Something caught his eye, and he noticed Lily rubbing her right knee and her shin. Grace must’ve asked about it because Lily waved her hand dismissively and stopped rubbing. She went behind the counter and produced the box containing the items Grace had ordered. Clay grinned, imagining her men’s expressions the first time they wore those for her all together and thought the woman could sell ice to Eskimos. Lily had that in common with her.
* * * *
“Grace, I was wondering if you’d give me a referral,” Lily said as she opened the box and discreetly showed Grace the three custom-sized silver cock rings she’d ordered.
Her blonde friend smiled as she admired each ring with a naughty grin. “Sure. What do you need?”
Lily laid a hand on the abundant mass of her long, thick brown hair. “I need to get my hair cut off and bet you know a good stylist. I also wondered if you’ve heard anything good about the new tattoo artist who’s moved into town.”
Because that may be the better option for me. Just have to see how Clay feels about tattoos.
Grace grinned like a Cheshire cat. “You’re making all kinds of changes, aren’t you?”
JT had never allowed Lily to cut her hair, and she’d learned why, when he’d used it to tie her to their headboard and had left her that way all night. That hadn’t happened frequently, but she’d grown to secretly hate her hair. The one time she’d had it trimmed he’d made sure she’d regretted it. Consequently, she now carted around eleven years’ worth of growth.
“I don’t want to cut it short, but I would like to lose most of the length.”
Grace stroked a wayward lock of hair admiringly. “It is very long. Did you grow it out for Locks of Love?”
Lily shook her head. I wish that was the reason. “No, but I’d love to donate it to them.”
With easy assurance, Grace said, “Leslie at Madeleine’s can fix you up. As far as the new tattoo artist is concerned, both Maya Warner and I have actually met him and had a little work done.” With a twinkle in her eyes, Grace said, “I want to invite you to a little gathering where I could show you. Jack, Ethan, Adam, and all of our male friends who like to hunt go to a friend’s ranch in the Hill Country for a hog hunt after the holidays. He’s had trouble with feral hogs and they go every year to hunt and do ‘guy stuff.’ All of the wives, fiancées, and girlfriends come to our ranch and we do a girl’s sleepover. I know Jack invited Clay. Would you consider coming for the sleepover?”
A sleepover, with a bunch of women, most of whom she’d barely met. She wasn’t sure.
Grace must have seen her hesitation and said, “Come on. Maya will be there, so will Emma. You won’t be left out, I promise.” The eagerness in Grace’s eyes was hard to deny.
“All right. If Clay is going, I’ll go.” She hoped that was okay with Clay, recalling his easygoing acceptance of her words that morning. She wasn’t sure how she felt about his agreement to treat what they’d had the night before as something casual. It had felt anything but casual.
“Awesome! You’re also invited for the pig roast and bonfire we have at the ranch the weekend after the hunt. At the sleepover, Maya and I can show you our tattoos Seth Carter did for us. Something tells me it would be frowned upon for me to show you mine right now, considering where it is.” Grace glanced at Tabitha and added, “I’ve never known someone so thoroughly in need of a good orgasm, or two or three…hundred.”
Lily burst into giggles, and Grace joined her. Tabitha did not appear to approve of their display, judging by the way she tucked her chin into her neck and frowned as she bent over a display.
The doorbell jingled, and Lily glanced up to see who it was, then did a double take. Her heart leaped into her throat. “Would you excuse me for a second, Grace?”
“Sure.”
The ruggedly handsome man entered the shop, scanning from one corner to the next. His expression was serious, and he had an almost unapproachable aura, but was still pleasantly familiar to her. What she could see of his skin was all deeply tanned, and as he pulled off his stocking cap, she recognized his sandy-blond hair, which matched the scruff of a light beard and moustache on his face. Recognition occurred between them simultaneously as she looked into his gray-green eyes.
“Del?”
A wide smile slowly spread across his lips as he made a beeline for her across the store. “Lily?”
“Del!”
He caught her as she threw herself into his hug, his arms strong and solid as he lifted her just a bit off her feet and rocked her back and forth. He smelled like sunshine and man. He pressed his face to her neck and held her for a few seconds, and she basked in the quiet attention.
He murmured, “It is you, isn’t it, Lily Bell?”
He set her back on her feet, and her heart pounded with excitement as she looked up at him towering over her. “Are you going to keep calling me that?”
“Uh-huh.” She saw a glimpse of the irritating preteen he’d been in his teasing smile, calling her by that name just to piss her off. Funny thing was, it didn’t really bother her all that much. It never really had. She’d just pretended that it had because it gave them something to banter about. He hugged her again. “Damn, I missed you.”
Everything felt right in her world.
Lily heard the swinging doors open as Clay came out from the workroom. “I’m so happy you’re back safe and sound. Let me introduce you.” After Grace and Tabitha said hello, Del turned to his brother. Unspoken emotion glimmered in his eyes as he grinned at his sibling.
“Hey, asshole. How long has it been?” Del asked as he spread his arms.
“Too long. Four years? And four years more before that. Welcome home, man,” Clay muttered as they bear-hugged and pounded each other on the back. His broad grin and the way he clenched his brother at the shoulders made it clear that he was happy to have his brother home safe.
Lily smiled at the display of manly affection between them. Clay looked jubilant, though he controlled it well. Tabitha sniffed and pulled a tissue from her sleeve.
Grace nudged Lily. “I’m going to take off so you can enjoy the reunion. I’ll get you the particulars for the sleepover later.” Lily nodded and gladly received Grace’s hug before she left.
Del turned to Lily, while still holding on to Clay’s shoulder, and slid his hand around her waist. “Damn, it is so good to see you both.”
Clay asked, “You weather that storm okay last night?”
Del chuckled. “Yeah, for the most part. No electricity, but that’s not something I’m dependent on anymore. I’ve got a roof leak that needs fixing and a ranch falling down around my ears but it’s damned good to be back.”
“Clay told me that I get to have a long lunch with you,” Lily said, squeezing his solid forearm through his heavy all-weather jacket, which looked tough enough to weather any conditions Afghanistan could dish out.
Her words drew an abrupt, dirty look from Tabitha, but Lily chose to ignore it. Clay told her she could have the time with Del, and she planned to take it.
“That’s right. You’re all mine all afternoon. I’d like to get caught up with Clay for a few minutes first, if that’s okay.”
Lily couldn’t help the big smile on her face. “Sure.”
Del followed Clay to the workroom, casting one last, pleased glance back at her.
“So that’s Del,” Tabitha said as she busied herself organizing sales tickets.
Lily tried to tamp down her enthusiasm because she detected the miffed tone in Tabitha’s voice. She must’ve felt slighted by their instant threesome. It was no surprise to Lily that they would reform that bond as soon as they were together again.
“Yes. I’m glad he’s home safe.”
“Thank you for handling that Warner woman for me,” Tabitha’s words were clear and distinct. “I can’t stand the way she prances in here like she owns the place.”
Lily hid her bewildered expression behind the showcase as she squatted down and lined up the other online
orders waiting for local pickup.
I wonder what Tabitha’s issues with Grace are really about.
Grace was always friendly and never demanded special attention or favors.
“What do you mean? What’d she do?” Maybe she’d get some straight answers for a change instead of more sour grapes.
Tabitha screwed up her lips and joggled her head back and forth indignantly. “She acts like the world owes her love and flowers and kisses. She’s always so sweet. When what she is, is a gold-digging whore.”
Whoa!
Lily hoped that Clay couldn’t hear any of what Tabitha was saying. It was obvious she’d been building up to this conversation for a while.
“Everyone thinks she’s so sweet, like she craps rainbows while riding a unicorn, when the truth is, she’s a master manipulator. I’ll never forget the day she swooped in and claimed not one, not two…” She held up three fingers melodramatically. “But three eligible Divine bachelors. She had one man proposing to her while another was buying her extremely expensive solid gold jewelry. Why, I told my friend Elizabeth Owen it was the most disgusting display of—of…whoredom I’d ever seen! And where does Elizabeth wind up when she tries to reveal to the world the disgusting immorality of what those perverts do? In jail!”
Behind the showcase, out of sight, Lily put her face in her hands. She heard a vehicle door being closed outside.
Whoredom? Really? Calgon, take me away.
“Then Grace tops it all off by getting that precious Ethan Grant shot, trying to protect her big, overweight—”
“Tabitha! Stop!” Lily finally blurted out as a customer pulled on the shop door, jingling the bell. Tabitha’s lips jammed shut on her vitriolic words.
In a saccharine-sweet tone, Tabitha greeted the couple. “Hellooo! How can I help you today?”
You could start by washing your mouth out with soap, woman.
Lily tidied the interior of the case to give Clay and Del time to talk privately, but she couldn’t wait to have lunch with him and get all caught up.
After the couple left without buying anything, Tabitha went about her work, muttering and grumbling to herself until Del and Clay emerged from the back.
“Ready for lunch, Lily Bell?” Over Del’s shoulder, she saw Tabitha scowl and mouth to herself, “Lily Bell,” and had to resist the urge to laugh.
“I sure am. I’ll just get my coat and purse.”
Chapter Twelve
A few moments later, as they walked out the door, Tabitha called, “Lily, don’t forget to sign out on your timesheet!”
Clay heaved a disgusted-sounding sigh and waved them on. “I’ll take care of it. You two go have fun.”
Lily hooked her arm in Del’s as he escorted her to his truck, and he asked, “What’s her deal? She acts like someone stuck a turd under her nose.”
Lily burst out in a rash of giggles that was long-lasting and faintly hysterical. She attributed it to the joy of Del being home safe. Finally she calmed as he started the truck and said, “I think she may have been hoping I’d crap rainbows for her while riding a unicorn!”
Del joined her in her euphoric laughter and asked, “What? Have y’all been getting into the catnip? You’re full of giggles today.”
Lily let out a long, gusty sigh. “Tabitha was up in the air, harping about my friend, Grace. She has a positive attitude and it irritates Tabitha. I’m just really happy to see you, Del. Things are going so right in my world for once. Even Tabitha can’t ruin my day with all her garbage.”
“I’m glad to hear it. Clay got me caught up on how you came to be in Divine again. I’ve got to tell you it’s all my fault we lost touch.”
“It is?”
“Yeah. I’m coming clean, at least for my part. I’ve felt guilty for years.”
“What did you do?”
“In high school one of my girlfriends found one of your letters to me and the reply I was writing back at the time. She laughed and thought it was funny that I was on the football team and the wrestling team and had a girl pen pal. I gave in to peer pressure and I’m sorry.”
“That’s okay. I just got lazy.”
“I never sent that reply and after me and that girl broke up, it had been so long since I’d written that I was embarrassed. I thought you’d be mad at me, or worse, that you didn’t care anyway.”
“No. I always cared, Del. But this is what happens when people are separated by distance. Sometimes the friendships dwindle away.” It got really quiet in the truck, except for the radio playing softly as David Nail sang “Let It Rain.”
“So, I’m sorry. I feel like it was me that let the ball drop.”
Lily shook her head. “No. Clay said the letter writing fell by the wayside for him, too. I’m sorry your girlfriend teased you.”
Del waved his hand dismissively. “Nah, she was a bitch.”
Lily burst into giggles again as he pulled out of the parking lot and onto Main Street.
Five minutes later they arrived at O’Reilley’s steakhouse. “Wow! Big spender.”
“I’m still sucking up,” he replied with a sideways grin. “Hold on. Let me be a gentleman and help you out.”
She waited as he came around and assisted her. When she held on to his shoulder, she couldn’t help but notice how hard and broad his muscled shoulders were. She didn’t pull away when he held her hand in his strong, callused one as he escorted her into the restaurant.
Once they had their iced teas and were done placing their orders, Lily settled back in the booth and looked up at him sitting beside her. She’d thought it odd that he didn’t sit opposite her, but this way she’d be able to hear him talk without shouting across the wide table.
“So…the last time I saw you, we were…younger.” Finding the right word had been difficult.
He turned to her in the booth and settled sideways on the cushioned seat. “You mean helpless?”
Lily pressed her lips together as she remembered the last day they spent together in seventh grade.
At twelve and thirteen, the hormones for adolescence had just barely kicked in for them, besides all the emotional crap going on. Clay and Del were both still scrawny, and Lily was still fat. Lily had begun to develop, but they all three had looked basically the same, only maybe a little taller.
The middle school they’d been bused to outside Morehead was different from the close-knit, rural elementary school they’d gone to in Divine. The kids at the new school had found out that Del was enrolled in special education classes for his learning disability, and they’d been ruthless, mean little monsters. Lily hadn’t been one to sit by while that happened any more than Clay had been.
One day, while waiting for afternoon break time to be over, the teasing had gotten especially bad. One group of disgusting older boys, newly drafted to the middle school football team, had taken it upon themselves to tease and taunt Del about the special classes he took part of the day.
He’d been held back in kindergarten because of extreme difficulty learning to read and write. The boys didn’t care that he had dyslexia. They just wanted a fresh target. Being weak and scrawny, Del was prime meat for them. They’d been murmuring and picking at him in the lunch line and in the hallways, and by break time in the middle of the afternoon, Del had been pushed to his limit.
One of the boys had shoved Lily out of the way to say something ugly to Del, and he’d thrown a punch while Del was trying to help her up, sending them both sprawling to the ground. She’d been seeing red when she rose from the ground. Lily had always been a bit taller than the other kids and never had a problem defending herself.
Unfortunately, the crowd had grown and the kids began chanting, “Special Ed! Special Ed! Special Ed!” Some were also chanting, “Short Bus! Short Bus!” That had seemed to really set Del off, but when the kids had also started chanting, “Chubby! Chubby!” Del had gone ballistic.
The three of them had always stood up for each other. Clay had come running, fists flying, right into
the middle of the fray as Del was knocked to the ground again. Lily had been able to hear several girls chanting in a singsong voice, “Special Ed and Chubby sitting in a tree k–i–s–s–i–n–g!” She’d known her mom would be disappointed in her, but she hadn’t been able to ignore it.
She’d slugged one of the boys who had been kicking Del where he was curled up on the ground and helped him back up as another boy kicked her. She turned and gave him a punch in his flabby gut and had laughed at the “ooph!” sound he’d made.
Being shorter than the others, Clay had waded in and was doing his best, but she’d been able to see his tearful frustration at being smaller than the others. Finally the principal and one of the custodians had dragged them apart and broken up the fight. They’d all been hauled to the principal’s office, their parents called, and punishments meted out. If she’d known that would be the last time she’d see them, she would’ve said something besides, “Sorry we got our butts whooped.” Her father had told them that night that they were moving to Durst the next day. When it was all boiled down, the day she left Divine had been the worst day of her life.
“Lily Bell? You in there?”
“I was just thinking about that last day, when we got in trouble.”
Del grinned widely. “Oh, yeah. I had a shiner from that fight that lasted a whole week. You know that one big kid, Durwood Willoughby?”
Her lip curled in disgust. “That jerk? The one with the stinky armpits? I hated him.”
Del chuckled. “Yup, that’s the one. Clay told me he’s the town veterinarian. Cleaned up his act and has become a model citizen. He was an asshole all through school, though.”
Recalling how big a jerk Durwood was, she licked her lower lip. “He busted my lip in that fight. I got in even more trouble when I got home. Then we had to move. I was not happy. So, what happened after I moved away? Your letters were spotty…understandably so.” She’d known that writing wasn’t one of Del’s strong suits, so she’d never expected him to be very wordy.
Del grinned sheepishly. “I never was one for sharing lots of details, was I? I went into the army after graduation. I was in for about ten years before going on to that private gig. I’m done now. I figured I’d try my hand at ranching.”
The Divine Creek Ranch Collection Volume 4 Page 31