Page 43 of Sangria

Levi faces me again with a shit-eating grin on his face. “When I was seventeen my mother walked in on Iris and I having sex. I wasn’t as embarrassed as I am now.”

I can’t help but laugh. “Me either. She’s definitely a mother hen.”

“You have no idea.” He takes my hand and leads me into the house. Barbara is sitting at his large table with her hands folded as if this were a parent/teacher conference. Levi and I take seats next to each other, holding hands under the table.

“Right, let’s get started. Zara, I took the liberty of looking up your publicist. I’ve been around a long time and haven’t had the privilege of working with her—”

“You’re not missing anything.”

“Right. . . anyway, sign this for me, please. It’s consent that I can contact her on behalf of you and Levi when something like this arises.”

“Can you be her voice when it affects us?” Levi asks. “We’d much rather have you speak on our behalf than her publicist.”

“Is that what you want?” Barbara looks at me, and I nod. “Very well. We are releasing a statement. I know it’s early, but I want to beat the vultures.”

“Saying what?” I ask.

“Mr. Austin and Ms. Phillips met last month in Los Angeles while he was tending to his children after their mother’s untimely death. Ms. Phillips is vacationing in Tennessee at this time.”

“That’s it?”

“Yes, simple and to the point. I can add something about your divorce if you’d like,” Barb says. Her pen is poised and ready for action. I look at Levi, who shrugs.

I think about having her add something about my divorce, but I don’t know what. The last thing I want is for people to think that Levi is a rebound because he’s not. I shake my head, letting her know that what she has is okay. Although, I’m not sure she believes me because she gives me a skeptical look that has me questioning my sanity.

“Will you be traveling back to Los Angeles when Levi fetches the children?”

He looks at me with a soft smile. I hadn’t decided, but imagine arrangements need to be made. “I think I’ll stay and make sure the girls’ rooms are ready.” Levi kisses me quickly and whispers “thank you” over my lips.

“Fine,” Barbara says. “Your flight is ready to leave at six a.m. Your mother says the girls are packed and ready.”

“When is my return trip?”

“The red-eye,” she says, making me realize that I will only be without Levi for a day. I think I can handle that.

It doesn’t take long for Barb to excuse herself, except she doesn’t leave. She disappears down the hall. “Where’d she go?”

“To my office,” Levi says. “She’ll finish up what I need her to do while she’s here.”

“Oh. . .” For some reason, I feel let down that she’s still here. Secretly, I think I was hoping for some alone time with Levi, not that we need it right now, but it would be nice. I’m not shocked when he takes my hand and drags me out of the house and toward the barn. In fact, I’m downright giddy, thinking that we’ll roll around in the hay like a couple of naughty school kids.

It’s only after he stops in front of Night’s stall that I realize what we’re doing. I look down at the way I’m dressed and shake my head. “I’ll be right back. I’m going to change.”

He pulls me to him, placing his lips against mine. “Hurry,” he tells me as he releases me. I do hurry, running all the way back to the house, grateful that Barbara isn’t sitting there. Once I’m out of my fishnet stockings and dressed somewhat appropriately for horseback riding, I run back outside to find Levi standing there with just Night.

“No horse for me?”

He shakes his head. “I thought we’d ride tandem.”

I go to him and rise up on my toes to give him a kiss. “Are you sure?”

Levi chuckles. “I have never been so sure before.”

He helps me onto Night, who moves slightly under my weight. When Levi settles in behind me, I wish that I had changed into a thinner fabric so I could feel him behind me. With his arms on my sides, he motions for Night to start walking.

“This is different.”

“This is the best,” he says as his lips press against the curve of my neck. I pull my hair over to the side, giving him as much space as possible.

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