Katie's Glimpse (The Glimpse Series) (22 page)

Levi took the rag
and added baby wash. He wet his hand and put water on Asher’s face. He carefully
washed his forehead and around his eyes.
Bless his sweet heart. We’re going
to be here all night at the rate he’s going.

  “It’s tear free
wash so you don’t have to worry about his eyes. You aren’t going to hurt him. Just
wash him like you wash yourself and don’t forget his hair too.”

Levi relaxed and ran
the rag over Asher’s head and face. He proceeded to wash every nook and cranny.
“Wow, you’re pretty thorough there,” I said with a laugh.

He chuckled. “I like
to get the job done right.”

 I took a cup of
water and poured it over Asher’s head to rinse away the bubbles. He sputtered
causing Levi to tense, but when Asher giggled, I saw him relax. I did it once
more to Asher’s delight. I got his towel and bundled him up. His lower lip
quivered from the cold as we hurried to my room. I laid him down on the bed and
dried him off before rubbing him down with baby lotion. He giggled the entire
time.

 I went to pick up a
diaper, but Levi beat me to it. “I think I’ve got this,” he said with a cocky
grin.

I smirked at him and
gestured with my hand for him to go ahead. He stood over Asher studying the
diaper for a second. I shook my head and grinned, knowing if he didn’t hurry,
he was in for a wet surprise. You had to be quick with his diaper changes or he
would get ya.

I grabbed another
diaper and opened it up. Just as Levi picked up Asher’s legs, he let loose and
a stream of pee shot up in the air. I quickly covered him with the diaper I
held. Asher giggled and Levi looked over at me with huge eyes. We both began to
laugh.

“Did he get you?” I
asked between laughs.

Levi looked down at
his dry shirt and shook his head while still laughing. We got ourselves under
control, and I helped him clean Asher up. I put a dry diaper on him before we
wrestled him into his footy pajamas. I picked him up, held him close, and
inhaled his sweet scent.

It was his bedtime
so I got a bottle from the fridge and sat down with him on the couch. Levi sat
down next to us and stroked Asher’s head gently while I fed him. When the
bottle was empty, I put him up on my shoulder and began to softly sing “You Are
My Sunshine”. Levi leaned over and kissed my forehead as Asher sucked his
thumb. I continued to sing until Levi nodded his head to let me know Asher was
asleep.

I took him to my
room and gently laid him on his belly in his playpen. I brushed my fingers through
his soft hair once before going back to the living room. I went to sit back
down, but Levi pulled me onto his lap and cradled my face in his hands. He
kissed me like he couldn’t make it one more second without his lips on mine. My
heart pounded in my chest. When I put my hand on his chest, I felt his heart
pounding too. I finally broke away from his kiss and looked up into his
shimmering eyes. Levi rested his forehead against mine. “I was wrong before.
That
is the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.”

That Sunday after
church, Levi insisted on taking me to buy groceries. I hadn’t been out in
public with Asher yet, so I was nervous. I told him the night before, while he
helped me put away all the baby stuff, I wasn’t ready to take Asher to church
yet and he understood.

I showed him how to
put the car seat in his truck and we headed to buy groceries like a family.
Once in the store, Levi grabbed a buggy while I carried Asher on my hip. We
wandered through the aisles to find all the items on my list. He put a few
extra things in the buggy that he liked too. I laughed when he picked up a box
of Fruity Pebbles cereal.

“Levi, you know that
is nothing but sugar.”

He grinned. “I know,
but it’s so good. I’ll get some Raisin Bran to even it out.”

I smiled as an image
of Levi and Ash at the breakfast table eating Fruity Pebbles together popped
into my head. We were about to head over to the baby aisles when I saw her, Angie,
the woman that was determined Levi was going to be hers. I glanced over at him
hoping we could turn around before she saw us, but it was too late. She was
already coming our way. He gave me a reassuring smile, took my hand and
squeezed it.

“Levi, how are you?”
she asked in her high pitched voice.

“I’m great, Angie.
You remember my girlfriend, Katie,” he said as he held up our joined hands.

I had to bite my lip
to hold back my giggle. He was trying hard for her to get the hint.

She looked over at
me and finally noticed Asher. “Is that your baby?” she asked with a smile that
didn’t look friendly.

 “Yes,” I replied.

 She looked back at
Levi. “Hmm, it looks like you’ve gotten yourself a package deal,” she said with
a sneer.

“I sure did, and I
couldn’t be happier,” he replied with a sincere smile.

She frowned,
obviously not getting the reaction she wanted from him. “Well, when you get
tired of dealing with that,” she said as she pointed at Asher, “then call me. I
don’t have any excess baggage.”

 I felt my face get
hot and took a step towards her. Levi shook his head and tugged on my arm. He
looked back at Angie and she smiled sweetly. His harsh voice startled me.
“Don’t ever speak about my future wife and son like that again. I have always
been nice to you, but you just crossed the line. I was not interested in you in
high school, I’m not interested in you now, and I never will be. Please don’t
speak to me again until you can be respectful towards them.”

 Angie’s smile fell.
She opened her mouth to speak but closed it again. She looked at Levi longingly
once more, turned and walked away.

 I was livid. My
heart raced, and my hands shook. Levi pulled Asher from my arms, leaned down
close to my face and looked into my eyes. “I’m sorry she said those things. You
have every right to be angry, but I promise I will never stand by while someone
disrespects you or him.”

I looked into his
deep blue eyes, letting his words soothe some of my anger. “I’m okay now,” I
said with just a slight shake in my voice.

He kissed my
forehead and snuggled Asher close to him. “Buddy, I’m sorry you heard that, even
if you didn’t understand it.”

As I watched Levi
comfort my son, I knew he would always try to protect us from the ugliness of
the world, and it made me smile. I made up my mind that I would not allow the
trouble on aisle seven to ruin my day.

He tugged on my
ponytail. “I thought I might see some fists fly for a minute there.”  

I grimaced. “Sorry
about that. I don’t know what came over me.”

 He chuckled. “I do.
She insulted your son and you turned into a momma bear protecting your cub.
It’s only natural to feel that way.”

 I smiled and
changed the subject. I was done with that one. “Do you think I should get a
crib today? I’ll have to move some things around in my room to get it to fit.”

He looked at me with
a sly grin. “Why don’t you just wait a little while? You might have more room
soon.”

    “Huh?”

 He smiled and just
shook his head. I let it go. With Levi, there was no telling what he was up to.

We got everything I
needed and made our way to the register. When the cashier told me the total, I
pulled out my debit card to pay, but Levi pushed my hand away. He handed over
cash from his wallet. I didn’t want to make another scene in the grocery store
so I kept my mouth shut, for the time being. Levi knew what was coming and gave
me a sweet innocent smile. I couldn’t help but smile back.

He packed the
groceries into the truck while I put Asher in his seat. I could tell he was
tired. Levi climbed in and I turned to him and put my hand over his. “Thank you
very much for paying, but I don’t expect you to buy my groceries. I don’t let
my parents buy them either. I have money saved from working with my dad and my
job at the nursery.”

  “I know you don’t
need me to, but I want to. I love you and I want to help. Besides, I eat at your
house almost every night, and you know I can put away some food.”

 “I understand and
appreciate that, but a lot of those things were for Asher.”

He looked at me and
shrugged. “And.”  

I laughed. “And
nothing I guess.” I leaned over and gave him a kiss. “I love you, Levi,” I
whispered.

 “And I love you,”
he whispered back.

***

     He stayed at my
apartment the rest of the day. We cooked dinner together and when we were
finished eating, I sent him into the living room with Asher so I could clean up
the kitchen.

 I had just turned
off the light when I heard Levi groan. “What is that smell? Oh, buddy, that’s
terrible.”

I laughed loudly
when I came around the couch and saw Levi holding his nose as Asher giggled on
the floor. “Katie, I’m not kidding. He must be sick or something because that
is rank.”

I couldn’t stop
laughing but managed to shake my head. I finally got my giggles under control.
“Nope, that’s just his normal dirty diaper. I guess you haven’t had the
pleasure of dealing with one of those yet.”

His eyes grew wide
when he heard that. “Please don’t make me change him. I don’t think I can
handle it.”

I laughed again
because he actually looked afraid. This 6’4, 240 pound man was scared of a
poopy diaper. “Levi, you don’t have to do anything you don’t want to but
eventually, you’ll have to change a dirty diaper. What if he’s with you, and
I’m not around to change him? I’ll do it. You just watch me this time so you’ll
at least know how.”

  He watched Asher
squirm in his dirty diaper and sighed. “You’re right. I need to know how.” He
bent down, picking him up, but held him straight out in front of him.

I couldn’t wrap my
mind around his squeamishness. “You own a nursery and work with fertilizer. It’s
the same thing.”

He looked at me with
a raised brow. “No fertilizer I use smells like this.”

I put a few towels
down on my bed before he laid Asher on them. “That’s never a good sign if you
need towels for this job,” he said with a frown.

I grabbed the wipes
and a clean diaper. I reached for the tape on Asher’s dirty diaper. “You
ready?”

 He stood beside me
with a serious look on his face and nodded his head. I undid the tape and
pulled the diaper back. I had to admit, the smell was pretty intense. Levi had
a look of horror on his face as he clamped his hand over his nose and mouth. I
heard his groan from behind his hand. I quickly cleaned Asher up, put powder on
his backside, along with a clean diaper, and looked up at Levi. “See, that
wasn’t so bad now, was it?” I asked, trying to keep a straight face.

Levi nodded his head.
“Uh huh.”

“You can pick him up
now.” I snickered, as Levi still looked a little unsure.

He picked him up and
looked down at his face. “Buddy, you’ve got to work on holding that in until Momma
is around.” Asher giggled as Levi kissed him on the head.

I grabbed the dirty
diaper, double bagging it before I threw it in the trash. I went to the
bathroom to wash my hands when Levi called out, “You may want to wash your
hands several times.”

 I laughed, shook my
head, and made sure I washed my hands thoroughly. When I was done, I found Levi
on the couch giving Asher a bottle. I flopped down next to him; he looked down
at my hands warily, so I rubbed them all over his arm. He gave me a horrified
look, but I knew he was just kidding. I curled up against him. “I don’t want
you to go home, Levi,” I whispered.

He looked down at
me. “Me either, baby,” he whispered, but after a while he did.

I had just finished
loading the dishwasher and heard a knock on the door. “It’s after eight. Were
you expecting someone?” Levi asked.

I shook my head. I
had no idea who’d be knocking on my door. He got up from the couch and opened
it. “Can I help you?”

 “I’m looking for
Katie Crane. Is she here?” 

I couldn’t see who
it was from the kitchen, but I recognized the voice and froze. “Uh, who are
you?” Levi asked sounding concerned.

 “I’m Seth Turner.
Now, is Katie here or not?” he asked in a hard voice.

 I backed up a few
steps and bumped into the kitchen table. Levi subtly glanced over at me. I held
up one finger.
I can do this.

“Give me a second to
find her,” he replied calmly. He closed the door and locked it.

“Hmm, so that’s
Seth. What do you want to do, baby?” he asked as he walked towards me and took
my hand.

I didn’t want to do
anything. I just wanted him to go away and never come back, but I knew that
wasn’t realistic. I took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “Just let him in.
He’s not going to try anything with you here. I knew this was coming and a part
of me is surprised it took him a week to show up, considering how fast the
gossip spreads in our hometown,” I said, knowing I sounded bitter.

Just then there was
a loud knock on the door. “Katie, let me in. I just want to talk,” Seth said
through the door.

 Levi leaned down,
kissed me gently and said, “Okay, but he’s not coming near you or Asher, and I’ll
try to control myself so I don’t hurt him for what he did to you.”

 He opened the door
and stood protectively in front of me while he motioned for Seth to stand by
the kitchen counter. I openly stared at him and noticed that he hadn’t changed
at all. He was still that cute guy with the forest green eyes I knew in high
school.

He gave me a smile
but it wasn’t friendly. “Imagine my surprise when my mom called and told me
that the baby your mom had was really ours.” He shook his head and sighed. “Did
you really think I wouldn’t care? That I wouldn’t want to know him? Well if you
did, you were wrong. He’s my son, and I have the right to see him. I know he’s
here with you so go get him.”

I looked into his
eyes and saw the same Seth that used to push me around and pull my hair. I
glanced over at Levi, and his hands were fisted at his sides as he glared at
him. “No, he’s asleep, and I did know that you would come. I’m not hiding him
anymore. Do you even want to know why I did to begin with?” I asked in disgust.
He shrugged his shoulders but said nothing. “Well I’ll tell you anyway. You
hurt me over and over, and I was scared that you would hurt him too, but I
realized I couldn’t let my fear rob him of his mother. He needs me and I need
him too,” I said and took Levi’s hand.

 Seth sighed. “Look,
I know I have a temper and I’m sorry I hurt you, but I’m different now. I would
really like to see my son. I’d never hurt him.”

 Levi squeezed my hand,
letting me know he didn’t agree. “I’ll think about it, really. Now, why don’t
you just go home? I’ll call you soon,” I said, surprised my voice didn’t shake.

He laughed. “Yeah
right, I’ll be waiting by the phone. I have a court order that says you will
submit yourself and
my
son for a DNA paternity test this Wednesday at
the hospital lab here in Jackson. I told my attorney I didn’t need the test
because no other guy was stupid enough to mess with what was mine, but since
you denied that you were Asher’s mother, it has to be done this way. Now, you
are welcome to get an attorney and fight this, but you won’t win and it will cost
you a lot of money.” He stopped and looked around the apartment. “Money that
I’m sure you don’t have,” he added with a sneer.

He looked down at
Levi’s hand in mine and clenched his jaw. “I see you’ve already moved on. Do
you tell him you love him, Katie? Do you show him you love him like you once showed
me?” Seth gave me a cocky smile. He knew just what to say to make me feel so
dirty again.

I felt Levi tense
and knew he was barely containing his rage. He dropped my hand and before I
could stop him, had Seth pressed against the kitchen counter. He leaned down
close to his face and in a deceptively calm voice said, “You will never speak
to her like that again. You bullied her into sleeping with you. That’s all it
was and you know it.”

Seth tried to shove
him away but couldn’t budge him. His face paled before Levi finally took a step
back.

Seth turned to me.
“Katie, you know that’s not true. You loved and wanted me. I didn’t bully you
into anything!” he said as he stared into my eyes, willing me to agree with
him.

I’m done with him
and all the lies too.
“Yes,
you did. You had my head and heart so messed up with your manipulation and
abuse. I didn’t even know what real love was until I met Levi.”

Seth narrowed his
eyes and lunged for me, but Levi stepped between us. He threw Seth to the floor
before he could lay a hand on me. “If you bother Katie or her son again, I will
call the police and have you arrested,” Levi spat out.

 Seth picked himself
up and brushed off his pants. He reached into his pocket, pulling out a piece
of paper. He threw it at me, and I watched as it fluttered to the floor at my
feet. “Wednesday, Katie, and you better show up and you,” he said, pointing at
Levi, “don’t get any ideas about playing daddy. That kid is mine,” he growled
out.

 He looked at my
face once more, turned and walked out the door. I shook all over as I bent down
to pick up the paper.

“That guy is
insane,” Levi hissed.

 I agreed as I read
the paper before handing it to him. He read it and let out a slow breath. “I
don’t care how much it costs. He’s not coming anywhere near Asher.”

 I cringed at the
thought of Seth being alone with Asher but knew there was a worse possibility.
Something I had tried to ignore since he was three months old.

 “Go pack a bag. There’s
no way I’m leaving y’all here,” he said, pulling me from my frightening
thoughts.

I grabbed my cell
phone and called Mom first. I filled her in about Seth’s surprise visit and the
court ordered paternity test. She was upset but said the decision was all up to
me. I told her Levi and I got back together, and we were going to stay with him
for a few days- just in case Seth tried to pull a stunt. Levi motioned for me
to give him the phone, so I passed it over. He talked to my mom for a few
minutes then asked to speak to my dad. He kissed me on the cheek and whispered,
“I’m going to step outside for a bit.”

He stepped out of the
door, closing it behind him. I thought it was strange that he wanted to talk to
my dad without me around, but I let it go. I had enough on my mind already. 

I went to my room
and quickly packed a bag for us. When I came back out, Levi was in the kitchen
getting bottles and baby food together. He handed back my phone but didn’t say
anything about his secret conversation with my dad, and neither did I.

With our stuff
together, he went into my room to get Asher. I was amazed that through all of
that, he’d never woken up. Levi snuggled him to his chest and made sure he was
covered with a blanket before we left the apartment, just like a good daddy
would.

It was late when we
pulled up to Levi’s house. Asher woke up crying when I got him out of his car
seat. He cried big tears as we rushed inside. Levi went straight to the kitchen
and made him a bottle as I settled him in my lap on the couch and tried to calm
him. When the bottle was ready, Asher took it and drifted off to sleep. I put
him on my shoulder and patted his back. I glanced over at Levi. He was staring
intently at Asher with a look of uncertainty in his eyes. His eyes met mine,
and I knew he had it all figured out.

 He took a deep
breath. “The night of the party, was that near the same time you and Seth slept
together?” he asked hesitantly.

“It was the next
week,” I whispered.

“Baby, I’ve seen
that guy and now I’ve seen Seth. I don’t think Asher is his son.”

I buried my face in
my hands as the tears began their descent. Levi didn’t speak, just rubbed my
back until my sobs subsided. I dried my face on my sleeve and spoke, my voice
sounding hoarse. “When Asher was born, he had a little bit of light colored
hair, but when I saw those bright blue eyes, it made me wonder. I held out hope
that he was Seth’s but by the time Asher was three months old, I knew he
wasn’t. His hair is so blond it’s almost white, just like JT’s hair. I just
didn’t want to admit that my son’s father is a monster. How could something so
sweet and perfect come from someone like him? What if Asher grows up-”

Levi reached over
and put his fingers against my lips to stop me from finishing that sentence.
“Don’t say that out loud. Don’t even think it. We’re going to pray for him
every day, and we’re going to trust God to protect him. He’s going to grow up
to be a good man that loves the Lord,” he said as tears shimmered in his eyes.
“Say it, Katie. He’s going to grow up...”

I finished the rest
of the sentence along with him. “To be a good man that loves the Lord.”

 I snuggled Asher
closer to me, repeating the sentence to myself. I wanted to believe it and knew
that I had to give my fear and worries to God and rely on Him.

Levi reached over
and stroked my cheek. “So, you’re going to go ahead with the test?”

“Yes, but we need to
be ready. When Seth learns that he’s not the father, he’s going to explode.”

Levi stiffened
beside me. “He’s not going to hurt you or Asher. I won’t let him.”

I took his hand in
mine and squeezed. “I know that, but he’s not the worst one we have to worry
about. What do you think JT is going to do when he finds out Asher isn’t
Seth’s? Do you think he’ll try to be in his life?” I asked, my voice becoming
increasingly frantic.

“Baby, he isn’t
going to come near y’all. He’d have to admit that he’s a rapist. I don’t think
he’ll take that chance, do you?”

I shook my head but
wasn’t really convinced. I knew how JT felt about me and once he found out we
had a son, I was afraid he’d never leave us alone.

“Levi, will you pray
for us?” I asked, looking up into his loving eyes.

He smiled warmly, wrapped
his arms around us both, and said a prayer for our protection and peace for
whatever lay ahead. When he was done, he kissed Asher on the head. “I love him
with all my heart and will fight for him until I take my last breath.”

I knew every word he’d
spoken was true. I gave him a kiss and rested in his warm arms for a moment. I
was exhausted both emotionally and physically. “I’m so tired.” I yawned as soon
as the words left my mouth.

 “You go get ready
for bed. I’ll watch him.”

I grabbed my bag and
made my way to Levi’s room. I changed into pajamas, washed my face and brushed
my teeth. My hair was a mess, but I was too tired to even care. I shuffled back
into the living room so Levi could have his turn, but he had fallen asleep with
Asher snuggled on his chest. My heart melted at the sight.

This was something
too sweet to forget, so I crept over to my purse, grabbed my phone and snapped
a picture. I leaned over to gently pick up Asher but when he felt him move,
Levi tightened his hold and opened his eyes. He saw me and relaxed. “Sorry, I
thought he was falling.”

Overwhelmed at his
reaction, I smiled and kissed him gently on the lips. “Thank you for loving
us.”

He gave me a sleepy
smile. “Thank you for letting me.”

 I snuggled Asher close
as Levi led me to his bedroom. “You can sleep in here. I’ll take the guest bed.
Just let me get changed.” He dug out a pair of pajama pants from the drawer and
went into the bathroom, closing the door behind him.

I suddenly
remembered we hadn’t packed Asher’s playpen for him to sleep in. I waited for
Levi to come out of the bathroom and when he did, I tried not to stare at his
broad chest but failed miserably. I knew there was something I needed to tell
him but my mind went blank at the sight of all those muscles.
What was it?
Oh, yeah, the playpen.

“We forgot his
playpen,” I said and managed to keep my eyes above his neck. I pulled back the
covers and climbed up into bed with Asher.

 “How are you going
to keep him from rolling off?” I pointed at the pillow. “Uh, no, I’ve got a
better idea but considering how you were just checking me out, I better put a
shirt on for it. I can’t be tempting you with my body,” he said, gesturing to
his chest.

As he turned to get
a t-shirt from the drawer, I threw the pillow at him, hitting him in the head.
He let out an “oomph” but continued to put his shirt on. I laughed so hard it
shook the bed and jostled Asher. I cleared my throat, stifling my giggles.

He picked up the
pillow and tossed it in the air, giving me a sly grin. I ducked down and
covered Asher with my body, waiting for the pillow to hit me, but it never did.
I looked up and watched as he turned out the light and climbed into bed with
us, tucking the pillow behind his head.