Her laughter evaporated. So he was serious. “Do you mean like a fake date?”
His chin cut upward. “I don’t know that fake is the right word. My offer is sincere.”
“I—I know you’re sincere.” She held up both palms. “I’m sorry. I’m just surprised, that’s all.”
Levi’s easy grin revealed a dimple on his cheek she couldn’t recall noticing before.
“You don’t have to apologize,” he said. “It’s an unconventional arrangement.”
“And what will you gain from this?”
His Adam’s apple bobbed up and down as he swallowed hard. “You would totally be helping me out.”
“How so?”
“My mom won’t nag me about going, and I won’t have to go by myself. Or deal with everyone’s pitiful glances. Tori and I breaking up was a bit of a shock. To be honest, I’m still not completely over it.”
Ouch. A painful breakup. Definitely relatable. “Going to any of those reunion events alone was my biggest fear. Well, that and being unemployed.”
Wow, had she really just confessed that?
“If you accept my offer, you’ll have both problems solved.”
She looked away. He made it all sound so simple.
“Order number 137,” the girl working behind the counter called out.
“That’s me.” Savannah plucked her receipt from the table and jumped to her feet. “I’ll be right back.”
Glad to have a brief reprieve from those gorgeous hazel eyes, she made her way toward the counter. She’d had trouble thinking clearly when he was sitting there, his earnest gaze riveted on her face. Or maybe his generosity had overwhelmed her. That had to be it. Because there was no way she and Levi would ever be more than friends. She respected him and admired his willingness to foster Wren on his own. But it had been Jasper’s edgier, impulsive personality that had captured her attention when they were all in school together. She couldn’t ignore Levi’s recent breakup and obvious lingering heartache, though. Poor guy. They’d only be doing each other a favor if she said yes.
Snippets of conversation filtered through the dining area. Almost everyone was talking about Jasper and Miranda. She braced for that ugly envious feeling to seep into her abdomen, but nothing happened. Huh. So strange.
“One chicken sandwich, an order of fries and a chocolate chip cookie.” The brunette teenage girl pushed an orange tray toward her.
“That’s right.” Savannah smiled. “Thank you.”
“Enjoy.”
Savannah added napkins and ketchup packets to her tray, then carefully walked back to their table, her mind still churning. If she told Levi no, he’d be in a tight spot. She’d have to keep looking for a job. And a plus-one for the reunion events. But was she ready to spend the rest of the summer babysitting?
Apprehension squeezed her insides. Was she obligated to tell Levi why she’d lost her job? She pushed the thought away before it grew legs.
She slid the tray onto the table and reclaimed her seat. “Want some of my fries?”
“No, go ahead.” He reached for his drink again. “I’m sure my order will be up soon.”
She unwrapped the paper around her sandwich, then tore open a ketchup packet and made a small pool on the corner of the paper.
“You’re making me sweat bullets because you haven’t answered me yet,” Levi said.
“To be fair, you did give me a lot to think about and less than ten minutes to mull it over.”
“You didn’t see Wren’s meltdown this morning. I’m a desperate man.”
She lifted her sandwich and took a bite, chewing slowly. The combo of lettuce, mayo and fried chicken on a warm brioche bun tasted even better than she’d remembered. The cooks at Gunnar’s refused to share the secret ingredient in their chicken sandwiches. She’d never been able to recreate the recipe or find anything that tasted nearly as good in Colorado.
“Hiring me to care for Wren is completely legit?”
“Legally, yes,” Levi said. “I’ve already double-checked.”
“All right. And what about attachment and consistency? Isn’t adding a new caregiver going to set her back?”
“To be honest, she’s going to have attachment issues, likely for ages. I’m no expert, but she wakes up crying and asking for her mom a lot. She never mentions her dad, and she’s only been with me for three weeks.”
Savannah wrinkled her nose. “That’s rough. The girl has seen some things.”
“I’m afraid so.”
“Who has been handling your childcare?”
“Me, with some frequent help from my mom. Dad will chip in if I have absolutely no other options, but I’ve already tested his patience. She can’t keep having tantrums in the middle of our store.”
“She doesn’t really belong at the store,” Savannah said.
“Which is why I’d like to hire you.”
Savannah reached for another fry. “I’m listening.”
