Love & Rodeo (22 page)

It felt good to hear her laugh again.

A little while later, they were sitting at the large kitchen table and Levi was sharing his story about winning his first world title. As he looked around the table everyone listened really closely. His eyes found Kallie’s and she was smiling at him from the opposite end of the room.

“
Wait, didn’t you and Miss Kallie date the year you won world reserve?” one of the younger want-to-be barrel racers asked.

Levi looked at her and her face was ghostly white, so he decided to take this one.

“
Actually, we did.”

“
So what happened?”

Kallie shoved her chair back and stood knocking her plate of leftover spaghetti down the front of her white shirt. He watched as Nora kneeled to clean up what was on the floor and Kallie hurried from the room. Cookie stepped up.

“
Would anyone like dessert? I made homemade apple pie à la mode.”

Everyone started to answer. Nora gave him a look that told him to go check on Kallie. So he excused himself and walked to her room. The door was cracked open so he let himself into the large master suite. On one wall was a large old-fashioned four poster bed with a nightstand on both sides with lamps. On the opposite wall was a closet and a wardrobe. There was another door with light spilling over into the bedroom. He walked toward the door and just as he was getting ready to call to her he caught sight of her naked back to him. His breath caught and his heart raced at the thought of being this close to her again. He watched as she slipped on a bra and fastened it. She turned and her eyes met his.

“
Levi? What are you doing in here?” she asked as she opened the door.

He fumbled for words. “I just wanted to make sure you were okay.”

“
I spilled some spaghetti. I’m fine.”

He looked at her and could tell she was rattled, but he didn’t fight with her.

“
Okay.”

Her small body stood in front of him in a pair of jeans and a bra. He looked down into those stormy green eyes, wanting to hold her body and protect her from everything that threatened to harm her.

She swallowed. “Can I finish getting dressed now?” she snapped.

He nodded and retreated from the room. When he escaped, the family room was filling with guests. He mingled with a few of the more serious bull riders until Kallie joined them a few minutes later.

“
Well, I hope everyone had a great first day. The rest of this week will be similar to the activities you did today. I’m sure everyone is tired, so you are free for the rest of the evening to relax. We only ask that you not mess with the animals, and please don’t go into any of the bedrooms in the house.”

Everyone stayed in the living room, mingling, but not Kallie, she hurried out the front door.

Chapter Twenty-Three

She needed some air. She felt like she was suffocating in there with his eyes on her, never leaving her body. Always watching her. She had been crazy to think she could spend two weeks with him and keep her old feelings at bay. She’d also been crazy to think she was over him. Who was she kidding? She hadn’t even gone on one date since she ended it with him. It wasn’t that she hadn’t been asked. Several of the available men in town had asked, but she just graciously turned them down. Now she wished she would’ve said yes. Levi had gotten engaged and was about to get married. It was clear that he had moved on. Why couldn’t she? Maybe it was because even after they’d ended it, she carried a small piece of him with her until she didn’t anymore. Her hand went to her stomach while her other went to her forehead.

She rolled her eyes as she started for the barn to help with mucking the stalls. She heard a
baa
behind her and sure enough Chip followed. She slowed, so he didn’t have to run to catch up. Her mind tried to go back to Levi, but she wouldn’t let it. Instead, she stopped every now and again to pet the little guy at her feet. She remembered Levi calling her a mama this morning and her heart ached. It took everything she had to hold the tears in. When she got to the barn, Nora had already started mucking. Kallie joined her and together they worked until half of the stalls were done.

“
There you two are. Can I help you guys? I’m somewhat of a professional,” Levi asked.

Nora laughed and Kallie smiled.

A half-hour later, they were finished and Nora had hurried to the house to get ready for bed. The sun was almost completely down. They walked in silence toward Chip’s pen.

“
I’m sorry about dinner,” Levi apologized.

“
Why? It’s not like you can control what comes out of their mouths.”

“
No, it’s just that I saw you were upset.”

“
I wasn’t upset, I just don’t like talking about my personal life with complete strangers,” Kallie snapped.

“
Whoa! Calm down.”

“
I’m sorry. It’s just not easy having you here.”

“
It’s not that easy for me to be here.”

She stopped and turned to face him. “Then why’d you come?” She looked up into his blue eyes.

“
I told you. I’m helping a friend in need.”

“
Why don’t I believe you?”

She watched as he thrust a hand through his hair and looked at the ground.

“
I don’t need you to believe me, Kallie. I’m here to do a job. And for the record, you’re not the friend that I’m doing this for. I’m doing it for Luke.”

“
That’s funny. You guys could barely stand each other on tour. What’s changed?”

“
Well, we’re not after the same girl anymore, and after you left, he helped me through it. He kept tabs on you for me, until I met Danielle.”

“
What?”

“
Yeah. He kept me informed about how you were doing, and what you were doing. I couldn’t let go of you, Kallie.”

Her heart ached in her chest.
Did he know about the baby?

“
So you know?”

“
Know what?”

He looked at her confused and she had her answer.

“
Nothing.”

Kallie turned and opened Chip’s pen. He walked in and she shut the door and locked it. Immediately he began
baaing
. She knelt down and rubbed his nose through the fence.

“
I’ll see you in the morning.”

She stood and turned to Levi standing inches from her looking down with those blue eyes. She felt his hand on her cheek as he leaned in and kissed her lips gently, just barely touching hers. Her hands went to his chest just like they always had, feeling his hard muscles beneath her fingertips. His lips touched hers again, this time his tongue pressing inside of her mouth. She moaned in response, and pulled his body closer to hers as he pushed her back against Chip’s pen. She felt his hands at her hips and then her neck and face as the kiss grew more frantic. It had been too long since she felt his lips on hers, since she felt his hard body against hers. It had been too long. She wanted to give into him. She wanted to give herself to him the way she did their first night together, and then she remembered Danielle. She pulled away a little and placed one last gentle kiss on his lips before putting her finger there to stop herself and him from continuing. He kissed her finger and her stomach danced as they both tried to steady their breathing.

“
We can’t do this.”

He exhaled.

“
This isn’t a good idea, Levi. We can’t do this.”

She pushed him back a little to put some space between them, so she could think more clearly.

“
It felt good though.” Levi breathed heavily.

“
I can’t deny that, but I think we should just steer clear of each other for the next couple of weeks. You teach the guys, I’ll teach the girls. I can’t do this again, Levi, and I won’t be that girl.”

She turned and left him in the dark. She ran to her room and shut the door ashamed of herself. Ashamed that she’d given into him so easily and ashamed because she knew that he was engaged. Kallie was many things but a home-wrecker was not one of them. At the end of the session, he would go back to her and she’d be left heartbroken. Too many people relied on her. She couldn’t slip into that depression again. Kallie took off her jeans and put on the old raggity T-shirt she wore to bed every night. As she climbed into the old bed she caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror. The T-shirt she wore was Levi’s old one that he’d left her in the trailer. What had she gotten herself into?

Chapter Twenty-Four

The following morning, Levi helped with barn chores and everyone met in the kitchen at eight o’clock for flapjacks and sausage links. Everyone ate quickly and dispersed for their sessions. Levi tried to get Kallie’s attention several times, but she wouldn’t even look his way. All he wanted was a minute to talk about what had happened the night before, but it didn’t seem like he would get that chance.

The rest of the week was like that. She’d managed to avoid him. Determined to do right by Kallie, he threw himself into his work with each of the guy’s everyday and was sure they were more than ready to ride a real bull the following week. He’d tried several times to talk to Kallie, but she refused him every time.

Saturday morning news reached the ranch that Luke and Sophie delivered a healthy baby boy that morning. Kallie arranged for the hands to finish the nightly chores, while he, Nora, and Kallie all drove into Tulsa to see the baby. When they got to the room, he watched Nora grab her sister’s hand.

“
Are you okay?” Nora asked.

Kallie smiled warmly at her. “I’ll be fine.”

Together they all walked into the room to see Luke standing by the window holding his little boy. Levi watched Kallie hug Sophie and then move to Luke. She stood close to him watching the baby.

“
You must be, Levi?” Sophie asked him.

“
Uh…yeah. And you’re Sophie? Luke’s better half.”

“
Definitely the better half.”

They laughed. He didn’t know what women should look like after having a baby, but Sophie looked good.

“
Congratulations on your little boy.”

“
Thank you. He sure is something.”

Levi watched as Kallie teared up a little.

“
He’s so perfect, Luke,” she told him.

Luke put his arm around her and kissed her forehead.

“
You want to hold him?”

“
I don’t think I can. I’m just going to wait in the hallway.”

He watched as she turned to Sophie.

“
Sophie, he’s amazing. Congratulations!”

Levi had clearly missed something big as he watched Kallie walk out into the hallway.

Nora stood to go after her sister.

“
Nora! She just needs a few minutes. Stay here,” Luke told her as he handed over his little boy to Sophie.

Levi looked at Luke. “What was that about?”

“
It’s nothing,” Luke said as he kissed his wife.

“
I’m just going to go check on her,” he watched Luke walk out.

“
Did anyone else think that was weird?” Levi asked, looking from Sophie to Nora.

“
It’s just hard for Kallie—” Sophie started.

“
To be at the hospital. You know with our parents and then Grams,” Nora cut her off and then smiled at Sophie.

Levi looked back and forth as they each smiled at him.

“
You want to hold him?” Nora asked him.

“
No. I need to use the restroom. I’ll be right back.”

Levi excused himself out into the hallway and toward the restroom. He started around the corner and saw Luke standing there hugging Kallie. He stepped back around the corner and out of view.

“
Kallie, you can’t keep doing this to yourself. Sophie and Caleb need me now. I can’t be worrying about you too.”

“
I know. I know. I just didn’t think it would be that hard to see Caleb.”

“
Of course you didn’t. You always think you’re stronger than what you are.”

He’d heard enough. He’d heard enough of the conversation to understand what was going on here. It was clear that Kallie was hung up on Luke and seeing him holding his baby from another woman was too much for her. He was disgusted. She told Levi she was over Luke a long time ago. Clearly, after they’d ended it, she and Luke got back together and Luke had lied to him. So much for a friend. He turned the corner and Kallie pulled away. As much as he wanted to call them out right there in that hospital hallway, he didn’t. He acted as if he hadn’t heard anything.