Second Time's the Charm

“This is the guy you told us about at breakfast—that single dad you were helping out in exchange for renovation work.”

“Yes,” Lillie admitted.

“So...does he know...about Braydon?” Papa’s question was uttered softly.

“No, Papa.”

“Don’t you think you should tell him?”

She and Jon were just friends. With benefits. Jon wasn’t ready for more. And neither was Lillie. “I’ll tell him,” she said because she knew that Papa and Gayle would make way too much of things if she didn’t agree. “When the time’s right.”

“Tell her to bring him and Abraham to breakfast in the morning,” Gayle’s could be heard saying.

“Jon’s really busy,” Lillie said before Papa could ask, wondering if she’d made the best choice in telling them about him.

And then she thought of Kirk. And knew that his knowing about Jon was the best thing. Especially now that she knew he’d told Papa that he was going to win Lillie back—in spite of his promises to her that he accepted that they were through. Kirk was too smart to let his prey know that he was preying on them. He was a master at finding entry where there were no doors or windows. Why Kirk was doing this, she didn’t know. Because he was bored? Because she was the one thing he couldn’t have? Because he really had experienced some kind of life change and wanted to right his wrongs?

Whatever Kirk’s reason was for wanting to get back together with her, she wasn’t going to be his victim.

Not ever again.

* * *

LILLIE SPENT THE night at Jon’s again. Waking at dawn on Sunday morning with her lying naked beside him, her head resting on his shoulder, Jon knew that he was going to ask her to marry him.

Clearly this was more than just sex. She was the one. And now that he’d finally found her—after a lifetime of searching—he saw no point in wasting any more time.

Until he thought about the truths he’d have to tell her—things she deserved to know before she bound herself to him for the rest of her life.

Maybe he’d wait a bit. Enjoy the moment. At least until the sheriff caught whoever was behind the Shelter Valley break-ins.

Until he was a little more certain that Lillie loved him for more than just his body. And his son.

Still, as he lay there, unable to fall back to sleep, he imagined what it would be like, lying in bed with her as his wife.

And he smiled.

* * *

THE FIRST THING Lillie saw when she opened her eyes was the pair of pudgy hands on the edge of the mattress.

“Illie! Ake!” Abraham’s smiling face peering over the top of the bed was only inches from hers and she leaned forward to give him a kiss.

“Illie! Ake!”

“Abraham!” Jon’s voice didn’t sound nearly as pleased as his son’s as he strode into the room dressed in a pair of black sweatpants and nothing else. “I’m so sorry,” he said, his tone dropping to a dangerously sexy tone as he turned his attention on her. “I told him not to bother you. He’s got the doorknob thing down pat, unfortunately, and I can’t lock the bedroom from the outside.”

“No worries,” she said, wishing she wasn’t naked under the covers and could lift the toddler into the bed with her.

Note to self: next time bring a nightie to store over here.

As Jon came close to pick up his son, she got a whiff of him, and wanted to make love again.

They’d already done it more than half a dozen times in two days. She was beginning to think something was wrong with her. A hormone imbalance, or something.

And then she saw the clock on Jon’s nightstand. “Is it really seven?”

She never slept past five.