Miller's Time (Southern Charmers 2)

“If he did, he’d call.”

“What if decisions need to be made?”

“Then he will make them,” Darby answers matter-of-factly. “You’ll learn that quickly. Didn’t he tell you this stuff needed to be done ASAP?”

“Yes.”

“Then you need to do your part.”

“I guess, but he said I don’t have to decide today. Just narrow it down.”

“Perfect. Let me go to the restroom and we’ll leave.” She shuffles to her private bathroom.

I gather an armful of samples, and when I stand, Stephanie is staring at me thoughtfully. “I respect your privacy, but you’re not fooling me. We may have lost touch over the years, but I’m your friend. Don’t forget that.”

“I won’t, promise. I made some poor choices that I’m not proud of, and this is a fresh start for me.”

“Remember, you’re not alone.”

I swallow the burn at the base of my throat and nod. Her words ring in my ears, meaning more than she’ll ever know.

•—•—•—•—•

Two kids rush through the back door, calling their hellos and something about finishing homework. Pierce strolls in a few seconds later, going straight to Darby’s side and kissing her sweetly before laying his hand on her stomach.

“How are you feeling?”

“Wonderful,” she replies, covering his hand with her own. It’s impossible to miss the way she looks at him.

“Since it’s Stephanie’s last night, I’m taking us out.”

“That explains the kids racing to get homework done. They didn’t even stop to meet Ashlyn.”

“Kids! Get back down here,” he yells, and there’s a pounding down the stairs.

“What’s up, Dad?” the boy asks, and I’m struck by the resemblance to Pierce. A pretty young lady comes up behind him.

“You guys hot-footed it through here so fast you missed our guest. This is Ashlyn Rhodes.” Darby gestures to me. “Ashlyn, this is Maya and Cole.”

“Hi. I love your hair.” Maya smiles, my heart warming with the compliment.

“And I love your house!” Cole bounces excitedly. “Dad says I can help sometimes.”

“You’ve seen my house?” I look between him and Pierce. “When?”

“We just left there. Uncle Miller and Dad finished the kitchen.”

“Finished the kitchen?” Now I stare at Pierce, totally confused.

“We ripped it out.”

“How?”

“Removed the appliances, tore out cabinets, drawers, and countertops. Stripped the trim.”

“But no one consulted me!” There’s a hitch in my voice, and Pierce’s expression changes.

“Didn’t you tell Miller yesterday to start with the kitchen?”

“I expected to be there.”

“After the plumber and electrician gave their assessments, there was no need to waste time. Miller has all your drawings and sent them over to our designer this morning.”

“Yeah, Dad and Uncle Miller say wasting time is wasting money,” Cole pipes in.

It’s hard to hold on to my annoyance when he puts it that way. “Well, I guess it’s a good thing I selected my materials today.”

“Those your choices?” Pierce points to the stack of samples on the edge of the counter.

“Yes, I think so. Seeing the shed and this kitchen helped it all come together. I adore Darby’s style.”

Darby peers up at Pierce with a grin and winks, then looks back at me. “The shed was a group effort, but I had nothing to do with this kitchen. It was all Pierce.”

“Really?”

“She had an influence, though I didn’t know it at the time,” he counters, running his lips across her cheek.

“Yeah, Dad did a lot of things for Darby and didn’t realize it,” Maya adds.

“Maybe we should stop sharing so much in front of the kids.” Darby blushes.

“Not a chance.” He tugs her gently to him, closing the inch of space, and wraps his arms to rest on her stomach. There is no doubt Pierce Kendrick idolizes his wife. I catch the vivid shine of approval on Stephanie’s face as she observes them.

My chest constricts at the beautiful and silent display of affection. For a brief second, I’m taken back in time to a luxury hotel room in Chicago where I spent two days and nights with a virtual stranger that showed me those same displays of affection.

Memories assault my brain of the way Miller was always close. The way he’d sneak up behind me, curling his arms around my waist, and kiss along my neck. The whispers against my skin to wake me in the morning. What began as a night of sex with no promises turned into the most passionate weekend of my life.

Never had I been with a man so attentive, so attuned to my body and interested in me for me. It was liberating, and I let myself go, knowing Miller was clueless to who I really was.

I was Lily—the carefree, untroubled, and full of life woman I became for a brief time. The lie about my identity was as much for him as for me. He was leaving, and it was supposed to be a fun fling. But I knew the instant that the hotel room door closed and he kissed me, I was in over my head. It came naturally to let down my guard and live in the moment.