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“You’ll have to ask your brother.”

“Can you ask him? Please? He’ll listen to you.”

I raise an eyebrow. “Why would he listen to me?”

“He says you know everything.”

I can just imagine how Levi must have said that. I do offer him a lot of unsolicited advice, so I suppose it’s fair enough.

Then he adds, “And that you always know the right thing to do.”

Oh. That catches me off guard. A warm flutter spreads through my chest before I can stop it. That doesn’t sound like Levi was complaining about me at all.

I smile and ruffle Theo’s messy hair. “Come on, let’s get you a haircut. You’re starting to look like a sheepdog.”

I pull into the driveway in a great mood. The shopping trip with Theo had been more fun than I expected.

Levi’s car is already in their driveway. I hand Theo his bags and wait until he’s safely inside before heading to my own front door. He looks so much better now—neat and sensible, with his freshly cut hair no longer falling into his eyes. And there’s a new bounce in his step, like he’s proud of his new look.

When I get inside, I check on Fifi first, bending down to make sure her little chest is still rising and falling. Satisfied, I head to the bathroom, peeling off my clothes as I go.

I’m naked and just about to step into the shower when a loud, insistent banging echoes through the house.

My heart jumps. I snatch a towel off the rack, wrap it around myself, and hurry to the door. The pounding is so aggressive I’m half-convinced something terrible has happened.

I pull the door open.

Levi stands on my porch, holding up a handful of receipts like they’re evidence.

“Sneaky—” he starts, then stops dead.

His eyes drop to my bare shoulders and the towel wrapped around me, then dart away. A flush creeps up his neck.

He clears his throat and holds out a couple of hundred-dollar bills.

“Take it,” he insists, still not quite meeting my eyes. “For the clothes.”

“I barely went over—” I begin.

“Just take it,” he repeats. His gaze flicks to my face for half a second before dropping again.

Something warm flutters low in my stomach.

“You can look at me,” I say, fighting a smile. “I’m covered.”

He dares a quick glance at my face, but his eyes flick away almost instantly. It’s surprisingly cute.

“Take it,” he mutters, thrusting the cash toward me again.

I reach out and accept the bills. His fingers brush mine for the briefest moment. Then he smacks the heel of his hand hard against the center of his chest.

“Are you okay?” I ask.

“I’m fine,” he says, still avoiding my gaze. “I’ll go.”

He turns abruptly and I don’t know what comes over me.

“You’re shy?” I tease, unable to resist. “That’s kind of cute.”