“I can’t eat all this,” she said.
“Just do your best,” Trace told her.
In the end she ate more than she thought she would. The three of them chatted easily; Trace and Colin catching her up on everything that had happened back home while she’d been away.
“Wow, I can’t believe that Matt and Daisy got married,” she said with a shake of her head. “I thought those two hated each other. Daisy was always playing mean tricks on Matt and Matt was always threatening to blister her butt.”
Colin snorted. “That girl has a devious mind.”
“I seem to recall you helped her with quite a few of those pranks,” Trace said.
Colin and Daisy had been in the same class and were good friends. Colin grinned. The waitress walked up, placing the bill on the table. Lila reached for her handbag, only to realize she’d left it in the truck.
“Damn.”
“What’s wrong, Lila?” Colin asked.
“I left my money in the truck. Could I have the keys?”
Both men simply stared at her. “You don’t need any money,” Colin said with a wink. “It’s Trace’s turn to pay.”
Trace rolled his eyes, but stood and reached for his wallet.
“I can pay for mine,” she protested.
Trace stilled and peered down at her. “Since when do you pay when you’re out with us?” he asked.
She squirmed at the disapproval in his tone but then sighed and nodded. They were never going to let her pay when she was with them. As Trace paid at the counter, Colin leaned over to her. “How you doing, Lila? Feeling all right?”
She nodded. “I’m okay, just sad.”
“We all are, Lila. Come on, let’s get going; we should be home by dark.”
He walked beside her, his hand on her lower back, guiding her, warming her insides. Each time he brushed against her, she felt her body react, grow needy. Trace joined them outside as Colin helped her into the backseat. He opened the package he’d been carrying as she put her seatbelt on.
“Okay, Lila, open up for me.”
“What?” she asked with a frown of confusion.
He held up a digital thermometer. “I want to check your temperature. I still don’t like the sound of that cough or how pale you are.”
“Colin, I’m fine. Honestly, compared to how I was last week I’m really healthy now.”
Okay, that was probably the wrong thing to say. Colin scowled and held out the thermometer. Resigned to the fact that he wasn’t going to change his mind, she gave in and opened her mouth.
When it beeped, he took it out and glanced down. “It’s slightly high.”
“Probably because I’ve just eaten,” she suggested, unable to hold back her cough. Next, he produced some cough syrup. She swallowed it down with a grimace.
“Okay, Lila,” he told her, touching her face gently. “Just sit back and relax. We’ll be home soon.”
*****
The sun was setting as they turned into the long driveway. Lila kept her eyes peeled, awaiting that first glimpse of the large, double-storied house with its wide porch. She remembered the first time she’d come here; she’d been absolutely terrified and too afraid to show it.
The awe she’d felt when she first saw the house hadn’t diminished over the years. It still filled her with amazement that she got to live here. As they pulled up to the house, she felt a tug of happiness as she saw the silhouette of a large man standing at the top of the stairs, waiting for them.
They’d lied to her. Clay was okay.