, wedding season. My mom just finished up an amazing cake for this weekend.”
“Good, good,” Paul said as he looked over her shoulder at the empty bakery. “Listen, Kass, I know I just got back, but we should go have dinner some time, do some catching up. I’d love to hear what Pinewood Grove was up to the last few months.”
“Um, sure,” she said in a half-hearted agreement. “I should, um, go inside and see if my parents need me to do any work.”
“You have my number,” Paul said as he walked away.
When he was finally a few yards away, Kassidy stepped back into the bakery only to be greeted by both her parents waiting for her.
“Kassidy,” her dad said, his voice low and filled with concern. “We need to talk.”
Chapter Five
A stone formed in Kassidy’s gut when she looked from her mother back to her father. Instantly she felt like a child again, waiting for her parents to scold her for sneaking cookies or treats before dinner. She was twenty-one years old and could do what she wanted, and yet they had an innate way of making her feel like she was no more than that same little girl in pigtails, getting lectured for misbehaving in church.
“What’s wrong?” Kassidy asked, forcing the words out through the lump that was in her throat. She knew exactly what was coming, and more than she had in the last week, she prayed someone would come in through the door of the bakery and put off the talk she was dreading having.
Her father had a deep scowl on his well-lined face and her mother had her fingers on her bottom lip. It was her dad that usually did the lecturing, but this time it was her mother’s turn to speak.
“Kass, sweetie,” she began, starting off sweet. “I know who that young man is. It was very nice of you to help him out, but if he plans on staying in town, we think it’s for that best that you...”
Her mother trailed off and it was her dad that finished. “We think it’s wise that you don’t speak to him again.”
“What?” Kassidy asked. It had been years since her parents told her not to speak with someone, and that was only when everyone in Pinewood Grove found out that Josh Stevens – a boy in Kassidy’s class – had been caught smoking pot in the school bathroom.
Her mother found her voice again and said, “Honey, I’ve seen his face in the magazines down at Pearl’s.” Pearl’s was the beauty salon in town. Nearly everyone got their hair cut there, even Kassidy went there on the rare occasion she let anyone near her long hair with a pair of scissors.
“So?” Kassidy asked, still not wanting to believe where their conversation was headed.
“He isn’t the kind of person we think you need to be hanging around,” her dad told her. “He plays rock music and sings about sex and drugs and things we really don’t think belong in this house. He might put on a good show of being a nice fellow or something, but we really think it’s for the best that you avoid him before you learn what kind of man he really is.”
Kassidy knew there was no use fighting them on their decision, not directly. She had to be clever about what she was going to say or the discussion would lead to a full blown fight. Her calm demeanor had always been a source of pride, and she made sure not to waver in that as she thought about what to say in response.
“You’re right,” she settled on, forcing herself to turn her frown into a gentle
, nearly hidden smile. “As nice as he seemed, I think you have a good point. Besides, I was only helping him get his bike to Murph’s after it crashed, which honestly was my fault. The sun was in my eyes and I didn’t see him coming.”
Her answer was obviously the correct one. She knew her parents were looking for a fight, or at least expecting her to put one up, and when she refused to give them one, it was clear that they weren’t sure where to go next.
“That… that’s great, sweetie,” her dad said, looking to her mom for some kind of agreement or confirmation that they’d gotten the answer they wanted.
“Yes,” her mom said with a nod. “We’re glad you’re seeing this like an adult. We know you’re twenty-one now and deserve to make your own choices, and it’s nice to see you’re making a wise one when it comes to this.”
“That’s right,” her dad echoed. “You have responsibilities to yourself, to this family and to this bakery. Now, we know things have been a little slow lately, but that’s exactly why we need you here. Fresh ideas, your ideas. Anything you can think of, run with it.”
“Thanks,” Kassidy said, forcing herself to smile wider. In truth, she wanted to tell her parents off for trying to control her life, but she knew better than that. It would only make their fighting worse and then she really would never see Levi again. If she took the high road, her parents would respect her a bit more and maybe warm up to the idea of her at least talking to the rock star.
Her mother, though, was visibly relieved to hear it. She couldn’t hide her sigh of relief and she put her hand on her heart. There were even tears – actual tears – in her eyes as she spoke.
“Oh honey,” her mother said as she pulled Kassidy into her arms for a tight hug. “You’re becoming such a smart young woman. I knew you weren’t going to be foolish over some boy, especially not a boy like that one.”
“That’s my girl,” her dad said, using a phrase he hadn’t uttered since Kassidy played on the high school softball team. “Besides, why would our little girl go for some boozing rock musician when a nice boy like Paul Larson obviously wants to take her out again?”
Kassidy’s body stiffened in her mother’s arms at the mention of Paul’s name. How they knew he wanted to ask her out was something she wanted an answer to, but she decided to wait. It would only lead to another fight if she decided to argue their point and instead she pulled back from her mom and asked if they minded if she went upstairs for a bit.
“I think I was out in the sun too long,” she told them. “I feel a little warm and I should put some aloe on in case I got a bit of a burn.”
“Oh, honey are you okay?” her mother asked as she felt her forehead. Kassidy’s fair hair and light dusting of freckles meant she burned easily, even in the spring. She felt fine, physically at least, but she needed a moment alone to think and she wouldn’t get it in the bakery.
“Yeah, just a bit too much sun,” she repeated. “I’ll go take a cool shower and maybe put some aloe on to cool off and then come back down in a bit.”
“Don’t worry about it,” her father cut in. “Get some rest, you’ve had a busy enough day. We don’t need to add heat stroke to the pile.”
“Thanks dad,” she said. “I’ll make dinner though, okay?”
“Sounds good,” he said and Kassidy took that as her chance to leave. She was upset. She was more than upset, but showing that to them would only make things a hundred times worse. Levi had mentioned coming by the bakery and that could only make things even worse if she’d made some argument to see him again. If he showed up entirely unexpected, she might not get another lecture out of it.
At least once she got upstairs to the two bedroom apartment she shared with her parents she could clear her head and avoid getting upset. She didn’t need aloe or lotion or to cool off at all – not physically, at least.
What she did want was to find out just who Levi Thayne was. A quick Google search once she sat down at her computer brought up thousands of YouTube videos, and she navigated her way to the official Fable Heart video channel and clicked on the newest video release. It was a few months old, but had almost five hundred million views.
Though she was alone, she was careful to use headphones as she played the video. The walls of their apartment were paper thin and if her parents heard her listening to music, it would be too easy to assume it wasn’t her normal playlist.
A deep guitar riff opened the song and Levi’s voice filled her ears. She’d imagined that she would find herself soaring with the sound of his voice, but instead her nose wrinkled and her forehead creased. The edges of her lips curled up in an ugly sneer and she barely made it halfway through the first song before she clicked the back button to make it stop.
The music of Fable Heart was nothing like she’d imagined it would be. Her parents were completely right – the song had been about casual sex and doing drugs at some night club. Everything about the song was wrong and she knew it was not for her at all. It was downright offensive and she prayed it was a one off, an anomaly, and she clicked on the next video.
But that one was about drinking and gambling and her face soured more. Three more videos came and went and they all confirmed exactly what her parents had warned her about – Levi was not the kind of man she thought he was.
The music coming from her headphones was heartbreaking. She’d only just met Levi, but she’d been convinced that he was a good man. He might sing rock music and ride a motorcycle, but she’d seen a goodness in him. His music only made her see how wrong she was in that assumption.
She’d been about to give up, about to turn off her computer and give up on Levi Thayne all together. Her sudden infatuation was fading quickly and she was glad to see it gone. A man like him was more trouble than he was worth and her parents were right. She had responsibilities and they didn’t include falling for some rock musician who only cared about picking up women in some dance club.
But her finger hovered over the mouse. One of the band’s oldest videos, a three minute song off their first album, was showing as one of the recommendations for her to try next. She almost didn’t click it, but something inside her told her to try it and her heart fluttered when the music started.
The song didn’t start out with a hard riff like the others. It was softer, more melodic, and somehow warm. The video itself was simple enough, just the band on a small stage in an empty room with red walls. Levi looked so much younger than the man she’d met. He no longer had the five o’clock shadow on his face or the shaggy hair, but his big brown eyes were still the same and when the lyrics started, they were everything Kassidy imagined him singing about.
There was no drugs, no sex. Instead, it was about finding love, cherishing it, and making a woman feel like a queen. A prayer to God to lead him to the right woman and to let them live a good life together. It was exactly what the Levi she’d met would sing about, and the crush she’d had on him came back with a vengeance.
He can’t be all bad, she thought to herself. The song was six years old and she wasn’t naïve enough to think that people didn’t change, but this was the man she had met, not the boozing hound dog his newer songs made him out to be. She had to trust her gut and hope that there was a reason he’d been releasing songs that were nothing like the man she knew.
After the first song from the band’s earliest album was done, she found another and then another. Some were harder in tone, some were ballads, but they were all the same heartfelt songs that she’d expected from Levi. He was a good man, and even though the years had changed his music, she knew he couldn’t have changed as a person, not that much.
For hours she sat in her room and played that first album on repeat. When it was time to cook dinner as she’d promised her parents, she went to iTunes and purchased all the tracks she liked best before she added the songs to her iPod.
By time she was putting the chicken breasts in the oven – each tossed in breadcrumbs from their bakery – she had the lyrics to three of the songs memo
rized and was working on a fourth. They were catchy and melodic and she wondered why Levi and his band had changed styles over the years. She’d gone back to their second album and it had been a mix of their old stuff and what the band had become, but it was the first album that really spoke to her.
Kassidy was careful to put her iPod away before her parents came upstairs at six for dinner. There would be too many questions about what she was listening to and it would be better to avoid that all together, so she put the mp3 player away and turned on the TV for background noise instead.
“Dinner smells lovely, honey,” her dad said as he climbed the steps up to the apartment.
Kassidy smiled at that. Not a forced smile, but a genuine one. She always liked to cook and it was nice to know she’d done well.
“Thanks dad,” she told him as she took her place at the table.
“What do you have planned for tomorrow after work?” her mother asked as she took a piece of chicken off the serving platter.
“I’m not sure,” Kassidy told them honestly. “I might see if Addison or Kayla want to go down to the lake in the afternoon, if that’s cool. Maybe talk to Gillian, she was being a bit weird today when I saw her. I hope everything is okay.”
“Of course, sweetie,” her dad said. “Just remember what we talked about.”
“Don’t worry,” she told them, though deep down it was a lie. She would never disobey her parents’ wishes, not outwardly, but if he were to show up on his own, she already knew she wouldn’t try to avoid him.
The conversation at dinner turned to lighter things and away from the stresses of the day. Her mom was telling them about another cake order that had come in, her dad was discussing going fishing on the weekend with some friends from church, but Kassidy kept oddly silent while she ate.
It wasn’t that she didn’t want to talk, but she wasn’t paying any attention at all. No matter how hard she tried to focus on what her parents were saying, her mind kept going back to Levi and the music she’d spent the afternoon listening to.
Melodies of the Heart: A Pinewood Grove Sweet Romance Page 3