I totally knew I liked her.
"Thanks, babe," I replied, giving her a quick hug and touch of the cheek then I did the same with an amused-looking Levi. I stepped back and turned to the hovering Rex and Joel, "Guys, go get your coats, time for a movie and dinner," and they dashed off, clearly very, very done with KP duty.
After the boys took off, Levi"s smile faded and his eyes got serious.
"Scale of one to ten, how bad was it with the b.i.t.c.h this time?" he asked in a low voice and I knew he"d been briefed by Laura, Brock, both or perhaps the entirety of the Lucas family considering time enough had gone by for news to spread.
"Um... I"ve only been around her once before and that was unpleasant but considering what I heard about her I"m guessing that was around a five so this was a fifteen."
His mouth got tight.
Seeing that, to get his mind off it, I said quickly, "They"re looking forward to spending time with you and, um... of course, their Aunt Lenore."
Lenore"s lips tipped up in surprised happiness at receiving the Aunt t.i.tle and I saw this happen before she tilted her head demurely to the side and therefore she missed Levi giving me a look and shaking his head.
"They love their Aunt Lenore," I added and Levi"s eyes moved to the ceiling. "Like, loads, " I continued, Lenore"s gaze came to me and Levi"s eyes tipped back. I looked to Lenore and informed her, "I"m only ahead of you because I own a bakery. But I think I lost ground today because they"ve been clearing tables and doing dishes for four hours. You like football and your little brother plays for Notre Dame. After today, you might have taken the lead."
She grinned but stated, "Not sure I can ever compete with your cupcakes and what I"ve heard are your totally awesome breakfasts."
"I don"t know," I replied. "They like their football and they"re their father"s sons so I haven"t hidden the catatonia I lapse into when I"m forced to watch it."
Her grin got bigger and I looked to Levi.
"Sooooo," I drew it out, "off to the movies and dinner with your girl and your nephews.
How domestic."
He shook his head again but his eyes crinkled and his arm slid around Lenore"s waist at about the same time the boys raced back.
Then he confirmed, "Yeah," as Lenore melted into his side and her grin became dreamy.
And when she melted into his side, Levi not only took her weight but also his arm got visibly tighter.
Yes. Oh yes.
I knew where this was going. Someone had finally woken up and focused on the sweet, beautiful, stylish young woman who was in his life who also adored him and had his back.
"Yeah," I whispered, smiling at him because I was happy for him (and Lenore) then I released him from his brief (but deserved) torture and bent to Brock"s sons, kissing the tops of their heads in turn which they endured with shuffling feet and I ordered, "Have fun."
"Right Tess," Rex said.
"We will," Joel said.
"Good," I whispered then I couldn"t stop it but also didn"t try, I lifted my hand and cupped Joel"s cheek lightly and repeated a whispered, "Good."
I watched a shadow pa.s.s through his eyes that broke my heart before warmth that was close to the kind that I often saw in his father"s suffused them and my heart instantly mended.
Then I let him go, turned back to Levi and Lenore and announced, "Okay, I"m officially releasing them from duty."
"Good, then we gotta go. Movie starts it thirty minutes. It"s at the mall but we gotta get popcorn and s.h.i.t," Levi declared, moving Lenore toward the door with his arm still around her waist and the boys and I followed.
"Maybe we can do dinner, you guys and Brock and me, sometime soon," I said to their backs, Lenore threw a dazzling smile over her shoulder and Levi sent me a beleaguered look over his.
"That would be awesome, " Lenore breathed.
"We"ll set it up," I told her.
Levi turned back forward but I heard him sigh.
I giggled silently to myself and followed them out into the cold. The boys raced to their uncle"s SUV, Lenore gave me a brief hug and followed them then Levi moved in and did the same but stayed close to murmur in my ear, "You smell like cake but you"re still a pain in the a.s.s, you know that?"
"I"ve never had a brother," I murmured back. "I"ve got forty-three years of older sister pent up in me so watch out."
"f.u.c.kin" great," he muttered, pulled away, I caught his eyes and grinned.
He shook his head but his lips twitched.
Then he turned and bleeped the locks on the SUV. Lenore opened her door. So did Rex.
So did Joel. Levi headed to the driver"s side. Lenore, Levi and Rex got in but Joey hesitated.
Then he turned, dashed back to me, gave my waist a quick, tight hug then he dashed back, jumped in, closed the door and instantly became absorbed in the complicated procedure of buckling his seatbelt.
I looked to the front of the SUV to see Lenore grinning wildly and mouthing, "I told you so." Then I saw Levi and the look on his face made the tears already stinging my nose start to sting my eyes.
Suffice it to say, Uncle Levi loved his nephews and Uncle Levi was glad his brother had a decent woman in his life who would also be a woman his twelve year old nephew would take a hit to his reputation in order to hug.
Then I waved and rushed back into my bakery.
And luckily I succeeded in making it to my office before the first of the tears fell. Then I let the others fall.
Then I wiped my face and got back to work.
"You got sugar cookies with daisy sprinkles on the menu tomorrow?" Shirleen asked in my ear. It was seven thirty. I was locking up the shop. Everyone was gone. I was exhausted from working a twelve and a half hour day and I wanted to go to girls" night in like I wanted someone to drill a hole in my head. I would have begged off if I didn"t think Martha would send the National Guard to collect me and bring me in restraints to her place.
"Uh..." I muttered into the phone, turning out lights in the front, "they can be."
"Good, "cause I"m bringin" you three nighties tonight. All of them do not say "good time with a bad boy", they scream it."
I didn"t know Shirleen. Although she"d been given my cell number by someone and I"d received and returned a variety of texts from her, mostly about sugar cookies, nightie requirements and the upcoming girls" night in, I didn"t know her very well mainly because we"d conversed solely about sugar cookies, nightie requirements and girls" night in. This could be cool. It could also be scary. But with Shirleen, I was guessing I was in no position to argue.
Therefore, I told her, "Okay, then they are."
"Okay, then you take your pick or take all three and I"m in your bakery tomorrow to collect the debt."
"You got it."
"See you soon."
"Right, later."
"Later."
Then she ended the call.
I slid my phone in my purse then started to pay attention. No one had been shot at for over a week which was good and I hoped this luck continued but that didn"t mean I was going to fall down on Brock"s order to be vigilant.
I scanned the darkness outside, saw my car under its streetlamp, the coast appeared clear then I pulled out my keys, got them ready in my fingers, set the alarm, exited, locked the doors and quickly moved to my car, arm out bleeping the locks.
I had my hand on the door handle when vigilance was foiled.
I knew this when I heard Damian say from behind me, "Tess."
I closed my eyes as my stomach clenched.
Then I opened them and said to the roof of my car, "You have got to be kidding."
Then I decided to use the Olivia tactic and ignore him so I opened the door and started to move to enter but I was foiled with that too when he put his hand to my forearm, gently pulled me back and my door was shut in front of me.
But as he did this, I whirled. Twisting my arm to jerk it out of his hold, I took a step back and lifted a hand, palm out.
"Don"t touch me."
He lifted his hand too, palm up and placating. "Listen to me, Tess. Please."
"Why would I do that when you being here means you don"t listen to me? " I asked, dropping my hand.
Before he could answer a voice came out of the shadows.
And it said, "You need to get gone, h.e.l.ler."
My eyes went in its direction and Vance Crowe, Brock"s friend from the Hot Guy Club, formed out of the darkness.
Hallelujah.
"Who are you?" Damian asked Vance.
"A friend of Tess"s," Vance answered. "Now you need to move away from her vehicle and get gone."
Damian stared at him. Then he looked to me.
Then he announced, "He"s dangerous."
"Who? Vance?" I asked disbelievingly, not that I didn"t think Vance could be dangerous just that I knew instinctively Vance would never be dangerous to me.
"No," Damian bit off, "Lucas."
My body got tight and it got tight not because I believed him just that I didn"t believe he showed up at my bakery after a very bad, very long day to trash talk my boyfriend.
"Man, not gonna tell you again," Vance warned getting close. "Step away from her vehicle."
Damian had looked to Vance while he was speaking but he looked back at me and pleaded, "Please, Tess, you have to listen to me. I"m not here to start something, I"m not here to hurt you, I"m not here to get you back. I"m only here to help you. I"m here to stop you from making a grave mistake."
To help me. Right.
a.s.shole.
I sighed and said, "Go away, Damian."
"You don"t understand," he said, leaning into me, I reared back and Vance was suddenly between Damian and me.
"Seriously, h.e.l.ler, move the f.u.c.k on," Vance growled, audibly and visually losing patience in a very scary way.
"I need to speak to her," Damian clipped, ignoring Vance"s scariness.
"I see that, man, but she doesn"t wanna speak to you," Vance pointed out. "Now, I don"t wanna get physical but I will, no f.u.c.kin" joke, so get the f.u.c.k outta here."
Damian glared at Vance then, being Damian, his eyes moved beyond him to me standing behind him.
"He put a man in the hospital," he declared. "Was nearly suspended permanently from the Police Force because of it. Beat the h.e.l.l out of him. He"s known to be "
I cut him off. "I know, Damian, yeesh, you don"t think Brock would share that with me?"
Damian blinked. "You know?"
"Uh... yeah. The guy beat the c.r.a.p out of his ex-girlfriend, raped her repeatedly and put her in the hospital for two weeks. Brock wasn"t down with that and I don"t blame him."
I heard Vance chuckle, his scariness evaporating (kind of) and I saw Damian"s eyes narrow.
Then he stated, "He"s had s.e.xual intercourse with suspects he was investigating."
"I know that too seeing as I was one of them," I informed him, Vance chuckled again and Damian"s narrow eyed look turned into a scowl.
Then he shared, "You weren"t the only one."
"Yeah, her name was Darla and he had his reasons, he shared them with me but I will not be sharing them with you. What I will be doing is hunkering behind hot guy Vance while I call the police and inform them you"re hara.s.sing me again if you don"t go away. "
Damian ignored me too and stated, "He"s not a good man, Tess."
At that, I burst out laughing, so hard, I bent forward and had to wrap my arms around my belly because my sides were hurting.
I did this for a long time then straightened, wiped tears of hilarity from my cold cheeks and focused on a Vance and Damian who were both looking at me like I was more than a little crazy.
Then my eyes turned to Damian and I declared, "That was hilarious."
"I"m not being funny," he whispered.