Page 12 of The Love Ambush (The Sullivans #1)

Gentry

I step off the plane feeling calmer than I’ve felt in possibly years. Not only did I get a nap, but I had a long time to think. I’m a hard worker. I’m tough, and I love my sisters. I let Emily down last night, but I can be better.

As hard as they push me out, I’m going to push back, until there are no more secrets between us.

I might not be who they want as a guardian, and they might hate me forever, but I’m going to do what’s right and teach them to do the same.

No more sneaking out to parties. No more older boyfriends.

I’m going to be so involved in their lives, they won’t be able to eat an extra scoop of ice cream for dessert without me noticing.

I can do this. I just need to accept that my own life is over for the time being. Work, school, and child-rearing. That’s all I have time for anymore. No more poker nights. No more extra hours at the clinic. No more shutting myself up in my room to binge-watch reality TV when I’m stressed.

I can do better, and I will. Do. Better.

Not a single soul at CPS will ever be able to say I’m an unsuitable guardian.

I get past the crowd and turn to wait for my sisters. I fully expect Levi to be ready to escape from all of us as soon as possible.

Instead, he’s walking in my direction, my sisters on either side of him, all three of them laughing like they’re the best of friends.

Levi’s gaze is fixed on me as they maneuver through the crowd. The intensity of it makes me shiver, and not in a bad way. There is something intoxicating about having Levi Sullivan’s full attention.

He’s clearly charmed my sisters, just like he charms everyone. I just hope he hasn’t made them any promises. He cannot be trusted to follow through.

“There she is,” Levi says as soon as they’re standing with me. “How was first class?”

“It was lovely,” I say honestly. “Thank you. The girls and I should grab our luggage and hurry out to meet Brodie. He’s supposed to be picking us up.”

“Really?” Levi says. “He’s picking me up too.”

Of course he is. Brodie wouldn’t make Levi get a taxi. Still, I’d hoped Levi would want his space. “Great. Let’s go then.”

“See,” Emily says. “I told you she hates you.”

I stop and turn back to look at the three of them.

Levi is smiling like he’s thrilled, and both Sophie and Emily are giving me their full attention, their smiles way too sweet for two teenagers who were royally pissed at me just a few hours ago.

They’re definitely up to something. I have no idea what it is, but I’m certain I won’t like it. “I don’t hate Levi. Let’s go.”

“If you don’t hate him,” Emily asks, all innocence. “Why did you say he’s all surface, no substance?”

“She says that every time we see you out somewhere,” Sophie says. “She avoids you like you’re contagious. One time, we saw you at the library, and she made us hide with her behind that giant clown cut-out in the kids’ section.”

I’m blushing so hard my cheeks are hot. “We weren’t hiding. I was looking for my earring. I thought I dropped it.”

“We were definitely hiding,” Emily says, turning to Levi. “Gentry says you’re the type of man we should never go out with.”

“Because I’m all surface, no substance?” Levi’s smirking, but there’s hurt in his eyes. Like he actually gives a damn what I think of him.

“Only when it comes to your flirting,” I say, because I don’t want to hurt his feelings. He’s not anyone I want in my life, but Levi’s not a bad person. “It’s the way you talk to everyone. It doesn’t mean anything.”

“I don’t flirt with everyone,” he says, hand to his chest. “The only person I’ve flirted with lately has been you.”

I roll my eyes. “Right.”

“He didn’t flirt with me,” Sophie says.

“Or me,” Emily says.

“He didn’t even flirt with the pretty flight attendant,” Sophie says. “And she was definitely flirting with him.”

That flare of something hot and sharp in my chest is not jealousy or anger.

Nope. It’s heartburn. “Good for him.” I glare at Levi.

“But none of that is important right now. We need to get our bags and meet Brodie. He’s got too much to do for the wedding to wait around all day while we discuss Levi’s flirting habits. ”

I march off and assume they’ll follow me. We’re all going to the same place after all.

“Why are you mad at me?” Levi asks, easily catching up to me.

“I’m not mad.”

“You’re at least annoyed. Why? Is it because the flight attendant flirted with me?”

I grit my teeth hard against how I feel about that. “It’s because you’ve managed to charm my sisters, and the three of you are clearly plotting together. I know your family. Plotting always means trouble.”

“Maybe I just convinced them to help me persuade you to go out with me.”

I bark out a laugh of disbelief. “Right. It’s more likely the three of you are plotting some way to get out of wedding duties. I know it might not seem like it, since their maturity is on a level with yours, but they are still children. You need to be the adult here.”

“Wow,” he says, his tone gone icy. “You really do hate me. Remind me what I’ve ever done to you that I haven’t already apologized for repeatedly?”

“Other than stealing all my Legos and using my stuffed animals for target practice?”

“That was Brodie.”

I wave a hand. He’s probably telling the truth. “I truly don’t hate you, Levi. I’m just at a place in my life where my sole focus needs to be on my sisters and doing what’s right for them. As well-meaning as you may be, you can’t deny you are hardly a stable or responsible role model for them.”

“Because I like to have fun?”

“Because you like to stir up trouble. Whenever you came to town, you and Brodie left a wake of destruction and broken hearts behind you. I can’t even count all the times you and Brodie were supposed to babysit and dropped the ball.

I was always left covering for you two. I don’t need any of that in my life and neither do Emily and Sophie. ”

Levi grunted. “You and I both know Brodie got up to all kinds of trouble and broke a thousand hearts just fine on his own. Don’t put that on me. And even if it was on me, that was years ago. I’ve grown up, Gentry.”

“You and I have different definitions of grown up.” I immediately regret the words. “I just mean—”

“Oh, I get what you mean,” he says. “The thing is, you haven’t even given me a chance. You haven’t taken the time to find out how I’ve changed. You made your decision about me as soon as I moved back to town. And it’s not for any of the reasons you’ve just given me.”

That surprises me. We’ve reached the baggage claim, and there aren’t any bags on the conveyor yet, so I stop and face him. “Of course, those are the reasons.”

He grins, his eyes sparkle, and my belly swoops. Why the hell does he have to be so damn attractive? “Those are the reasons you tell yourself, but they aren’t the actual reasons.”

Behind him, Sophie and Emily are listening in with far too much interest. “You don’t know me either, Levi. You have no basis to judge me.”

The sound of the first bags smacking the conveyor belt makes me turn toward it as people move closer to look for their luggage.

“I see my bag,” Levi says, cutting through the crowd.

I stare after him, completely confused and annoyed.

“I’ll get our bags,” Sophie says as she steps forward.

“I’ll help,” Emily says, though she’s pale and moving slowly.

What the hell did Levi say to them?

He weaves through the crowd, grabs his bag and sets it on the ground. I assume, when he pulls up the handle, that he’s going to roll away with it and leave us to get our own bags. Instead, he passes it to Emily and points back toward me. Emily rolls it over with a giggle.

“Levi told me hungover people shouldn’t have to work,” she says.

“He would say that. How are you feeling?”

“Tired.” She leans her head against my shoulder. “I’m sorry I snuck out last night. I shouldn’t have gone to that party.”

I wrap an arm around her shoulders and squeeze, relief flooding me. We’re going to be okay. “You’re still grounded when we get back to Catalpa Creek.”

“I know. I deserve to be grounded. Levi helped me understand that.”

The eye roll is reflexive. Honestly. “He did? And how did he do that?”

“He told me a story from when he was my age about sneaking out to a party his older brothers had gone to. They were all drunk and acting like idiots. He decided he never wanted to look like them.”

“So, what? He never got drunk?”

“Right,” Emily says. “He makes sure he’s always in control. He said it’s the only way to be sure you’re keeping your cool. And he said, it’s even more important for me because there are bad guys out there who will take advantage of a drunk girl.”

Guys like Dawson, I think, but manage not to say. She’s not ready to hear that. “Levi’s right, Emily. It’s not as much fun, but it’s smart to stay aware.”

“Trust me, Gentry. I never want to drink again. I hate throwing up. And none of my friends drink, anyway.”

It cannot be this easy, but I’m willing to suspend my disbelief if it gets us a peaceful trip.

And maybe, just maybe, Emily really means everything she’s saying.

Which would be very inconvenient for my well-reasoned logic about Levi being a bad influence on my sisters. “That sounds like a great plan.”

***

Brodie meets us near the entrance to the airport. He's just as tall and broad as I remember, and he opens his arms wide with a big smile as my sisters run to him. He hugs them hard and lifts them off the ground until they’re shrieking with laughter.

I can’t help smiling at my big brother. He can be undependable at times, like I told Levi, but he inherited our father’s charm. Unlike Dad, though, Brodie’s a good guy at heart.

“Hey little sister,” he says after he sets the girls on their feet. I step into his hug and breathe him in. He teased the hell out of me when we were kids, but he was also always my biggest defender when it mattered.

He lets me go and gives Levi a side hug, slapping his back. “Good to see you, bro,” he says.