“All right. I’ll be on my way.” Leanne rattled her keys and moved past them toward the door. “Did you want a ride?”
“No, thanks.” Savannah pasted on a smile. “It’s a beautiful day for a walk.”
“Don’t forget. Our house, tomorrow at six thirty. Dinner will be served.”
“I’ll keep that in mind. Thanks for the invitation,” Savannah said.
“Bye-bye.” Leanne waggled her fingers before slipping outside and closing the door.
Savannah reached for her phone to text Levi but changed her mind. Wren deserved her full attention. Besides, after their conversation at Gunnar’s about Jasper and Miranda, she wasn’t sure if he was going to the engagement party. Wren’s early bedtime gave him the perfect reason to decline. Except Levi and Jasper had always been quite close—at least, that’s how she’d remembered them. Even if Jasper’s proposal had caught Levi by surprise, she couldn’t fathom him skipping the celebration. If she went, would it be their first outing as a “couple”?
Levi flicked his blinker on, slowed down and then turned onto the road leading to his parents’ property.
“Whoa.” He promptly tapped the brakes. Cars lined both sides of the street, packed in bumper to bumper.
“Are these all your friends?” Wren’s question drew a soft laugh from Savannah, riding in the passenger seat.
“My brother Jasper’s friends,” Levi said, shifting into Reverse and eyeing an open spot uncomfortably close to the mailbox.
“It’s not too late,” Savannah said quietly. “You can still execute a three-point turn, whip this thing around and leave. The next episode of Yellowstone is calling our names. I’ll even make the popcorn.”
Was she serious? Those were the most words she had spoken since he’d picked her up at her house fifteen minutes ago. “Thank you for coming with me. You obviously had other plans tonight.”
The corners of her mouth twitched. “What can I say? Your argument was very persuasive.”
“We didn’t argue.” He guided his car into the spot, narrowly missing the bumper of the truck in front of him. “I acknowledged your generous offer to stay with Wren, but there’s no way I’m doing this by myself.”
“So this is part of our fake-dating scheme?”
His chest tightened at her casual use of the phrase. He pressed a finger to his lips and discreetly tipped his head toward Wren in the back seat. After shifting into Park, he snuck a quick glance over his shoulder. Wren was flipping through the pages of a coloring book. She didn’t look up or ask any questions.
“We need a safe word.” He turned off the ignition. “Wren, don’t forget your jacket.”
Savannah got out first and circled around, joining him on the driver’s side. “A safe word?”
“You know—a word or phrase we say to each other when one or both of us want to leave.”
“How about, I don’t want to be here?”
Levi rolled his eyes before opening the back door and helping Wren out of her car seat. She thrust her purple hoodie toward him.
“Nope, that’s for you to carry.” He shut the door. The three of them walked down the road together. Denali and the mountains flanking it rose up out of the tundra like a wise council of elders, presiding over the land. Snow-capped peaks pressed toward a pale blue evening sky. The sun left pink and coral-colored streaks in its wake as it inched its way toward the horizon, sinking lower but never setting this time of year.
“You look nice tonight,” he said. For someone who didn’t want to attend, Savannah had made an effort with her appearance. She’d chosen a blue short-sleeve shirt with puffy sleeves, jeans and soft brown slip-on loafers. Her hair was pinned up in a clever twist, and he had to stop himself from staring at her slender neck and delicate collarbone.
“Thank you,” Savannah said. “You look nice too.”
“Can we all hold hands?” Wren walked between them, the skirt of her taffeta princess dress flitting around her bare legs.
“Thank you for washing her dress.” Levi took Wren’s hand in his.
Wren grabbed Savannah’s hand. “Yes, thank you. Now, swing me, please.”
They complied with Wren’s request and lifted her gently into the air between them.
“It’s going to be all right,” he said. “We don’t have to stay for long.”
Savannah eyed him. “Promise?”
“Promise. Wren needs to be in bed by nine.”
“Yay!” Wren squealed with delight. “I get to stay up for more minutes.”
Savannah pressed her lips together.
He tightened his grasp on Wren’s sweaty palm. “It’s a special occasion, right?”
Savannah didn’t answer. His forced enthusiasm made the knot in his stomach cinch tighter. Why did he feel the need to make this all sound better than it was? Maybe he’d been selfish, getting her to come with him tonight.
“Come on. This will be fun.”
“Hope so,” Savannah said, gently lifting Wren into the air one last time.
To be honest, he still wasn’t completely on board with Jasper and Miranda’s decision to get married. But Jasper had let him know when they spoke at the store that he was overjoyed. So Levi would fake it until his emotions got in line.
The sound of laughter and music mingled together in the air as they reached the front porch of his childhood home. A sign staked in the lawn indicated they were supposed to go around back. Except for his sister, who’d insisted she couldn’t come home on short notice, he anticipated seeing almost everyone who knew and loved Jasper gathered in their backyard. Including Tori.
He led the way around the side of the house and stopped short. His ex-fiancée stood in the middle of the yard, her hand tucked into the crook of another man’s elbow. Savannah bumped into him, her hand finding purchase at his waist. He silently willed Tori to notice, but she didn’t even make eye contact.
