Page 3 of The Love Ambush
“I want a cinnamon bun, Gentry,” Emily says over her shoulder as she heads to the YA section of the store for the book bribe I promised her.
“I’ll be in the car,” Sophie says without lifting her eyes from her phone. “Get me a bun and a coffee.”
For about ten seconds, I consider insisting she put the phone away and say hello to our friend, Lazy, but I don’t feel like enduring her eye rolls and disdain in public. Again.
“Teenagers,” Lazy says as he puts an arm around my shoulders and walks me to the back of the store. “Thank goodness we weren’t such little shits at that age.”
“You went on a hunger strike when you were sixteen because your dad wouldn’t let you go to an Aggravated Assault concert.”
Lazy’s head tips back as he laughs. “My God, I’d forgotten about that.”
I pat his back as I laugh with him. “I’m sorry Sophie was so rude.”
Lazy shrugs. “I can handle it.” He pauses at the end of the line for Dani’s goods. “You doing okay?”
I look up at him and, for just a moment, I wish I were attracted to him or that he could ever be attracted to me. He’d be a great partner. “We’re doing well. Thanks again for helping out last month and taking Emily to her game.” I’d had to take Sophie to a therapy appointment and needed to be there to talk to the therapist. Sophie’s been struggling with anxiety for years, but it got worse after our mother left.
“Anytime,” Lazy says. “It was a great game.” He leans in close. “And that’s what friends are for when family fucks off.”
“You’re my family. The best brother I’ve never had.”
He chuckles. “You coming to Thanksgiving at my parents again this year?”
Thanksgiving is a month away, but I got my invitation to the Holiday family feast three days ago. “I’ll be there.”
He beams. “Great. You’ll get to meet my boyfriend.”
I stare, shocked. This is Lazarus Holiday who, for as long as I’ve known him, has sworn he’ll remain a carefree bachelor for all of his days. “A boyfriend? Are you actually serious about someone?”
He leans in and whispers in my ear, “I’m in love.”
My smile is so wide my cheeks hurt. I wrap my arms around his neck and hug him hard. “I’m happy for you.” I mean, there’s nothing wrong with remaining single forever, but he looks thrilled to be tied down.
He hugs me back hard, sets me on my feet, and walks off to get back to work. I don’t think I’ve ever met a happier man than Lazy Holiday, and somehow he seems even happier now. Joyful.
Warm breath hits my neck along with a voice. “Just giving you a heads up, the asshole who doesn’t exist is in line behind you.”
My whole body goes rigid at the sound of Levi Sullivan’s voice. And I’m immediately thrust back into this morning’s fantasy. My cheeks heat and my stomach flips.
I’m honestly shocked he still remembers my words from last summer when I got fed up with him and told him that’s all he’ll ever be to me: an asshole who doesn’t exist. Of course, I still remember. As soon as they were out of my mouth, I knew I’d been unfair and too harsh, but it’s been months. I really didn’t think they’d made any impact on Levi.
I cannot turn around and let him see that I’m blushing. Levi Sullivan seeing my vulnerabilities is completely unacceptable, and letting him think, even for a moment, that he affects me would haunt me for the rest of my days. “Noted,” I say, eyes forward.
Behind me, he snorts. “So you’re really going to play it like this? You’re just going to pretend I don’t exist and ruin the most important day of your brother’s life?”
I spin on him, furious he’s bringing up my brother’s wedding. We’re both in the wedding party, but I know how to be civil. Obviously, Levi thinks I’m seriously that petty. Just likehesaid tomelast summer. “That’s what I do, anyway, right? I make everything ugly, according to you.”
I expect Levi to smirk or sprinkle some of his charm over me. Nothing ever seems to get to him.
Instead, his eyes widen, and he smiles. “Are you performing in a production of The Wizard of Oz or trying out a new look?”
I’d forgotten about my costume. “Don’t pretend you care what I’m doing, Levi. It doesn’t affect you, and it won’t affect Brodie’s wedding, so it shouldn’t matter. You’re the one causing a problem where there is none.”
His expression cools, and there’s something in his deep brown eyes I don’t recognize. Something like sorrow or longing, something that makes me want to reach out and touch him. Something that makes me feel like I should apologize. “I’m not doing this here,” he says in a low voice, like he’s being rational in this situation and I’m making a scene.
“You’re the one who started it,” I say in a whispered shout.
He crosses his arms over his chest, making his muscular forearms pop, and lifts his clean-shaven chin. Everything about Levi is always neat and tidy, his chocolate brown hair trimmed, his Sullivan Brothers polo shirt tucked into his jeans. He’s always looking good and always on the prowl for the next available woman. “I was just giving you a heads up about my presence so we canavoidthe drama.”
