“Oops, sorry,” Savannah said and stepped away. Cool air filled in the empty space she’d left behind. Conversation stuttered as people spotted them, then went back to chatting when they realized he wasn’t Jasper. Levi shifted from one foot to the other, instinctively reaching for Wren. There had to be at least a hundred people here. He should’ve prepared her for a crowd this size.
“Do you know all these people?” Wren asked, drawing a chuckle from a couple standing nearby.
“Most of them,” Levi said, keeping his tone light. “Let’s find something to drink.”
They made their way to the coolers on the ground near the patio. He lifted the lid and offered Wren a juice box.
“I’ll take water, please,” Savannah said.
Levi grabbed water for her and a soda for himself. Drinks in hand, they moved off to the side to make room for others to access the coolers.
“Can I play?” Wren pointed to the old play structure his parents had never disassembled.
“Sure.” Levi took the unopened juice box she pushed into his hand. “Have a good time.” Alone with Savannah, he drew a deep breath and forced himself not to look at Tori. Or the guy she’d brought to the party. Thankfully, plenty of folks milled about. Maybe they wouldn’t even cross paths.
He set the juice box down on the patio and intentionally angled his body toward Savannah. “Things are going well with Wren so far?”
She nodded. “It’s only been two days, but we’re having fun together.”
“Good.” He popped the top on his soda. “She talked about you nonstop at dinner last night. Until she fell asleep at the table.”
Savannah smiled. “We played outside for a long time. I was convinced I’d worn her out, but then she refused to take a nap.”
“She’s fiercely devoted to not napping.”
Savannah’s expression grew serious, and she leaned closer. “There’s something I wanted to talk to you about.”
Uh-oh. “What happened?”
“She hoards food, Levi. There’s a box of snacks stashed in her room, and there are empty wrappers in the bottom of her backpack, and I found more cookies hidden under her pillow.”
His eyes roamed her face. “I hadn’t noticed. What should I do?”
“I’m not sure.” Savannah shrugged. “She’s so sweet. It breaks my heart.”
“Aw, look at you two lovebirds.” Jasper’s unexpected arrival and his careless words landed like a bucket of ice water, dousing their conversation.
Savannah’s eyes widened.
Levi winced and guarded his drink as Jasper slung his arm around his shoulders. “Everyone’s been asking about you, bro.”
“I think you’re mistaken. Tonight’s about you.”
“No, no, no.” Jasper laughed, shaking his head. “Me and my girl are old news. You’re the ones everyone’s talking about. I have to say, I’m pleasantly surprised.”
Savannah gave a small gasp. Levi silently willed his twin to back off. C’mon, man. Don’t do this.
“What’s surprising?”
“You. Making spontaneous decisions like it’s your job. Since when are you two a couple?” Jasper’s gaze bore into him. Levi tipped his chin up, refusing to give Jasper any of the details he was digging for. They’d barely talked at all in the last few days. Besides, he didn’t owe his brother an explanation. About anything. Jasper certainly hadn’t consulted him before he’d gone and put a diamond on Miranda’s finger.
“Relax, all right? You don’t need to make a big deal about us,” Levi said, trying to keep his voice low.
“Oh, but I do,” Jasper insisted. “Especially since Tori’s here with her new man as well. So why not give the people what they want?”
Levi’s mouth ran dry. The less he said, the better.
“Don’t look at me like that.” Jasper clapped him on the back. “We want to know that you’re really together. So convince us. Go on—kiss your girl.”
Levi’s stomach plummeted to his toes. This couldn’t be happening.
Chapter Four
Her legs trembled with the need to run. But she’d tried that before—leaving Colorado behind and seeking refuge in her hometown. Two days in, and she’d already encountered a speed bump or three. She stood frozen in place, squeezing her bottle of water so hard that it crackled. What was Jasper doing? Why had he just dared Levi to kiss her? They weren’t really a couple. Surely Jasper knew this. Didn’t he and Levi have some unique twin-to-twin communication? Maybe Levi hadn’t had time to explain to his family that she was helping out with Wren, as well as designing and building the float that none of them seemed to have time to tackle.
Levi slid his arm around her shoulders, sending her pulse into overdrive.
He wasn’t going to kiss her for the first time in front of everybody because Jasper had dared him to. Was he?
They had not discussed this. Yes, he’d asked her to attend certain events with him since his ex hadn’t moved away yet, and they’d mentioned fake dating in the car on the way here, but they hadn’t explored the details of the far-fetched plan. And while the sixteen-year-old version of her would flip out at the thought of a spontaneous kiss with one of the Carter twins, this was reality. A very public reality, with most of Opportunity claiming their proverbial front-row seats to her drama. Honestly, her daydreams had never been about Levi—although, at this moment, he smelled like clean soap and trees, and she kind of liked the warmth of his fingertips as they gently caressed her arm.
“Savannah and I are just getting to know each other again,” Levi said, the tenderness in his eyes evident as his gaze found hers. “We’re taking things slow.”
Oh, she could definitely hug him for navigating his brother’s obnoxious behavior without faltering. Especially since Jasper’s deep voice had carried, and her skin was heating up under the weight of people’s curious stares.
She cleared her throat and then managed a wobbly smile. “Right.”
“Lee-by, I need you.”
