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  He shrugged. “It’s actually Brad’s fault since he gave you the shirt, not me. And if you don’t like it, change. No big deal.”

  “But it is a big deal. I could tell Brad thought I would like it. And I do, except when I get weird.” She sighed. “I’m sorry. I’m making a big deal over nothing.”

  “Brad’s not going to be hung up on a shirt. Change if you want, but if we’re going to drive together, we need to leave soon.”

  Zoey picked up a daypack that held Lucy’s shirt and bandana, and her to-go gear. With Lucy buckled into the back and Levi in the passenger seat, Zoey drove them over to the ball field.

  Levi got Lucy out of the car and secured her leash while Zoey retrieved her daypack from the back. She swung down the hatch and nearly jumped out of her Chucks when she saw the woman standing directly behind her.

  “Excuse me.” Zoey took a cautious step back. It was the woman from the post office, and she looked awful. Her hair was pulled back in a tight bun that emphasized the thinness of her face, while her application of bright red lipstick hadn’t been quite accurate, making her lips look too big and contrasting harshly with her pale skin. Her eyes were heavily made up, and when paired with the fake eyelashes, made her look more like she was going out to a nightclub than to a morning softball game.

  “Are you okay?” Zoey asked.

  The woman stared from Zoey to Levi.

  “You drove here together.”

  Levi stepped forward with Lucy, angling his body in front of Zoey. “Charissa, can I call someone for you?”

  “You remember my name? Do you remember me from that time in Oakland?”

  Levi frowned. “Sure I do. Are you here to watch the ballgame?”

  “Yes. I want to cheer for you.”

  “Ah, thank you. You sure you’re okay?”

  “I’m fine.” She turned to follow a group of people making their way to the stands.

  “What was that about?”

  Levi looked thoughtful. “I’m not sure. She’s someone who’s always been around. I ran into her once at a gym in Oakland. She made a big deal about being from the same small town and meeting in the big city.” He shrugged, but his gaze stayed sharp as he watched the woman’s retreat.

  A minivan pulled up beside them. Brad and Emma got out to unload their three kids and gear with practiced ease.

  “Unca Levi! Unca Levi!” A little girl of about three with glossy black curls bounced up and down in her little white sandals. “Big dog, Unca Levi!”

  “Lucy, sit.” Levi gave the order, and when the little girl would have launched herself at the dog, he dropped to one knee to wrap his arm around his niece. “Hold on, Amaya. You have to make sure a dog is friendly.” With Amaya’s big green eyes wide, Levi showed her how to hold out her hand for Lucy to sniff. When Lucy licked her fingers, Amaya erupted in giggles.

  Happy toddlers were the best thing in the world.

  “Her name is Lucy.” Levi smiled down at the enthralled child.

  Amaya wrapped her arms around the dog’s neck, then beamed up at her father. “Her name’s Lucy.”

  “So I heard.” Brad leaned down to lift up his daughter and set her on his shoulders. A dark-haired boy of about four or five stood beside Emma, who was securing a baby girl in a stroller that was packed full of what looked like every kid item that could possibly be needed.

  Levi glanced inside the car as Brad pressed a button to slide the door closed. “You sure you didn’t leave anything? It looks like you’re hauling around enough gear to be ready for the apocalypse.”

  “Your day will come, brother, so don’t get too smug. Let’s go.”

  Zoey walked with Levi as Amaya asked with perfect pronunciation, “What’s the apocalypse?”

  Once they settled themselves in the bleachers where puffy white clouds provided some shade, Levi and Brad left for the Guns dugout. Zoey found Lucy’s shirt, which she’d made into a cape since she hadn’t been able to get the arm holes to work for the big dog. Wearing her cape, and with the bandana around her neck, Lucy was ready for the day.

  Maddy and her twins joined them, and then Dory arrived with her son, Adrian, and a tiny girl with chubby cheeks in a stroller. Trish and Landon were there, plus Levi’s other sister Jenny and her family. The entire group took up most of the first three rows. Zoey positioned herself at the end of the first row near the gate so she could bring Lucy out for her mascot duties when it was time. She was also saving a seat for Eva, who was currently working a shift at the concession stand.

  People passing them to climb the steps to the seats higher in the bleachers stopped to pet Lucy, who wore a wide doggy grin and greeted them by raising her paw to shake. The announcer requested the mascots be brought onto the field, and Levi trotted from the dugout to open the gate for Lucy. A boy of about ten wearing a fireman’s helmet and a Hoses t-shirt with “Tank Jr.” on the back led out a Dalmatian puppy with a red bandana. The pup was at the gangly all-legs stage and tripped over itself walking out onto the field.

  The dogs met at home plate and touched noses, then the pup started to dance around Lucy, who ignored him, more interested in the ball in Levi’s hand.

  Zoey smiled and held out her hand to the young boy. “Hi, I’m Zoey and this is Lucy. What’s your name?”

  “I’m Marcus. This is my dog. His name’s Sparky.”

  Zoey glanced at Levi, half expecting him to roll his eyes at the predictable name. He didn’t, instead reaching down to pet Sparky, who promptly rolled on his back for a tummy rub. The rest of the players trotted onto the field as they were introduced. Sparky scrambled to his feet and reached up to tug on the bandana around Lucy’s neck. Lucy tolerated it for a minute, then opened her mouth in a wide yawn before lifting a big paw to knock Sparky to the ground and hold him there, which sent Marcus and the crowd into gales of laughter.

  With the introductions over the game started. Zoey returned to her seat to find Eva there wearing a HLFD baseball cap and a red and white baseball jersey. While the rivalry between the teams may have been real, Zoey and Eva joined most of the crowd in cheering for both sides.

  The contest was fun, especially because she got to watch Levi. That long, lean body stretching to catch a wild throw or swinging the bat to hit a ball over the head of the shortstop for a base hit was plain yummy. He moved with pure athletic grace, and she thought his enthusiasm reflected his sheer enjoyment in the game.

  Enjoying the game, she was starting to understand the strategy of putting Monica Valdez at bat early in the lineup. Whenever she got on base, she challenged the pitcher and was a great base runner. Both she and Diego were fast and got the crowd excited when they stole bases. The crowd’s enthusiasm peaked whenever Jack or Tank came up to bat, because both men seemed to hit home runs with effortless ease. Lucy followed the ball, and Zoey had a tight hold on the leash to keep the dog from bounding onto the field after the ball.

  The woman Levi had called Charissa cheered wildly whenever he made a play or came up to bat. She’d removed the jacket she’d been wearing before the game, and now sported the Guns jersey, and while team members’ jerseys weren’t personalized with their names, hers was. Across the back “Gallagher” had been stenciled in black lettering.

  Toward the end of the sixth inning, Zoey exited the bleachers to be ready for Levi to drive her and Lucy onto the field in an HLPD SUV. They rode behind the fire truck driven by Tank; Marcus was sitting in the front passenger seat with Sparky on the boy’s lap, and the pup’s head hung out the window.

  The official vehicles were parked at the edge of the field, and Zoey and Marcus led the dogs to home plate. Brad and the fire chief shared the microphone as they worked the crowd. Levi brought out a bag of tennis balls. He hurled balls one after another onto the field and Lucy took off after them, Sparky doing his best to keep up. The puppy tripped over his feet, sprung up again, and had the crowd roaring when he began to bark his disappointment as Lucy chased down the balls. The big dog snagged three tennis balls an
d trotted back with them in her mouth, Sparky trailing behind her.

  When it was time for the game to get under way again, Zoey clipped on Lucy’s leash, whereupon she lay on her back, paws in the air, and refused to get up. Zoey cajoled, threatened, and tugged on the leash to no effect. Sparky sent Marcus into fits of laughter when the little dog imitated Lucy, rolling onto his back with his paws hanging.

  “Come on, Lucy, time to go.”

  Lucy sucked up the attention. She closed her eyes, her tail swishing in the dirt.

  “Hang on,” Levi spoke in Zoey’s ear. “I’ve got an idea.” He trotted to the dugout, returning a minute later. He took the microphone from Brad. “Watch this, folks. Lucy, much like her owner, is after my own heart.” The “aww” from the crowd had warmth creeping up Zoey’s cheeks. She felt a little like a deer in the headlights. Levi held up the familiar red and yellow package for the audience to see. Lucy opened one eye when she heard the crinkling of plastic. “All I have to do is mention her favorite food, and Lucy will do anything. Watch this.” He eyed Lucy, then spoke again into the microphone. “Slim Jim.”

  Lucy sprang to her feet, planted her rear to sit, her gaze riveted on Levi. Sparky must have figured something was up because he also jumped to his feet. Levi tore off a piece of Slim Jim, Lucy’s gaze following every movement. He tossed it and she snagged it from midair. Levi made sure Sparky got some, then lured both dogs off the field to the audience’s cheers.

  Both teams came off the break with a competitive spirit, each determined to win. The score remained tied until the final half inning when Levi hit a double, and Jack followed it with his own double, allowing Levi to score the winning run. He crossed home plate to be met by a crush of his teammates, and then, instead of returning to the dugout, trotted to open the gate. With a flashing grin of triumph, he tilted Zoey’s head back for a searing kiss to the accompanying cheer of the crowd.

  With Zoey’s hand in his, he led her and Lucy out onto the diamond, where both teams met to shake hands. Soon other family members and friends were spilling out onto the field.

  Brad and the fire chief took the microphone to announce the dollar amount the fund-raiser had garnered to support local kids’ programs. This brought a round of applause, plus hugs and high fives. When the crowd began to break up, Levi had to run to the dugout to get his sport bag. Zoey made her way to the parking lot with Lucy.

  She stopped short when she saw her car. “SLUT” had been scrawled in big red letters with what looked like lipstick on the driver’s window. She was starting to really hate that word.

  Emma and her kids were coming toward the car. Zoey whipped out her phone and snapped a photo, then tugged off Lucy’s bandana to wipe away the lettering. No way did the Gallagher children need to see that foul word.

  With Lucy secure in the backseat, Zoey folded the bandana so the lipstick was on the inside and stashed it in the glove box. By the time she’d helped Emma get the kids buckled in, Brad and Levi were back and helped stow the gear.

  The plan was for the Gallagher clan to meet up at Emma and Brad’s lakeside home for an early evening barbecue. This gave Zoey a couple of hours to get home and put together the pasta salad she’d prepped, and for Levi to shower.

  A barbecue would be fun, and she truly loved the Gallaghers, but she was starting to feel uncomfortable being constantly paired with Levi. He acted like they were a couple, other people saw them as a couple, and even in her own head she caught herself thinking in terms of her and Levi. And while she’d be damned if she’d allow herself to be intimidated, she was starting to think the choice of the word “slut” might have something to do with Levi.

  What bothered her the most was that despite her efforts to limit their relationship, her feelings for him had deepened to something she wasn’t sure she wanted to put a label on. Maybe she needed to ease back a bit, let things with Levi ride until she had a better handle on them.

  Levi dropped into the passenger seat, twisting around to pet Lucy. “You’re amazing, Luce. Taught little Sparky a thing or two.”

  Zoey drove out of the parking lot and onto the highway. She glanced at Levi, then away when his gaze met hers.

  “What’s going on?”

  He was nothing if not perceptive. She picked up her phone off her lap and handed it to him, holding her thumb over the home button to unlock the screen. “Go to photos and look at the most recent picture.”

  He did as directed, then stared at the screen. “What the hell? This was today?”

  “It was on my car when I came out after the game.”

  “You wiped it off? That was evidence.”

  “Yes, I wiped it off. Your brother’s family was parked right next to me. I didn’t want those kids to see that.”

  He grunted. “I can’t blame you for that. What did you use to wipe it off with? Did you throw it away?”

  “I used Lucy’s bandana. It’s in the glove box.”

  Levi retrieved the bandana, unfolding it to reveal the red smeared onto the fabric. He sniffed it. “Is this lipstick?”

  “That’s what I thought.”

  Carefully, he refolded it, setting the bandana on his knee. “We’re going to figure this out. That’s a promise.”

  Chapter Seventeen

  Levi sat on Brad and Emma’s deck and took a sip from a longneck bottle of beer. You couldn’t ask for a better view. Hangman Lake reflected the orange and pink sunset, and the rough peaks of the Sierras rose like uneven teeth against the sky. At the other end of the deck, Brad wielded his spatula in front of an enormous built-in grill. On the lawn, Eva and Diego had corralled the kids into a game that looked like kiddie croquet.

  The shooting he and his former partner had been involved in might have been what had pushed him to break away from his old life, but he wasn’t sorry. He only wished the serenity of the scene would help quiet his unease. Zoey was pulling away from him. She’d come to the barbecue but appeared preoccupied and distant. Not that she didn’t have reason to be worried, but there was something else going on with her.

  He glanced across the deck to where she sat on a bench in what appeared to be an earnest conversation with Emma. Before that, she’d been buddied up with Eva and Diego. He absolutely didn’t expect her to spend all afternoon with him, but the feeling she was avoiding him pissed him off. If there was a problem, she should tell him straight out. He didn’t think it was solely worry over whoever was harassing her. She’d been dealing with that better than most people would, but he didn’t know for sure because she wouldn’t have a damn conversation with him.

  Usually that would be okay. If a woman didn’t want to be with him, he let her go without complaint. He wasn’t a complicated guy, and he dealt with people by being straightforward. He sure as hell wasn’t looking for drama in relationships. If a woman started pulling back, finding excuses not to spend time with him, playing games, it was time to move on.

  When he lost interest, he was up front about it. That had been his modus operandi for the past decade. But damn it, this was different. For starters, he didn’t think Zoey was playing games so much as running scared. She didn’t reveal much, but they had a connection, and he’d bet she felt it too. He drummed his fingers on his knee.

  Okay, he more than liked Zoey. And wasn’t that a jolt to the system. He was going to figure out who was bothering her, then they could talk it out. He wanted to know where he stood, to see if he was the only one with the uncomfortable feelings.

  This harassment shit had to stop. He’d bagged the bandana with the lipstick on it and swung by the police station before the barbecue to log it as evidence. He had an idea about that lipstick, and there was no time like the present to bring his brother in on it.

  He wasn’t able to get Brad away from the others because as soon as Levi rose to his feet, Emma stepped onto the deck with the proclamation that everyone was to come inside and grab a plate. Resisting the need to run his theory by his brother, Levi walked into the kitchen.

  Emm
a had all the food arranged as a buffet on the kitchen counter. Levi spotted Zoey and edged in line behind her. She wore a tank top and skirt that emphasized her curvy figure, and her black curls had escaped from a long ponytail that trailed down her back, exposing the nape of her neck. Amaya seemed to have decided Zoey was her current favorite person and was propped on Zoey’s hip.

  She cast him a sideways glance when she noticed him behind her. “Hey.”

  “Hey back.”

  “Unca Levi.”

  “That’s right, kid. Best uncle in the world is here.”

  Zoey moved along the counter. He stacked his hamburger with lettuce, tomato, and onion, adding a splash of ketchup, while she piled her plate with what he considered sides: pasta salad, balled melon, baked beans, deviled eggs. She’d set her plate down to add her selections, but now she was having trouble managing her plate, napkins, utensils, and a kid.

  “I want a quesadilla,” Amaya announced.

  “Hmm, doesn’t look like quesadilla is on the menu tonight,” Zoey said. “How about a hot dog.”

  “Don’t like hot dogs.”

  “Yeah, me either. I like pasta salad. I bet you do, too.”

  Amaya seemed to give this idea undue consideration before nodding her head regally like the princess she was. “I like pasta.”

  “Good girl. I’ll share mine with you.”

  “Let me get that for you.” Levi reached around Zoey to snag her plate, leaving her no choice but to follow him out on the deck. He set both their plates down at the outdoor table. He wanted to sit with her and figured this was the best way to ensure that happened.

  “I sit with Unca Levi.”

  “You bet. I’ll get us some drinks and we’ll sit together.” He looked at Zoey. “What can I get you?”

  She gave him a look that said she knew she was being maneuvered, but spoke in an even tone. “Water, please.”