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“Yeah, you know, for people who need some attention but can’t afford the fees. It should be a thing, right? Kink scholarships.”
“If you really need to go, I can?—”
“No!” Everyone cut Lilac off, and she stared at them in shock.
“You are not running yourself into the ground to pay for fees to Saxon’s,” Tanner told her. “If Opal needs to go, I’ll pay for her membership.”
“Done! Thanks, Cowboy.” Opal smiled at him, before walking into the bedroom again with a sleeping Kye.
Lilac frowned at Tanner. “I can’t let you do that.”
Tanner just gave her a stern look back. “It’s time you learned to let people help you, Lilac. Which means me. You need to let me help you. Linc, come on.”
Tanner stomped out of the guesthouse, Linc following him, after giving Ryleigh another admonishment to stay on the sofa.
“I didn’t mean to upset Tanner.” Lilac worried at her lip with her teeth.
“You look so tired, Lilac. And he seems really protective of you. He’s a good man, isn’t he?” Ryleigh said.
“Yeah,” Opal said, walking back into the room. “From all accounts, the Malone men are all good. A bit crazy, but decent men.”
Lilac gave Opal a surprised look. How did she know that?
“What? I’ve been talking to people.” Opal sat on the armchair while Lilac sat next to Ryleigh.
“Sorry I got sick,” Ryleigh said.
“Hey, you don’t need to apologize,” Lilac told her.
“I feel awful that you’ve had to look after Kye though. That I haven’t been able to. He hasn’t shown any sign of illness?” Ryleigh asked worriedly.
“No,” Opal said. “And he’s been such a good baby.”
“I just feel useless. Linc’s been great. But urgh, I’m tired of getting sick like this.”
“We need to settle in one place,” Opal said. “Get jobs and a place to live.”
“How can we do that?” Lilac asked. “Our fake IDs aren’t good enough to get a rental place. And we won’t be able to work for cash forever. What about healthcare?” Lilac fought for breath. Everything seemed so hard, and she wasn’t sure how to make it all work.
“Easy, Lilac. It’s going to work out,” Ryleigh told her.
Would it? How could she be so sure?
Ryleigh always thought everything would work out.
But Lilac couldn’t have that same sort of hope. She couldn’t afford to.
Tanner walked back into the room, looking satisfied with himself. Linc followed, holding a bag of frozen vegetables held to his eye.
She froze.
Holy. Crap.
“Wow. You hit a cop, Cowboy?” Opal asked. “That takes balls. How’d you know he wasn’t going to arrest you?”
Tanner shrugged. “Linc knew he was in the wrong. That he deserved what he got.”
“Linc!” Ryleigh looked worried as she got to her feet.
