A Texas Child

“Yes, white leather.” Levi’s concentration was phenomenal, too. He could totally shut out the world when he was focused on something.

He glanced around and she knew he’d cataloged the entire room in that one glance. His eyes settled on the white area rug covering part of the hardwood floor.

“Everything in here is white.”

“And silver and black,” she quipped.

“I noticed.”

She laid the clothes and boots in a chair. “That reminds me. How did you get in here? This is a secure complex.”

He went back to the iPad. “No building is secure. If someone wants in, they’ll find a way to get in.”

“How did you do it?”

“I waited until someone was allowed in and then zipped my truck right in behind them. Easy as eating pie with both hands.”

“No one noticed?”

“It’s dark and I’m very fast. C’mon, Myra, stop grilling me. I have more important things on my mind.”

“What are you doing on the computer?”

“Don’t ask questions, either.”

She threw up her hands. “If I have to get up at four-thirty, I’m going to bed.”

“Do you have a sheet or a blanket I can put on the couch? I’d hate to drool on this white thing.”

“You don’t drool.” That came out of her mouth without thinking. She didn’t know how he slept these days. But in the old days, he’d slept sound, quiet and beautifully.

“That was seven years ago. I’ve changed.”

She lifted an eyebrow, but decided not to voice her thoughts. She needed his help and she wasn’t going to complicate things. Or at least she was trying not to. She went to a hall closet and pulled out a blanket and a sheet and carried them back to him.

He stared at them. “White? What is it with you and white now?”

“I like white. What’s wrong with that?”

“Nothing if you’re superhuman. A child could have a field day messing up this place.”

“I don’t have a child.”

“Yeah.”

Suddenly the room was full of palpable tension. She felt it. He felt it. They both chose to ignore it.

“I’m going to bed.” She stopped at the bottom of the stairs. “Thank you. I’m glad you changed your mind.”

“Do you have anything to eat?” he asked, completely ignoring her thanks.

Another thing about Levi—he had a killer appetite. “Um, I have some yogurt and fruit. There’s ice cream and frozen dinners in the freezer.”

“That’s it?”

“I’m not here that much.”

“Oh, yeah, I forgot about your long hours.” He stood and marched into the kitchen, opening her refrigerator. With yogurt and an apple in his hand, he opened the freezer and pulled out a TV dinner. Looking around, he said, “I’m not sure where to eat in here.”

“There are bar stools on the island,” she said, pointing to the white-and-chrome stools. “And there’s also a table. Are you unfamiliar with these things?”

“I don’t want to get anything dirty.”

“I’m going to bed. You figure it out.” She left him with his dilemma. One would think he’d never been in a nice place before, but she knew that wasn’t true. The apartment they’d shared wasn’t as upscale as this, but it was still pretty nice. Actually, she couldn’t recall him ever commenting on their decor. He was just being cantankerous now because he didn’t want to be here.

As she made her way up the stairs, he hollered, “Where’s the bathroom?”

“You’re an investigator so it shouldn’t be that hard to find.”

“Funny. Okay. I found it. I just didn’t know if there was one downstairs.”

Memories, like photos from a favorite album, floated around her. Myra, have you seen my shoes? Myra, are my keys in the kitchen? Myra, where are my socks? For a man who could locate murderers, robbers, cheating husbands and missing children, he was hopeless at keeping track of his own stuff. Levi was a conundrum.

She didn’t bother to close her door. There was no need, because she knew he wouldn’t set foot in her bedroom. She crawled beneath her white sheets and relaxed even though she didn’t know what tomorrow was going to bring. That was okay. Levi would be with her and he would protect her and keep her safe. He might not admit it, but it was the reason he was here. She went to sleep with that thought on her mind.

* * *

LEVI ATE TWO TV dinners, two yogurts, an apple and a couple of protein bars he found in a drawer before he finished off the ice cream. Then he went back to the sofa and spread the sheet over it. He laid the blanket at the end in case he needed it. Sitting down, he reached for his phone.

It was almost eleven and he was sure Valerie was asleep. She had to be at the hospital at five, so she always went to bed early. Since she was upset at his sudden decision to take this case, he wanted to talk to her. Not wanting to wake her, he sent a text.

I’m sorry you’re upset. I do take a lot of dangerous cases. I just never realized that bothered you. We’ll talk when I get back. Love, L.

He went back to his iPad and worked until after twelve. By then, he had an idea of what to do. He removed his clothes, flipped off the light and stretched out on the sheet, staring at the ceiling. Thoughts bounced like Ping-Pong balls across his mind. For a man who was never indecisive, he felt more vulnerable than he ever had in his life. He would’ve sworn when Myra left his barn this morning he’d never take this case.

He’d made it all the way to Willow Creek before he’d known he had to go back. He’d talked to Pop, which was like an exercise in practicing patience. As usual, Pop didn’t see a problem. Stu’s grandson had been taken and Levi needed to rescue him. It was so simple in his mind, but Pop tended to believe that Levi was ten feet tall and bulletproof.

Usually Valerie was very understanding about his work. But today, her understanding didn’t stretch to him spending time with an old love. He flipped onto his side, knowing he could control the situation, but that was hard to explain to Valerie. This was just a case and he would treat it like all the rest. There was no need for his emotions to get involved.

He closed his eyes and let the world drift away. He needed rest to cope with tomorrow. As sleep tugged at him, he saw Valerie’s beautiful face and his body relaxed. The image was quickly replaced by Myra’s darker features, and blood pounded through his veins in remembered passion. He hated that he couldn’t control his reaction. He hated that he couldn’t completely erase her from his mind.