Page 15 of Stuck with my Pack

“I’m fucking screwed,” I utter under my breath while passing through the gate into the backyard. The guesthouse looms ahead, but I veer off toward Lily’s place instead.

I’m not in the mood to sit still. As I round the corner, I spot her in the garden, surrounded by neat rows of herbs. She’scrouched down, her sharp green eyes focused on a stubborn weed.

“Still at it, huh?” I say, squatting down next to her.

Lily glances up, her face breaking into a grin. “Look who’s graced me with his presence. Figured you’d be gone most of the of the night.”

“What? I can’t check in? I wanted to see if you’ve scared off any neighbors yet.” I stand, extending my hand to her.

“Please. This town knows better than to mess with me.” She stands, her nine month pregnant belly leading the way, brushing dirt off her hands onto her thighs and dusting off her belly. “So, what’s the real reason you’re here? You’ve got that look.”

“What look?”

“Come on, Brodie! The one that says you’re making plans.”

I laugh, shaking my head. “Not much gets past you, does it?”

“Not a damn thing,” she replies, crossing her arms. “You forget I’ve known you since you were way shorter than me?” she says while looking up at me, her head barely reaching my shoulder.

I laugh, seeing as I haven’t been shorter than Lily since I was ten. I grow more serious, deciding there’s no reason to beat around the bush.

“Sophie Everhart is what’s up. I went by the inn tonight for curiosity’s sake.”

Lily freezes, her easy smile faltering for a fraction of a second before she recovers. “You met Sophie?” she asks, her tone carefully neutral.

I nod. “At the inn. She’s…I can see now why Ethan’s been fired up about her all these years.”

“Yeah.” Lily’s voice is softer now, tinged with something I can’t quite place.

“What’s the story with you two?” I ask, stepping closer. I offer to help her, but she shoos me away.

Lily hesitates, her gaze flicking to the herb garden before landing back on me. “We were close. Best friends, actually. But when she left, she didn’t just leave Ethan. She left everyone.”

I let that sink in. “You mad at her for it?”

“Mad? Well, I was, but now…” she shrugs. “I’m hurt probably more than anything. But I’m sure she had her reasons. And besides, it was a long time ago.”

I nod slowly. “She mentioned things were complicated.”

“They always were with Sophie,” Lily says, her smile returning. “She had an impulsive streak that could leave your head spinning. But she’s got a good heart.”

She stops and looks at me, and I feel exposed. Lily has always been able to see through my bullshit. “Be good to her. And don’t leave the boys out of this one,” she says with a cute, dirty finger prodding the center of my chest.

“Who said I’m getting involved?”

Lily raises an eyebrow, smirking. “Your face. And your scent.”

Before I can retort, my phone buzzes.

Sophie:Hey! It’s me, Sophie. Got your number from Tyler.

Sophie: Hope that’s not weird.

Sophie:Want to come back and have dinner?

Sophie:I mean to talk about reno plans? Tyler said you’d want to...

Sophie:Sorry, you probably have stuff going on.