“We don’t know what will happen.”
“No one ever does. So you do the best you can. It’s going to be okay, Jilly. And the parts that aren’t, we’ll handle them together.”
He saw,felt,the yearning in her gaze to believe what he said. All he could do was show her time and again that he wouldn’t let her down. That when she took the leap, he’d be there, waiting on the other side when she landed.
Letting out a long breath, she wrapped her arms all the way around his neck and went up on tiptoes. “I want this so much it scares me.”
He smoothed his hand down the back of her hair. “I want it just as much. But it doesn’t scare me, Jilly. It makes me stronger. I’m guessing you’ve had lots of scary moments that turned out better than you thought they would. Ollie? Coming home? Saying yes to our first date? Taking advantage of me last night?”
Her laugh made all of his pieces click into their proper places.
“Right. I hope you’re okay with that last one.”
He kissed her, hugged her close. “More than okay, and hoping for a repeat very, very soon.”
Standing on the porch, the moonlight washing over them like the cool air, Levi knew that he could kiss Jillian for the rest of his life. He wouldn’t tell her that now, because she was already scared, but he knew it in his heart and felt it in the way she kissed him back.
The kiss deepened, Jillian’s lips and sighs drowning him, pulling him under even as it buoyed him and made his heart soar.
She whispered his name and he knew they’d be okay. There was no other option. Because Jillian Keller was quickly becoming his everything.
Thirty-two
Jillian should have known by how hopeful she felt and how good everything was going, even with the surprises, that it couldn’t last. Because she couldn’t push the bad or worrisome things away and expect them not to surface. She knew better. The near perfection lasted for almost two whole days.
Andrew
I’m at the Best Western in Mackinaw.
Do I need to take a ferry over to your
little island or are you coming here?
Jilly stared at her screen. She needed to deal with this but she had so much to do today. Pulling up her schedule, she looked at what had to be done today and what could be pushed. Levi was heading over to the lodge to get familiar with the kitchen and meet with Shane, and then later tonight, they were all meeting up at the museum to get everything ready for the Founder’s Day celebration.
It’d seemed like such a good idea to open the week before thecelebration; lots of fun activities and events for tourists.Maybe if you hadn’t offered to help with setting up for the weekend on top of surprising Pete and Gwen on top of agreeing to train a couple of high school students for summer work at the lodge on top of falling in love with Levi on top of—
“Mom,” Ollie said, hurrying in.
Jilly lowered her phone. “Hey.”
“Can I go help Uncle Beck at the bike shop this afternoon? Gramma said I can come help with the museum stuff this morning and then she’ll drop me off there.”
Ollie would be occupied. She could let her mom take care of Pete and Gwen’s surprise with her friends, head over to the mainland, and be back in a few hours.
“Yes. That works perfectly because I’m going to go to Costco and stock up for next week.”
Ollie put her hands on her hips, her lips pursing out. Her hair was tucked into a ball cap that saidBECKETT’S BIKES. She wore a Get Lost Lodge T-shirt and a pair of bright blue shorts. She was adorable and quirky and Jillian’s heart actually ached with how much she loved her daughter.
“What’s wrong?”
Ollie shrugged. “Maybe I should come to Costco with you and help.”
Her kid was amazing. And deserved a father who would never let her down. Who would be there. Who should have been there for the last five years.
“No. You go do your thing and I’ll see you around dinnertime, okay?”
She walked over and, before Ollie could leave, pulled her into a tight hug. “Love you, sweet pea.”
