Lead Me Home (Fight for Me #3)(19)

Too late.

He’d done that a long, long time ago. Had been doing it all along.

Guilt swept through me. I hated that I kept it from her.

She was my closest friend.

Still, the sad thing was, she’d taken Sydney’s place. And Sydney hadn’t known the full truth either, so how could I tell Lillith? Maybe it was stupid, but that felt like another betrayal.

I forced a playful scowl on to my face. “Oh, stop it. You know full well I didn’t have a one-nighter with Ollie. He may star in a fantasy or two, but that’s where it ends. I think I’m a little too hot for him to handle.”

More like he’d burn me to ashes.

Lillith narrowed her eyes in suspicion. Forever searching for the truth. But I’d played this one off for so long, she wouldn’t recognize the lie. “Then why is he driving you to work?”

Rynna gave me an I-second-that look as we turned and headed up the sidewalk toward Pepper’s.

I crossed my arms over my chest. “I think the real question is, what are you doing here before five in the morning, Lily? Shouldn’t you be back home snuggled up in bed with that hot husband of yours, getting yourself more of those orgasms I was so kind to set up for you? Rynna and I have work to do.”

Loosely translated? I knew Rynna wouldn’t give me such a hard time.

At Pepper’s front door, Rynna turned the key in the lock and widened the door for us to enter.

Pepper’s fronted Fairview Street. It was another area that had undergone a massive rejuvenation over the last handful of years, including the luxury hotel Lillith’s husband, Broderick, and his company had developed directly across the street.

The entire area buzzed with possibility.

Pepper’s served sweet pies and pot pies and breakfast pies.

You know, basically heaven.

Rynna had inherited the little diner from her grandmother and brought it back to life. Her grandmother’s unique recipes were the staple that brought patrons in droves every single morning.

Lillith gave a casual shrug. “I thought I’d help set up this morning.”

I shot her a dry look. “Dressed like that?”

Another shrug. “So maybe I woke up starving and wanted the first slice of pie this morning.”

“Are you pregnant?”

Nothing like a little deflection.

She gasped a horrified sound. “Shut your mouth. You know Brody and I aren’t ready for that.”

“Yeah, yeah, you have empires to build.” I waved my hand dramatically.

Lily’s husband, Broderick Wolfe, was the CEO of Wolfe Industries. His company had been responsible for a bunch of the revitalization projects that had been taking place in Gingham Lakes over the last several years.

She scoffed. “Hardly. We’re just . . . focusing on us for a while.”

“And all those orgasms I earned you. I have to say, my matchmaking skills are on point.”

She playfully rolled her eyes Rynna’s direction. “She really thinks she set us up with Brody and Rex, doesn’t she?”

Rynna smiled. The woman was one of the kindest people I’d ever met. “You know there’s no rationalizing with her madness. Let the poor girl have her delusions,” she teased.

“Delusions?” I gestured to myself with both hands. “This is the stark, glorious reality. I’m responsible for all your happiness. I think you should give me all the presents as a thank you.”

Rynna’s light laughter tinkled through the air, and my chest tightened in affection.

I was so happy for her.

For Rex.

That he’d found the love of his life after everything he’d been through.

Rex was one of Ollie’s best friends, and I’d known him my whole life. Rex and Kale had become members of our pack somewhere in our childhood, with us nearly as much as Ollie, Sydney, and me had been together.

Rynna had adopted Rex’s little girl, Frankie Leigh. Rex and Rynna had a little boy named Ryland who was a year and a half old.

I’d stepped into the role of honorary auntie faster than the doctor could say “one more push.”

I adored those babies, my heart overflowing every time I got to be in their space.

Of course, that rule applied to the newest member of our extended family—Evan.

Sweetness didn’t come close to describing that little thing. He’d been born completely deaf and had required a heart transplant as an infant.

The thing about him? The child was pure joy, just like his mom, Hope. Honestly, sometimes when I saw Hope and Kale together, I was the deepest shade of jealous a person could be.

I didn’t mean to be.

Didn’t want to be.

But sometimes it was hard to watch all the things you wanted most, feel them burn inside of you, and have the deep-lying fear that they would never become a reality.

Rynna flicked on the switches right inside the door. Bright lights burst to life in the darkened space.

We all blinked, adjusting to it.

The echo of pots and pans clanged from the very back of the kitchen where Kevin, the head cook, would have already been working for the last two hours preparing for the morning rush.

“Morning, Kevin,” Rynna hollered, moving around the counter to start the coffee.

Priorities and all.

His voice was barely heard when he shouted back, “Mornin’.”