by Maya Banks
She smiled and closed her eyes as she absorbed the feeling of being at peace. For the first time in so very long, she could feel the hole in her heart close just a little bit.
Healing and forgiveness were necessities of life. And in the arms of the Colter brothers, she began to believe that she just might have both.
Chapter Twenty
Lily was still sleeping soundly, curled into a ball in the middle of the bed, her head buried in a mound of pillows when the brothers dressed and crept silently from the room the next morning.
Michael avoided making eye contact with Seth and Dillon as they walked quietly to the kitchen. Dillon took out ingredients for a quick breakfast while Seth sat at the bar. The silence was so smothering that even the slightest noise Dillon made was like a cannon shot.
Michael sighed. “Okay, so who’s going to bring it up first?”
“Bring what up?” Dillon muttered.
Seth glanced sharply at Dillon. “Don’t be an ass. We might as well get it out in the open now before Lily wakes up. If we have issues, now is the time to discuss them so they don’t cause problems later.”
Dillon shrugged. “Look, I don’t have a problem. Am I always going to want to make love to her with you two in the picture? Hell no. But I doubt you want that any more than I do. It was important to her that she not show preference by making love to one of us first. If that makes her feel at ease with the situation then I’m all for it. I’ll do whatever it takes to make her happy.”
“Never thought I’d say this, but I agree one hundred percent with you, Dillon,” Michael said.
Seth nodded slowly. “So do I. Right now, I’ll do anything to make her more comfortable. We have plenty of time to work the kinks out of our relationship as we go.”
“So what’s on everyone’s agenda this morning?” Dillon asked as he dished up the bacon and eggs onto plates.
Dillon always was the planner. It was why he was so damn successful at everything he tried. He planned to the nth degree, and he followed through. He didn’t know the meaning of the word fail. If he wanted it, he went after it.
“Lily needs to get into the clinic if you can arrange it, Michael, but the problem is, I can’t take her. I’ve got a meeting with my accountant that’ll probably take most of the day. I have to get my taxes squared away and take care of my quarterlies while I’m at it. Going to be a long damn day.”
Michael grimaced. Dillon got downright cranky when it came to money. Funny, considering how easily he seemed to be able to make it. He had a Midas touch when it came to enterprise. He could take any business and turn it around or get it off the ground. Not everyone knew it, but Dillon damn near owned most of Clyde in one way or another.
“I can probably get her in, but I’m full up with appointments today. Seth, can you take her?” Michael asked.
“Yeah, I could take her and go by to fill out all the necessary paperwork for the new job. At some point this week, I’m going to have to go back to Denver to give notice at my house and move my shit.”
Dillon rubbed his jaw thoughtfully. “What if we got Mom to go with her? It would accomplish a few things. One, Lily might be uncomfortable over the nature of the visit if one of us goes. Plus, I know she’s ashamed of the fact that she can’t foot the bill. If Mom took her, she might relax a bit about it all. It would also give Mom some time with her, and I want Lily to feel like she’s part of the family.”
“Not a bad idea,” Michael said. “Why don’t you give her a call while I call Dr. Burton. It might be later this afternoon when he can work her in, but I’m sure he’ll do it if I ask him to.”
“I could run Lily over to Mom’s so she wouldn’t have to tag along with me to fill out paperwork,” Seth said. “She’d probably be bored out of her mind, and if Callie’s around, she might like to go riding again.”
Michael scowled. “She’s not going riding until I check her arm again and make sure the wound isn’t showing signs of infection. I swear everyone acts like she didn’t just get shot a few days ago.”
“I didn’t see you worrying about that last night,” Dillon drawled.
“Fuck you. I was very careful with her.”
“Cut it out, you two,” Seth said.
Dillon and Michael both held up their middle fingers at the same time, and Seth just shook his head.
“I swear you two always did share the same twisted, demented brain.”
Michael raised an eyebrow in Dillon’s direction. “I think he just tried to insult us.”
Dillon shrugged. “I suppose we’re going to have to put up with him since he did bring Lily to us. I’m sure he’ll be smug about the fact that if it weren’t for him we’d never have met her.”
“I hadn’t even thought about that, but you’re right,” Seth said with a grin.
“You and your mouth,” Michael grumbled in Dillon’s direction.
Slight movement from the corner of Michael’s eye had him turning in the direction of the doorway of the kitchen. Lily stood there looking delectably rumpled. Her sleepy eyes took in the three brothers, and she fidgeted nervously in the doorway. It was obvious she’d dug out one of Dillon’s button-up shirts. The problem was it hung clear past her knees and she had rolled up the sleeves several times just to get them over her wrists. She looked so darn cute that Michael had to smile.
“Good morning,” he called out to her. He held out his hand and waited for her to come to him.
Dillon and Seth both turned to look in Lily’s direction, and she gifted them with a shy smile.
She walked barefooted across the floor and slipped her hand into Michael’s. He pulled her into his side and gave her a long, leisurely kiss.
When he pulled away, he stroked the hair from her eyes and trailed his fingers down the strands, tucking them over her ears.
“Sleep okay?”
She blushed. “Yes. Wonderfully. The bed is like sleeping on a cloud. I didn’t want to get out of it.”
At that, Dillon and Seth both frowned at the subtle reminder that just days before she’d been sleeping on thin cardboard. Hardly a barrier to the rough concrete of an alleyway.
Michael’s own jaw twitched because he remembered all too well the sight of her huddled in the alleyway, scared out of her mind. As God was his witness, she’d never spend another day unprotected from the harsher realities of life.
“I have to go soon,” he told her regretfully. “I have a full day of appointments.”
She snuggled into his chest and wrapped her arms around him, hugging him tight to her. “I’ll miss you. Will I see you tonight? I mean, I don’t even know where I’m staying or where you’re staying.”
“You’re staying here,” Dillon growled.
“Yes, you’ll see me tonight,” Michael said, ignoring Dillon’s outburst. “You’ll be here as will Seth. It’ll take me a little time to arrange things with my house, but I’ll be around for sure.”
“I have an appointment with my accountant that’s going to tie me up for most of the day,” Dillon said to Lily. “Michael’s going to get you in to see the doctor at the clinic, and I thought Mom could take you so Seth could get all his paperwork started for his new job.”
Lily stiffened against Michael, and she chewed nervously at her bottom lip. “I don’t want to bother her. I could go myself. I mean if I could ride into town with Seth, I could just wait there.”
Michael rubbed his hand up and down her back, soothing away some of the tension. “First of all, you’re not a bother. Mom will be thrilled to get to spend some time with you. If I know her, she’ll have you spoiled in no time at all with the dads’ help.”
“We’ll take care of all the arrangements, honey,” Seth cut in softly. “There’s not a damn thing you need to worry about. I thought I’d run you out to Mom’s. If Callie’s around, you two could go riding again, and then Mom can take you in to town when it’s time for your appointment.”
Michael felt her hesitation, but he also saw the longing in her eye
s. He squeezed her to him and kissed the top of her head. “Our mom’s going to love you, Lily.”
She smiled. “If you’re sure she won’t mind, I’d love to go out to the house and maybe ride with Callie again. I’ll even let you check my arm so you can reassure yourself that it’s not about to rot off.”
He smacked her lightly on the bottom. “Smartass. And don’t think I’m not checking on that wound before you go. I’m also going to make sure Dr. Burton gives it a thorough exam when he sees you this afternoon.”
“Make the call so I can talk to Mom and let her know what’s going on,” Dillon prompted. “Lily, bacon and eggs okay?”
She sniffed and licked her lips. “It’s perfect. I love bacon. Bacon makes everything better.”
“Girl after my own heart,” Seth said with a grin.
Michael dug out his cell and punched in the private number for Dr. Burton. He never asked for favors, and Michael had treated Dr. Burton’s kids’ animals on short notice on more than one occasion, so Michael hoped he’d return the favor now.
As he spoke to the doctor, he watched Lily laugh and interact with Dillon and Seth and marveled at how natural it all played out. Maybe it was because he had so many memories of his own parents laughing and loving in such a way, but it felt right.
After gaining Dr. Burton’s assurance that he’d see Lily that afternoon, Michael rang off. “Two-thirty,” he told Dillon.
Dillon picked up the phone and dialed their parents’ number as the others continued to eat.
“Hey, Mom,” Dillon said. “How are you?” He grinned as he listened to whatever she was saying and then he said, “Hey, can you do us a favor? Seth thought he’d run Lily over to the house so she could hang out there, maybe go riding with Callie again. We all have a pretty full day and Lily has a doctor’s appointment with Dr. Burton this afternoon. Do you think you could take her?”
Dillon smiled and after a moment said, “Thanks, Mom. We really appreciate this. I’ll be sure to tell her. I’ll see you later. Love you.”
He hung up and laid the phone down. “Mom said to tell you she’d be thrilled if you came over to visit and that she’d love to go to the doctor with you.”
“She’s so nice,” Lily murmured.
“Yeah, she’s pretty great,” Seth agreed. “There aren’t many people who don’t think the world of her.”
Lily snuck a piece of bacon from Dillon’s plate, and Michael stifled his laughter at the look of sheer innocence on her face when Dillon noticed that his last piece was gone.
“Who the hell took my bacon?” he demanded. He scowled at Seth who was the closest and then his gaze settled on Lily who looked decidedly guilty. “You little thief,” he said with a laugh. “Bacon stealing is a crime punishable by death in these parts.”
Lily glanced over at Michael and then down to his plate. “Are you going to eat that last piece?”
Her tone was so hopeful, he couldn’t possibly tell her yes. He picked it up and held it to her mouth. She grinned just before taking a big bite of the strip.
She sighed as she chewed. “Heaven. Just heaven.”
Dillon chuckled. “Well, I know how to keep her happy. Just make her bacon every day.”
Lily nodded vigorously.
Michael checked his watch and then pushed away from the bar. “I have to go, baby. I wish I didn’t, but the patients await. Come into the living room so I can take a look at your arm before I go.”
He urged her into the other room and onto the couch. He unbuttoned the shirt enough that he could slide it down her shoulder. He frowned when he saw the bandage had either fallen off or she’d taken it off since the night before.
But when he examined it, it was only slightly pink. The wound had closed. He palpated the area around it, watching her closely for signs of discomfort, but she didn’t so much as flinch.
“Okay,” he conceded. “It looks like you’re all better. I’ll back off and quit worrying so much now.”
She smiled but threw her arms around his neck and hugged him fiercely. “I love that you worry about me. It’s kind of nice.” Then she pulled away and raised her mouth to his.
He kissed her and soaked in her gentle sweetness.
“I’ll see you this afternoon,” she said.
“You betcha. Have a good day with Mom, okay?”
Michael said his goodbyes to his brothers and then headed for his Jeep. The morning air was chilly and the sky was overcast. It looked like snow. He frowned, realizing that they’d never taken Lily to buy clothes. Things had gone awry the minute Dillon had entered the picture.
She needed everything, including a coat and things that would keep her warm and comfortable. She couldn’t continue to wear Callie’s old stuff.
As he got into his Jeep, he picked up his cell to call his mom. She’d take care of the matter, and if he knew his mom, Lily would be outfitted head to toe in just a few hours’ time.
Chapter Twenty-One
When Seth and Lily pulled up to his parents’ house, Lily saw Callie standing in the distance overlooking the expanse of land below the cabin.
Seth cut the engine but sat in the truck watching his sister for a long moment.
“She looks sad,” Lily observed.
Seth sighed. “I’m not sure what’s going on with her. Something happened on her last trip overseas, but she’s not talking. I hate to see her down. She’s always the cheerful, upbeat one in the family.”
“Maybe she just needs some space,” Lily said softly. “It’s not always easy to talk when wounds are still so fresh.”
Seth turned his gaze on her, unpeeling her layer by layer. “Is that what happened with you, Lily?”
She hesitated and gripped the handle to the door. “Some wounds never heal.”
“You’ll heal,” he said quietly. “You’ll have me and my brothers and our family. Family heals even the worst hurts.”
Warmth spread into her heart until her smile reflected the sheer joy his words brought her.
“That’s a beautiful sentiment, Seth. And you know, I believe you. I really do. I feel…I feel like maybe everything is going to be okay again.”
He leaned over and cupped her cheek and then he kissed her. “You can count on it, honey. Now let’s go in and find Mom. She’ll be looking forward to seeing you.”
Lily opened her door and stepped into the chilly air. It was colder now than it had been earlier in the day. She turned her face upward to see the white sky lined with shades of gray.
“Bet it snows before the day’s out,” Seth said.
She shivered but secretly hoped it would. Before, snow had been a dreaded event when she lived on the streets. With no way to stay warm, snow could mean death. But here where she could sit in front of the fireplace with hot chocolate and watch the snow fall through the window? She couldn’t think of anything more heavenly.
Seth opened the door and called in, “Mom? Dads? We’re here.”
He ushered Lily inside and closed the door behind them. One of the dads entered the living room—Ethan? She was fairly certain he was Ethan. She been a little befuddled and overwhelmed the first time she’d met them all, but he’d been the one to prepare lunch for her and Callie.
He smiled gently in Lily’s direction. “Hello, Lily. How is your arm today?”
“Oh, I’m fine. Michael even gave me a clean bill of health this morning.”
Ethan chuckled. “If you got by Michael, I’m betting you’re just fine.”
“Where’s Mom?” Seth asked.
“She’ll be along in a minute.”
The peculiar look in Ethan’s eyes made Lily think that she and Seth had interrupted a private moment. Her suspicion was confirmed a moment later when Holly entered the living room, her face flushed and her lips swollen.
Ethan’s gaze was drawn to his wife, and he pulled her to his side. The tenderness that he displayed and the obvious love in his eyes made Lily’s heart melt.
Holly’s eyes lit up when she saw L
ily, and she hurried across the room, her hands extended. “Lily! I’m so happy you came over. How are you doing? Is your arm all right?”
As she spoke, she did very motherly things like smooth Lily’s hair from her face and stroke her hand down Lily’s arm. Lily couldn’t help but be drawn to the other woman. There was just something so warm and infectious about her.
“I’m good,” Lily said, returning her smile. “Thank you for having me. I appreciate you being willing to go with me to the clinic.”
Holly beamed back at her and then turned to Seth. “And you. You’re going to get all the paperwork done so that your coming home will be official?”
Seth smiled and nodded. Holly latched on to Seth and hugged him senseless. “Oh, I’m so happy that you’re going to be home.” As she pulled away, tears shone brightly in her eyes.
“Aw, Mom, don’t cry.”
“I’ll cry if I want to,” she sniffed. “I hate that you’ve been away for so long. It’ll be so wonderful having all my children back home where they belong. I pray that Callie doesn’t decide to go back to parts unknown.”
Seth grinned and rolled his eyes. “Admit it, Mom. You’d rather we all still lived here under your roof driving you and the dads crazy.”
“Well, yes. I refuse to apologize for that.”
Lily’s chest tightened as she watched the obvious love and affection between them. She glanced up to see Ethan watching her with those soft brown eyes. She squirmed and looked away, worried that they were still wary of her and her intentions.
Holly shoved Seth toward the door. “Okay, so off with you. I’ll feel a lot better when you’ve filled out all your paperwork and it’s all official. Don’t worry about Lily. Callie and I will take good care of her.”
Seth turned to kiss his mom on the cheek. “I know you will, Mom.” Then he looked up at Lily and his features softened. “I’ll see you later, honey.”
Lily smiled and gave him a small wave as he walked out the front door.
Holly turned her attention to Lily. “Okay. You and I have some shopping to do.”
