“I’m not.” Hayley tossed a glare over her shoulder, then strode toward the door.
“They are meant to be,” Juliet insisted. “I don’t know why they’re being so stubborn.”
Savannah couldn’t stop a smile. Wow, she’d missed the banter between her younger sisters.
“I’m going to take a shower.” Hayley stopped at the door and turned back. “Oh, wait. Rumor has it you saw Levi and Wren. Isn’t she adorable?”
Savannah hesitated, her arm outstretched toward the lamp. “How do you know about that?”
“I had the pleasure of serving Candace and her family tonight. She was running her mouth, as usual.”
Of course she was. “I did see Levi, and I got to meet Wren. She’s a handful. What’s the story with her, anyway?”
“Juliet can fill you in.” Hayley stepped out and quietly closed the door.
“It’s sad, really,” Juliet said. “Wren’s mother is in a rehab facility in Anchorage, and they can’t locate her father. Levi just became a foster parent recently.”
“Poor Wren.” Savannah blew out a long breath. “Separated from both parents. And she’s so young. How terrifying.”
She’d encountered dozens of situations like Wren’s in just six short years of teaching. Broke her heart every single time.
“That’s why you need to babysit her,” Juliet said. “Give her lots of stability and attention. Then Levi will see how amazing you are and fall hopelessly in love.”
Savannah turned off the light and settled under the covers. “I’m not sure I want to babysit. Or spend that much time with Levi.”
“You’ll change your mind. Just wait.” Juliet yawned. “Sweet dreams.”
Savannah stopped short of arguing. Her family knew she’d lost her job, but they didn’t know all the details of what she’d endured. Frankly, she wasn’t ready to share. It would be hard to keep the truth concealed forever, especially when she applied to teach again. But for now, she’d do her best to reveal as little as possible. She closed her eyes, determined to sleep. First thing tomorrow, she’d start looking for an open position. Surely someone in Opportunity needed her and was willing to pay a reasonable rate. Her parents were kind enough to let her move back in, but they expected all of them to work if they lived here. A fair arrangement, really. Besides, she certainly couldn’t commit to a free project when she had to figure out who would hire her and how many hours they’d need.
Chapter Two
“Oh, Jasper. What have you done?” Levi stood in the parking lot outside Gunnar’s, his personal go-to for a weekday lunch. He stared at the large block letters posted on the sign out front.
She said yes! Jasper + Miranda.
Levi pulled out his phone and checked his recent calls. To his twin’s credit, Jasper had tried to call him three times in the last twelve hours. Twice after midnight and again early this morning. Levi had missed them all.
Since Wren had moved in, he had diligently silenced his phone after she went to bed so there would be no reason for sleep to get interrupted. He then neglected to check it for messages without its ring or buzz prompting him. His comfortable A-frame-style home had two bedrooms and a loft—more than adequate for himself and a child. But getting Wren settled for the night had been a challenge since day one. He’d had to eliminate all potential interruptions because more often than not, she woke up crying from nightmares. Or asking for her mom. The poor thing.
He stared at his phone, debating whether to call Jasper. His twin had mentioned a few days ago that he wanted to propose. Levi had tried to talk him out of it. And not just because his own engagement had fallen apart. But Jasper had gotten angry. Accused Levi of being selfish. He’d said since Levi was unhappy he wanted Jasper to be miserable as well. Which wasn’t true. At all. So they’d dropped the conversation. He must’ve called to share the big news, anyway. And if Wren hadn’t had a disastrous morning, followed by an epic meltdown in the store, maybe he’d be a little more excited about his brother’s engagement.
Except he couldn’t shake his uncertainty. Yeah, okay, so it had only been three months since Tori broke off their engagement. Maybe his heart was still a little raw. But that didn’t change the fact that Miranda was barely twenty-one and had dropped out of college in the middle of her junior year because she had lofty aspirations of becoming a social media influencer. Levi turned away from the sign and crossed the parking lot toward the entrance. He rubbed his palm against the ache in his chest. He wasn’t exactly jealous. More like skeptical. Jasper had lived an easy life, accustomed to getting what he wanted, when he wanted. They were business partners, but Levi and their father were forever reminding Jasper to focus on the bottom line. The store had always been about delivering exceptional products at reasonable prices to the thousands of tourists who passed through Opportunity on their way into the national park.
Sure, Jasper’s outside-the-box thinking had helped them earn some extra cash a time or two. But Levi had still lost plenty of sleep over the years worrying about his twin. Not only in business but in life. And to be honest, part of him couldn’t help but wonder how Savannah felt waking up to this news. Because surely she had heard by now. The whole town was probably talking about it.
He stepped inside the restaurant and took his place in line at the counter. There were at least six people waiting ahead of him. His stomach growled as the aroma of french fries and cheeseburgers wafted toward him. He should’ve taken his lunch break sooner, but he’d had to wait for his mom to come to the store and pick up Wren, who’d been upset when he couldn’t play with her. He couldn’t let her stay at the store if all she did was cry and have tantrums, though. Dad had made that very clear.
Lord, this is tough. I want to do the right thing and help a child who needs a safe place, but I don’t think I’m the one for the job. Please help me know what to do next.
Praying in line while he waited to order wasn’t his usual approach to a problem. Having Wren in his life had certainly driven him to pray more often. Finding reliable childcare had just zipped to the top of his to-do list. The social worker had finally returned his email and reassured him that he was allowed to hire a babysitter. Maybe there was still space available at the church’s Vacation Bible School program. Wren needed attention, consistency and somebody with pocketfuls of patience.
“Hey, Levi. Give Jasper and Miranda our best. That was some proposal, right?” Mr. Wilson, who owned the white water rafting business, clapped him on the shoulder on his way to the restroom.
“Will do.” Levi smiled weakly. Some proposal? He hadn’t heard all the details. Mom would probably give him a thorough play-by-play. She’d be over the moon. At least Jasper and Miranda’s engagement would take some of the focus off him. Mom and Dad had been sort of empathetic when he told them Tori had decided to attend dental school in Iowa instead of marrying him. But lately, Mom had ramped up her hints and offered more than her fair share of reminders that he should start dating again.
As if he weren’t painfully aware of his unexpectedly single status.
The line inched closer to the register. Levi scrolled to one of Miranda’s social media accounts. She probably had every single second of the occasion documented.
Oh my. Levi scrolled through the multiple photos and videos on her wall. Evidently, Jasper had rented one of the paddle wheel boats and staged a romantic proposal on the deck as the boat chugged down the Poplar River. How had he convinced the captain to let him string that many strands of white lights across the boat’s deck? Levi blew out a long breath, then pocketed his phone. He had to admit that Jasper and Miranda looked ecstatic and very much in love in all the photos posted. Especially the one of his brother kneeling on one knee in front of Miranda, her left hand outstretched.
So why wasn’t he happy for them?
After placing his order and filling his cup at the soda machine, he grabbed a straw from the stand and scanned the dining area for an empty seat. The restaurant was packed. In the back corner booth, he spotted Savannah sitting with one of her sisters. Juliet smiled when they made eye contact and waved him over. He worked his way slowly between the booths, forcing himself to stop each time someone spoke to him.
“Levi, I’m so happy for Jasper and Miranda.” Sandy, who owned the general store across the street from the Carters’ business, called out to him. “Such wonderful news.”
“Yeah, I saw the whole proposal from the dock,” Sandy’s husband chimed in, exchanging smiles across the table with his wife. “That was really something.”
“So I’ve heard.” Levi forced his smile to remain in place and kept walking.
“That Miranda sure is a beauty,” Sandy added.
Oh boy. “She’s a sweet girl.”
He was not about to comment publicly on his future sister-in-law’s appearance, because that would certainly spread like wildfire in a dry forest.
“Hi.” He stopped beside Juliet and Savannah’s booth.
