for the door of the station. Valentine ran after him in pursuit. Candace thanked Gus again and headed up the stairs. She noticed the dumpster across the lot loaded down with everything from old furniture to ornate area rugs for the floor. She realized the boys must have finished cleaning out the room for Levi and she wondered how it looked.
She reached out and knocked on the door softly at first, but when she got no response, she knocked louder.
“Leave me alone, Gus, I’m sleeping,” came Levi’s growl from within.
She had the feeling he wouldn’t open the door if he knew it was her, so she reached out and turned the knob. As she’d hoped, Levi hadn’t bothered to lock it. She pushed open the door and started laughing when she saw Levi lying on the floor with the mattress leaning against the wall just two feet away from him. A bag of clothes was the only other thing in the room, as it was totally empty.
“Levi?” she asked, smiling and shaking her head. “Do you always sleep on the bare floo r and let your mattress rest against the wall?”
“Huh?” He raised his head partially, his eyes still half-closed. “Candy? Is that you?”
Her heart skipped a beat when he called her Candy. Maybe he wasn’t still mad at her after all.
“Yes, it’s me,” she said. “I brought the car. I thought you might need a ride to town.”
“The car?” He rubbed a hand over the stubble on his jaw and pushed up to a sitting position. “What time is it anyway?”
“Nine o’clock,” she said.
“In the morning?”
“Of course, silly.” She entered the room and closed the door. “Actually, I was taking the kids to the beach and I was wondering if you wanted to come along and spend some time with them?”
“Why would I want to do that?” he asked, sitting up and yawning, stretching his arms above his head, giving her a beautiful view of his chest.
“Well,” she said walking closer, thinking this was a perfect lead in to the conversation she’d been meaning to have with him. “I just know how much you like kids and all and . . .”
“Not to be rude, sweetheart, but if I want to spend time with kids - I’ve got a shitload of nephews and a niece for that. Your kids are cute and all, but I’d rather spend the time with my own family.”
He got up and started digging through the bag, finding a very wrinkled shirt and putting it on.
Well, this was her perfect opportunity to tell him, she thought. He just said he wanted to spend his time with family and all she had to do was tell him right now how much of a family to him her kids really were. She dug into her purse and pulled out the key to the town. Holding it out to him, she said, “the kids really enjoyed this. You are so good with Vance and Valentine. You know they really like you.”
“No, not Val,” he said. The n he took the key from her and tossed it onto the top of the bag of clothes.
“Levi,” she said, her mouth feeling so dry she could barely swallow. “Levi, there is something I’ve been meaning to tell you. My kids . . .”
“Oh crap!” He hit his head with his hand. “Did you say it was nine o’clock?” he asked.
“I . . . yes,” she answered, wanting to get back to the conversation. “As I was saying, . . . my kids are . . .”
“I was supposed to meet with the fair committee at the fair grounds at nine. They are starting to put up the rides and all and I need to be there to sign some paperwork and something about permits. Shit,” he said, buttoning his shirt, “I’m late again. Candy, I need the car.”
“But - I planned on taking the kids to the beach today.”
“Then I’ll get Dan to take me.”
“Gus said Dan was out on an errand.”
“Then you’ll just have to drop me off on the way to the beach. I’ll get a lift home with someone, so don’t worry about it.” He opened the door and motioned with his hand. “Come on, I’m late. And I’ll drive since I want to get there sometime today.”
“But . .
She reached out and knocked on the door softly at first, but when she got no response, she knocked louder.
“Leave me alone, Gus, I’m sleeping,” came Levi’s growl from within.
She had the feeling he wouldn’t open the door if he knew it was her, so she reached out and turned the knob. As she’d hoped, Levi hadn’t bothered to lock it. She pushed open the door and started laughing when she saw Levi lying on the floor with the mattress leaning against the wall just two feet away from him. A bag of clothes was the only other thing in the room, as it was totally empty.
“Levi?” she asked, smiling and shaking her head. “Do you always sleep on the bare floo r and let your mattress rest against the wall?”
“Huh?” He raised his head partially, his eyes still half-closed. “Candy? Is that you?”
Her heart skipped a beat when he called her Candy. Maybe he wasn’t still mad at her after all.
“Yes, it’s me,” she said. “I brought the car. I thought you might need a ride to town.”
“The car?” He rubbed a hand over the stubble on his jaw and pushed up to a sitting position. “What time is it anyway?”
“Nine o’clock,” she said.
“In the morning?”
“Of course, silly.” She entered the room and closed the door. “Actually, I was taking the kids to the beach and I was wondering if you wanted to come along and spend some time with them?”
“Why would I want to do that?” he asked, sitting up and yawning, stretching his arms above his head, giving her a beautiful view of his chest.
“Well,” she said walking closer, thinking this was a perfect lead in to the conversation she’d been meaning to have with him. “I just know how much you like kids and all and . . .”
“Not to be rude, sweetheart, but if I want to spend time with kids - I’ve got a shitload of nephews and a niece for that. Your kids are cute and all, but I’d rather spend the time with my own family.”
He got up and started digging through the bag, finding a very wrinkled shirt and putting it on.
Well, this was her perfect opportunity to tell him, she thought. He just said he wanted to spend his time with family and all she had to do was tell him right now how much of a family to him her kids really were. She dug into her purse and pulled out the key to the town. Holding it out to him, she said, “the kids really enjoyed this. You are so good with Vance and Valentine. You know they really like you.”
“No, not Val,” he said. The n he took the key from her and tossed it onto the top of the bag of clothes.
“Levi,” she said, her mouth feeling so dry she could barely swallow. “Levi, there is something I’ve been meaning to tell you. My kids . . .”
“Oh crap!” He hit his head with his hand. “Did you say it was nine o’clock?” he asked.
“I . . . yes,” she answered, wanting to get back to the conversation. “As I was saying, . . . my kids are . . .”
“I was supposed to meet with the fair committee at the fair grounds at nine. They are starting to put up the rides and all and I need to be there to sign some paperwork and something about permits. Shit,” he said, buttoning his shirt, “I’m late again. Candy, I need the car.”
“But - I planned on taking the kids to the beach today.”
“Then I’ll get Dan to take me.”
“Gus said Dan was out on an errand.”
“Then you’ll just have to drop me off on the way to the beach. I’ll get a lift home with someone, so don’t worry about it.” He opened the door and motioned with his hand. “Come on, I’m late. And I’ll drive since I want to get there sometime today.”
“But . .
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