I knew my mouth hung open. I’d only seen him act like that once before, and it was with Seth. That guy brought out the worst in my sweet daddy. “What did Mr. Turner say?” I asked hesitantly.
Dad let out a slow breath. “He apologized, said he would talk to him immediately, and that it would never happen again.”
Levi spoke up, “Seth doesn’t know how lucky he is not to be in that hospital right now. If I’d seen him do it, I don’t think I could have controlled myself.”
“I completely agree with you, son, but I’m glad Katie handled it. She did it the right way,” Dad said and patted my arm.
I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. “It wasn’t a big deal. I couldn’t help myself. I didn’t have time to think before I reacted.”
Mom spoke up, “Honey, that’s what parents do when someone hurts their child.”
Dad and Levi agreed, making me smile. As we sat down to eat, my parents began quizzing Levi about his life. The poor man couldn’t even get in his first bite. They asked about his business, his parents, and his spiritual beliefs. I felt sorry for him, but he answered every question, acting like he didn’t mind. He even told them about his dad’s drinking problem and being raised by a single mother.
My parents soaked it all in, then Mom smiled. “Well, she did an amazing job with you. You are the kind of man we prayed Katie would find since she was a little girl.”
Dad added, “We’re so glad to see Katie safe and happy.”
Levi actually blushed, and I couldn’t contain my giggle. He didn’t get embarrassed by much. As we finished lunch, I heard Asher call out. I went and got him, passing him to Dad’s outstretched hands. He tickled him under the chin, causing Asher to giggle. Dad picked up his hand, the one Seth had hit, and gently kissed it.
“I love you, Ash,” he said. Then Mom got her turn. She loved all over him, making him squeal loudly.
After cleaning up from lunch, my parents wanted to see my apartment again. Levi declined, saying he needed to get back to work. He gave me a quick kiss before we piled into the car and headed to my place.
Dad noticed immediately that I still didn’t have a crib. “Katie, let us buy you a crib today. Ash needs a real bed to sleep in.”
I couldn’t argue. I knew he was right. They took me to a baby store downtown, and we picked out a nice crib that would convert to a toddler bed as Asher got older. It was expensive, but they didn’t mind. We brought it back to the apartment and by the time Dad got it put together and my room rearranged for it to fit, it was after five o’clock.
Mom stole a glance at Dad. “Paul, we better get Katie back to Levi’s house. He said something about taking her out to a nice dinner tonight.” My ears perked up. He hadn’t mentioned it to me. “Why don’t you go put on something nice, sweetie,” she suggested.
I looked at her confused. “Uh, okay.”
I jumped in the shower and washed my hair quickly. I took the extra time to dry it with a round brush so it would lay smooth against my back. I ran to my room, pulling out a light blue maxi dress and silver strappy sandals. Levi hadn’t seen this dress yet, and I knew he’d like it.
When I came back into the living room, smoky makeup in place, mom gushed. “Oh, you look beautiful, so grown up. Why don’t you let Asher stay with us tonight at the hotel? We’d love to have some more time with him. We can bring him back in the morning.”
I knew my parents missed him so much, so I agreed. I got him ready, and my parents drove us back to Levi’s house but refused to come in.
I gave Asher a kiss before making my way up the porch. I opened the front door and called out Levi’s name. He came around the end of the hallway wearing dark jeans and a button down shirt with the sleeves rolled up. He looked so gorgeous that I couldn’t stop staring.
He came to a stop in front of me, a huge smile on his face. “Wow. You look amazing,” he said as he stared at me too.
He took a lock of my hair and rubbed it between his fingers before leaning down and pressing a kiss to my lips. I put my hands against his chest and felt the heat of his skin through his shirt. My stomach did a flip. He reluctantly pulled his lips from mine. “Let’s go out back and look at the water before we go to dinner.”
Holding my hand, he led me onto the back deck. It was dark, but I could see the dock in the distance. There were candles burning along both sides of it. I gasped and looked up at his face as he led me towards it. He gave me a smile that took my breath away. My heart began to race as I realized what was coming. He brought my hand to his lips and kissed it. He pulled me to a stop in the middle of the dock. We were surrounded by flickering candle light. The moon was almost full and gave the setting an almost magical appearance. I was lost in the beauty.
Levi turned to face me and looked into my eyes. “Do you know how much I love you?”
“Yes, I do. Your love, for not only me but Asher too, shows in your words and actions every day,” I whispered as I fought back my tears.
He smiled, took a small step back, and got down on one knee. “I love you more than words could ever say. God has brought you into my life, and I know you were made for me. I want to spend the rest of my life as your husband and Asher’s dad. Kaitlyn Michelle Crane, will you marry me?”
Tears spilled over onto my cheeks as I fought to control my emotions. “Yes, Levi. I will marry you. I want more than anything to be your wife.”
He stood up and pulled a small box from his pocket. When he opened it, I gasped. Inside was a vintage style engagement ring with a very large diamond solitaire. It was set in white gold with filigree scrolling surrounding it. It was the most beautiful ring I’d ever seen. He slipped it on my shaking finger and smiled at the perfect fit. He wiped away my tears, then slid his hand into the hair at the back of my neck. He placed his other hand on the bare skin between my shoulder blades and pulled me tightly to him. He leaned down and kissed me passionately. I wrapped my arms around his waist, getting lost in my love for him. When he finally pulled away, I had to catch my breath. I saw his love for me shining in his beautiful blue eyes.
“Were you surprised?” he asked, his voice sounding husky.
“Yes, and it was the best surprise of my life,” I answered softly.
He held me in his arms for a little longer as we watched the water lap at the shore. “We have to get going. I’ve got dinner reservations for us,” he said, breaking the silence.
I looked at the beauty surrounding us and didn’t want to leave that spot, that moment- ever.
I knew he sensed what I felt. “Baby, this is just a glimpse of what our life is going to be like together. I promise you it will be so much more.”
I smiled at his perfect words. “Then we better blow these candles out, because I’m ready to see what’s next.”
He laughed and together we did just that before walking back to the house under the moonlight.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
I’d just put Asher down for a nap in his crib and began picking up toys from the living room floor, when someone banged on the apartment door. It startled me, causing me to trip over Asher’s ball. I put my hands out to catch myself, but it was too late. I hit my forehead on the corner of the coffee table hard and saw stars.
The banging continued as I reached up and touched my forehead. I pulled my hand away; it dripped with blood. I tried to stand but felt dizzy and had to sit back down. The loud banging woke Asher and he began to cry.
I heard Seth’s voice, “Open this door, Katie. I know you’re in there. How is Asher not my son?” he screamed through the door.
I fought back the nausea and slowly crawled over to my purse and found my cell phone. I dialed Levi’s number with a shaky hand.
“Hey, baby,” he answered.
“Levi, Seth is outside my apartment,” I choked out.
“I’ll be there in five minutes. Don’t open the door,” he replied in a rushed voice.
I tried to tell him I wouldn’t, but the words came out all slurred. “Katie, wh
at’s wrong? Why do you sound like that and why is Asher screaming?” he asked frantically.
I couldn’t tell him. My brain couldn’t find the words. I leaned over and vomited all over the floor before the room went black.
I opened my eyes and saw Levi’s face close to mine. I groaned and reached up to grab my throbbing head. Why is it hurting so much?
He pulled my hand away. “Shh, you’re okay now. You hit your head pretty hard,” he said softly.
I tried to focus, suddenly remembering the banging, Asher screaming, and Seth. Seth! I tried to get up but Levi held me still.
“Where’s Asher? Seth is here!” I yelled and instantly regretted it. I tried to hold my head, but he gently pushed my hand away again.
“Baby, please quit trying to touch your head. I know it hurts. You have a big gash and knot on your forehead, and I’m trying to stop the bleeding. Don’t worry about Asher, he’s fine. He’s with my mom. I called her when I knew something wasn’t right with you.”
”I’m here, Katie. I’ve got this sweet baby,” I heard Kathy say.
“Seth?” I whispered. If I spoke any louder it made my head hurt more.
Levi shifted me gently in his arms. “The police have him outside.”
I closed my eyes, fatigue overwhelming me. “Katie...Katie, open your eyes, baby. You can’t go to sleep. The ambulance will be here any second. Please stay awake for me.” I heard the tears in his voice and reached up, touching his wet cheek. He pulled my hand to his mouth, kissing it. “I love you so much,” he whispered.
“Love you,” I whispered back.
The EMT’s arrived and loaded me onto a gurney. I looked up and noticed my front door hanging wrong on its hinges. I caught Levi’s gaze and pointed at the door. He shook his head. “We’ll talk about everything later.”
They wheeled me to the ambulance and were about to load me in when I spotted Seth. He stood handcuffed beside a patrol car. He turned to look at me and I gasped. He had a black eye and a busted nose. I glanced over at Levi and noticed a small bruise under his left eye but that was it. I knew instantly who had won that fight.
They wouldn’t let Levi ride with me, so he followed us in his truck. They wheeled me into an ER trauma room where the nurses cleaned up my head wound as best as they could. Levi stayed with me the whole time, holding my hand or stroking my hair. The ER doctor ordered a cat scan and the results showed I had a concussion. They wanted to keep me in the hospital overnight for observation, but I refused. I wanted to be with Asher and Levi, where I belonged. The doctor agreed as long as someone woke me up every three hours. He glued the gash on my forehead back together and told me the scarring would be minimal. With all the paperwork signed, we left the hospital and headed back to my apartment.
Levi carried me inside and laid me on the couch. He grabbed some rags and proceeded to clean up all the vomit and blood from the floor. I begged him to stop, insisting I could do it, but he ignored me and finished up. He washed his hands then came into the living room, picked up the coffee table and hauled it out the door.
“No more coffee tables,” he said as he came back in.
I agreed. It was probably a bad idea to have a low table with sharp corners around a baby. That could have easily been Asher instead of me, and I shuddered at the thought.
“I know you’re thinking of Asher, because I thought the same thing. That’s why I hauled it out of here.” He leaned down, looking closely at my forehead and frowned. He kissed me on the temple instead.
“I’m going to pack you a bag. Y’all are going to stay with me for a while.” I nodded my head and winced at the pain. “Baby, you need to take some pain medicine. I told the doctor what you had at home. He said you could take one every four hours.”
I gave him a thumbs up and he laughed. He brought me a pill and a glass of water. I went to set the glass on the coffee table, but stopped when I realized it wasn’t there anymore. I looked at Levi with a scowl on my face.
“You’ll get used to it being gone, eventually,” he said with a chuckle, taking the glass from me.
He packed our bags and grabbed some of Asher’s bottles and food from the kitchen. “I’ll be so glad when we’re married and live in the same house. Having two places is a pain,” he called out.
I gave him two thumbs up on that one. He laughed and brought over my pajamas. “You need to change clothes before you fall asleep. These are covered in blood and vomit.” I grimaced as I looked down at my soiled clothes.
“Can you do it by yourself, or do I need to help you?”
“I don’t know but I’ll try,” I whispered. I tried to sit up, but it made the pounding in my head worse. The room spun, and I clamped my hand over my mouth.
“Katie, it’s okay. Let me help you.” He sat me up slowly and lifted the hem of my shirt up. He gently eased it over my bandaged head. He quickly grabbed my pajama shirt and stretched it over my head, helping me pull my lead like arms through the sleeves. I had to stop and rest for a minute, just that little movement had worn me out.
“Are you ready for the bottoms now?”
“Yes,” I whispered.
He laid me back down and unbuttoned my shorts. I lifted my hips so he could get them off. He quickly pulled my shirt down to keep me covered as best he could, and put my pajama shorts on me. I closed my eyes and sighed in relief as the pounding in my head eased as I lay still. A tear fell before I could stop it. “Thank you. I’m sorry you had to do that.”
He stroked my face. “Hey, it’s fine. I know you’re in pain. Besides, now we’re even since you had to dress me in the hospital when I was sick,” he said with a wink.
I puckered my lips and he leaned down, rewarding me with a sweet kiss. He grabbed my bags, taking them out to the truck. He came back in and put my disgusting clothes in a sack before leaning down and picking me up.
“Why are you bringing my dirty clothes?”
He looked at me like he didn’t understand why I’d asked that. “I’m going to wash them at my place.”
I smiled and rested my cheek on his chest as he carried me to the truck. I closed my eyes and let the sound of his steady heartbeat take me away.
***
I woke up the next morning with a small headache and an urgent need to get to the bathroom. Once again, Levi had me pinned under the covers and I couldn’t move.
“Levi,” I hissed and he stirred.
“Levi,” I said again in a normal voice, pleased that it didn’t bother my head anymore.
“What’s wrong?” he mumbled.
“If you don’t let me up right now there is going to be a puddle in your bed.”
With wide eyes, he jumped up and led me to his bathroom. I couldn’t stop to close the door, so he pushed it to behind me. I’d made it just in time. I managed to wash my hands but couldn’t take another step. I slumped against the counter and called out to Levi. He rushed in, a look of concern on his face, and picked me up. He carried me back to bed and tucked the covers in all around me. He grinned as he lay down beside me. “Wow, you really had to go. I wasn’t listening on purpose, but it was kind of hard not to hear.”
I turned my head, our faces even. “You know what, Levi? You hearing me pee is pretty low on my embarrassment list after everything you’ve seen, bought, and cleaned up for me.”
“Baby, I don’t care about any of that stuff. It doesn’t embarrass me, so it shouldn’t embarrass you. I love you. Just let all that stuff go.” He leaned close and gave me a kiss.
I’d really needed to hear that. I felt better now and knew it was time to talk about what had happened. I took a deep breath. “So tell me about yesterday.”
He gently touched the bandage on my head before finding my hand and lacing his fingers through mine. “When I got there, Seth was pounding on your apartment door and screaming. He saw me and before I could stop him, he hit me in the face. I punched him a few times, and he didn’t get back up. I didn’t know what was wrong with you, but I could hear Ash screaming
through the door, so I kicked it in. I saw you on the floor next to where you’d thrown up. There was blood everywhere, but I had to get to Asher first. He was lying in his crib screaming, so I checked him for injuries before I picked him up. He was okay, just scared. I held him and came back to you to make sure you were breathing. When I moved your hair from your face, I saw the gash and knot on your head. I saw the blood trail to the coffee table and knew you’d hit your head. You had bled so much. It scared me. I was scared for Asher too. I didn’t know what I’d find when I went into your room,” Levi said with a shudder.
I wrapped my arm over him, snuggling into his chest. “I heard Asher screaming before I blacked out, but I couldn’t get to him. Thank you for going to him first. You don’t know how much that means to me,” I said as the tears flowed.
“Katie, I love you both so much, but I didn’t even stop to think about checking on you first. I just knew I had to get to him.”
I’d never had any doubts, but if anyone else did, that moment proved Levi truly was Asher’s daddy.
***
It was bed rest for me for a couple of days, so Kathy brought Asher to Levi’s house to stay. She came in the room and kissed my cheek before handing Asher over.
“You have a wonderful son. Thank you for bringing him into our lives,” she said as her eyes misted.
I fought back my own tears at her sweet words. “So do you,” I replied.
She gave me a sweet smile. “I called your parents. They wanted to come down, but I assured them we could take care of y’all. Do you want me to help you get a bath?”
I still felt so weak. It was hard for me to do much on my own. “That would be great because I’m feeling pretty gross.”
She washed my hair, avoiding my bandage, and helped me into clean pajamas. She tightly tucked me back into bed, making me feel like I was twelve years old again. I didn’t mind; in fact, it was nice. She sat by my side and stroked my hair until I fell asleep.
Katie's Glimpse (The Glimpse Series) Page 23