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“What doesn’t?” he asked, impatient for answers that might have to wait since Brett and Slade arrived, snagging her attention.
They were each carrying a box from the bakery. Brett whistled and Slade’s expression grew dark when they took in the damage to her car. “It’s worse than I imagined,” Brett said, his gaze shifting from the Mazda to Lily. “You okay, Lily?”
She shook her head, sighing. “No, because I haven’t a clue who would do such a thing, or why.”
“Someone was pissed.” Slade scanned the cars parked in her neighbor’s driveways. “You’re in the middle of the block, with houses across from you and next to you, so I doubt someone drove down this street in the dead of night and randomly picked a vehicle to take out their anger on.”
Reed agreed. “Which means it’s time to pick your brain. We can do that over breakfast.”
“Fine, but there’s not much to tell. I lead a boring life. I’ll...” She paused, her eyes widening when a white Lexus whipped into the driveway behind her SUV. “Levi?”
Her brother got out and slammed the door. “You were mugged and didn’t tell me? What the hell, Lily?”
Oh shit. The full weight of all four men’s censoring gazes kept her immobile and silent for a few stunned seconds. At that moment, Lily discovered what a deer must experience when caught in the headlights of an oncoming car. She stood frozen, cringing inside until she noticed Vickie getting out of the passenger side of Levi’s car. She’d been so surprised to see her brother show up, she hadn’t glimpsed Vickie with him.
Taking advantage of the guilt on her friend’s face, Lily said, “We’ll discuss this inside, away from neighbors.” She pointed at Vickie. “You come help me fix eggs. We’ll need them to go with whatever the guys brought from the bakery.”
“Lily, we’re going to talk,” Levi snapped.
Reed clasped her wrist as she made to pass him into the house. “Yes, Lily, we’re going to talk.”
What a mistake she’d made in keeping that first incident between her and Vickie. She didn’t believe it had anything to do with the vandalism here at her home but admitted she should have talked to Levi about it and mentioned it to Reed after he’d seen the bruise on her shoulder. She’d spent months listening to John’s evasive replies to her inquiries over suspicious behavior and knew the distrust and ache keeping secrets could produce.
“Let me fix breakfast first.” She glanced around at the other three men just as Levi looked at her vehicle, his face reflecting shock. “Give me fifteen minutes,” she stated quickly. “Come on, Vickie.”
“Someone better tell me what the hell is going on.”
Levi’s furious voice followed her inside, and she shut the door right behind Vickie before turning on her friend. “Thanks a lot.”
She spun toward the kitchen, Vickie right behind her in defense mode. “Hey, I tried for what, a few weeks now? He was gone so long, it took one look to get me naked and on my back then he asked about you. It slipped, sue me. You know how much he loves you.”
Lily whipped around from retrieving the eggs out of the refrigerator, the envy in Vickie’s tone catching her off guard. “I know, but surely you don’t think his feelings for me are stronger than for you. He’s crazy about you, asked you to marry him.”
Vickie reached for a bowl and set it on the counter for her. “No, that came out wrong. He has me in knots. I’ve never seen him so mad.”
“My fault. I shouldn’t have put you in that position.” Lily broke a dozen eggs into the bowl, added milk, and whisked them together. “On a scale of one to ten, just how mad is he?”
“Ten, without a doubt. Do you have paper plates? I don’t want to do dishes.”
She pointed to a lower cabinet, turned on the stove then filled the coffee for a full pot. “There’re plastic forks, too. Extra coffee cups are above you. With luck, breakfast will calm all of them down.”
“I wouldn’t count on it,” Vickie replied, setting the plates on the counter before stepping to the coffeemaker next to the stove. “Levi is mad at you, but more upset and worried. And now your Mazda?I’mthinking of hiding somewhere until he calms down.”
“His bark is worse than his bite. You know that.”
Lily stirred the eggs in the large pan, trying not to dwell on her brother or the damage to her SUV, the expense, and why someone appeared to hate her. Waking to face that deliberate destruction of her property ruined the memory of spending another night with Reed. Even though he had donned his jeans when they got out of bed to watch a movie, he’d insisted she remain naked. Once she sat curled up on the couch with her breasts snuggled against his bare chest, his hand roaming her body while Jimmy Stewart entertained them inRear Window, she found nakedness a delightful way to view one of her mysteries. Another pleasant memory tarnished by some crazed individual. Unlike Levi, she rarely lost her temper, but something like this could do it if she ever came face-to-face with the culprit.
The guys came inside as she scooped the eggs into a bowl, her combined living space and kitchen shrinking with their tall, broad-shouldered presence. Brett, Slade, and Levi tossed their Stetsons on top of Reed’s on the armchair before crowding into the kitchen, still looking none too happy.
“You guys sit at the table. Vickie and I will eat at the counter.”
“You will sit by me,” Reed stated.
“And me.” Levi glare at Reed.
Slade unleashed a rare grin. “This ought to be interesting. Brett and I are taking the counter.” He didn’t wait for argument, snatching a plate and scooping eggs onto it then reaching into a box to pull out a bear claw.
Brett did the same while the four of them sat down. Lily’s mouth watered when Reed handed her a blueberry scone. “Thank you. Try to get along and be nice.” That second part she leveled at her brother.
