“Because I’m all surface, no substance?” Levi’s smirking, but there’s hurt in his eyes. Like he actually gives a damn what I think of him.
“Only when it comes to your flirting,” I say, because I don’t want to hurt his feelings. He’s not anyone I want in my life, but Levi’s not a bad person. “It’s the way you talk to everyone. It doesn’t mean anything.”
“I don’t flirt with everyone,” he says, hand to his chest. “The only person I’ve flirted with lately has been you.”
I roll my eyes. “Right.”
“He didn’t flirt with me,” Sophie says.
“Or me,” Emily says.
“He didn’t even flirt with the pretty flight attendant,” Sophie says. “And she was definitely flirting with him.”
That flare of something hot and sharp in my chest is not jealousy or anger. Nope. It’s heartburn. “Good for him.” I glare at Levi. “But none of that is important right now. We need to get our bags and meet Brodie. He’s got too much to do for the wedding to wait around all day while we discuss Levi’s flirting habits.”
I march off and assume they’ll follow me. We’re all going to the same place after all.
“Why are you mad at me?” Levi asks, easily catching up to me.
“I’m not mad.”
“You’re at least annoyed. Why? Is it because the flight attendant flirted with me?”
I grit my teeth hard against how I feel about that. “It’s because you’ve managed to charm my sisters, and the three of you are clearly plotting together. I know your family. Plotting always means trouble.”
“Maybe I just convinced them to help me persuade you to go out with me.”
I bark out a laugh of disbelief. “Right. It’s more likely the three of you are plotting some way to get out of wedding duties. I know it might not seem like it, since their maturity is on a level with yours, but they are still children. You need to be the adult here.”
“Wow,” he says, his tone gone icy. “You really do hate me. Remind me what I’ve ever done to you that I haven’t already apologized for repeatedly?”
“Other than stealing all my Legos and using my stuffed animals for target practice?”
“That was Brodie.”
I wave a hand. He’s probably telling the truth. “I truly don’t hate you, Levi. I’m just at a place in my life where my sole focus needs to be on my sisters and doing what’s right for them. As well-meaning as you may be, you can’t deny you are hardly a stable or responsible role model for them.”
“Because I like to have fun?”
“Because you like to stir up trouble. Whenever you came to town, you and Brodie left a wake of destruction and broken hearts behind you. I can’t even count all the times you and Brodie were supposed to babysit and dropped the ball. I was always left covering for you two. I don’t need any of that in my life and neither do Emily and Sophie.”
Levi grunted. “You and I both know Brodie got up to all kinds of trouble and broke a thousand hearts just fine on his own. Don’t put that on me. And even if it was on me, that was years ago. I’ve grown up, Gentry.”
“You and I have different definitions of grown up.” I immediately regret the words. “I just mean—”
“Oh, I get what you mean,” he says. “The thing is, you haven’t even given me a chance. You haven’t taken the time to find out how I’ve changed. You made your decision about me as soon asI moved back to town. And it’s not for any of the reasons you’ve just given me.”
That surprises me. We’ve reached the baggage claim, and there aren’t any bags on the conveyor yet, so I stop and face him. “Of course, those are the reasons.”
He grins, his eyes sparkle, and my belly swoops. Why the hell does he have to be so damn attractive? “Those are the reasons you tell yourself, but they aren’t the actual reasons.”
Behind him, Sophie and Emily are listening in with far too much interest. “You don’t know me either, Levi. You have no basis to judge me.”
The sound of the first bags smacking the conveyor belt makes me turn toward it as people move closer to look for their luggage.
“I see my bag,” Levi says, cutting through the crowd.
I stare after him, completely confused and annoyed.
