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32 Miranda
HENRY ST. JAMES entertained us for several hours before Will and I left. He’d played show tunes on the baby grand, made impressions, and captivated the room with stories of his travels. Peter beamed the whole time proudly, as did Will’s grandpa.
Interestingly, Henry wasn’t at all stuffy or terse like the rest of the St. James men, Will included. With me, Will was relaxed and playful, but in the presence of his father, he was tightly wound unlike his cousin. Henry seemed to be a free spirit all the time.
A man who went wherever the wind took him. A nomad.
It concerned me, for Lily’s sake.
There seemed to be strong chemistry between them. After her shock had worn off, Lily and Henry talked the evening away as if long-lost friends reconnecting. I adored seeing her beam, a flush in her cheeks when Henry playfully teased her.
I could also see Lily holding back. Her guard had flown up the minute he mentioned leaving in a few days. The sparkle in her eyes dimmed, her engagement turned cautious. A heaviness pressed on my chest. Her hopes of having a billionaire boyfriend had been dashed by his itinerant lifestyle.
Lily had been on my mind ever since we left. I hated leaving her, but Simone had insisted she stay, and since Lily had her car, she had no excuse to go with me and Will.
I’d rushed into work this morning, eager to talk to Lily. I hadn’t bugged her last night, not that Will would have allowed me to. He had other bedroom things in mind, which includedpie.
“Morning, Gina!” I breezed past her before she sucked me in with the latest high-school gossip that monopolized her thoughts.
“Good morning! Did you have a nice Easter?”
“Yup!” I tossed my stuff on my desk and ran into Lily’s office. She wasn’t there, so I hightailed it back out to the reception area. “Where’s Lily?”
“She’s not in yet, but she called to say she’d be a half an hour late.”
“Dang it! I could have driven the speed limit.”
Gina’s eyes widened.
“Just a little over the speed limit.” I twisted my lips to the side. “Let me know the minute she gets in.” I returned to my office.
Time ticked by at a snail’s pace. My focus was shot.Don’t have a flingscreamed in my head like a bright neon sign. A fling with the charming, funny, and mega-wealthy Henry would destroy her.
It was true what they said about tough girls: they are the most delicate. Most vulnerable. Easily shattered. Lily was no different, keeping most people at a safe distance. Her shallow, materialistic attitude was all a front, a mask she hid behind.
It was why she was my best friend. I knew the real Lily, the smart, funny, passionate woman who’d give up her life if it meant saving someone she loved.
Like her mother.
I swallowed the lump in my throat. Lily’s mom had died during our freshman year of college. Cancer took her from Lily. And her father… he abandoned her and her mom when the diagnosis came in. After he left, an iron fortress went up around Lily’s heart.
Last night had been the first time I’d observed her gates opening for a man. Not long afterward, I heard them slam shut.
“She’s here,” Gina whispered, waking me from my thoughts.
“Thank you.”
Gina stared confused. “Are you okay? You look sad.”
I sucked in a breath. “I’m fine. Thank you, Gina.” I waved her off.
Before I could speak to Lily, I needed to adjust my mood. Lily would instantly dial into any angsty vibes I sent off, the pitfall of having a best friend who could read you like a book. I needed to be prepared, emotions in check.
Shit. Too late.
Lily stormed into my office, slamming the door behind her. “I’m totally fucked!” Hands on her head, she paced in my little office, breathing deeply.
This was bad. So bad.
