“I didn’t want to go home.” Wren shrugged. “I have a lot on my mind.”
Uh-oh. “What’s going on?” At the wariness that crossed Wren’s face, Delilah immediately asked, “Or would you rather not talk about it?”
“No, I definitely want to talk about it. I just hope I’m making a big deal out of nothing.” Wren inhaled deeply, letting her breath out between pursed lips. “It’s my mom. I think she’s . . . sick, but she’s acting like nothing’s wrong.”
Wren proceeded to explain the situation, how her mother didn’t look well and wasn’t behaving right. “I finally stopped by Lane’s house earlier to ask him if he’d go talk to Mom, and he promised he would.”
Delilah sat up straighter at the mention of his name. She’d thrown herself into working at the studio this week on purpose so she wouldn’t think of Lane. And how he hadn’t contacted her, not once, since she last saw him at West and Harper’s place.
She’d figured Lane would at least stop by the studio while he was on patrol, like he usually did. But he hadn’t even done that. Was he running scared like usual? Was this the big sign that she needed to finally give up?
“You know he doesn’t like going over to Mom and Dad’s by himself. He does much better when we’re all there,” Wren continued. “I hope he wasn’t just saying that to get rid of me. He looked pretty ragged.”
“He would never lie to you. If you asked for his help, he’ll give it,” Delilah said. Still, worry filled her and she told herself to knock it off. “And what do you mean he looked ragged?”
Wren waved a dismissive hand. “He said he’d had a tough couple of days. He looked totally worn out. You know how busy it gets this time of year.”
The tourist season was in full swing and the locals suffered through it. Everywhere you went was packed with tourists: the streets, the stores, the lake, and all of the campsites that surrounded it. Forget trying to find a table at any restaurant during typical mealtimes. And Harper had just complained to her yesterday that the Bigfoot Diner was the busiest she’d ever seen it.
“I just hope it’s not anything serious with my mom, you know?” Wren offered up a weak smile. “She does so much for us and never asks for anything in return. Holden totally takes advantage of her too, the big baby.”
Delilah tried not to smile. It seemed Holden drove all of the Gallagher siblings crazy.
“That’s why I went to Lane. I knew he’d get to the bottom of it. He and Mom have always been close, though not as much after everything that happened with Dad.” Wren made a face.
Right. After their father had gotten caught cheating, both West and Lane had disapproved of their mother taking him back. West had been so mad, it became one of the reasons he’d left town. And Lane wasn’t as close to his dad as he used to be. In fact, he’d seemed to distance himself from everyone over the years.
Delilah frowned. Could that be why Lane wasn’t big on relationships? Harper had told her West had commitment issues because of witnessing the sham that was his parents’ marriage.
Could Lane feel the same way?
“When is Lane going to see her?” Delilah asked.
“He didn’t say. I’m assuming tomorrow. I have a feeling he’s doing nothing but sleeping today. He seriously looked exhausted.” Wren turned her attention to her laptop, tapping away at the keyboard, their conversation seemingly finished.
Delilah stared blankly at her dark computer screen, thoughts of a naked Lane crashed out in bed floating through her mind: white sheet loose around his hips, arm slung over his head, muscular chest on display . . . Just the thought got her juices flowing.
But she couldn’t think about naked Lane at that particular moment. She needed to focus on the fact that something was potentially wrong with Angela Gallagher, a woman she’d known her entire life. Wren was putting on a brave face, but Delilah knew her friend was worried. And Lane was probably quietly freaking out, not that he’d tell anyone. He was all about carrying the burden on his own. Always had been.
He had the shoulders for it, but come on. Everyone needed some emotional support
at one time or another. Even quiet, stoic men like Lane who acted as if nothing ever bothered them.
“I’m going to take off,” Delilah said as she stood. “Are you staying?”
Wren turned to look at her. “Nah. I’m too distracted. Guess I’ll just head on home.”
“Do you want to grab some dinner or something?” Delilah was in serious need of a shower, but she’d hang out with her friend if she needed it. Girl time always came first.
“I’ll be fine, really. Thanks for offering though.” Wren smiled faintly though it didn’t quite reach her eyes. “I’ll lock up so you can go ahead and go.”
“Thanks,” Delilah murmured as she grabbed her purse and slung it over her shoulder. “Text me if you need anything, okay? Even if you just need to talk, I’m here for you.”
“Okay.” Wren nodded distractedly, her gaze returning to the computer screen.
Hesitating, Delilah stood there, hating how she couldn’t help her friend. She wanted to fix this. Snap her fingers and make all of Wren’s problems and worries disappear. But she couldn’t, and that was beyond frustrating.
After gathering the rest of her things, Delilah exited the studio, groaning inwardly when the early evening air hit her. Summer in full swing meant temperatures climbing as high as the midnineties, though it always cooled down in the evenings. She kept the studio as cold as her energy bill allowed her to, which wasn’t always cold enough. Luckily her income this year had been the best so far, and she knew she had Wren to thank for that.