Page 11 of Levi Bailey has Butterflies

“Boy drool?” I say, following Max’s lead. I pick up and nuzzle my five o’clock shadow into her cheek while giving her a few friendly uncle kisses on the cheek.

Her squeal sprouts to a shriek—right in my ear. So, I turn her upside down, holding her by the ankles, her powerhouse lungs away from my ears. Max prefers this position. He stands beneath her and takes lick after lick of her forehead.

I peer down at Alice, who stares upside down and outward. Her giggling pauses and she smiles. “Hey! Pretty!” She points, and I lift my gaze to lock eyes with a little blonde.Meredith.

With all the squealing, I missed the bell above the shop door.

Meredith’s got one hand on the seat of her bike and the other on one handlebar. There’s a light dusting over the tires, but I can tell she has not ridden this bike yet. I’d guess she’s here to return it. And while we do have a return policy, it’s frustrating that she didn’t listen in the first place, when I told her not to buy the thing.

She moves the kickstand with her foot and props the bike to stand on its own. Her tennis shoes are white—new white. They’re also connected to thin ankles, strong legs, and an hourglass shape.

I clear my throat and blink—taking my eyes from a pair of legs I have no business looking at.

Meredith bends to the side, her short blonde locks staggering out like porcupine quills. With half her body upside down, she balances on one foot, then smiles and waves at Alice.

Alice giggles, low and rumbly. I support one hand behind her back and turn her right once more. “Whoa,” she says, as I set her on her feet. Alice’s white blonde head wobbles on her neck.

“Are you dizzy?” Meredith asks, standing straight.

“Oh, yeah. Uncle Bear is the best at getting me dizzy.”

“Uncle Bear?” Meredith says, one brow dipped downward, a curious expression lifting the corners of her mouth.

“Yep. Growl for the lady,” Alice commands me.

“I’m not growling,ma’am.Can you find your backpack? Your parents will be here soon to pick you up.”

“Ah, man.” She groans but skips back to the workroom, Max following after her.

I clench my jaw, returning my attention to twenty-three-year-old Meredith Porter. The girl stirs my stomach like a pot of chicken noodle soup. “I take it balancing didn’t go so well?”

She shakes her head, her mouth twisted in a way that reminds me a little of Alice. “Nope.”

“Did you keep your receipt? I can’t refund you fully without a receipt.”

She holds a hand back toward the town bicycle. “I’m not giving her back. Besides, why would you need a receipt? You remember me. You had your arms wrapped around me. Youremember.” She swallows as if maybe she’s said too much—something I’ve never seen this girl do before. She says what she wants without thought or regret, but something in that last sentence has her gulping and blinking.

“I may remember you, Meredith—”

“See.” She points one finger my way.

“But for records, I still need proof of purchase.”

She shrugs. “Well, I’m not returning her. I’m here to make you a proposition.”

“Really?” I grunt the word, tired. This should be good.

“I’d like you to teach me to ride a bike. And in return, I’ll pay you.”

“I can’t take your money,” I tell her, crossing my arms.

“Sure you can. I have money. A lot of money. And well, this is how I’d like to spend it.”

“Youhave a lot of money? What’s your big job?”

She sets one hand on her curvy hip, her head tilting to the side. Her chin-length hair dips until the ends skim the top of her shoulder. “I don’t have a job. Not yet.” She blinks, her eyes glassy and staring out. “One day. But I do have money.”

“I still can’t take your money. It’s against company policy.”

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