by Maya Banks
“Lily!”
That was much closer. She frowned. That sounded like Dillon. She reached behind her to rub a kink out of her throbbing back and when she tried to stand, her knees buckled and she plopped back down onto the rock.
“Well hell,” she muttered.
“Lily!”
That one sounded like Michael.
“I’m over here,” she shouted back.
And then remembering the scattered pencils that now lay on the ground, she got off the rock and went to her knees, grabbing at them to stuff in her pockets.
“Lily?”
“Here,” she called again. “Just a minute. I’m coming.”
She was just slapping the art book closed when both Dillon and Michael rounded the corner.
“Where the hell have you been?” Michael demanded. “Everyone’s been worried sick about you.”
Dillon raised a radio to his mouth and said, “We’ve found her. She’s all right.”
She blinked in confusion. “Your mom knew where I was going.”
Dillon frowned in exasperation. “Lily, that was hours ago. You missed lunch.”
“I did?”
Michael raised his hand toward the sky that was now ablaze with pink, purple and golden hues. “You’ve been gone for over six hours.”
“I’m sorry. Really, I am. I had no idea.”
Dillon glanced at the notebook clutched in her arms. “What were you doing?”
“Just passing time,” she murmured. “I wanted to make Callie a surprise.”
Michael cocked his head to the side. “What on earth could you have been doing for Callie that made you lose track of time so that you were gone for six hours?”
She ducked her head and shifted her feet, but when she did, the pencils spilled out of her pocket and tumbled to the ground.
Both Michael and Dillon bent to gather them up and Lily backed up a step, her bottom lip caught firmly between her teeth.
“Lily?” Michael asked softly. “What’s going on? Is everything all right?”
“I was drawing,” she said in a low voice. So low that both men leaned forward to hear. “I wanted to draw Callie’s Meadow for Callie. It’s not much. It’s not very good, but I know she loves it here, and I thought it might cheer her up.”
“Can I see?” Dillon asked cautiously, holding out a hand for the notebook.
She hesitated for a long moment but then handed over the notebook, nausea rising in her stomach. They would hate it. Think it was a waste of time. And she’d worried their mother on top of that. All while doing something frivolous.
Dillon flipped it open with Michael looking over his shoulder and both froze. Their eyes widened in shock and then Dillon glanced over the edge to Lily, his mouth wide open.
“I shouldn’t give it to her, should I?” Lily rushed to say. “I’ll just tear it up. It was a stupid idea anyway.”
“Holy fuck,” Michael breathed.
“Lily, this is amazing,” Dillon said in awe. “Absolutely fucking amazing. You did this? All today?”
She felt like a deer caught in the headlights. She didn’t know what to say so she nodded instead.
Michael took the notebook from Dillon and examined it again, his expression incredulous.
“This is the most beautiful drawing I’ve ever seen,” Michael said. “It looks exactly like the meadow. The colors, the landscape, the trees and the mountains. It’s like looking at a photograph. It’s damn well perfect.”
She flushed until her cheeks burned, and she ducked her head as shyness gripped her.
Dillon tucked his fingers underneath her chin and nudged upward. His eyes were questioning, and anger lurked in the depths. “Why didn’t you want us to know?”
“It’s not very good,” she said lamely. “And you were angry because I worried your mom. Time just got away from me. I tend to do that when I’m drawing. I know it’s silly.”
Dillon placed his hands on her arms and guided her down to sit on the same boulder where she’d sat to draw for so many hours.
“We need to get a few things out in the open here. First of all, you don’t need our permission or approval to do a goddamn thing. If you want to sit around and paint yourself purple, that’s your prerogative.
“Second, you have an amazing talent. The drawing was absolutely brilliant.
“Third, don’t ever sell yourself short or worry that we’re not going to approve. I’m so goddamn proud of you right now I could burst. I can’t even wrap my head around the fact that you came out here and created this spectacular replica of a piece of land that means so much to this family. You thought Callie might like it. Hell, she’s going to die when she sees this. You have no idea what that piece of property means to her—to all of us. She was born there. She was raised there, running hell-bent all over these mountains. And you’ve found a way to encapsulate that so that she can look at it no matter where she is and be at home. Lily, that kind of gift is priceless.”
“Oh,” she breathed.
“Oh? That’s all you can say?” Michael said with a laugh.
“I’m sorry I worried you,” she murmured. “I promised your mom I’d be back for lunch. She probably thinks I’m a complete flake or that I did something stupid like get lost.”
“We were the ones worried,” Dillon corrected. “Give us a break. We’re still getting used to having you, and we still worry you’re going to take off at a moment’s notice. The old adage about being too good to be true is my paranoia.”
She smiled then and rose to her feet, stepping forward so that she could wrap her arms around Dillon’s waist.
“I’m not going anywhere. I promise.”
He squeezed her back and then she backed away, looking cautiously at the drawing still in Michael’s hands.
“You really think it’s good? That it’s not a waste of time?”
Michael shook his head. “I don’t know where you get your ideas from, Lily, but I’m going to drum some sense into that head of yours. I wouldn’t care if it was the worst drawing ever crafted. If you enjoy it and it gives you pleasure, then it’s certainly not a waste of time.”
Her smile was more brilliant this time and the tightness in her chest eased. Butterflies flitted round and round in her belly until she was dizzy from the sensation.
“So you think I should give it to Callie? I thought she could frame it or something.”
“I think Callie is going to so bowled over that she’s not going to have words,” Dillon predicted. “I can’t wait to see her face when you give it to her.”
Dillon’s radio crackled and Seth’s irritated voice came over the receiver. “Goddamn it, Dillon. Where the hell are y’all? You said you’d found her. Is everything all right?”
Michael chuckled. “We better get back before Seth has a kitten and calls out search and rescue.”
He slung an arm around Lily’s shoulders and then carefully handed her back the drawing. Then he kissed her temple and squeezed her against his side.
When they arrived back at the house, Seth was pacing back and forth in front of the porch steps, dragging a hand over his already short hair. When he turned and saw them approach, he strode over, his expression grim.
“Where the hell have you been?” he demanded.
Lily frowned. “What’s it to you?” she asked belligerently.
Dillon and Michael threw back their heads and laughed as Seth blinked in surprise and halted in midstep.
But then Holly ran out behind Seth, and Lily’s frown disappeared. She pushed past the men and hurried toward Holly, already apologizing before she ever got there.
“I’m so sorry,” she blurted. “I completely lost track of time. I didn’t mean to worry you. It was inconsiderate.”
Holly surprised her by laughing. “I told your guys that you were probably just enjoying the view, but they lost their minds and hauled out their fathers to look for you. Callie and I weren’t worried. You don’t strike me as the type to just wander off and ge
t lost.”
She tucked her arm into Lily’s and guided her into the house, leaving her three sons openmouthed in the yard.
“I bet you’re hungry now, aren’t you?”
“Starving,” Lily admitted.
“Ethan was setting the table when Seth harangued him into looking for you. Callie and I finished up, so we can sit down to eat.”
Lily flushed. “I’m so sorry everyone went out looking for me.”
“I’m just glad it wasn’t me this time,” Holly teased. “I’m a bit of a klutz, and I’ve had some doozies before.”
“Lily, you’re back,” Callie said as she rounded the corner of the kitchen. “I can’t stay long. Have to be to work in a few.”
“I wanted to give you something first,” Lily said shyly.
Callie reared back in surprise. “Me?”
Lily slowly opened the art book and carefully eased the paper free of the binding. Then she handed it to Callie.
With a curious glint in her eyes, Callie took the paper and then when she glanced down at the drawing, she looked dumbstruck.
At that moment, Michael, Seth and Dillon along with their fathers tromped into the kitchen. Michael and Dillon smiled knowingly and held up a finger when the others would have questioned the stunned look on Callie’s face.
Tears gathered and pooled in Callie’s eyes. Her hands shook, making the paper jump and wobble in her grasp. Then she raised her gaze to Lily.
“How did you do this?” she asked in wonder. “It looks just like it. It’s perfect.”
The dads and Holly and Seth gathered around, looking to see what Callie held. Only Dillon and Michael remained back. Dillon slung and arm around her shoulders while Michael slid his arm around her waist.
“Told you,” Michael whispered in her ear.
Lily fidgeted between them while the others looked on with stunned amazement.
“Oh Callie,” Holly whispered. “It’s your meadow.” She looked up at Lily. “Did you draw this? Is this why you wanted the paper and colored pencils?”
“Yes,” Lily murmured. “It would be better with oils or even more vivid pencils. I had to mix some of the colors to get the right shade. It’s not my best effort.”
“It’s perfect,” Adam said so bluntly that Lily jumped.
Emotion glimmered in the older Colters’ eyes as they stared at the drawing in their daughter’s hands.
“That’s where our baby was born,” Ethan said.
“I just thought that since Callie loved it so much that she could take it with her wherever she goes so she can feel close to home,” Lily said.
Callie carefully handed her mom the drawing and then she walked over to Lily and pulled her into a hug.
“Thank you,” she whispered. “You have no idea how much this means to me. I’ll treasure this always.”
Lily’s entire face warmed under the open and frank praise of the Colters. She smiled back at Callie. “I’m so happy you like it. It’s been so long since I’ve drawn something. I miss it,” she said wistfully.
“You’ll have whatever supplies you need tomorrow,” Dillon said fiercely. “Even if I have to drive to Denver to get them. I want you to make a list of everything down to what kinds of brushes, pencils and paints. You have an amazing talent, Lily. And it obviously makes you happy.”
“It does,” she said softly. “I didn’t remember how much until now.”
“Let’s eat,” Holly said, breaking the awkward silence. “Then you guys can take Lily home. She looks like she’s about to fall over.”
Chapter Twenty-Six
True to Dillon’s word, by the next afternoon, there were so many art supplies piled into his office at the house that Lily was at a loss as to where to start sorting.
“We need the extra bedroom, however, the office would make a perfect studio for you,” Dillon said as he carried in the last box. “Lots of natural light with the windows and skylights. As soon as we get Michael squared away with converting his house to the new clinic, we’re going to tackle the addition to this house.”
“I can totally take the couch,” Lily said. Then she blushed. “That is on the nights that I’m not with one of you.”
Dillon grinned. “Like that’s going to happen. We have enough bedrooms until we can add on. Someone will be the odd man out, and when you want us all out of your hair, then one of us can take the couch.”
“I’ll always want to be with y’all,” she said softly. “I don’t want to be alone. I’ve been alone for so long. I know what it’s like. I’m tired of being lonely.”
Dillon’s smile faded and his eyes dimmed as he pulled her into his arms. “You’ll never have to be alone again, Lily. You get to call the shots here. You can have as much or as little of us as you want. We’re never going to push you beyond your limits.”
She kissed him hungrily, snuggling further into his embrace. She loved the feel of the solid wall of muscle. He made her feel so protected and cherished. Loved.
“I’m going to leave you to it,” Dillon said. “Have fun with all your stuff and use as much of my space as you need. I need to run out to meet the dads at Michael’s right quick. They want me to eyeball their plans.”
“I’ll be fine. I tend to lose all sense of time when I’m messing with my art stuff. I’ll probably still be here when you get back.”
Dillon gave her a quick kiss, patted her on the ass and then walked out of the office.
With a satisfied smile, she turned in a circle. She really didn’t know where to start, but she was ready to dive in and immerse herself in the joy of putting to canvas the images that had sustained her during the long weeks and months on the streets.
“Dad, you got a minute?” Dillon asked Adam.
Adam put down his measuring tape and glanced at the doorway. “I assume since you waited until your brothers left the room to talk, this is a private matter?”
“Got it in one.”
“Take a walk with me,” Adam said.
The two went to the other side of the house and out the side door and into the yard that overlooked a small valley to the left.
“Everything going okay with Lily and your brothers?” Adam asked.
Dillon sighed. “Yeah. Really better than I’d imagined. To be honest, I gave this a snowball’s chance in hell of working, and if I’m being even more honest, there was a small part of me that didn’t want it to work out because I wanted her to myself. But it’s good. Bizarre good, but I can honestly say that I’m happy with the arrangement.”
“As long as you and your brothers…and Lily…are happy, son.”
Dillon fidgeted uncomfortably. “It’s not that. God, I sound like a first class wuss. I can’t believe I’m having this conversation with my dad, for God’s sake.”
Adam chuckled. “I can’t wait to hear this.”
“Back when you and the other dads met Mom. I know you’ve all said she was it. You knew she was the one. You never looked back, blah blah.”
“Well I wouldn’t call it blah blah,” Adam said dryly.
“But when did you know you loved her? Was it instantaneous? When did you tell her?”
Pain creased his dad’s face, and Dillon regretted bringing it up.
“No, I didn’t tell her right away,” Adam said quietly. “I waited until it was almost too late. I loved her. I knew I loved her but a part of me thought if I said it too soon that it somehow devalued it. Like it needed time to mean more.”
“Yeah, that’s the way I feel,” Dillon said. “I feel a little stupid thinking it, much less saying it. I’ve never believed it, falling in love so fast and hard. I know you and the other dads have talked about it, but to be honest, I always thought it was a bunch of mushy horseshit.”
Adam shook his head. “I swear son, I don’t know whose kid you are, but I’d lay odds you must be mine. Well, except for the tattoos and that goddamn earring. Still baffles me where the hell you came from. I used to swear your mother found you somewhere. But you think
like me and you’re as thick headed and as stubborn as me.
“Let me give you a little piece of advice, and you can do with it what you will. Don’t wait until you feel like the time is more legitimate. I held back because I worried it would cheapen the moment if I said it too soon. And maybe I had convinced myself that it wasn’t really love yet. All I know is that I almost lost your mother without ever telling her how much I loved her. I still regret to this day that I was too damn stubborn to give her the words until it was almost too late.”
“I feel a little ridiculous. I’ve never felt this way about a woman before. Not so hard and fast and deep. I feel like I’m in way over my head.”
Adam smiled. “Yeah, I know that feeling. But Dillon, what are you waiting for, anyway? Approval? From whom? You’ve never given a rat’s ass what anyone thinks in your life, including me and your mother and your other dads. You’ve always gone your own way, marched to the beat of your own drum and fuck anyone who tries to tell you different. I can’t imagine you holding back because you’re worried about timing or something equally absurd.”
“Yeah, yeah, you’re right,” Dillon grumbled. “And yeah. I’ve never cared what anyone else thinks. Until now. I care what Lily thinks. I don’t want to fuck this up, Dad.”
Adam put his hand on Dillon’s shoulder. “You won’t, son. Lily seems like such a sweet girl. It’s obvious she cares a lot about you and Seth and Michael. She has a heart of gold, but she’s been beaten down by life. It’s up to you to bring her back up and get her back on her feet. How better to do that than to offer her something she needs more than anything else in the world? Your love.”
Dillon blew out his breath. “I really hate it when you’re right. It’s even worse when you make so goddamn much sense.”
Adam chuckled. “It infuriates your mother too. Not that I get to be right too often around her, mind you.”
“You and the dads taught me a lot growing up,” Dillon said quietly. “If I can be half the man you and the dads are, I know we can make this work. I couldn’t have asked for a better childhood. I don’t know if I’ve told you lately, but I love you, Dad. I wouldn’t change a thing about our family.”
