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Chapter Three
“Isn’t that one of theKincaids?” Delia nodded toward the couple leaving the restaurant.
“Yes, Brett Kincaid. His brother, Reed, was John’s partner.” Lily didn’t need to glance that way again to confirm her reply to Delia. Even though she’d only met the oldest brother once, his resemblance to Reed was unmistakable. The warm flash that went through her when she first thought it was Reed was both surprising and unexpected despite thinking of him often while she was in Florida. His close relationship with her husband had made his support for her mean that much more than others from the department.
Delia’s expression turned teasing. “That explains the look on your face when you saw him.”
Pausing in reaching for her ice water, she asked, “What do you mean?”
“You jolted, flushing before relaxing again, and, if Reed is anything like his brother, I don’t blame you for being attracted.”
Lily shook her head in denial, telling herself Delia didn’t know her all that well. “Sorry, no. Reed is just as eye-catching as Brett, and nice on top of good-looking, but I haven’t been interested in anyone since John.”
Cocking her head, Delia’s brows dipped in a frown of curiosity. “You’re not still pining for John, are you? After everything?”
The waitress arrived with their salads, and Lily waited until she moved away before answering, not surprised Delia, or anyone else would jump to that conclusion. “No, not for a very long time. That doesn’t mean I’m ready to get involved again.”
Not wanting to discuss either man, she prompted Delia into talking about what she’d been doing while Lily was away. That got them through lunch and as they were walking out to their cars thirty minutes later, she found herself wishing Delia hadn’t insisted on stopping by the house, preferring time alone after the busy morning. Since she couldn’t find a way to politely turn her down, she gave her the address.
“You can follow me. It’s not far once we reach Eagle’s Nest.”
“Nothing is far apart in that town. It’s too small. I don’t understand why you moved there. I’ll be right behind you.”
Lily didn’t understand why Delia cared one way or another. It wasn’t as if they were good friends, like she and Vickie. Friendly acquaintances described their relationship better. She would never have thought of inviting her pharmacist to a girls’ night if Delia hadn’t mentioned her love of mystery movies when she overheard Vickie ask Lily which one they were going to choose that night as they stood in line at Delia’s counter. Pam used to join her and Vickie on occasion, but that was before she’d proven how weak her friendship with Lily was.
Still, she thought, pulling into her drive with Delia parking behind her, Delia had gone above and beyond in her support before and right after John died. She’d often asked how she was dealing with John’s stubborn refusal to acknowledge the end of their marriage and offered an ear if Lily wanted to talk or vent. Before their split, she had been a customer of Delia’s and nothing more, and at that time of questioning herself so much and coping with Pam’s stab in the back, Lily had been grateful for another hand extended in friendship.
She slid out of her SUV and started toward the front door, tossing over her shoulder, “Forgive the mess, please. I’m still organizing things.”
“This place suits you,” Delia said, strolling up the brick walkway with Lily.
“I thought the exact thing when I first drove by. Come in and feel free to look around.” Lily closed the door and waved a hand around the living area. “There are two bedrooms and one bath down the hall, and up those narrow stairs is a bonus space. I can look out the window and see for miles.”
Delia chuckled and tossed her purse on the wide armchair. “And see what? Fields and cows?”
“I like the view of the rangeland. From my previous apartment, all I saw was a parking lot or buildings.” She veered into the kitchen and checked inside the refrigerator before asking, “Would you like something to drink? I have beer, tea, or water.” She turned to see Delia gazing at her mystery movie and book collection, the full shelves bracketing the fireplace.
“Tea, thanks. I only saw these that once, but it looks like you’ve added a few.”
Her astuteness surprised Lily, considering she’d only seen the collection that one night last year. “You have a good eye.” She padded over and handed her the iced tea. “Books outnumber movies, so I added a shelf in my bedroom.” She’d started collecting the mysteries a decade ago, never getting enough of the whodunits. The more one stumped her, the better.
Delia pivoted, her gaze scanning the room before she looked at Lily with a gleam in her eyes. “It’s so homey with the quilt draped on top of the sofa, the old-fashioned charm of the place more you than me. I like the arched doorways and rustic mantel though. Thanks for letting me stop in.” She drank half the glass and handed it back to Lily. “If I can use your bathroom first, I’ll get out of your hair.”
“You’re not bothering me,” Lily rushed to assure her, hoping she hadn’t appeared ready to end the afternoon with her company.
“Good to know, but I should get going. I still have weekend errands to run. Maybe we can get together for another movie night now that you’re back.”
“Sure.” Lily walked with her to the door. “I’ll check with Vickie and let you know the next time I come by the pharmacy.” Vickie preferred it be just the two of them now since they rarely got a free weekend off at the same time. Her job required attendance at a lot of weekend functions booked through Creative Events, and Vickie picked up weekend shifts at hospitals to keep up her nursing while following her dream of writing children’s books. But Lily didn’t think Vickie would mind if Delia joined them one more time, considering how well they got along before.
“I’d love that, thanks.” Picking up her purse, Delia said, “It’s nice you have family close. I’m an only child, and, after my parents both passed away, I didn’t stay in contact with distant relatives.”
Lily couldn’t imagine losing touch with any of her relatives. When their parents died so unexpectedly, her aunt and uncle on her mother’s side and their paternal grandparents were there for her and Levi. They stayed in frequent contact after Levi insisted on keeping her with him until she left for college, and she remained close to them. She didn’t know Delia well but got the impression she didn’t get close to too many people.
She waved goodbye from the door and watched her drive away then kicked herself into gear. Lily had never realized how much she and John had accumulated in such a short time until she cleared out the house. At least organizing was a chore she enjoyed.
****
The warm April breezefelt good wafting over Reed’s perspiring skin while he watched the calf scamper back to her mother and the herd grazing in their farthest north pasture. He enjoyed spring and the warmth it brought. Winters were long and brutally cold in Wyoming and, come springtime, everyone looked forward to summer’s sweat-filled days. Searching for missing livestock among the rougher terrain along the low mountain ridges and in the dense woods was exhausting and not always successful, but luck had been with him and the cowhands today. He eyed the six-month-old Charbray’s scraped side from tangling in some thorny bushes and made a mental note to have the calf checked daily until healed.
