Lila's Loves (Haven, Texas 1)

Now she was confused. “You sound disappointed. Isn’t that what most parents want? A child who behaves and does as they’re told?”

“Was that why you tried to be so perfect?” Colin asked. “Because you thought that was what Clay wanted?”

She swallowed as she realized how close he was to the truth.

“Is it that you didn’t feel safe enough to act out? Did you think Clay would get rid of you if you misbehaved?” he continued.

“I-I feel tired now. I’m going to sleep.” Okay, so she was taking the coward’s way out. But she just didn’t feel up to dealing with anything more tonight.

Luckily, they fell quiet, letting her drift as Colin drove them out of the city and towards Haven. Towards home.

Chapter Two

“Lila. Lila. Wake up now, honey.”

“Go away, I’m sleeping,” she said grouchily. She’d been having the best dream. Gavin, Trace and Colin were with her, and they said that they loved her and wanted her to stay with them.

Forever.

She sighed in pleasure. A low chuckle filled the air and she realized she wasn’t lying in her bed. She opened her eyes, sitting forward with a whoosh as she gasped.

“Where am I?” she cried out fearfully. She hated waking up quickly, especially in a place she didn’t know.

“Shh, shh, you’re fine.” Trace stood over her, his voice gentle as he ran his hand up and down her arm. “Calm down now, sweetheart. Good girl. You’re safe. I have you.”

Lila slumped back against the car seat, taking deep breaths to slow her heartbeat. Colin and Trace were taking her home because Clay was sick.

Dying.

Dear Lord, what would she do without him? He was her father in every sense of the word and when he died she’d have no one. How could he be dying? There were so many things she had to tell him, things she thought she would have a lifetime to say.

“Come on, little bit,” Trace said, “time for some breakfast.”

Lila looked around and realized they were in the parking lot of a small diner. Trace reached over and undid her seatbelt as she looked at her watch. 9:45 am. Wow, she’d actually gotten a few hours of uninterrupted sleep.

“Where’s Colin?” she asked with a yawn as Trace helped her down. Despite the sleep she’d had, she seemed to feel even more tired.

“He just popped over to the drug store across the road.”

Lila coughed and rubbed her chest, grateful the worst of the virus was over. She hadn’t been able to sleep for the past few weeks, coughing her lungs out instead.

Trace took her hand, leading her like a child to the diner. Lila was too tired to complain, unable to stop yawning as they entered.

“I’m going to use the bathroom,” she said.

Instead of letting her go, Trace led toward the lady’s room entrance patting her on the bottom as she swung the door open.

Coughing again, she entered the bathroom, using the toilet before tidying herself up. Her hair was a fright—curls tangled into a mess. She tried her best to tame them with her fingers.

Still sleepy, she wandered out and saw Colin and Trace sitting in a corner booth. Damn, they were gorgeous. A waitress stood talking and laughing with them. No matter where they were, women were drawn to Colin’s easy smile and Trace’s intense focus.

The waitress left as someone called out to her from the counter. Colin stood as she approached and she scooted in so she sat in the middle of them.

“Morning, Lila,” Colin said, smacking her on the forehead with a sloppy kiss as she giggled and tried to avoid him.

She stilled, immediately sobering. What she was doing, laughing and playing around when Clay was lying in a hospital bed?

Trace grabbed her hand, squeezing it tight. “It’s okay to laugh,” he said, at once understanding what was wrong. Where Clay, Gavin and Colin had often struggled to understand what was going on with her, Trace had the ability to read her like a book. Sometimes it wasn’t always a good thing.