“You mean stalked you? Yes, they did. They inserted themselves into your life under false pretenses, and I’m sorry.”
He had no idea what she would do next, but he was stunned to see her suddenly smile and whisper, “Wow.”
“Jane,” he said, completely undone. “You should be running for the hills, not looking like you just won the lottery.”
“Are you kidding? I was so freaked out about meeting your family, about somehow messing it up for you, because the only thing I know about close families like yours is what I’ve seen on TV or in the movies.” She laughed. “But I’m not the one who messed it up!”
He softened and cupped her face. “You’re not upset?”
“Well, I have nothing to compare this to because no one’s ever searched for me or ever gone through that much trouble to find me before. But your mom and dad and sister did.”
Just like that, his amusement was gone and he felt like a total asshole. Here he was, embarrassed by his nosy family, when he was talking to a woman whose own family had completely deserted her, tossed her out like yesterday’s trash. Wrapping his arms around her, he brushed a kiss to her temple. “You’re amazing, you know that?”
“I do, you told me that last night when I was—”
He kissed her. While laughing. Another first for him. When they broke from the kiss, he asked, “Are you really ready for this?”
“Yes. Because God knows what my grandpa is in there telling them.” She smiled and squeezed his hand. “Let’s do this.”
When they walked inside, everyone was lined up looking sheepish, but to Levi’s surprise, Jane smiled even bigger and walked right over to his mom, handing over the basket holding the loaf of bread she’d made. “Shirl, it’s nice to see you again.”
“Oh, honey.” His mom yanked Jane in for a hug. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you who I was. I just needed to know that my son had found someone worthy, and then once I started talking to you, I realized that in spite of himself he’d managed to find someone even better than I could have ever imagined.”
“Thanks for the vote of confidence, Mom,” Levi said dryly.
His mom ignored him and kept hugging Jane, who met Levi’s gaze over his mom’s shoulder.
Smiling.
Tess moved toward Jane next, sincere regret and remorse in her voice. “I’m sorry,” she said softly. “I should’ve told you who I was from the very start. But you turned out to be so sweet, and so funny that I wanted to be your friend for real. I got carried away. I’ve regretted it every single day since, I just didn’t know how to tell you.”
“I get it. You were looking out for your brother.” She hugged Tess. “Thank you.”
His sister pulled back, looking grateful. “For what?”
“For being my first new friend in a long time.”
“Hey,” Levi said. “Standing right here.”
Jane smiled at him, looking beautiful and happy.
“Okay, my second new friend,” she corrected.
Levi smiled back as his dad came forward next, sheepish. “I should’ve told you as well. But I didn’t because Shirley made me do it.”
Levi’s mom grimaced at being thrown under the bus, but didn’t deny a thing. “We’re just thrilled you’re finally here,” she said. “And that you brought your charming grandpa.”
Lloyd was sitting on one of the recliners with Peyton. They were reading a book together, heads bent to the pages. He lifted his head and waved at Jane. “No one’s ever asked me what my third favorite reptile is before.”
“It’s the T. rex!” Peyton said joyfully, her ponytails practically vibrating with excitement.
Jane moved over there to meet her, and after Levi did the introduction, Peyton immediately pointed at Jane’s locket. “Pretty!”
Jane opened it, and from the moment Peyton caught sight of eight-year-old Jane dressed as a fairy princess, their bond was forged in unbreakable ties. Levi’s heart stopped skipping beats and warmed.
“I was a fairy princess for Halloween last year!” Peyton said—aka yelled. “And the year before that! But this year I’m going to be something real. I’m going to be a unicorn!”
“Honey,” Tess said, “unicorns aren’t real.”
“But they are! They have to be! Uncle Levi told me they’re the national animal of Scotland!”
Tess gave Levi a look.
“Hey, it’s true,” he said.
A timer went off in the kitchen and his mom clapped. “To the dining room, everyone! Food’s ready.”
There was the usual mob movement. The Cutler family didn’t mess around with meals. They got right to it. They might be shit at communicating with one another, but breaking bread together? That was their thing.
Hank started to give a toast to Shirl about their anniversary, but Shirl shushed him. “Enough about us, Hank. I want to talk to Jane.”
Jane took this all in good humor, even as everyone peppered her with questions. In fact, she gave as good as she got, asking them questions too. She asked his mom about some cat they’d been worried about at the humane society. She asked his dad about the library, wondering when he was coming back with more books. She asked Peyton about her glittery pink nail polish, and then she and Tess bonded over the latest season of something they were both marathoning that Levi had never heard of. He was amused, but also grateful and relieved, not to mention a little surprised. The Cutlers didn’t usually mess around when it came to eating, but they were interacting. And even more surprising, behaving.
“My teacher says we’re all going to be murdered by the sun,” Peyton said out of the blue.
Everyone stared at her.
“It’s going to be blowed up,” she explained. “So I was thinking we should ask Santa to come early this year. I want a new bike, but I want time to ride it before we all die.”
Everyone turned in unison to Levi for translation. “I think Peyton’s teacher probably told her class that the sun’s getting progressively brighter and hotter, which will eventually evaporate our oceans, making Earth one big desert similar to Mars. And everyone will die off.”
“Yep.” Peyton nodded. “That’s what she said.”
“But you’ve got plenty of time,” Levi told her. “Just over two billion years, in fact. So probably Santa doesn’t need to come early this year.”
Peyton looked hugely disappointed, and everyone laughed. Jane gave her a sympathetic hug while his mom beamed on. Okay, Levi thought, this wasn’t so bad. His dad hadn’t even tried to pick a fight with him. Not yet anyway. And his mom hadn’t once asked him when he was going to produce a grandbaby like his sister had.
“Pass the wine?” his mom asked him, then turned to Jane. “You’re so good with kids. Do you plan to have any of your own?”
And there it was. “Mom.”
“What, it’s just a question,” she said innocently.
Jane laughed at whatever look was on his face. Probably horror.
“Why are you laughing?” he asked her. “And seriously, why aren’t you running for the hills?”