Pleasure filled Lily’s face. “I just have to ask; did you make anything?”
Shade left her side and going behind the counter, he pulled out a motorcycle with a stuffed teddy bear at the wheel. It was made out of diapers.
Lily released a giggle of laughter. “It’s a masterpiece.”
“No. John’s my best work so far, but give me time. I get better each time I make something.”
*
“Where do you think you’re going?” Shade glided the towel over his wet body.
As Lily paused while putting on her lipstick, he felt her eyes slide over his body in the bathroom mirror. His cock began hardening at the desire easily visible in the violet orbs.
“I’m going to work.” Her jaw was set determinedly as she stiffened at the bathroom counter. She was ready to get into an argument as to why she couldn’t go.
“Who’s going to watch the baby?”
“I am. He’s going with me. The store’s never really busy, and I can breastfeed him in the back room.”
“Are you ready to go back?” Shade rubbed his wet hair with the towel.
Lily’s eyes went to his abdomen. “Yes.” She licked her bottom lip.
His cock lengthened at her concentrated stare. He hadn’t fucked her for two weeks, wanting to give her time to recover from having her adoptive father kidnap her and then her breakdown.
“Okay.” Shade tossed the towel into the hamper, walking into the bedroom to get dressed. Lily’s look of disappointment followed him.
Taking out a pair of jeans and socks, he pulled on the jeans before sitting on the bed to put on his socks.
Lily put on her white sandals. She was wearing a pale pink dress, looking as pretty as the sunny, early summer day outside.
Shade reached for one of his boots, tugging it on. As he stretched for the other one, Lily kneeled, handing it to him.
“Can I ask you something?” The troubled look in her eyes warned him that it was a topic he had avoided since she had returned from the hospital.
“No,” he said sharply.
She lowered her gaze to the floor.
“Eyes to me, Lily.” He reached out, snagging a tendril of her hair and gently tugging it.
She did as told, scooting forward until she was kneeling between his thighs.
“I am not going to have any more lies between us; do you understand me? So don’t ask me questions I’m going to answer with a lie.”
“Why did he hide from us? As mean as he was, we would have welcomed him home. He was our father.”
Shade reached out to cup her cheek. Lily hadn’t asked about Saul before, and Shade was certain it was because her mind hadn’t been ready to hear the answers. Lily’s gentle soul still fought to forgive and understand evil, even after it had nearly destroyed her. She had been pushed to learn to defend herself, not because of her own needs, but because of the love she had for John and him.
She was feeling strong, which was why she wanted to return to work. Shade thought it would be good for her. There was no danger for her there anymore. With Brooke in the hospital under armed guard, Merrick Patterson had resigned as pastor, returning to Georgia to be with his son. Apparently, Brooke had gone to Georgia long enough to drop her child off with his grandmother before she had returned to Kentucky.
Brooke would never understand the love Lily felt for him. Hell, he hadn’t believed Lily loved him as much as he did her until Brooke’s revelations the day at the doctor’s office. That day had showed that his wife was able to look past the man he had been. Brooke had also underestimated Lily’s strength to do what it took to keep her family safe and happy, which was why he hadn’t touched her in two weeks.
She was stronger, so he would talk to her that night. He didn’t want her submissive to him if she was only doing it to please him. He would miss that aspect of their relationship, but he would suppress that side of himself if she was doing it only to make him happy. She’ll avoid the conversation, but it’s one we are going to have, Shade thought determinedly.
“I will tell you what we know. Your mother was killed in the flash flood with the rest of the village he was ministering to. Then he traveled from village to village, preaching to whoever would listen and give him and a place to stay.
“He made no attempt to come back until recently. He had come to a village where a Christian group was visiting, and they helped him get paperwork to get back in the United States.
“He showed up at the church one night when Brooke was there, and Merrick was visiting someone.” He watched her reaction carefully to Brooke’s name and gave a silent breath of relief as she continued to listen. “She told him how his congregation had fallen since he left. The egotistical bastard believed he would find it as he left it—too afraid to commit any sins.”