Page 15

L ily was just coming out of the kitchen when Maxwell came down the hallway.

“You leaving?” he murmured and she shook her head, skirting around his much bigger frame, but he caught her arm.

Even through her sweater, she felt his touch. His warm, strong fingers weren’t holding her tightly, but rather gently as if his touch was caressing.

Butterflies filled her stomach and she suddenly had trouble swallowing.

Why now after all these years had he shown up?

The heartbreak of their past came rushing back and she pulled away—desperately needing distance.

“Lily…”

She ignored the deep pleading tone of his voice and quickly ducked into the restroom. Once there, she locked herself inside and splashed cold water on her face.

Panting, she stared at herself in the mirror.

“Get a freaking grip,” she hissed, her cheeks flushed.

It took her several long moments to gather her composure and she used the restroom before returning to the hallway.

Max was nowhere to be seen and a part of her was disappointed.

Returning to the kitchen, Lily found Ryan and Mark had now joined Michelle at the table.

Sara cut the dessert cake that Michelle had special ordered and placed slices on paper plates.

Jennifer swept back into the kitchen via the backdoor, smelling like smoke and bringing the outside cold along with her.

Lily held her breath and barely avoided wrinkling her nose.

Skirting around to the opposite side of the table, Lily took a seat.

“I can’t believe you went to Montana,” Michelle said to Ryan. “I’ve always wanted to go there. You know, to see Glacier National Park.”

Blake and Chris wandered in from the den.

“I don’t think you’ll be able to drag William away from the game,” Chris interrupted and dropped into a vacant chair.

“Don’t worry, he won’t miss dessert,” Michelle said with a grin at Chris and then turned her attention back to Ryan. “So, did you see Glacier National Park?”

Blake moved up behind Lily, but she ignored him and lifted a plate with a piece of cake from the table.

“I heard it’s beautiful there,” Sara said, chiming in.

“Yes, the Going to the Sun road was open. The mountain ranges are awe-inspiring,” Ryan said around a bite of cake.

“When did you go?” Sara asked.

“Jen took me with her two months ago.”

“September? Isn’t it cold there?” Michelle laughed.

“The days were warm, but it did get chilly for me at night, but so worth it,” Ryan added and launched into a detailed description of Montana’s fall.

“Sounds colorful,” Sara said.

“Scotty loved it,” Jennifer chimed in and pulled out her phone. “I have pictures.” The woman showed Michelle pictures of her son on her phone. “This was his first time riding on a horse.”

Lily had not processed anything beyond the fact that Jennifer had been in Montana.

Two months ago.

“September?” Lily asked even though Michelle had just asked about the weather during September—but Lily had to be sure that was the correct month.

Sara’s eyes flew to hers, and shock settled on her friend’s face when realization dawned. Sara glanced from Jennifer to Blake and back again. Puzzlement creased Michelle’s brow as if she was trying to remember something.

Lily got it.

She knew what Sara was thinking because she was thinking the same damned thing.

Blake had gone to Montana to visit his cousin in the middle of September.

Had Jennifer and Blake met up? Had they planned to go there together? Were they having an affair? Questions exploded and wouldn’t shut off.

Lily turned from her cake to Blake. She searched her husband’s face for the truth and suddenly felt sick.

She didn’t need to voice her question.

The guilt in Blake’s eyes was clear for the world to see.

Blake had gone to Montana and hooked up with his ex.

Don’t jump to conclusions, Lily silently reasoned.

Blake could have gone there to visit his cousin. And Jennifer could have what? Shown up unexpectedly?

Could that be the reason for the guilt in Blake’s eyes?

Maybe.

Lily doubted it.

More than likely, they had purposely flown out there together with their son to let Blake get some father-son bonding time.

Which was all good. But if that was the only reason for the trip, why the lies? He had a kid with Jennifer and she’d bet money the pair had gotten together in Montana.

She glared at Blake.

What a fucking liar.

Sure, she had done her own share of lying over the past year so Lily wasn’t one to judge, but the differences between her and Blake’s lies were huge.

His lies were life altering. Okay, that might be a slight exaggeration.

Still, though, his lies would alter their marriage. Of that, she had no doubts.

The cake tasted like dust.

Blake slid his arm along the back of her chair and Lily wanted to slap the shit out of him, but she waited.

Her husband was in a world of hurt when they reached home.

A tense silence filled the room and this time, even Michelle felt it.

And after a few awkward moments, conversations started back up. Sara shot Lily a sympathetic look. Michelle had a death grip on the cake knife like she was ready to stab Jennifer or Blake, or perhaps both.

Lily didn’t dare glance at Max.

Humiliation burned.

Five minutes later, Lily had had enough. She left the rest of her uneaten cake on the table and retreated down the hallway. Her only destination was the bathroom again, so she could gain her composure.

Blake’s chair scraped and he quickly followed her.

“Lily.”

She spun around on him. “I don’t want to talk right now.”

“Don’t do this.” He came up to her and cupped her face. Her cheek still throbbed from the other day.

“Do what? React?”

“Let’s go home and talk,” he insisted quietly.

“We will talk when I’m ready,” she hissed, trying to knock his hand away, but he gripped her harder.

And when she shoved hard enough to get him to back away, she cupped her cheek in one hand.

Maxwell came up behind Blake so quickly that Lily had no time to do anything but gasp.

With a hand on Blake’s shoulder, Maxwell spun the shorter man and shoved him up against the wall with an arm locked across Blake’s throat.

“Was that bruise from you?” Maxwell snarled quietly into Blake’s face.

The lowly spoken words sounded far more dangerous than yelling ever could.

Blake gasped and clawed at the corded arm cutting off the air in his windpipe. There was no way in hell he could move Max until the bigger man was ready.

“Max!” Lily snapped, but the soldier didn’t listen to her.

“If you fucking touch her again, I’ll end you,” Max promised, easing his hold.

“Fuck you! Stay out of our business,” Blake snapped and shoved him, but he really shouldn’t have.

Max remained unmovable, and Blake threw a punch. Max blocked the hit, gripped Blake by the throat, and pile-drove him into the ground.

The crash drew the group from the kitchen.

“William!” Michelle screamed for her husband.

“I don’t need you to fight my battles!” Lily spat at Max, trying to defuse the situation, but she was too damned tired.

She felt overwhelmed with everything already and with Max going Neanderthal, she was done.

When she shoved Max, the man stepped back.

Blake rolled to his feet and gave Max a death glare. “You fucking wait,” Blake snarled.

“Bring it.”

The two alpha males squared off in the narrow hallway.

“Hey, hey, now, now, now,” William said, getting between the two men. The former Navy SEAL was big enough to make Blake step back.

“I’ll meet you at home,” Blake told Lily, his voice hard and cold. “And you? You’re fired.” Blake pointed at Max.

“There’s a contract, you pay me until the threat against Lily is resolved,” Max said flatly.

And even though there was always a way of getting out of a contract, Max wasn’t going anywhere.

Something flashed in Blake’s eyes and Max wondered once again if the asshole had been the one to send Lily the threats in the first place.

In one last ditched effort of bravado, Blake glared at him with murder in his mud-colored eyes.

Max met the fucker’s confrontation head on and smirked.

If there was the slightest chance that Lily’s marriage was on the rocks, Max was going to take full advantage of it.

He would step up and be the man Lily deserved.

Lily might have thought otherwise because she glared at both him and her husband.

Blake spun around and walked down the hall and out the front door.

Max waited for Lily to run after the jerk, but she did not. Instead, she marched down the hallway and locked herself in the bathroom for the second time.

Sara hurried down the hall, knocking softly on the door and calling to Lily.

“What the hell was that about?” William said, closing a hand on his shoulder.

“He hit her,” Max growled through his teeth.