Lead Me Home (Fight for Me #3)(21)

My attention darted to her. A sea of unease lapped and churned in my belly. “Ollie and I are old friends.”

Why’d it have to come out sounding like a confession of guilt?

Rynna blushed with whatever thought went racing through her mind, and Lily was looking at me as if she were chipping pieces of me away and labeling each one as evidence.

“That’s all you have to say about it? After you’ve been gushing about that man for all of forever? Dish the goods, lady. God knows you always demand them of me.”

I had gushed.

Telling Lillith I thought Ollie was hot and, if I got the chance, I would chew him up and spit him out. At the time, it had seemed like the best way to explain away the longing looks that lasted just a little too long.

Play it off.

Pretend.

It was what I’d done to make it through.

“Believe me, if I had goods to dish, I’d be spilling because that would indeed be a fun story to tell.” I lumbered through the lie.

At least I got it out.

“The one where he picked me up and dumped me in his guest room, where I slept alone, and then brought me here this morning? Not so much.”

I left out all the million other things that made the situation complicated and so very messy. How I’d woken to hearing him having a nightmare and begging Sydney’s name. How I’d wanted to go to him.

Comfort him.

He’d only made it worse when he’d stumbled out of his room, rumpled from sleep, looking so sexy, I’d wanted to toss every single promise I’d made about him right out the window.

Lillith pointed at me. “Um . . . I call bullshit. I know that salacious mind of yours just went to dirty, dirty places. I demand a confession.”

I shrugged. “The man’s hot, and he was sleeping in the room next to me. Don’t blame me for a fantasy or two.”

Worry pursed Rynna’s mouth. “What do you do now? I’m not sure I like the idea of you going back to your apartment by yourself.”

Lily nodded. “Me, neither. The second you told me what side of town you were moving to, I knew it had trouble written all over it.”

“Okay, Miss Money Bags,” I shot at her.

Her mouth dropped open in offense. “Um, hello. You do remember I had to have Addelaine take me in when I had no place to live. It’s not like I haven’t been penniless before.”

“I’m going to have Rex start looking around for a house that his crew can fix up. It isn’t right that you’re living in that dump by yourself,” Rynna piped in.

And here I thought Lillith was going to be the problem.

Adamantly, my head shook. “There is no way I’m letting you two buy a house for me.”

Rynna carried on as if I hadn’t said a thing. “We’ve been talking about getting some investment properties. Really, it would be a favor to us.”

“Not a chance, Rynna. I’m no charity case. You know me better than that.”

She shook her head as she flipped on the heat lamps in the window. “I do . . . and I know you slave away here at my little restaurant for meager pay. If anyone’s getting charity, it’s me.”

“I think it’s a great idea,” Lillith agreed a little too eagerly. “Maybe Brody can fund it, and together we can get another rejuvenation project going in Gingham Lakes. There are quite a few old neighborhoods that would benefit from one. It’s good for everyone—the community, the economy, the investors. It’s a win-win, really.”

Excitement bounced between the two of them.

“That would be amazing, Rex and Broderick back on a project together.”

“Y’all are out of your minds,” I said with a flippant wave of my hand, turning to start filling the little creamer pitchers. “When I said gimme all the presents, I was thinking along the lines of a gift certificate to A Drop of Hope, or maybe a nice Vicky’s Secret bra, you know, the push-up kind since my boobs are basically non-existent? I didn’t mean a house.”

Lily pursed her lips. “Well, you can’t go back to that hole, and it isn’t like you can stay with Ollie forever. God knows I love him, but that man is a moody bear. He’ll eat you alive.”

That was exactly what I was worried about. I didn’t respond.

“Or has that been your plan all along? Tell me you didn’t go into some dark alley and pay some sketchy-looking guy to bust in your door just so you could sleep in the same house as Ollie.”

“You got me,” I told her, the words scratchy with dry sarcasm.

“Hey, when a woman gets desperate . . .”

She had no idea.

I spun back around and leaned on the far counter, arms across my chest. “I’m not desperate. He’s the one insisting I go back over there tonight. That he doesn’t want me stayin’ alone.”

Lillith widened her eyes. “Are you surprised?”

“I guess I am.”

Shocked.

Floored.

Stupefied.

I figured the last thing Ollie wanted was to be in close quarters with me.

“He cares about you,” Rynna said as if it were as plain as the coming day lighting up on the bank of windows that faced the street.

I shook my head. “No. The only thing Ollie cares about is being a savior.”

“Isn’t that the same thing?”