The next day, I felt stronger so Kathy went home. She and Levi had traded off taking care of me and Asher. I knew I was truly blessed to have these people in my life. They loved me and my son so much.
Levi informed me that Seth had been bailed out of jail within an hour of being arrested. Mr. Turner called and pleaded for us not to press charges against his son. If we agreed, he promised Seth would never bother any of us again. We decided this was the best thing to do and hoped Seth would keep his end of the bargain.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
On the third day, I couldn’t lay in that bed any longer. I had to get up, even if I still felt terrible. I had things I needed to do. I shoved Levi out the door to go to work and assured him I would be fine. I did laundry and played with Asher all day. In the time I’d been stuck in bed, he had learned to crawl. He was all over the house and by the time Levi got home from work, I was ready to get back in bed, but I made myself stay up. I cooked us an easy dinner and vegged out on the couch with Levi after he did Asher’s bath and bedtime routine for me.
I woke up the next morning feeling a little stir crazy, like the walls of the house were closing in on me. I was okay to drive and felt almost back to normal, but doubted Levi would be happy with me leaving the safety of his house.
The gash on my forehead was healing but still looked red and puffy and the bruising hadn’t completely faded away. I didn’t want people to stare at me, so I handed Levi a pair of scissors and told him to cut me some bangs. He looked horrified at the idea of taking scissors to my hair, but after a few tears rolled down my cheeks, he led me to the bathroom. Ten minutes later, I had a fairly straight set of bangs. He grinned at his handy work, pretty proud of himself. I gave him several “thank you” kisses, which he accepted eagerly.
I shuffled around the house for a while, shoulders hunched, trying to find something to do. Levi grabbed me and wrapped his arms around me. “Why don’t you take Asher shopping and buy something for yourself,” he suggested.
I grinned. “You think it will be okay?” I asked and bounced on my toes like a little kid who had just gotten a pony.
He chuckled. “Yes, I think it will be okay and judging by your reaction, I’d say you are more than ready to get out of the house. Come by the office after lunch. My mom is working the front counter and would love to see you both.”
He reached into his back pocket and pulled out his wallet. He held out five, one hundred dollar bills to me.
“Get whatever you want,” he said.
I pushed his hand away. “I’m not taking your money, Levi.”
He looked at me with a serious expression. “Yes you will. It’s not my money anyway. It’s our money.”
I took it from his hand. “Thank you, but you don’t have to do this.”
He smiled. “Yes I do. You’re going to be my wife so what’s mine is now yours.” I gave him a tight smile and knew he could tell I wanted to say something more. “What is it?” he asked and swept my new bangs out of my eyes.
I didn’t want him to think I was prying into his personal business. I mean, we weren’t married yet. “I really appreciate the money, but it’s too much. Are you sure it’s okay?” I asked hesitantly.
He grinned. “Are you asking me if I can afford to give you five hundred dollars?” I smiled sheepishly. “Katie, it’s okay for you to know how much money I make. The business does really well. I made over three hundred thousand in profit alone last year.”
His revelation shocked me. I knew his business was big, but I didn’t know it was that big. He laughed and reached under my chin to close my mouth and said, “I know you’re surprised, but I’m just not a flashy kind of guy. I give God all the glory. Without Him, I would have nothing.”
I managed to pull myself together. “Wow, that’s a lot of money and you’re right, I would have never guessed you made so much. I mean your house is really nice but-”
He chuckled and interrupted me. “I’m a simple man and don’t need a giant house or a new truck to make me feel good. I give God His part, help out in the community, and save the rest. But I have a feeling I’ll be spending a whole lot more money to spoil my soon to be wife and son.” He flashed me his heart stopping grin. “I’ve got to go, but I’ll call you later.”
He gave me another kiss and was out the door. I looked down at the money in my hand in awe and knew I was blessed beyond measure.
***
I spent the morning trying to do laundry and keep Asher occupied. He refused to go into his playpen now that he could crawl. I tried to leave him in it anyway but after listening to him scream for five minutes, I had to get him out. I got him fed and changed, grabbing myself a piece of lunch meat afterwards. I didn’t even have time to make a sandwich.
I took him into the bathroom with me and attempted to shower while he crawled around on the bathroom floor. That was the fastest shower I’d ever taken. I put on some decent clothes and tried to somewhat fix my hair and throw on a little mascara. I looked down right as he put a hair tie into his mouth. I picked him up, digging it out, and washed his hands with soap. The bathroom floor was clean, but it was still a bathroom. I packed his bag, grabbed my purse and loaded him into his car seat.
I said a silent “thank you” to Levi for remembering to move it over from his truck. I got in my seat and took a few deep breaths. I felt a little frazzled. I said a quick prayer for continued strength and made my way to the nursery. Asher was content on the drive over, so that helped me relax some.
I parked in front of the office and took Asher inside. Kathy was behind the counter and when she saw him, her face lit up. Then she looked at me and blinked a few times. That’s weird.
She smiled again. “Katie, I’m so glad to see you again,” she said, coming around the counter. “Come here, Asher. Grammy has missed you.”
I laughed “Grammy?” I asked as I passed him to her. She winked at me and snuggled Asher close. “My goodness, he gets more beautiful every time I see him.”
Levi rounded the corner and came to a sudden stop when he saw me. “Uh, hey,” he said, eyes wide.
Aggravated at the weird receptions I kept getting, I asked, “What? Why are you looking at me like that?”
He tried not to grin but couldn’t help it. “Did you have a rough morning?” he asked and chuckled.
“It was a little busy, but I managed just fine,” I lied.
“Uh huh, well you’ve got a little something...” He busted out laughing.
“What?” I huffed out and looked over at his mom.
She smiled sweetly. “You got something on your eyes, honey.”
I rubbed under both my eyes and asked, “Did I get it off?”
I looked over at Levi; he shook his head and began to laugh again until his mother shot him a stern look. He cleared his throat.
I dug my compact out of my purse, looked at my eyes, and gasped. I had mascara smeared on both of my upper eyelids. I’d obviously been distracted when I’d put it on and had missed my eyelashes all together. It looked like I’d just brushed it on my eyelids instead. I put my hand to my forehead and shook my head. “Excuse me. I’ll be right back.”
I kept my head down as I made my way to the bathroom. I had to scrub my eyes hard with soapy paper towels to get it all off. The area above my eyes was now red and puffy but at least the mascara was gone. I walked down the hallway and saw that Levi had Asher with him in his office. I went in and flopped down in one of the chairs. Asher was sitting in Levi’s lap banging on the computer keyboard.
I met Levi’s eyes and he smiled. “I’m sorry I laughed. It was just a shock to see you like that. Had you already gone shopping?” he asked with a grimace.
I laughed. “No, thank goodness. I could never show my face in town again if I’d gone shopping looking like that. I’m not mad that you laughed. I did look crazy.”
Kathy came in, sat down in the other chair and patted my knee. “So, it was a bad morning for you?”
“No, it wasn’t ba
d. It was just hard to get everything done and keep him out of stuff now that he’s crawling. He tried to eat one of my hair ties. I had to dig it out of his mouth.”
Levi grimaced and Kathy looked at him and laughed. “That’s nothing. Levi ate anything he could get his hands on; coins, dirt, toys, you name it. If he could reach it, he would eat it. I even caught him eating dry cat food one time. It scared me to death, but the doctor said it was fine when I called him in a panic.”
He looked at his mom and frowned. ”Gee thanks, Mom. Tell her all my embarrassing secrets.”
I laughed loudly. “You ate cat food. That’s so gross.”
He rolled his eyes. “Uh huh, laugh it up, mascara girl.” I laughed even harder at that.
Kathy cut in. “My point is all kids get into stuff. You can’t watch them twenty-four hours a day. You just do the best you can and know that they are in God’s hands.” I smiled as she leaned over and gave me a hug. “Now, I’ve got to get back out front.” She stood up and moved to the door. “You kids play nice,” she called out as she left.
I giggled. “I love your mom. She’s so smart and funny. I see where you get it from.”
“So you think I’m smart and funny, huh?”
I got up and closed his office door. I pushed his chair back, took Asher in my arms, and sat down in his lap.
“That’s not all I think,” I replied.
His cocked his brows and grinned. “Oh, yeah? What else do you think?”
I reached up and stroked his face. “I think you are giving, loving, patient, caring, and the most wonderful man I’ve ever known.” I kissed his lips softly. “You are also handsome, strong and have an amazing body.”
I didn’t even blush when I said the last part. When did I become so bold?
He smiled and gave me a quick kiss. “Up you go,” he said as he helped me off his lap.
I frowned but got up and sat back down with Asher in the chair across from his desk.
“Do you think you’ll be all right at the store with Asher?” he asked sounding concerned.
I checked the time on my phone. “I’ll be fine, but I need to get going. I don’t want to be rushed.”
He walked me to the front counter, and I told his mom goodbye. He leaned down and gave me a short kiss before he turned and went back to his office.
I got Asher situated in the car and as I pulled out of the parking lot, I couldn’t shake the feeling that Levi was a little upset at me. I didn’t know what had come over me in his office. I’d never acted like that before, but I suddenly wanted to be close to him- very close. I cleared my head and decided it was best not to let my mind wander in that direction too long.
I drove to the department store and loaded Asher into his stroller. I looked through the aisles of clothes and found a few dresses and a cute pair of black sandals. When I finally got to the register, Asher began to fuss so I picked him up and settled him on my hip.
The cashier rang it all up and said, “Your total is $375.”
My heart almost stopped. Thank goodness Levi gave me money this morning. I dumped everything in the stroller and pushed it to the car with Asher on my hip. I had just gotten him strapped into his seat, when he began to cry and wouldn’t stop. I took a deep breath to steady my nerves as my phone rang. I looked at the screen and saw that it was Levi. I answered but could barely hear him over Asher’s wailing from the backseat.
“Why is he crying like that?” he asked.
“He’s tired, and I’m trying to get home from the store. I’ll call you back later. Bye,” I replied and hung up.
I didn’t have time to talk on the phone. I had to get him home and taken care of. I spoke soothingly as I drove. “It’s okay, Ash. We’ll be home in just a minute.”
He finally stopped crying and fell asleep. I called Levi back so he wouldn’t worry. He answered on the second ring. “Is everything okay?”
“Yes, everything is fine. He’s asleep now, and I’m almost to the house.”
He let out a deep breath. “I was about to leave work and come find you. He was crying like he was in pain.”
“He’s just tired and cranky. He’s not always so sweet, you know,” I replied dryly.
He chuckled and the sound made me smile. “And how are you doing?”
I sighed, wearily. “I’m tired, but I’ll be okay.”
We said our goodbyes as I pulled into the driveway of his house. I took Asher in and put him in his playpen and thankfully, he stayed asleep. I left my purchases in the car and lay down on the bed. I yawned. I needed a nap too. I thought I might have over done it on my first day back out in the land of the living.
***
I heard Asher giggle and opened my eyes. I looked over into the playpen, and he smiled. I picked him up and he said, “Momma,” in his sweet baby voice.
I kissed his chubby cheek and looked at the clock. Startled by how long I’d slept, I rushed into the kitchen to start dinner. I was putting together a salad when Levi came through the door. He gave me a hug and my stomach growled loudly.
He narrowed his eyes and asked, “Did you eat today?”
I shrugged my shoulders. “I ate a piece of lunch meat at noon.”
He sighed but didn’t say anything. He picked up Asher from the floor. “Hey, buddy. Let’s go play.”
They disappeared into the other room, and I went back to preparing dinner. It was almost ready, so I made my way into the living room and spotted Levi sitting on the floor playing with Asher.
I sat down beside him and watched their sweet interactions. Asher rolled around as Levi tickled him and growled. It was the most beautiful thing I’d ever seen. I hated to interrupt their time together, but Asher had to eat. I scooped him up from the floor and took him to the table to feed him.
“I’m going outside to water the plants,” Levi called out.
“Okay, you do what you normally do,” I replied.
I heard the door close. Uh oh, something is up. This wasn’t like him. He seemed distant.
I already had dinner on the table and was almost done feeding Asher when he finally came back inside. As we ate, I asked him about his day. Part of me hoped something happened after I left to put him in a bad mood, but he said his day was fine. I knew all along it was because of how I acted in his office, but I wasn’t about to bring that up. If it bothered him, then he would have to talk to me about it.
We finished dinner, and I got up to clean the kitchen. He picked up Asher. “I’m going to go give him a bath,” he said.
I looked over at him and smiled. “Thanks,” I replied.
He headed off to the bathroom. I finished up in the kitchen and padded down the hall. I peeked into the bedroom and found Levi leaning over the bed putting Asher’s pajamas on him. I walked over and patiently waited until he was finished.
I scooped Asher up and smelling the familiar scent on his skin, I smiled. He remembered to use baby lotion. “I’m going to make him a bottle and see if I can get him to sleep for the night. Will you bring the playpen in here for me?” I asked.
He smiled, but it didn’t reach his eyes. “Sure, but first I need to clean up all the water in the bathroom from Hurricane Asher.”
I laughed and looked down at his wet clothes. “It looks like he got you too.”
He grinned and started to strip off his shirt before I had a chance to leave the room. I stopped at the door and watched him. How much would he actually take off in front of me? He took off his belt before he noticed me still standing there. He stopped and just looked at me. “I thought you were going to make a bottle,” he said with a smirk.
“I am. I was just enjoying the show,” I said and heard him chuckle as I darted down the hall.
He joined me on the couch after a few minutes, wearing pajama pants and a t-shirt. Asher had just started his bottle and was already getting sleepy. Levi turned on the TV and flipped through the channels, stopping when he found a yard remodel show.
I smiled and shook my head. “I gu
ess it’s a good thing I like these shows.”
He smiled, but his eyes never left the TV. I looked down and noticed he’d left a space between us on the couch. It kind of hurt my feelings. I missed the Levi that held me close and kissed me until I was breathless.
When Asher was done, I whispered, “I’m going to put him down and take a shower.”
He glanced over at me and nodded. I leaned over and kissed his lips gently. He kissed me back, but I noticed his hesitancy. Feeling dejected, I got up off the couch and carried Asher to the bedroom. I closed the door behind me and fought back tears. I put Asher down in the playpen and headed into the bathroom. I decided to leave the door open so I could hear him if he woke up. I started the water and stepped in. I took a quick shower and had just shut the water off when I heard Asher’s cry. I got out, grabbed a towel and threw it around me. I stepped into the bedroom and my eyes met Levi’s. He stood there holding an awake and crying Asher. I saw his eyes roam over my body for a moment before he looked away. I knew he couldn’t see much for the towel.
“Uh, I heard him crying while you were in the shower.”
Oh! I guess he got an eyeful already then. I blushed, grabbed my pajamas, and rushed back into the bathroom, closing the door behind me. I hurriedly dried myself off, dressed and combed my hair, but noticed I no longer heard Asher’s cry- instead I heard Levi humming.
I stepped out of the bathroom as he put him back down in his playpen. “Is he asleep?” I whispered.
“Yeah,” he replied. I walked over, took his hand and led him back to the couch. We didn’t speak for a few minutes.
I turned to face him and finally asked. “How much did you see?”
“Quite a bit,” he said and actually blushed.
I laughed and shook my head. “Why are you embarrassed?” He didn’t answer and dread suddenly filled me. Hesitantly I asked, “Did you not like what you saw?” I looked away quickly and swallowed.
He gently grabbed my face and turned it so our eyes met. “Katie, you have a beautiful body. I was embarrassed because I couldn’t look away.”
Katie's Glimpse (The Glimpse Series) Page 24