Page 68 of Sheltered By Love

I swallow hard and sit cross-legged as he drags an antiquated heater out from the corner of the room.

While he gets it going, I tilt my head and sigh in relief that the noise really is slightly buffered in here.

Levi lets a whoop of triumph out when a flame flickers across the panel and the heater starts to emit an orange glow.

He sits with a thump and reaches for the bread just as I notice how dirty his hands are.

I frown at him and wave him away. “Go wash up. I’ll make the food,” I say.

His hand jerks back, and an odd expression crosses his face before he jumps to his feet. “Bossy. I like it. Watch the feed while I’m gone.”

I nod and multitask by slicing the tomato, watching the screen, checking the battery level, and assembling what I hope will be enough for us both.

He returns minutes later, beaming at me, and holding up his hands. “Good enough?”

I chuckle and hand him a plate with a good helping of chips on the side. “How is it quieter in here?”

He stuffs the good portion of a sandwich into his mouth, barely taking the time to chew before he swallows. “Dad put more insulation in it. Never got around to doing the rest of the rooms up here.”

I take a bite of my own sandwich and look around the room. “How come?”

Levi demolishes another sandwich before giving me a sheepish look. “I hated the wind when I was a kid, but he knew I’d never admit it, so he told Garrett and Zane we were doing the whole level, starting with my room.”

It’s such a sweet thing to do, I feel a familiar pull of jealousy. “He sounds like a great Dad.”

Levi’s lips turn down. “When he was here, Ayuh, he was great.”

I’m not sure I should be prying, but it takes my mind off the other Reid brother for a while.

“Viola told me he was a lobsterman? That must be a hard lifestyle?”

He laughs. “I wouldn’t call it a lifestyle. Not like he had a choice. He had three kids to feed, and he didn’t know how to do anything else.”

For a moment I think I’ve upset him, but unlike Zane, Levi appears to be an open book.

So open, it’s an opportunity I just can’t pass up. “Why did Zane leave Blueskin Bay?”

Levi finishes his sandwich and then takes the last half. “Dunno really. Can’t say I ever saw the appeal, but I guess he did. Garrett too in a way. He went off to the police academy. Me, I like to make my own rules, not play by someone else’s.”

“But none of you wanted to be a fisherman?”

Levi’s brow creases. “No. That we could all agree on.”

As Levi’s attention wanders back to the screen, I finish my sandwich in silence, still not feeling like I know his brother any better.

Everything I’ve experienced with Zane today seems to have compacted until I’m one giant ball of anxiety.

I’m terrified that he’s leaving because he can’t stand to be in the same place as me. I’m terrified he might get hurt and I’ll never see him again.

And it’ll be my fault.

I don’t want to think about how confused I am about Zane, so I change the subject to a safer one.

I ask Levi about the dance, which earns me a flirty smile. “It’s going to be savage. Zane is going to skin me alive, but it’ll be worth it.”

“Why would he skin you alive? Wasn’t it Garrett who suggested he go?”

Levi laughs. “Ayuh. He has to go.”

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