Page 27

Levi - Three Weeks Later

“Alright, is that everything?” I asked Scarlett as she came walking out the door.

“I think so. Everything I had before is still in storage in Vancouver. I was planning on saving up and having it all trucked here,” she said, wheeling a suitcase behind her while I carried the other one.

I opened the trunk of my rental and shoved her first bag in and then the second before turning to see her parents standing behind us on the sidewalk.

“You’re certain this is what you want?” her mother said to her as she turned to face them.

“Yes, Mom, this is what I want,” she whispered, giving her mother a hug.

The past three weeks had been hell for the pair of us. We’d taken so long to finally get together that neither of us wanted to waste another moment apart. While I’d been busy with the playoffs, Scarlett had been back here, and the time apart had nearly killed us.

Scarlett and I talked a lot during my time on the road, and once I had my flight booked to New York to pick Mia up, I’d called Scarlett and laid everything on the line.

I didn’t want to waste any more time. The moment she got on the phone, I jumped right to the point for my call, inviting her to move in with me.

Unlike last time, waiting until everything was lined up wasn’t going to work this time so, I told her on the same call that I wanted to marry her.

I could still hear her cries as she sobbed on the other end of the phone while saying yes over and over.

While it hadn’t been the romantic proposal I’d wanted to give her, it was still part of our story.

“I’ll miss my little girl,” her mom cried as she pulled her in for another hug again.

“Sir,” I said, holding my hand out for her father to shake.

“Look after my little girl.”

“You know it,” I said, placing my arm around Scarlett. “We need to get going, love. My parents are waiting for me to grab Mia so they can hit their afternoon card game,” I said, watching her eyes filled with tears at the fact she was leaving home once again.

Scarlett hugged her mother, then her father, promising to come back home and visit soon. I smiled as she came over to me and wrapped her arm around my waist.

“Better yet, once we get Scarlett settled in, I’ll fly both of you out for a week’s visit,” I added, shaking hands with her father, then hugging her mother. “That way you can meet Mia.”

“We look forward to it, Levi.”

I led Scarlett to the front of the car, opening the door and waiting for her to climb in before shutting it. Minutes later, we were on our way to my parents to get Mia.

When we pulled up, I put the car in park and cut the engine.

“So, let’s surprise her,” I said, looking over at Scarlett, who’d just finished wiping the last of her goodbye tears.

It was one of the characters of Scarlett I loved the most. She cried each time she left home, and even though she knew she’d be seeing her parents sooner rather than later, and she loved living on her own, she still was an emotional wreck each time.

“Really, you want to surprise her?” Scarlett asked.

“Sure do. You stay here. I’ll be back with her. She’ll be ecstatic to see you,” I said, taking hold of her hand and kissing the back of it before I climbed out of the car.

Moments later, I took hold of Mia’s hand and kissed my parents goodbye, taking hold of her bag and picking her up. “Ready to head home?” I asked.

“Sure am. I forgot Potato.” She pouted.

“How did you forget Potato?” I questioned.

Mia shrugged her shoulders.

“Did you have a good time with Grandma and Grandpa?” I questioned.

“Yeah, they took me to the zoo and to the reptile house, and now I want a lizard,” Mia said, her eyes lighting up with excitement.

I couldn’t help but chuckle. “I don’t think Mrs. Fletcher will want to help with a lizard. Do you?”

“She will. I even have a name picked out.”

“You do?” I asked.

“Yep, Marty. Mrs. Fletcher will love Marty,” she said, wrapping her arms around my neck. “Please, Daddy.”

I looked at my parents and shook my head as I walked out the front door. “We will see about Marty. Maybe Grandma and Grandpa will like to help with Marty.”

“Not a chance.” My mother laughed, grabbing Mia and kissing her one more time before they headed off to their Bridge game.

As Mia and I headed to the car, Mia got quiet and rested her head on my shoulder.

“Everything okay there, sweets?” I asked.

“I miss Scarlett,” she whispered.

Shocked, Mia hadn’t mentioned Scarlett in a couple of months, but I was glad that she was waiting in the car.

As we approached the car I saw the front passenger-side door open just as we’d planned, and out stepped Scarlett.

Mia hadn’t taken notice yet as she still rested her head on my shoulder, looking behind me.

Scarlett stood there, smiling, waiting for Mia to take notice of her.

When I got to the car, I opened the trunk and then stepped to the side and gave Mia a little squeeze. She smiled at me and then noticed Scarlett, her eyes widening while an enormous smile grew on her lips.

“Scarlett!” she shouted.

“Hey, sweetie,” Scarlett said, coming over and taking Mia from me, while I loaded the bag into the car.

“I can’t believe you’re here!” she said, pressing her lips to her cheek. “Are you staying?”

I looked over at Scarlett, who gave me a soft but sexy smile and then nodded. “If you’ll have me.”

“Daddy, did you hear that?” Mia said, getting excited.

“I did,” I whispered, making my way over to the both of them, wrapping my arms around them.

“How about we head on home.”

“Love to,” Scarlett whispered.

We hopped in the car and headed off to the airport, on our way back to Vancouver where we were already starting to plan our life together.