Page 74 of Seeing You

“Because my wife reminded me it had to be Billie’s decision.” His smile was tight as he sat there. “Personally, I didn’t think she’d fall for you again considering your history. But for some reason, she did, and all I can do is sit here and pretend that I’m not dying to kick your ass.”

“Fair enough,” he murmured, because really, what else could he say?

“I’m going to act like I’m asking you, butknowthat I’m telling you. Stop showing up every week. All you’re doing is having your cake and eating it too. Obviously, that’s a win for you, but for Billie? The only thing you’re doing is keeping her from having the life she deserves. Make up your mind, Marcus, and make it up soon, because if you keep coming around and messing with her, I’ll unleash everything I have on you.” Leaningforward, he added, “And so will everyone in this town. We’ll run your ass out of here for good, no matter how much we all genuinely like John and Max. Figure your shit out.”

With a curt nod, Levi got to his feet and grabbed them both bottles of water and Marcus had no choice but to stand and accept it. There wasn’t anything else to say because he did have to figure his shit out.

So instead of standing there awkwardly, he made small talk. “So, uh…your own advertising agency. That’s impressive.”

Levi smiled as he looked around. “It was something I always hoped to achieve, and thanks to the good people of Sweetbriar Ridge and Billie, it happened.”

“How did Billie play into it?”

“For starters, she was the one who took me in when I needed it. Then she encouraged me to work with local businesses, starting with Jade. That led to so many more opportunities, more than I thought possible. And when it was time to stop working at a table at Books & Beans, she gave me my startup so I could get the office space, the computers, and everything else I needed to open the business.”

“That was very generous of her,” he commented, even as he wondered how she did it.

“That’s Billie,” Levi agreed. “When she went to work for Jade, she started out just as the baker, but once the doors opened and suddenly there was a mountain of adversity to overcome thanks to some spiteful people, my sister stepped up and paid for the advertising to get the shop the attention it needed. Once that started to work and the business was growing, Billie invested. They could get better ovens and upgrade a lot of the equipment. Books & Beans is one of the busiest places in town now.”

Marcus nodded slowly. “And the salon?”

Levi chuckled. “I love Ashlynn, but she’s a little too hot-headed and wild at times. She always hated working forsomeone else and dreamed of having her own salon. She just never made enough money to make it happen. Even with a small business loan, it would have been tough for her to do it. Once all the empty buildings in town started getting rehabbed, Billie saw an opportunity and went in on the whole thing with her. It’s a good fit because Ash doesn’t do well with the business end—payroll, budgets, that sort of thing—and that’s where Billie shines. But put a pair of scissors in Ashlynn’s hands, and she can do wonders. It’s a great partnership.”

“So…basically, Billie is involved with three of the most successful businesses here in Sweetbriar Ridge,” he reasoned. “How involved is she with this place?”

“Just the initial startup costs, but she does a lot with helping me with ad budgets. Back when I worked for a major firm, someone else handled that, but when she saw me struggling, she just knew what to do.”

Taking a long sip of water, his mind began to spin.

She wasn’t just a baker; Billie was still using her financial wizardry, just in a whole other way. Could he possibly do that?

“I can practically hear the wheels turning in your head, Marcus,” Levi said. “Billie does this because she loves it, and she loves us. She’s not looking at us as a way to make money, and she’s not doing it to justify her being here. Don’t think it can be the same for you.”

“I didn’t realize advertising execs read minds,” he said dryly.

“Not all minds, just yours.” He leaned in menacingly. “Don’t make the mistake of trying to ruin this for her by swooping in and taking over.”

“I wasn’t!”

“And don’t make the mistake of lying to me. I can smell bullshit from a mile away. Do us both a favor. Let’s chalk this up to a little social call and be done with it. Let’s not make this ugly.”

“Levi…”

“You mess with one Donovan, you mess with us all. Walk away and let Billie be happy. She deserves that more than anyone.”

Again, there wasn’t anything he could say to that, so…

“Thanks for the water and the chat,” he said, shaking Levi’s hand. “Take care of yourself.” And as he stepped into the elevator, he wondered if this whole thing made things easier for him or not.

Chapter Thirteen

It wasn’t that Billie wasn’t loving waking up next to Marcus—because she was. It was just starting to feel like…more. And they’d had the conversation about how there couldn’tbemore because they both wanted different things.

So why was he suddenly so agreeable to pretty much everything I suggest?

A new restaurant? He’s in.

A rom-com (and she knew he hated them)? He made the popcorn.

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