Katie's Glimpse (The Glimpse Series)

by Keahey, Robin

  ***

  After an awkward dinner, Todd dropped me off at my car. He asked me to go out again sometime soon, but I kindly declined telling him I really needed to focus on school right now. I thanked him for the evening out and headed home.

  I sent Levi a text letting him know I’d made it home safely and thanking him again for helping with my peace of mind. After a few minutes of waiting with no reply, I gave up and headed for a shower. As I scrubbed my hair, I wondered if I still had a job and if not, would Levi hear me out and change his mine. I stepped out of the shower and dried off quickly, throwing on an old t-shirt for comfort. I grabbed the dryer and went to work on my hair, brushing it out under the heat until it was all dry. I looked at my shiny, bouncy hair in the mirror and frowned. Why couldn’t it look this good when I had somewhere to go? I turned off the light and made my way to the living room. I flopped down on the couch and grabbed the remote, desperate to lose myself in a good movie. Flipping through the channels, I stopped when I saw that A Walk to Remember was on. That was one of my favorites.

  Deeply engrossed in the movie, I almost ignored the knock at my front door. I groaned knowing it could only be one person. The scene where Mandy Moore sang “Only Hope” was about to start, and I didn’t want to miss it. I rushed to the door and swung it open. “Hey, come in,” I said, glancing at him briefly before my eyes returned to the TV screen.

  He didn’t make a move to come in, so I grabbed him by the arm and tugged. “Hurry up before I miss the best part.”

  He allowed me to pull him into the apartment and as I heard the first bars of music play, I let out a giggle. I rushed to stand in front of the couch, my eyes glued to the TV screen. There was something about this song that just made me happy.

  I hummed through the first part before I found my rhythm and began to sing the words. I got lost in the moment and sang my heart out, even nailing the high note. Wearing a giant smile, I turned around and bumped into Levi’s chest. He had been standing right behind me. Mesmerized by the song, I’d forgotten all about him. His face held a look I recognized. He slowly raised his hands and cupped my face. I knew I should step back, away from his tender touch and longing gaze, but I couldn’t. I was lost in those deep blue eyes, and never wanted to be found. He leaned down, bringing his lips close to mine but paused, and I saw the question in his eyes. He was asking permission. Against my better judgment, I raised up on my toes and closed the distance between us. His lips were warm and soft against mine. My emotions whirling, I put a hand on his chest to steady myself and felt the pounding of his heart. All too quickly, he broke the kiss.

  Gazing into my eyes, his voice low, he said, “That was the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen. You standing there with all your defenses down, free for a moment from whatever keeps you tangled up. Then to hear your voice, you sing like an angel, Katie. I’m blown away.”

  I tried to catch my breath and slow my pounding heart. His words and the look in his eyes told me his feelings for me were strong. That kiss had been a mistake. I couldn’t let this go on- even if I felt the same way. He didn’t know me, not the real me. He only knew the parts I let him see, where I pretended to be like everyone else. I shook my head and stepped back from him. “You don’t even know me. If you did, you wouldn’t like me very much,” I insisted.

  A look of confusion crossed his face. “What are you talking about? I do know you.” I shook my head again and watched as he ran his hand over his face. I’d seen him do this before and recognized it as something he did when he got tense. “Listen, I really need to talk to you about something, but could you please go put on some pants? I can’t concentrate with you in just a t-shirt.”

  I looked down and gasped. I’d forgotten I wasn’t wearing any pajama pants. I tugged on the hem of my t-shirt, attempting to make it longer, as I backed up into my room.

  Good grief, I am determined to embarrass myself constantly around this man. I found a pair of yoga pants and slipped them on before marching back out to the living room. I was going to give him a piece of my mind. I found him sitting on the couch, and noticed he had helped himself to a soda and was watching the rest of MY movie.

  I narrowed my eyes at him. “If you would call or text instead of just showing up at my door, maybe I would know to be dressed.”

  He turned to me, amusement evident on his face. “I did call and text, but you didn’t answer, so I had to show up. I needed to talk to you.”

  I walked over to the kitchen table and dug my cell phone out of my purse. I had a missed call and an unread text message that both must have come while I was in the shower. I tossed it back into my purse and moved to sit on the armrest of the couch. “Look, I know what you want to talk about, but just let me say that I really like my job and would love a chance to show you I can do it.” He had a strange look on his face but I continued, “Please don’t fire me. I know I had a rough couple of days there at first, but I promise, I won’t let my issues get in the way of doing a good job.”

  “I wasn’t going to fire you. This has nothing to do with your job.”

  Relieved but now confused, I replied, “Oh, I thought that was what was bothering you this afternoon when I came to work. You seemed unhappy with me.”

  Levi patted the spot next to him, and I moved from my perch to sit beside him. Once settled, he turned and faced me. “No, that’s not it. I’m not unhappy with you. I’m just confused about something. You said you didn’t have a boyfriend, right?”

  Huh? “Right,” I replied reluctantly.

  “Do you still talk to your ex-boyfriend from back home?”

  Where is this coming from? “What? No, never! Why are you asking me this stuff?”

  “Do you remember talking to me on the phone last night? I called to check on you. You said you came home and took your pain pills. You were pretty out of it.”

  I swallowed back the bile that had crept up my throat. I didn’t remember talking to him on the phone. “What did I say?” I croaked out.

  “Well, I know you thought you were talking to someone else because you said you loved them,” he replied, a serious look on his face.

  Fear took ahold of me, and I began to shake. Surely I hadn’t thought I was talking to Seth. “Is that all?” I asked, not wanting to know but needing to.

  “Who’s Asher?” he asked, ignoring my question.

  I jumped up from the couch, almost hysterical. “Tell me what else I said right now, Levi,” I yelled.

  He stood and gently grabbed my shoulders. Looking into my eyes, he ordered. “Hey, calm down. You said give Asher a kiss for me.”

  My legs suddenly felt like jelly, and I sagged against him. He wrapped his arms around me, holding me upright. He doesn’t know. I took a deep breath and let it out slowly. It was obvious he was going to know something was up by the way I reacted, but I couldn’t help that. I wasn’t going to tell him the truth now or ever. I gathered my strength, squirming against his hold, and he released me from his arms. A nervous sounding giggle escaped my lips and still shaking, I sat back down. He looked at me expectantly, but when I didn’t say anything, he sighed and sat down beside me.

  “When I came home from work, I took two pain pills and called my mom. I told her what was going on with me, and she said she would make me a doctor’s appointment. Asher is my brother. What I said to you is the same thing I always say to her before getting off the phone. I guess I thought I was back on the phone with her. That's weird, huh? Those drugs can be scary sometimes.” I laughed again and was relieved it sounded normal.

  He stared into my eyes, his face stern. He obviously wasn’t buying it. “That doesn’t explain why you got so upset.”

  I couldn’t give him the real explanation so I racked my brain for another. Suddenly, it came to me.

  “I was afraid I said something about my ex. I don’t like anyone knowing how things were between us,” I said and it wasn’t a lie.

  “You didn’t. I’m sorry I brought him up. I didn’t mean to upset
you. I just had to be clear before I moved forward.”

  “Move forward with what?” I asked hesitantly.

  He smiled. “Katie, I know you might not what to hear this, but I have to say it. I have feelings for you that go beyond friendship, and I would like to be in a relationship with you.”

  Oh no, that’s what I thought he was going to say. “Levi, I’ve already told you I’m not looking for a relationship. You are a great guy, but I only want to be your friend. Can you please just be my friend?”

  His smile slipped for just a second. “Yeah, I can. So, I guess this means no more kisses, huh?”

  I laughed, leaned over and kissed him on the cheek. “We’ll see,” I replied.

  We sat in silence for a moment, each of us caught up in our own thoughts. He finally spoke, “Oh, I forgot to ask how your date with Todd went.” He wiggled his eyebrows.

  I swatted his arm and laughed. “He took me to a Mexican restaurant.”

  Levi laughed loudly. “No, he didn’t. “Well, that’s strike one for Todd. What else happened?”

  “He is a nice guy but you were right, he’s very shy. He didn’t even talk to me much. He would just smile at me every once in a while between bites. Then, when I accidentally touched his hand reaching for my glass, he jerked it back like I had stung him. Bless his heart. He needs to be around women more. Maybe that would help with his shyness.”

  Levi continued to laugh. “That’s strike two and three for poor Todd. Sounds like he struck out.”

  I tried to give him a stern look but couldn’t hold it. “He asked me out again, but I turned him down.”

  “That was nice of you to even go. I bet it made his day to spend some time with a woman as beautiful as you. I know it does mine.”

  I blushed and looked down, but his comment made me want to know if that’s all he saw in me, like most guys.

  “Levi, why do you even want to have a relationship with me?” I asked and bit my lip, dreading his reply.

  He looked into my eyes and smiled sweetly. “When I look at you, I see a woman who is kind and caring. You have a big heart, but you’re just too afraid to share it. I look into your sad eyes and they tug at something inside of me, right here,” He pointed at his chest, over his heart. “I want to take that sadness away, and have wanted to since the first time I saw you in the café.”

  I sat in stunned silence. I replayed his words in my head. I realized he really was the man of my dreams, and I wanted more than anything to be in a relationship with him. I couldn’t stop the tears that fell from my eyes.

  “Oh, baby don’t cry,” he said as he pulled me to him.

  I rested my face against his chest, letting his scent, and his warmth ease my broken heart for just a moment. I pulled away, looked up into his dark blue eyes, and grinned. “So it wasn’t my freaky eyes, huh?”

  He chuckled as he rubbed his thumb under one of my eyes. “No. It wasn’t your gorgeous eyes.”

  I blushed and turned away from his touch. I didn’t know how long I could resist this amazing man, but I knew I had to- no matter how much my heart ached for him.

  He released me but never took his eyes from my face. “I better get going. I’ll call you tomorrow.” We stood, and I followed him to the door. He turned, leaned down, and kissed me on the forehead. “Sleep well, my angel,” he said and gave me a beautiful smile before walking away to his truck.

  I closed the door, my heart feeling heavy, and whispered, “I’m no angel.”

  Chapter Fifteen

  A few days later, Levi invited me to his house after work, so I followed him home. He pulled into a driveway and parked in front of a beautiful, white, cottage-style house. A large front porch ran the length of it. As I climbed the steps of the porch, I saw a set of rocking chairs flanking a table covered with pots filled with colorful pansies. At the end of the porch, a wicker swing with a bright red cushion hung on chains. As I looked at the swing, I could almost see Levi sitting in it, gently swinging back and forth as he listened to the sounds of nature all around him. The sweet image made my heart ache. I wanted more than anything to be a part of that. I wanted to sit beside him and share the simple moments like that together, but I knew it was nothing more than a fantasy. I erased the image from my mind and looked up at him as he opened the door. “This is beautiful.”

  He smiled proudly. “Thanks. It was a sad little house when I found it. It needed a little work, but I saw something in it I liked. I just knew this was the one.” He gave me a wink, and I smiled as butterflies danced in my belly with the realization that he wasn’t only talking about his house.

  He held the door open, and I stepped inside. It didn’t surprise me that the inside looked just as charming as the outside. It had a warm, inviting feel to it, and I loved it. He gave me a quick tour before leading me to a sliding glass door and out onto a deck overlooking the expansive back yard. I looked over the rail in awe. The yard sloped down smoothly to a large lake where a small dock led out onto the water.

  Mesmerized at the beauty of it all, I whispered, “This is amazing.” He smiled, looking pleased that I thought so. “Do you swim out here?” I asked as he led me down to the end of the dock.

  “No, but I do fish. Do you like to fish?”

  I shrugged my shoulders. “I’ve never tried it.”

  He seemed lost for a moment, like he was unable to comprehend what I’d said. “You’ve never been fishing?”

  “Nope. My dad was more of a golfer. I have done that.”

  He chuckled. “Well, that skill won’t help you much in fishing. It’s too cold right now, but when it warms up, will you let me take you?”

  I cringed at the thought of having to touch a slimy, smelly fish. “Do I have to touch them?”

  “Yes. You have to touch them. That’s part of the experience,” he said and laughed.

  I smiled tightly. “Uh, that sounds like a lot of fun.”

  Levi shook his head and laughed louder. “I think you’ll love fishing but if not, that’s all right. It’s no big deal, okay?”

  “Okay.” I could try it once- for him.

  We made our way back into the house where he headed straight to the kitchen. I watched as he pulled a package from the fridge and several cans and spices from the cabinet. “Whatcha making?” I asked as he began chopping an onion.

  “Chili,” he replied, scraping the onion pieces into a pot. He unwrapped the package from the fridge. It contained some type of ground meat, but it didn’t look like beef. “Uh, what’s that?” I asked, as he added it to the pot.

  He mixed it all together with a wooden spoon. “It’s deer meat.”

  Horrified, I took a step back. “What? We’re eating Bambi?”

  He chuckled and rolled his eyes. “No. We’re not eating Bambi. We’re eating his daddy. Woman, how is it you’re from Tennessee and have never fished or ate deer meat?”

  I shrugged my shoulders. “I don’t know. My dad worked a lot at his business and didn’t have a lot of free time when I was younger.”

  “What about in the summer times? Did you go on vacations?” he asked as he continued preparing our dinner.

  I smiled, remembering some great trips we had taken together. “Sure, just about every summer. We went to the beach, pro baseball games, amusement parks, and zoos. We weren’t really an outdoorsy type of family.”

  He looked a little disappointed at my answer. “Levi, I know that’s the type of guy you are, and I promise you I’m not some city girl who’s afraid to get dirty. I’ve just never had the chance to experience any of that.”

  He reached over, took my hand and squeezed it. “Well, you will with me,” he said with a grin.

  He let go of my hand and stirred the pot. I had to admit the chili smelled delicious. I was about to tell him so when my cell phone rang. I slipped it out of my pocket and saw that it was my mom. I glanced up at Levi. He smiled and pulled a chair out for me. “Hello,” I answered, sinking into the chair. “Tomorrow? No, I can’t. I have to work..
.No, I don’t want to ask off. Can you change it to a Monday?...Okay, hold on. I’ll ask him...No, I’m off work....I’m at his house having dinner...Hold on, Mom.”

  I looked up at Levi. He was leaned against the counter watching me with a grin on his face.

  “She’s made a doctor’s appointment for me tomorrow at one. Is it okay if I’m a little late to work?”

  “Of course. It’s fine.”

  I mouthed “thank you” as she kept talking in my ear. “Okay, tomorrow is fine..... No. We’re just friends...Yes, I know he’s older.” I heard Levi chuckle, he was enjoying this. “Uh huh...No...No, Mom, don’t put Dad on.....Hey, Daddy. I’m fine.”

  Levi covered his mouth, but his shoulders shook from the laughter he was trying to hold back. I rolled my eyes at him.

  “No, Daddy, we’re just friends....He’s nice...Okay, hold on.” I handed the phone to him and groaned. “My dad wants to talk to you.”

  I wasn’t expecting Levi’s reaction. He looked like he actually wanted to talk to my dad. He took my phone. “Mr. Crane, this is Levi Phillips....Yes, sir.....Well, I’d like to date her, but she keeps insisting that we can only be friends....Yes sir, a little....I understand....A small Baptist church in town...Yes, sir, every Sunday...Thank you...Okay, here she is.”

  He grinned as he held the phone out to me. I took it and listened to Dad’s opinion of Levi. “I know, Daddy. He’s a good guy....I like him too...Okay, I love you too...Bye.”

  I hung up the phone and laid my head down on the table. I felt like I had been run over. I couldn’t believe he would do that to me again. It was bad enough with Seth in high school, but I was in college now.

  I felt his hand brush down my hair but didn’t look up. I heard the chair beside me scrape against the floor. I raised my head and looked at his handsome face now beside me and blew out a weary breath. “I’m so sorry. My dad can go too far sometimes. My parents are just very protective of me.”

  “Hey, it’s okay. I understand. They want to make sure you’re safe, that I won’t hurt you, and you know I never would.”