by T. L. Haddix
Lily squeezed his arm. “Of course not. At least I wasn’t.” She gave a rueful grimace as she looked at Warren. “I don’t imagine there’s any way this story won’t make the rounds in the family, is there?”
John smiled. “Sweet girl, I’m not that sorry I laughed.”
“I think I’d be offended if you didn’t laugh,” Warren said as Zanny came down the hall toward them, bag from a local donut shop in hand. “That’s a classic.”
Lily was vastly relieved to hear him say that, as she’d been terrified Easton’s drug-induced delusion would be painful for Warren, given his past. “We’ll head out now. Let me know if he needs us again?”
Zanny rubbed her shoulder. “Of course. See you back at the farm this evening.”
As they headed for the garage, all the emotions that Lily had bottled up since they’d arrived and she’d seen Easton for the first time burst free. They’d just reached Warren’s truck when the storm hit her, and she grabbed the side of the bed, holding on as sobs overtook her.
He didn’t say anything but folded her into his arms and held her while she cried.
The harder she tried to get a grip, the less control she felt like she had. She kept seeing Easton’s poor face, his swollen fingers on the hand that had been so damaged, the various cuts and scrapes and bruises, and all she could think about was how close they’d come to losing him and how far he had to go to get better.
After a few minutes, she sagged against Warren, her breath coming in hiccups. “Sorry.”
He kissed her temple, smoothing back her hair. “Hush. That was long overdue, I think.”
Lily nodded and pulled back, covering her nose and mouth with a hand. “I really, really hope you have some Kleenex in your truck.”
“We’ll find something,” he assured her, opening the door to reach inside. “Ah, you’re in luck. A whole box.”
Once she’d blown her nose and mopped her face, she crossed her arms. “I guess we should head home.” But home was the last place she wanted to go. There were too many people there, and Lily had always been private in her grieving.
Warren must have heard her resignation because he framed her face with his hands. “Where do you want to go?”
She shrugged and bit her lip. “Not home.”
The kiss he placed on her forehead was perhaps the most tender thing she’d ever felt. “Hop in. We’ll go ‘not home.’”
For the next hour, they drove around, hitting the backroads once they were out of the city limits and going nowhere in particular. They rolled the windows down, and Lily laid her head back, letting the warm summer air wash over her. The whole time, they didn’t say more than five words, and that quiet peacefulness settled down on her like a healing, warm blanket.
“I need to get gas,” Warren finally said as they came up on the outskirts of Versailles. “Do you need anything?”
“I don’t know. Maybe. I’m a little hungry. I didn’t eat much for lunch.”
He smiled. “I know a place. Let me fill the truck up and we’ll go there.”
Ten minutes later, they were back on the road. When he took a windy street just off the main drag, Lily chuckled. She knew exactly where he was going.
Formerly an old, defunct barn used by a local dairy, The Milking Barn had been turned into a trendy, mom-and-pop-style ice creamery a few summers back. In addition to being a neat place to visit, they also had truly decadent offerings, and it was one of her favorite places to go in the summertime.
“This is perfect. But do I have to go in?” she asked as he parked.
“Only if you want to.” He unfastened his seat belt and frowned as she reached for her purse. “I will take you over my knee if you try to hand me money.”
Lily pursed her lips. “I don’t know whether to sit back up or give you my whole wallet.”
Warren sucked in a breath. “We could just go back to my place.”
She froze, heat surging into her cheeks as they stared at each other. The offer was too tempting for her sanity, and she had to force herself not to whimper.
“But what about the cinnamon apple streusel twist with two scoops of vanilla bean ice cream?” she finally managed to ask, knowing they shouldn’t entertain other forms of indulgence at the moment and hating herself for pointing it out.
“I’m on it.” He groaned as he got out. But when he closed the door, he poked his head inside. “And then we can go to my place.”
The wink he sent her accompanied a grin so wicked, it made Lily’s jaw drop. He knew it too, and he laughed as he headed inside for their treats, leaving her sitting there with her wallet in her hand.
“Well played, sir.”
By the time he came back, heavy clouds had moved in, blocking the sun. The wind was starting to pick up, and the scent of rain was on its tail.
Warren cursed lightly as he got in the truck and handed her the desserts. “I know I was kidding a minute ago—kind of—about going to my place, but I left the windows cracked to let fresh air in. Do you mind if we head over there?”
“Of course not.” She peeked inside his box. “Ooh, hot fudge brownie. Traditional but totally worth it.”
He grinned. “I like traditional.”
The drive back to his house wasn’t long, less than ten minutes, and they pulled in just as the first fat raindrops started pelting the ground.
“I’ve got these,” she told him as he parked under the carport. “Go, go.”
“Okay.” He dashed inside, leaving the door to the house open for her.
Lily followed more slowly. As she walked inside, she kicked her shoes off out of instinct.
“You’ve painted some,” she said as she handed his box to him a minute later. “I like it.”
“Thanks. I’m pleased with it. I think the color goes well with the cabinets.”
She nodded. The muted green set the old-fashioned white-painted cabinets off to perfection.
“Come on out to the deck. I screened part of it in so I could sit out there at night without getting eaten alive.” He led her through the house to the hall that ran past his bedroom.
Lily couldn’t ignore the gooseflesh that lifted on her arms as they passed his room and she remembered the night she’d spent in his bed. When she stepped out on the deck behind him, there was a nearly palpable tension between them. If either of them so much as sneezed, it might explode.
She didn’t know if that would be good or bad. Fortunately, she was distracted by the body of water on the other side of the deck.
“Holy cow, Warren. That’s not a pool. That’s a lake!”
He grinned and pulled a chair out from the little glass table in one corner of the screened-in area. “Isn’t it great? Have a seat.”
Lily was stunned. “I think that’s the biggest above-ground pool I’ve ever seen.” It was huge, covering just about every inch of the side yard he’d mentioned.
“That’s what I wanted. It’s a forty-by-twenty.”
“I like it, like how it stretches away from the house.” She looked around. “And it’s so private back here. This is really nice. I love our pool at home, don’t get me wrong, but this reminds me of that little swimming hole Grandpa and Grandma have up at their place.”
“Me too. I thought about that as I was having it installed. I’m pleased with how it’s turned out.”
They sat eating their treats while the rain poured around them, a few rumbles of thunder sounding in the distance. A sudden thought occurred to Lily, and she groaned.
“The hay. Oh, damn. Warren, the hay will be lost.”
He sat back and cursed, closing his eyes. “Unless we got one of those freak storms where it rains on one side of the street and not the other. It wasn’t supposed to rain.”
Lily made a face and pushed away her empty bowl. “Like they know what the weather’s going to do from
day to day. It’s still a guessing game. Man, that sucks! Watch us not have another drop of precipitation for the next two weeks.”
Losing part of the crop of hay wouldn’t hurt the farm tremendously, but it would dent the budget. They’d have to almost certainly buy some to replace what was lost, and that was money that could be better used helping out other rescues who weren’t as fortunate financially as Dragonfly Creek Farm.
Warren stood with a sigh. “How about some coffee? There’s nothing we can do about the rain or the hay.”
She nodded. “That’d be nice. I need the restroom, and then I can help.”
He gave her half a smile. “I think I can manage coffee well enough. After all, unlike my brother, I can actually cook.”
“Silly man, that’s not what I meant,” she said as she followed him to the kitchen. “I don’t want you to wait on me. That’s all.”
Warren stopped in the kitchen door and waited for her to draw abreast of him. “I don’t mind waiting on you. You need pampering. For a rich, spoiled princess, you’re the least spoiled person I’ve ever met in my life.”
Heart pounding, she tilted her head as he gently touched her nose. “I sure have you fooled,” she said softly.
“Mm, maybe.” He set the empty containers down, then stepped closer so that their bodies were touching. “But I don’t think so.”
He took his time kissing her, letting the heat build to a steady burn between them. He kissed her like a man with all the time in the world, and the slow assault had her clinging to him, her entire body electrified.
“We should probably have that talk soon,” he whispered as he lifted his head, staring at her intently.
Lily touched the bump on the bridge of his nose and let her fingers trail down to his lips. “Do we have to? Right now, I mean.”
Warren smiled. “No, not right now. But soon.”
She nodded. “Soon.” Then she sighed, winding her arms around his waist so that she could rest against him.
“How about I get the coffee, you hit the ‘head’ as you called it the other day, and then we’ll meet back on the porch and settle into the big swing and waste the rest of the day?”
“I do like that swing.” It was practically a day bed on ropes, something he’d told her he liked to sleep on during cool summer nights. “But I don’t think that’d be a waste of a day.”
“No?”
She shook her head. “Not at all.” As a matter of fact, it sounded just about perfect. She was going to try her hardest not to overanalyze everything and figure out what was going on between them. The day deserved more than that, and so did they.
Chapter Thirty-Three
Lying on the bed swing, his body touching Lily all along one side as they passed the time talking about everything and nothing, was a special kind of torture for Warren. It reminded him painfully of the days he’d been young and innocent and not battle-scarred, and damn it, he wanted to have that freedom again.
The sun had come out after the rain passed, heating the late afternoon up to the point that the humidity was starting to build. He was just about to suggest they shuck their clothes and hit the pool when Lily asked him a question that jolted him to a metaphorical standstill.
“Are you leaving us?” Her voice was subdued, almost tentative.
Turning onto his side, he studied her, then brushed a loose lock of hair off her face. “No,” he finally said, just as quietly. “This is my home. Leaving was never really an option, but it took me a while to figure that out.”
She closed her eyes, holding his palm to her face. “Good.”
Warren ran his thumb across her eyelashes, then slid his hand into her hair, pushing it back from her temple where the bruise was fading. “Why did you run?”
A small frown creased her brow, and her blue eyes were wary when she raised her lids. “I thought we weren’t going to talk about this today.”
“No, but maybe we should.”
She turned toward him, sliding one of her ankles between his calves. Since he’d changed into shorts when he went in to make the coffee earlier, the contact was skin to skin, and it sent a tight shiver of awareness straight up his spine.
“I’m not ready to have that conversation,” she told him. “I’m afraid it’ll be painful for both of us, and right now, my pain bucket is full to overflowing.”
“Fair enough.” He let his hand slide along her back to her waist, resting it on the curve of her hip. “I do want to say this, however. I missed you.”
Her smile was winsome as she glanced at his face then away, back down to where she was tracing the faded pattern on his printed T-shirt. “Yeah?”
“Very much.”
“I missed you too.”
They didn’t talk for a bit, just lay there and touched each other innocently, gently. Warren clasped her hand with his, twining their fingers together, and brought her hand to his mouth for a soft kiss. He was getting ready to lean in and kiss her lips when the sound of a dog whining nearby stopped him.
Lily was frowning as she sat up to look around. “Do you hear that?”
“Yeah. Where’s it—oh, shit.” For a brief instant, Warren was paralyzed with fear as he looked at the creature standing half-hidden behind a shrub at the corner where the pool met the backyard. “That’s a wolf.”
“Where?” She looked in the direction he pointed and gasped, scrambling off the bed before he could catch her. “That’s not just a wolf. Pip? Sadie?”
The wolf, which had been slinking backward, stopped and whined louder, then gave a yip. It ran toward the steps, waiting at the top as Lily hurried to open the screen door.
“Fuck me,” Warren growled, nearly falling as he got off the bed. “Are you sure? Be careful!”
“I’m positive. She’s not dangerous. I think it’s Sadie. She and Sean were coming up today with Pip, since they’re out of summer camp. Hey, girl. What are you doing out here like this?” She hunkered down to pet the silver wolf gently, scratching its ears. “You know how dangerous it is to be out in broad daylight.”
The wolf, much to Warren’s immense relief, was responding to Lily with muted excitement. Tail wagging, it leaned into her, licking her hands and whining low with an occasional soft yip.
“Your family… geez, you scared me,” he told the wolf softly, kneeling beside Lily. “Are you okay, girl?”
She sniffed his hand when he held it out, then she let him pet her for a moment before going back to Lily.
“This is Sadie,” she told him, her eyes showing her concern as the wolf went to the house door and whined. “You need to go in?”
A short howl was the answer.
Warren opened the door, and she went inside. “Be my guest. Think she needs the restroom?”
Lily made a face at him. “I think she probably takes care of that sort of thing in the woods.”
But Sadie went straight down the hall, glancing in the rooms until she reached the bathroom, and she trotted inside. A second later, the door closed.
Warren pursed his lips and shook his head, exchanging an amused look with Lily as he leaned against the wall, a bit stunned. “Well.”
She ducked her head, her lips twitching. “Okay, then.”
A couple of minutes later, Sadie called to Lily through the door. “I’m so sorry to be trouble. Can I borrow some clothes?”
Warren straightened and headed for the bedroom. “Coming right up.”
He returned shortly with some shorts and a T-shirt, which he gave to Lily. She passed them around the door to Sadie, then stood back across the hall and waited.
When she came out, Sadie went to Lily and hugged her tight. She kept her face turned away from Warren. “I’m so glad to see you. I got lost. Daddy’s going to kill me.”
“Oh, sweetie, it’s okay.” Lily smoothed the girl’s hair back. “He’ll understand.
He won’t be happy, but he’ll understand. How’d you get lost?”
Sadie, who was all of fourteen if Warren remembered correctly, pulled back and sniffed. She wiped her face with the back of her hand. “Mom and Sean and I got in a little while ago, and I needed to run. So I snuck out and changed, and I thought I knew where I was going. But then I couldn’t find the house again, and I didn’t know where to go. When I saw your truck parked out there, I recognized it,” she told Warren without looking at him. “At least I hoped it was yours. So I sniffed you out. I didn’t mean to interrupt.”
Lily hugged Sadie again. “We were just talking. You didn’t interrupt a thing.” She sent Warren a rueful shrug.
He shook his head and smiled. “She’s right. You actually timed things very well. Are you thirsty? Hungry?”
Sadie moved a shoulder. “Could I have some water? And maybe directions to get back to Ben’s?”
“Yes to the water, and how about a ride back to the house instead?” Warren hurried to the kitchen to get her a cold bottle from the fridge.
“Thank you. That’d be nice.” She uncapped the bottle and downed most of it in a long gulp. When Warren turned back to the fridge and got a second bottle, handing it to her without a word, she blushed. “Thank you again.”
“Let’s get you home so they aren’t worried,” Lily said. “How was camp?”
She and Sadie chatted as they drove back to the main house. Warren parked the truck near the sunroom door. He didn’t move to get out as Lily slid out of the truck, following Sadie, and she turned to him with a frown.
“Aren’t you coming in?”
He gripped the steering wheel, then sighed. “Yeah.”
Lily glanced at Sadie, who was hovering by the door to the house, then looked back at him. “You don’t have to if you don’t want to, but you know you’re welcome.”
“I’ll come in.” He turned the truck off and joined them on the steps just as the door opened.
“Sadie Miranda Gibson, where have you been?” Logan asked, pulling her into a quick hug. “Are you okay?”
