Cassie turned her head to the door as it opened and her husband Hal walked in. His moonlight blue eyes saw only Cassie, and by the way Cassie lit up when he walked into the room, everyone disappeared for her as well.
Lily turned away with a grin and joined Denae and Jane who were watching the other couple with interest.
“Those two,” Jane said with a smile and a shake of her head.
Denae gaped at her. “As if you have room to talk. I’m going to video you when Banan walks in, then you won’t be able to say anything.”
“You’re no different with Kellan,” Jane said with a laugh.
Denae merely smiled. “Oh, I know exactly how Kellan makes me feel. I can’t think, much less form words. The first couple of times he tried to talk to me, I’m pretty sure it was gibberish that came out instead of actual words.”
Lily joined in with the laughter, because it was difficult not to. Then, Denae looped her arm in hers and steered Lily toward the door.
“I’m sure he’s okay,” Denae said as they walked to her car.
Lily looked at her, frowning. “Who? Kellan?”
“Rhys,” she said with a wide grin.
“Oh.” What else was Lily supposed to say? She thought she kept her feelings tightly under wraps, but apparently they were so clear everyone saw them.
Denae unlocked the black Range Rover and got in. Once Lily was seated, she asked, “Does that mean Rhys is in some kind of trouble?”
“Not at all,” Denae said too quickly as she backed up the SUV and put it in drive. “Rhys just needs time to himself.”
Lily touched her lips, remembering how firm his hand had been on her back as he held her, how gentle and steady his hold. She recalled how he’d kissed her with such abandon, with such skill that it left her reeling, grasping for anything to hold onto.
She clung to him, as if he were the breath that filled her lungs, the light that guided her way. The kiss had ended much too quickly. Like a fool, she had been unable to find words as he pulled away and sank back into the darkness. If only she had known what to say to keep him with her.
If only …
There were times she thought she dreamt the entire thing. Then her lips would tingle, reminding her she knew Rhys’s taste, knew his touch. Knew the strength of his arms and the power of his embrace.
She blinked and focused, realizing Denae was pulling into the pub. At least Denae wasn’t looking at her oddly, which meant Lily didn’t have to come up with a lie to explain why she had been daydreaming again.
Or who she was daydreaming about.
Denae found a parking space and shut off the SUV. Then she looked at Lily. “You sure you don’t want to talk?”
“Why do you ask that?”
“For one, you’ve been staring out the window for the last ten minutes. But it’s more than that. You watch the world as if you aren’t part of it.”
Lily briefly closed her eyes and clutched her purse in her hands. “A habit.”
“It’s just … well, I want you to know that we’re your friends here. If you ever need someone to talk to, please don’t hesitate to come to me or any one of us.”
“Thank you. That means a lot.” It was the truth. If only Denae knew what Lily had endured before.
“Now that that’s out of the way, let’s eat,” Denae said with a smile.
They got out of the Range Rover and made their way inside the pub where Sammi, Jane’s half-sister, was working alongside Laith, the owner.
Both Sammi and Laith waved as they entered. Lily followed Denae to a table and sat down. She put her purse on one of the extra chairs and noted Iona sitting in the back booth with her camera and computer.
Laith walked up with a grin. “If she knew you were here, she’d be over, but my Iona doesna even see me when she’s involved with her work.”
“Oh, she sees you,” Denae said with a laugh. “It’s all right. We know she’s busy.”
Lily didn’t know Iona very well, but it was common knowledge around the distillery that she and Laith were in love. Just one more couple. Lily sighed. Once, she’d thought she was lucky enough to find love. How very wrong she had been.
“What about you, Lily?” Laith asked, turning his gunmetal gaze on her.
“Oh,” she said, belatedly realizing Denae had already ordered. “I’ll have the shepherd’s pie and tea.”
Once Laith walked off, Lily sat back and looked at Denae. “Thanks for asking me to join you. I forgot to pack a sandwich this morning.”
“Did you not sleep well?”
Sleep? It had been weeks since she’d slept properly, and it was beginning to take its toll. “Not really.”
“I remember when my sister drowned. I didn’t sleep for days, and even after that I could only sleep for a few hours at a time.”
Lily’s heart clutched for Denae. “I didn’t know about your sister. I’m sorry.”
“It was ages ago, though I still miss her,” she replied with a sad smile. Denae posed an expectant look on her face toward Lily.
“I’ve not lost anyone,” Lily said.
Denae gave a nod of thanks as a Coke was set in front of her. She took a drink and nodded. “Ah. Your past then.”