The Family You Make (Sunrise Cove #1)(67)

“Maybe?”

“I’d remind you of whose fault that is,” she said. “But I don’t think you need the reminder. You’re going to start taking better care of yourself.”

“I—”

“You will,” she said. “So that when I come back, you can tell me about it.”

Lloyd’s voice softened. “I will.” He dropped himself into the recliner that had clearly seen a lot of years and looked at Levi with a wry smile. “My sweet, gentle, mild-mannered granddaughter.”

“She’s a lot of things,” Levi agreed. “All of them incredibly great, but . . .” He smiled at Jane. “I’m not sure mild-mannered is one of them.”

She rolled her eyes.

“I know,” Lloyd said proudly. “She’s amazing, isn’t she?”

Jane went into the kitchen. A moment later they heard her mutter, “Oh my God. You’re using real butter, cream cheese, and whipped cream? Seriously?”

Lloyd cackled, clearly enjoying himself.

As for Levi, he was enjoying watching Jane handle her grandpa. Not giving away her heart, holding her thoughts close to the vest, but being far more open than he’d imagined she’d be. In spite of her wariness, she was being sweet. Caring. Real. It was clear her grandpa loved it. And her, at least in his own way.

And crazy as it seemed, Levi was pretty sure he was heading that way himself. Shaking his head, he turned to his task. The TV.

“So . . .” Lloyd said, watching him work. “You and Jane seem close.”

“Hmm,” he said noncommittally. He held out the remote. “Okay, I think we’ve got it. Let me show you how to use this. I’ll also write down the password for you.”

“You think I’m old enough to forget things?”

Levi slid him a look. “I don’t think age has anything to do with . . . forgetting things.” Or people . . .

Lloyd held his gaze, then nodded grimly. “Yeah. But I intend to work on that.”

“Good.”

The old man sighed. “I’m glad you don’t want to kick my ass. I’d like to kick my own ass for letting so much time pass.”

“Not my place,” Levi said, but didn’t offer any empty platitudes about it being okay. Because it wasn’t. Not in his book.

Lloyd gave a gruff nod. “Not letting me off the hook. I get that. I deserve that. She got passed around more than an offering basket in church, and I blame myself for that too. I let my grief overwhelm me, and then I let my embarrassment over how I’d handled things keep me from finding her. I don’t deserve her, but I intend to try and make up for whatever I can for as long as she’ll let me.”

As frustrating as Levi’s own family could be, he knew they’d never pretend he didn’t exist or treat him like he wasn’t welcome. “I hope that’s true.”

“It is. She deserved more from us, and I’m hoping it’s not too late.”

“If you two are finished gossiping, dinner’s on the table.”

The two men turned and found Jane standing there, arms crossed.

Lloyd looked like a kid caught with his hand in the candy jar. “We were just—”

“I know.” Jane met his gaze. “I found frozen chicken bowls in your freezer. They’re a little freezer burned, but there’s veggies in them, so let’s eat.”

The old man got a little misty-eyed. “You made dinner.”

“Well, ‘made’ is a bit strong. More like pushed a few buttons. Last one to the table has to clean up.”

Her grandpa rushed to follow her into the kitchen. Never having minded the mindless task of dishes—it let his brain settle—Levi followed more slowly, watching Jane. Something about her was different tonight. She was still the kickass, smart-as-hell woman he was starting to get to know on a level he hadn’t expected. But there was something new. She seemed . . . just a little more open.

And right then and there, he vowed to see that look on her face as often as possible. He wanted to be with her as often as possible. And where the hell that had come from and how it had sneaked up on him, he had no idea. He didn’t want to be just another person in a long line of people who’d hurt her, but truth was truth.

She was leaving at the end of the season. And he . . . well, that’d been his original plan, but his goal was shifting, changing. But even when—yes, when, not if—he changed his home base back to Tahoe, he knew she wouldn’t do the same. She already had a contract for her next job.

They had an expiration date, him and Jane.

And playing pretend wasn’t going to change that or keep them from getting hurt. Nothing was. Unless he somehow changed her mind about him being a keeper.





Chapter 19


An hour later, Jane watched Levi out of her peripheral vision as he drove her home. He’d tried giving her battery a jump, but no go. He’d told her he’d get it charged in the morning. She’d told him not to worry about it, she had roadside service and would get a ride out there before work to get it handled.

And she would. She didn’t need to waste any more of his rare free time helping her. Besides, if he kept being so nice to her, she’d forget. Right now it was pretend, and pretend was awesome because pretend wasn’t real. Pretend was better than real any day of the week.