I didn’t miss the way Lily stiffened at the mention of me being back in Milwaukee, and honestly, I felt the same way. I wasn’t ready for our time together to end.
“Well, why don’t we sit in your section today then, if you have an open table,” Lily suggested, any hesitation or concern quickly gone.
The hostess looked at Fiona, who eagerly nodded. “I just had a booth free up. Come this way, and I’ll get you some appetizers on the house.”
“Perfect, thanks! I love your jewelry, by the way. Did you get it from a shop around here?” Lily gestured to Fiona’s rings and necklace, quickly making friends with her.
“You’re so sweet. Thank you! I did, just a couple blocks from here.”
“Looks like the type of style my best friend Eliza would love.” Lily beamed. “I’ll have to stop by after we finish lunch.”
“You have to. I have a coupon in my bag. I’ll grab it for you when I put your orders in.”
As Fiona handed us our menus and told Lily about recommendations, the two of them continued chatting, and all I could think about was how easily Lily fit into my life.
“How are you able to become friends with everyone you meet? Well, except me, at first,” I teased Lily as we walked into my apartment.
Her and Fiona had exchanged numbers, even making plans to meet up if Lily was in Milwaukee again. Lily also had told Fiona about Purrfect Blend and promised to send photos of her café.
“Hey, we got there eventually,” Lily teased back with a grin. She halted when we walked in, and her mouth hung open. “Thisis your apartment? It’s, like, the size of a small house.”
I rubbed the back of my neck, hitching a shoulder.
“My whole apartment is probably the size of your bedroom!”
“Okay, that’s dramatic.” I paused. “Maybe two bedrooms.”
Lily let out a laugh and walked inside, running her hand along the black marble countertop in the kitchen. She crossed the open living room to the wall of floor-to-ceiling windows that faced a view of Lake Michigan. “Wow, this is stunning.” She then turned toward my gray sectional. “And thiscouch”—she plopped down and sank into the cushions—“is as comfortable as it looks.” She sighed and unzipped her coat.
After lunch, we stopped by the jewelry store Fiona had told Lily about, as well as two more cafés. Our last stop was a grocery store where we picked up ingredients for dinner. We were going to spend the rest of the evening in and head back to Golden Falls tomorrow morning.
I set the bags of groceries on the kitchen counter and began to put things away. “Make yourself comfortable and at home,” I said as Lily got up.
“I’m happy to help, plus then I can do more snooping.”
I shook my head with a laugh.
As promised, Lilydidhelp, but she also looked in every cabinet, not that I minded. I’d let her do literally anything she wanted.
A knock on the door caught our attention.
“Are you expecting someone?”
I shook my head. Had Liam mentioned he was coming over, and I forgot? I walked over to the door, not bothering to check through the peephole and pulling it open.
In hindsight, I should’ve checked the damn peephole. But it was too late.
My father stood on the other side of the door, arms crossed and jaw clenched.
I had no clue how he’d found out I was in town, but it didn’t matter. Asking would piss him off even more.
“Gabriel,” he seethed.
“Ron,” I answered with a sigh.
“Why the fuck haven’t you been responding to my texts? When are you coming back to the office?”
“I—” I started, trying to keep the door cracked open, but he pushed it open, stalking past me. “Now’s not a good time,” I told him.
