Hot Sauce (Suncoast Society #26)(35)

“I don’t have an answer for you,” Lyle gently said. “I wish I did. Everyone processes things in their own way.”

“Are you going to be okay alone tonight?” Reed asked. “Would you like us to stay here with you, or call Jenny or Eliza or someone?”

She shook her head. “No, I’ll be fine. I need to do this. I have to get used to this.”

“You don’t have to get used to it alone, or all at once,” Reed said.

“I know, but I need to.” She took a deep breath. “It just kind of hit me all at once. Again. Sorry.”

“Please don’t apologize,” Lyle said. “You need to do what you need to do.”

She focused on Carlo, who looked worried beyond measure. “I’ve got this guy to keep getting up for every morning. I’ll make it through somehow. I don’t have any other choice.”





Lyle hated like hell to leave her there alone and hurting, but he knew they couldn’t force their company on her. She wasn’t a danger to herself or others, so he couldn’t even call Tilly in against her will for that reason, to evaluate her.

She was just very, very sad and lonely. Understandably so.

And it broke his heart he couldn’t fix this for her, and wasn’t in a position to hold her while she cried and let her fall asleep in his arms.

Which was exactly what he wanted to do.

Once she’d pulled herself together, she walked them to the door and gave them both long, strong hugs.

“Thank you for bringing me home. And thank you for tomorrow. I appreciate it. I guess I do need to get out and do something to shake myself out of my head for a while.”

“It’s our pleasure,” Reed assured her.

Once they were back in the car and pulling out of her driveway, Reed laid his head against the headrest and let out a long, sad sigh.

Then he filled Lyle in on the conversation he and Vanessa had on the drive from the club. He finished that just as they were pulling into their own driveway.

“So…what, exactly, are we doing?” Lyle shut the engine off and sat there. “Are we pretending, with her, that we’re getting together to fool Eliza and Tilly, or is she genuinely interested in getting together with us?”

“Does it matter? Tell me I’m wrong, but you’re into her, too, aren’t you?”

Lyle stared at the front of their house. “Yeah,” he quietly admitted. “At the very least, I’d like to be friends with her. Preferably more, if she’s ever open to it. I don’t want to rush or pressure her when she’s obviously vulnerable right now.”

“No, of course not. But friends, for sure.”

“For sure.”

“And then, who knows what else,” Reed said.

“Are we sure we’re into her for healthy reasons?” Lyle asked.

“Why?”

“Basco,” Lyle said.

“Well, I guess if we take it slow, we’ll figure that out, won’t we?” Reed opened his door and headed for the house.

Lyle hoped he could follow his own advice to take things slow.

Because the last thing he wanted to do was screw things up with her and scare her away.





Chapter Fourteen


Despite her exhaustion, Vanessa had difficulty falling asleep after the men left. Her thoughts raced, about Lyle, about Reed.

About “the plan.”

Sure, she could easily mask her own needs under that perfect guise, but was it fair or right to do that? To emotionally slurp off the two men who so obviously and generously wanted to be friends with her?

Then again, life is short. Too short not to chase happiness.

Tony’s own words in his journal had taught her that.

She had managed a few hours of sleep before having to arise the next morning, walk Carlo, and grab a shower. When she started to reach for a T-shirt, she thought about it.

All she had was a one-piece bathing suit. She’d never been trying to impress anyone, and either she’d been swimming at home or at the gym.

Still, better than nothing. And it wasn’t like she wanted to try to cram her frame into a bikini, anyway. Seeing her wearing a flowing skirt that truly hid her wide-load, one-sixty ass, and seeing her pop out in the bad ways of a two-piece suit were different things.

She pulled on a pair of shorts and a T-shirt, and grabbed a spare change of clothes, including undies, and a couple of towels to take with her. She found a hat, her sunglasses, and a pair of flip flops, and was ready, travel mug of coffee in hand, when they arrived at five after eight. She’d even managed to nibble on a toasted bagel with some cream cheese.

Yay, me.

Lyle gave up the passenger seat and moved to the crew cab’s rear seat so she could ride shotgun.

Reed offered her a smile. “Feeling a little better this morning?”

“I’m sorry I was such a flake last night.”

“Please, don’t apologize,” Reed said. “As friends, we want you to be able to be honest to us and around us. If you need to cry, cry. If you need to scream, scream—”

“If you need to fart, fart,” Lyle piped up from the backseat.

That made her laugh.

“Mr. Romantic there,” Reed said, but he responded to her laugh with a smile of his own. “Oh, I have motion sickness medicine if you want to take some. I keep it on hand for my charters.”