“It’s sure as hell not because I want to see your ugly face at Thanksgiving every year,” he says with a smirk.
“Seriously, Brodie. We should talk to Gentry about this before we do anything else.”
He sobers and leans in close. “Do not tell her, Levi. You know how she is about asking for help. Dad’s the guy who can help her, but she’ll insist she’s fine without him just because she’s got some beef with him that’s more about Mom than her. I’m going to call him tomorrow and get an idea of how he feels about this.”
“Tomorrow?” I shake my head. “That’s too soon. I need more time to look into him.”
“What are you going to find? You said he doesn’t have a police record. He’s got a full-time job, and he’s re-married. It sounds like he’s got his life together.”
“Lots of people can look like they have their life together from the outside and be a disaster privately. Just wait until I’m back in Catalpa Creek and can do some real digging, okay? Don’t do anything until I have all the facts.”
“I’ll make that deal,” he says. “As long as you don’t tell Gentry.”
“I really think she should know.”
“Trust me. I know my sister better than you do. She doesn’t need to know anything until everything’s in place.”
Chapter Twenty
Gentry
“We should go by the park and grab the blanket and the food,” I say as soon as Levi slides into the driver’s seat.
“Sure,” he says. But he seems distracted.
“Brodie’s not really mad.” I pat his shoulder. “He just loves an opportunity to give me grief.”
“Yeah.” He looks over at me as he starts the engine. “I’m not worried.” He reaches for my hand, which is resting on my thigh, and squeezes it. “I’m really sorry about how tonight went.”
I squeeze his hand before pulling mine away. “It’s not your fault.”
He nods, looking disappointed, and focuses on driving.
By the time we get to the park, it’s after two in the morning. My head feels like a bowling ball, and my mouth feels like the Serengeti. And I’m starving.
I’m really hoping the food we left behind is still edible.
“I’ll grab everything,” Levi says.
“You can’t carry everything.” I hop out after him. Really, I’m hoping to sneak another bite of pizza without him noticing. If he thinks it’s gross to eat pizza left in the elements for a few hours, I don’t need the judgment.
Somehow, it’s even darker in the park than it was earlier.
“Where were we?” Levi asks. “Wasn’t it right around here?”
I turn my phone flashlight on and scan the area. “I think so, but I don’t—”
Something hisses right before something furry flies toward us.
Levi shoves me behind him. “Get back.”
He doesn’t need to tell me twice. I grab onto his shirt and hold on.
“It’s okay.” He reaches around and takes my cell phone from my hand. “We’re going to back away very slowly.”
I peek over his shoulder at the sound of more hissing and see him shining the flashlight at what looks to be a family of raccoons on our blanket. I’m only assuming they’re a family because they’re together. There aren’t any little ones.
“They’re kind of cute.”
