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“Good luck.” Her fingers fluttered in a feminine wave. “Bye, Michael.”
We turned to leave, and I noticed Lily making wild gestures to get my attention behind Michael’s back. When I looked over my shoulder, I was treated to a mimed performance of a full-blown body slam. And maybe some French kissing, but I closed my eyes before I could be sure.
o;Considering I haven’t talked to him since yesterday, it might include torches and pitchforks.”
“You ready?” He looked toward the back door. “I want to get out of here.”
“Let’s go.”
It seemed as if there was trouble in paradise.
I could only hope.
Chapter 28
I dropped Michael off at his car, and we planned to meet at Murphy’s Law once we got back to Ivy Springs. I owed Lily an explanation. Before going into the coffee shop I checked my voice mail. Seven messages from Thomas.
My ass was grass, and big brother was the lawn mower.
I parked and crossed the town square, trying to figure out what in the world I was going to say to Lily. I paused outside Murphy’s Law to try to come up with a good story. Or at least a decent lie.
Through the plate-glass window I could see her leaning against the counter, staring off into space. Her fingers held a pencil that moved at a furious pace across a pad of paper. I opened the front door and the jangling bell caught her attention. She shoved the pencil and drawing into her apron pocket and put her hands on her hips.
“Girl.”
The emphasis she placed on the word asked a hundred questions at once.
“It’s not what you think,” I said defensively.
“Then I’m very disappointed for you.”
That made two of us. “I haven’t been with him since he picked me up here! Last night, I had to go out for … something, and I ran into Michael and it got late and we lost track of time and—”
“You don’t have to explain anything to me.” She took the dishrag from her shoulder and began polishing the counter needlessly. “Your secrets are yours to keep.”
“Lily, please.” I reached out and pulled the cloth from her hand. “I’m not trying to keep anything from you. This … thing … with Michael is more than complicated. Please believe me.”
“It’s okay. I understand. But you have to throw me a bone and tell me if the personality is as hot as the package.”
I gave her a slow grin before faking a heart attack, clutching my chest, and backing up a few steps. Falling against the counter, I slid to the floor, twitched a couple of times for effect, and then burst into giggles.
“You are not right,” Lily said, but she laughed as she pulled me to my feet. I handed her the dishrag and reached behind her for a to-go coffee cup. I was starting to drag after the long night. Being around Michael kept my energy up, and now that he wasn’t close to me it felt like I was coming down from an adrenaline high.
“Can I talk to you seriously for a sec?” I pulled the lever on the coffee machine that dispensed the bold blend, inhaling deeply when the liquid began to fill my cup.
“What’s up?”
“Do you ever wonder what your life would be like now, if your parents were here instead of in Cuba?”
“Yes.” She pulled up the bar stools she kept behind the counter in case things were slow and she had a moment to sit. “All the time. Are you wondering what it would be like if yours were still alive?”
“I am.” I clambered onto my stool. Lily and her long legs made everything look so effortless. I practically needed a stepladder. “I wonder about the whole depression thing, too. If the accident never happened, if my parents had been there for me to lean on—would I have been able to handle everything better than I did?”
“You’ll never know. And you can’t go back in time. No one can.”
I didn’t see any point in correcting her.
“The thing is, Em, you don’t know if you struggled with the depression because of your circumstances or if it’s a chemical thing. You might have to deal with it again. So you do everything you can to keep yourself well, whether that means meds or counseling or … whatever.” She threw up her hands. “Vigorous exercise … I don’t know.”
