Page 20 of Penalty Kiss
I straighten, giving him my brightest, most innocent waitress smile. "Can I get you anything else? A side of disappointment? Some toast with regret?"
His eyes widen, genuine confusion warring with startled amusement in their depths. "Decaf? Why would—"
But I am already turning away, the satisfying clatter of dishes from a nearby table giving me the perfect excuse to escape. I hear him sputter slightly behind me, but I don't look back. Let him choke on his betrayal-flavored coffee.
I'm halfway across the restaurant when the bell chimes again, and Levi Johansen walks through the door carrying what looks like the world's most high-tech baby carrier.
My heart does a little flip of genuine affection. If Cam is chaos incarnate, Levi is the steady center of any room he enters. Quiet strength wrapped in hometown hero packaging, with the kind of smile that makes you believe in happy endings.
Lily follows him, glowing with the kind of radiant exhaustion that comes from new motherhood. Her red hair is pulled back in a messy bun, there are what look like spit-up stains on her cardigan, and she's absolutely beautiful.
My mood lifts despite everything. Levi and Lily are impossible not to love—the kind of couple that makes you believe infairy-tale endings even when you're too cynical for your own good.
And their baby...the undisputed prince of Cedar Falls.
"Linden!" I coo, abandoning the syrup dispenser to hurry over. "Look how much you've grown!"
Three-month-old Linden Johansen blinks up at me with the kind of sea-glass eyes that suggest he's already plotting world domination. He's got Lily's delicate features and Levi's stubborn chin, and he's absolutely perfect in that way that makes even baby-ambivalent people like me want to start a family.
“Tara!” Lily beams and half-screams, pulling me into a one-armed hug that smells like baby lotion and pure contentment.
“He’s perfect,” I breathe, reaching out to brush one tiny fist. “And those eyelashes? This kid’s going to be a heartbreaker.”
“Just like his dad,” Levi crows, puffing up.
Lily promptly elbows him in the ribs. “Please. I am not dealing with teenage girls lining up at our door.”
Levi leans down, pressing a kiss to Linden’s downy head. “Don’t worry, buddy. Daddy will protect you. We’ll install a moat if we have to.”
This is what I want.
This easy intimacy, this comfortable banter that comes from really knowing someone and choosing them anyway. Not the desperate, hungry thing that happened in the alley last night but the deep, steady kind of love that builds a life.
“Johansen! Over here!”
Behind me, a familiar boom rattles the bistro.
Cam Wilder is half-standing in his booth, waving both arms like he’s signaling down a plane. Heads turn, chatter ripples, and of course he soaks it in, grinning like he just scored the game-winner in overtime.
Levi groans, already dragging a hand down his face. “Subtle as ever.”
Lily just giggles, shaking her head as she steers Linden’s carrier toward him.
I watch Cam’s face transforms instantly. The charming performer facade drops, replaced by open warmth and affection as he gets out of the booth.
“Levi! Lily! Hey, man!” He strides towards them, pulling Levi into one of those complicated man-hugs that involves back-slapping and general mayhem. Then he leans down to kiss Lily’s cheek with practiced ease. “Hey, Sugar Queen.”
He squats to peer into the carrier. “And look who we’ve got—Linden, our future MVP.” He brushes a finger across the baby’s cheek, unexpectedly gentle. “Strong name. Suits him.”
Cam shoots Levi a grin. “You holding up, old man? Fatherhood stealing your beauty sleep?”
Levi chuckles, draping an arm back around Lily. “Wouldn’t trade the bags under my eyes for anything. He’s worth every sleepless night.” He looks down at his son, his expression so tender it makes my own chest ache. “Little man runs the show now.”
Looking back at his friend, Levi claps Cam on the shoulder. “You’re looking better than a week before, Wilder. You get settled in at the Lofts? Lily worked her magic.”
“Place is exactly what I need,” Cam says with sincere appreciation in his voice.
Then he glances back at me, mischief sparking in his eyes. He gestures toward me. “And Tara here is already proving herself to be Cedar Falls’s finest barista.”
