We take a turn off the windy road that weaves through the hills and come to a small town with wooden plank sidewalks in front of old wooden buildings.
“That’s the bar that Bran’s family owns,” Lilah says, pointing at one of those buildings as we pass. A worn sign swings from chains over the door declaring it the Sam Hill Saloon.
“Wow…” I say, looking around as Bran continues past. “This is so…”
Lilah cracks up when I trail off, unable to find a word that doesn’t sound like an insult. “I was the same way when Destiny moved us here. I couldn’t understand how anyone would want to live way the hell in the woods. But…” She glances at Bran and her whole face lights. “…you get used to the quiet after a while, and the people are real.” She turns and looks at me. “They actually give a shit about each other here. It’s sort of nice.”
“And everybody knows everybody else’s business,” Bran adds with a disparaging glance at Lilah.
“Yeah…” Lilah says, her face scrunching. “That part’s not always so great, but the rest sort of grows on you.”
We pull up to an apartment building on a hill overlooking town and unload. Bran pops the trunk and shoulders my bag. I packed fast, so all I have is a duffel with my jeans and T-shirts, a few pairs of flip flops, and my toothbrush and bathroom stuff. The rest is still at Billie’s. I wonder if she’s sold it on eBay already.
Lilah hooks her elbow into mine. “Destiny’s on a camping trip with her boyfriend, so we have the place to ourselves for a few days.”
I feel my eyes widen. The Destiny I remember was pure-blooded city-girl. “Destiny? Camping?”
Lilah smiles. “I told you, this place grows on you.”
I follow them up the walk. “So, who’s the guy?”
“Someone she met waiting tables at Sam Hill.” She leans in and whispers, “Hot firefighter.”
They lead me to a first floor doorway and Lilah pulls out her key. “Bran’s place is over there and upstairs,” she says, pointing farther down the building as she turns the key and opens the door. “We used to live in this fleabag apartment in town over the gun shop, but he made us move up here where he could keep an eye on us.”
“Must make it easier for you two to…” I wiggle my eyebrows. “…you know.”
She laughs and I swear I catch color rising under the collar of Bran’s T-shirt as he follows us in.
He sets my bag on the coffee table and gently grasps her hand, tugging her close. “I’ve got to get to the bar. Will you be down later?”
She steps into his arms and kisses him, slow and easy, as if it’s the most natural thing in the world, and I think again about their age difference. He’s ten years older than her, twenty-seven to her seventeen. But watching them together, there’s no question that he’s good for her. For such a big guy, he holds her so carefully, a hand on her waist and another woven into the hair on the back of her head, as if she’s some delicate thing.
I turn my back to give them their moment and take the opportunity to look around the apartment. It’s tired and small, but it feels homey. The family room is open to the kitchen and has a couch and a coffee table across from a TV on a stand. It’s separated from the kitchen to the left by a short, wide island with two barstools on one end. Next to that is a small kitchen table with three chairs. To the right is a short hallway, the door at the end open to a bathroom.
“We’ll be there,” Lilah says, and when I turn back to them, they’re done kissing.
He holds her a minute longer as they gaze into each other’s eyes, communicating more than can be said with words.
He lets her go and backs toward the door. “You should come down for burgers.”
She nods. “Sounds good.”
“See you in a bit,” he says, turning for the door, but he can’t make it through without one more glance over his shoulder at his woman. She beams at him and he rewards her with a smile that’s one part love and three parts desire.
The door clicks closed and Lilah stares after Bran for a minute before picking up my bag from where he left it on the coffee table and carrying it toward the hallway. “Destiny’s gone until Thursday, so her room is yours until then. After that, you can bunk with me.”
“I’ll figure something out and be out of here in a day or two,” I say, following her through a door on the right.
She sets my bag on the double bed and takes my hands in hers. “You will stay here as long as you need or want to, Lo. Hell, I hope you can stay forever.” She pulls me into her arms and crushes me in a hug. “God, I’ve missed you so much.”
I wrap my arms around her and hug her back. “Me too.”
She really is an amazing friend. She’s the only person I’ve ever trusted completely until Billie. I cringe and shake my head at myself. I can’t believe I trusted her so blindly.
“You okay?” Lilah asks, noticing my expression, no doubt.