Luring Levi (Tarnished Saints Series Book 2) (22 page)

“I want to stay with Daddy,” came Valentine’s voice as she gripped Levi around the neck tighter.

“You do?” he asked, surprised the little girl wanted anything to do with him.

“So do I,” said Vance, pulling out of Candace’s arms and plopping down on Levi’s lap.

“But he almost let you drown,” shouted Candace, obviously still very upset.

“No
, he didn’t,” said Valentine. “He saved us from drowning.”

“Yeah,” said Vance. “And I want Dad to teach me how to swim.”

Candace looked up and Levi could see her expression change from angry to forgiving. “You two are right. Your father did save you. And I think it would be a good idea to have him teach you both to swim. But I think I’m going to stay here and watch, just the same.”

Levi got up and put the kids down in the water
that was only up to their knees.

“Come
on,” said Zeke, “We can catch guppies in the shallow water where you won’t drown.”

The kids all ran off and Levi shouted out, “I’ll be right there, now don’t do anything until I get there.”

He looked at Candace and was expecting her to yell at him, but instead she reached out and kissed him.

“What was that for?” he asked.

“For getting the kids to accept you. Did you see how Valentine didn’t want to let go of you?”

“Hey, I would have rather found an easier way,” he told her. “Candy, I am so sorry. I will try to be a better father.”

“It comes with time,” she said with a smile. “And just for the record, I already think you are a wonderful father.”

He took her in his arms and hugged her. Then over the top of
her head he saw Judas walking away towards the house talking to Angel.

“It was the scariest thing I’ve ever faced,” he told her. “I couldn’t have saved them both if it wasn’t for Judas.”

“Well, go after him,” she said with a nod. “This would be a perfect time to make amends.”

“It’s not that easy, Candy.”

“Just start out by saying
thank you
.”

“Yeah,
I did,” he said, rubbing a hand over the stubble on his chin.

“Well, then the next words you need to say are
,
I forgive you
.”

“I don’t think I can do that.”

“I know the words
thank you
and
I forgive you
are not in the Taylor’s vocabulary, but you need to talk to him, Levi. This is your perfect opportunity to make things right between you.”

“I will,
eventually,” he said, heading over toward the kids wondering how the hell he was going to tell the man who ruined his life,
I forgive you
.”

Chapter 18

Later that night, Candace stood with Levi and the kids as well as Thomas, Angel and their kids in front of the rabbit cages at the fair, trying to help Zeke choose one of the furry pets.

Vance held up a white ribbon. “Look at my ribbon, Dad,” he said.

“It’s both of ours,” said Valentine. “And if you’re going to hold the ribbon than I get the key when we get home.”

“Zeke, that
was nice of you to put Val and Vance’s names on the entry form for the eggs you brought to the fair,” said Levi.

“I decided to bring
my kittens to enter instead.” Zeke held their cage in one hand and held up a ‘best of show’ ribbon with the other.

“All the boys won ribbons,” said A
ngel from behind her. “Show him, boys.”

Josh and Jake held up red ribbons and Sam held up a blue one.

“Thanks for helping me make that frame for my painting,” Sam told her. “I think that really helped me to win the blue ribbon.”

“I think you earned that from your talents,” said Candace.
“And Gabby and I entered the flower arranging and won a ribbon too,” said Angel.

Gabby held up the blue ribbon proudly.

“What about you, Eli?” asked Thomas. “How come you didn’t enter anything in the fair?”

The little boy just shrugged and Candace could see that he was feeling left out.

“I chose my rabbit,” said Zeke, gaining all their attention.

“Great,” said Levi,
“which one?”

“That one,”
he said, pointing to a lop-eared white rabbit with orangish-brown spots and ears. It was not much bigger than his kittens.

“That’s
only ten dollars,” said Levi. “So you’ll still have another ten to spend on your brothers.”

“And that one,” s
aid Zeke, pointing to a matching grey one next to it.

“Zeke, only one rabbit,” Thomas said in a low voice.

“But I’m going to give the other one to Eli since he didn’t get a ribbon,” said Zeke.

Eli’s eyes lit up in excitement.

“Well, that is very nice of you,” Levi told him.

“Great,” muttered Thomas. “Two rabbits that will turn
into twenty.”

“What does that mean?” asked Valentine.

“Never mind, sweetie,” Candace said and just smiled at Levi.

“Well, that second rabbit is only five dollars so what will you do with the rest of the money?” Levi asked him.

“I’m going to give it to Dan so he can buy a stuffed toy for his girlfriend.”

“Girlfriend? I didn’t know Dan has a girlfriend,” said Levi.

“He doesn’t,” growled Thomas.

“Then who is that with him?” asked Gabby pointing across the fair.

They all turned to look and Candace realized Dan was sharing an ice cream with a girl in a low-cut top, tight jeans and of all things - heels.

“That looks like Charolette Burnham,” said Sam. “I’ve seen her and her friends smoking behind the bleachers at school.”

“That girl is nothing but trouble,” said Thomas, “I’m going to do something to stop this right now.”

He took a step forward, but Angel stopped him
with a hand to his arm.

“Thomas, he’s seventeen. Let’s talk about this later. You promised the kids you’d go on the Death Spider with them.”

“Oh, Angie, you know I don’t like roller coasters.”

“It’s not a roller coaster, Tommy,” said Levi. “It’s a death spiral that drops fifty feet in a matter of seconds, so don’t worry about it.”

Candace looked across the fair and noticed Judas in his sheriff’s uniform patrolling the ground. “Isn’t that Judas?” she asked Levi.

“You know damned well it is
, he growled.”

“Sweeti
e, why don’t you go talk to him?” She noticed the anguish on Levi’s face, and Vance pulling on the leg of his pants trying to get his attention.

“Dad, take
me on the Death Spider too,” Vance said.

Levi looked over to Judas once more and then reached down and picked up the boy. “Ok, who wants to make a bet that
Uncle Thomas is going to throw-up on the ride?” he asked, heading across the grounds with all the kids following him like the pied piper.

“Give him some time,” said Angel, smiling at her. “He’ll make amends, I know he will.”

“I hope you’re right,” Candace said under her breath. Because she didn’t know what else she could do to help Levi change.

Chapter 19

“W
e’re live in five,” came a man’s voice over the mic on the set of
Sliced
, alerting the contestants that the show was about to air.

“This is a live show?” asked Levi, pacing back and forth across the makeshift kitchen that they’d set up right inside the entrance to the fair.
Stoves, refrigerators, a pantry of food items and the judges’ table was all under a canopy. TV cameras and lights were all around. The place was buzzing with people and when word got out that a TV show from  Chicago was going to be filmed in Sweet Water, people lined up at first light, wanting to get a good seat.

“Are you worried about it?” asked Candace, clo
sing her eyes as the makeup lady powdered her face.

“Me
, worried? Come on. I’ve been cooking since I was five. I’ve got nothing to worry about. How about you?”

The makeup lady tried to powder Levi’s face but h
e swiped her away. And when someone started running a brush through his hair he jumped back and held his hands up to stop them.

Candace laughed. “You’re going to have to get used to that if you’re going to be a reality
TV star.”

“This is a one-
time deal only,” he said. “I don’t plan on being a household name like you.”

“Household name?” she asked.
“Levi, I am a food critic and my cooking show is on a local cable channel. You have never seen either of my shows, have you?”

“No, Candy. I can’t say I watched a hell of a lot of
TV in prison. Sorry.”

“Oh, I forgot. Well, I’m telling you, it is not
like I have a following or am popular or anything.”

“And why not?” he asked.

“What do you mean?”

“You have the connections, so use them.”

“I was lucky to convince
Sliced
to come here,” she said. “And normally people associated with the network are not allowed to compete. The only reason they asked me is because their ratings have been slipping and since I do the food review show for them, they thought my name might help bring in some viewers.”

“Contestants, line up,” came a voice over the megaphone. “Everyone else, be quiet as we’re on in five . . . four . . . three . . . two . . . one . . roll
cameras, and action.”

The show’s theme song played with the trailer and then the host stepped out in front of the camera.

“Welcome to
Sliced
, where one contestant will win a total of fifty thousand dollars and the rest will be sliced! Our first contestant is the executive chef from La Mar Joray’s fine dining right here in the little town of Sweet Water, Michigan where we are filming live. Please welcome Enrique Valquez.”

Someone held up a sign that said Clap, and the crowd all clapped. Then the sign went down and a hand sliced the air and they all got quiet again.

“Executive chef?” Levi chuckled. “They’ve got to be kidding. Last week that boy knew nothing but how to peel potatoes. And what the hell is with all the fancy La Mar Joray’s?” he asked. “Margery’s Diner is a breakfast place, and far from being fine dining.”

“They
tend to stretch the truth,” whispered Candace. “Remember, it is all about making good, entertaining TV.”

“Stretch?” he asked. “I think it’s more like straining.”

“Our next competitor is the fifty-year-old ex-mayor of Sweet Water, Ms. Mabel ‘chef de la cuisine,’ Durnsby.”

“Chef de
la cuisine?” spat Levi. “More like chef pickle-poisoner. Where the hell do they come up with this stuff? And if she’s a day under seventy, I’m the president of the United States.”

He almost laughed aloud when he saw
the widow Durnsby walk out wearing a tall white chef’s hat and start throwing kisses to the audience and the camera.

“And I thought these aprons they made us wear were ridiculous,” grunted Levi.

“Hush up,” warned Candace. “We’re next.” She reached over and kissed him on the lips quickly.

“What was that for?” he asked with a smile.

“For luck,” she said. “After all, you know one of the two of us is going to win this whole thing.”

“And you think I need luck?” he asked.

“No, sweetie. The luck was for me.” She smiled and winked and he didn’t believe a word of it. She really thought she was going to win this over him and that surprised him. Didn’t she realize he was an executive chef for two years before he ever owned
The Big
Apple
? And his cooking has won more than several five star ratings. He knew he had this in the bag and was going to have to let her down easy when they competed in the final round.

“Next we have the queen of the culinary world in both food reviews and behind the stove, please welcome our very own dining network
guru of
Five Star Goodies
, Ms. Candace Marie Kane.”

The audience clapped again and it stopped so sudden
ly he wondered if it was really on a loop tape. Damn, Candace looked good behind the set of
Sliced
and he wondered now how she looked on her own show. Someday he’d have to watch it.

“You’re next,” said a man with earphones, signaling to the announcer that he was ready.

Levi couldn’t wait to hear what they’d say about him. After all the stretched truths about the others and the nice entry they gave Candace, he was sure they’d spout something off about him being an executive chef as well as having owned a very prestigious restaurant. And then they’d probably call him mayor and everyone would clap as he entered.