Where We Belong (A Touch of Fate #1)(20)

"Ewww, that's disgusting,” Max says, pushing his plate away from him.

Levi straightens his back, crossing his arms over his broad chest, and glares at Max. "Max, have I ever fed you anything that’s disgusting?"

"Umm..." Max taps his chin for a moment before he smiles proudly and points at Levi. "That one time at your house. You had that tube of pink stuff, remember?" Furrowing my brows, I cock my head at Levi. What the heck is Max talking about?

Levi's eyes widen but before he can say anything, Max keeps talking. "You remember, Uncle Levi? That gooey pink stuff that was supposed to taste like strawberries. It made my lips feel funny. Don’t you remember?"

Quinn attempts to muffle her laughter with her hand and my jaw drops open in disbelief. Levi sticks his arm out as though I’m about to attack and he could actually keep me away from him. "Max. Dude. That was our little secret," he admonishes, taking a few steps back. Stupid man, he should turn tail and run!

"Sorry, Uncle Levi.” Max shrugs as I push his plate back in front of him.

Grabbing Levi’s arm, I yank him over to the doorway. "Really, Levi, nipple butter? You let my son eat nipple butter?" I hiss incredulously.

"It's your fault," he whisper-yells back.

"What?" I scoff, hands on hips. "How was that my fault?"

Levi pushes me further out of the kitchen and into the living room. "Oh God! Yes, Levi! Don't stop!" He moans softly, throwing his head back in exaggeration. "Does that sound familiar to you?"

I stare at Levi. I have no comeback. I did. I said all of that.

His face turns triumphant and he pats me once on the butt before returning to the kitchen.

Damn him!



"I REALLY LOVE THAT little man. He is so precious." Walking up to me, Quinn grabs a towel and starts drying the dishes as I wash them.

"That was nice of you to give him a bath and read him his story. He really loves you, Quinny."

"It really was my pleasure. He fell right asleep too. I think we wore him out tonight,” she replies with a smile. "I hope I didn't impose on you though. I know how much you treasure your routine with Max."

"It's okay. You're family, and he needs more than just me in his life anyway." She doesn't respond, but I can feel the weight of her gaze and I know exactly what she's thinking. Quinn thinks I'm lonely. She’s convinced herself that I’m pining away for a man to fill a gap in our lives. She couldn't be further from the truth.

Yes, there are times when I am lonely. But five years ago my heart shattered into a million pieces, and that same night I vowed that if ever—by the grace of God—I was able to put it back together, I’d never give it away again. I’d keep it tucked away in a nice, warm, soft place where nothing bad could ever happen to it.

In an attempt at breaking the uneasiness that has settled around us, I dip my fingers in the sudsy water and flick them at her. She squeals, eyes wide, and instantly begins to spin her dishtowel, twisting it as tight as she can. Realizing what she is doing, I fling water at her again and take off around the table. The crack of the towel resonates and a quick sting pinches at my butt.

"Damnit, Quinny. That hurt!" I stop running and rub my butt where she towel-whipped me.

"I'm sorry," she laughs. "Do you want me to kiss it and make it all better?" she asks in a baby voice.

"Yes! Kiss it. Please, kiss it! Harley, take your pants off." Quinn and I turn in sync to glare at Levi and he raises his hands innocently. "Can't blame a guy for tryin'."

I point at Levi accusingly. "I'm still mad at you, Levi Beckford. You have some explaining to do." Rolling his eyes, he refills his wine glass and walks back into the living room.

"Oh snap! He just walked away from you. You're not going to let him get away with that, are you?" Quinn asks, refilling both of our wine glasses.

"No. Way. In. Hell."

"This is going to be good," Quinn murmurs in a sing-song voice, following behind me.

"Don't you walk away from me," I warn, making my way into the living room. Quinn snuggles into the recliner, leaving me standing in the doorway.

"Come here, Harley,” Levi says calmly, patting the cushion next to him. "Come sit down. We both know you aren't really mad. You're just pretending to be mad because you’re his mom and you feel like it's something you should be upset about."

My shoulders rise and fall on a deep breath and I concede by sitting down on the couch—as far away from Levi as I can get.

"It really is quite funny, Harley," Quinn says, sipping from her glass.

"No, it's not,” I reply, shaking my head solemnly. "It's not funny. My son ate nipple butter. The same nipple butter that was used on me. What kind of mother does that make me?"

"You're right. You're a horrible mother, and now Max is probably going to grow up to be a porn star that craves strawberry-flavored nipple butter." Levi throws a pillow at Quinn's face in response and she laughs. "It's edible, Harley. No harm, no foul. You really should just laugh about it."

I cast my gaze across the room, staring at Max's baby picture where it hangs on the wall, and I can't help but wonder how many times I've failed him. "Fine. I'll drop it." Levi wraps his arm around my shoulder and pulls me in close.