Page 33 of The Lilac River (Silver Peaks #1)

Purple Rain - Prince

Lily

W hen the big, beautiful man walked down the row of lavender toward me, my heart did a full turn in my chest. Nash’s dark hair was tousled, his black T-shirt clinging to his broad chest and strong biceps, his jeans snug against those powerful thighs.

Every step he took toward me felt like it echoed straight through my ribcage.

As he approached, he tugged a ball cap onto his head, the simple movement making something low and deep inside me ache. There was something painfully familiar about that gesture, like watching a memory unfold in real time.

The woodsy scent of his cologne mixed with fabric softener drifted toward me, and for one dangerous moment, I thought I might fling myself into his arms. Beg for forgiveness. Tell him everything.

But I couldn’t.

"Daddy!" Bertie's excited cry snapped me back to reality, reminding me I had fifteen kids relying on me to keep it together. The sound of her joy grounded me, even as my pulse scrambled in my throat.

"Hey, Bertie." Nash’s smile was pure warmth as he pointed at Shane. "Make sure you give Shane all your attention, munchkin."

Bertie nodded seriously, turning her focus back to Shane as if she hadn't seen her dad in years. Her love for him was written in every inch of her body, how she stood a little taller, how she beamed under his gaze.

"How’s the visit going?" Nash murmured, stepping beside me, his voice a rough whisper against the thick air. He smelled like rain and home and heartache.

"Good. They all have money burning a hole in their pockets, though. Desperate to buy something for their moms," I said, forcing a smile. It felt flimsy, that smile. Like it would shatter under a single touch.

He chuckled low, the sound curling around my spine. "Please don't let Bertie buy anything. I'm not a centerpiece kinda guy."

"Don't worry, I’ll make sure she leaves empty-handed." I added a wink, trying for lightness. But the tension between us hummed like a live wire, snapping beneath every word.

Nash's gaze softened as he glanced at the kids. "Where's the rest of your class?"

"At the library with Mrs. Wright. My parent volunteer bailed at the last minute." I didn’t mean for the exhaustion to leak into my voice, but it did.

"Sick?" he guessed, his dark brows pulling together.

"Yeah. Right outside the school steps." I winced at the memory, even now.

"There's a bug going around," he said, eyes flicking to Bertie, his concern obvious. Always the dad first. It was one of the things that made my chest ache most.

We stood there, the buzz of attraction humming louder than the cicadas. The space between us was thick with the past, unspoken things, unresolved things, still flickering between us like static.

When Nash turned his gaze back to me, it hit me full force. Chocolate-brown eyes, full of emotion, full of... everything I had missed.

Before I could say anything, Shane finished his talk.

"Any questions?" Shane asked the group.

Bertie's hand shot up like a rocket. Nash gave a groan under his breath, making me stifle a laugh.

"Yes, Bertie?" Shane grinned.

"Why is it called the lilac river?"

The world tilted.

My knees wobbled, and only Nash's pinky hooking around mine kept me grounded. He hadn’t taken my hand. Just that one small point of contact. Barely there. But it held me up.

Shane chuckled. "I'm not sure it is called that, sweetheart. But it does kinda look like one, doesn't it? A lilac river."

Bertie nodded proudly; her face lit up. She had no idea.

Beside me, Nash tightened his hold on my hand, and my heart cracked wide open. Emotion welled, thick and unrelenting.

I couldn't stop the flash of memory that hit me like a punch.

Eleven Years Ago

We’d wandered through the lavender, Nash's arm slung around my shoulders, his lips brushing my temple. The evening light was golden, dusting the rows of flowers with magic.

"You know," he murmured, "if I’m missing you, I come out here. I can practically smell you."

I giggled, slapping his chest. "I don't even wear lavender perfume."

"Doesn't matter," he said, soft and serious, holding me closer. "You're everywhere out here."

Later, when I was standing knee-deep in a sea of lilac, I said, "It looks like a river. A beautiful lilac river."

Nash pulled me to him, his brown eyes molten as he whispered, "Prepare yourself, Lila. I’m gonna blow your mind in our lilac river."

Tears stung my eyes, but I forced a smile as the kids wandered toward the gift shop. They didn’t see me falter. I wouldn’t let them.

"Did you tell her?" I whispered to Nash.

He shook his head, jaw tight. "No. I’d never... I’d never tell her that." His voice was rough, regret buried in the cracks.

The emotion between us was a living thing; wild, beautiful, and dangerous.

“What’s going on?” Wilder asked as I looked up to the sky looking for help of some kind. “It’s almost five, I thought you’d have gone a couple of hours ago.”

“The minibus broke down.” I waved one more kid off with their parent and then ticked them off my list. “The parents of these last few were working, so we’ve been waiting in the shop cabin.

Just two more to go and then I can call for an Uber.

” I looked over at the bus. “Is the minibus okay here until the morning. Petey can’t get here to tow it until then. ”

“Sure, it is, and you don’t need to call an Uber. I’ll take you home.” He pointed to a car approaching. “Is that the last parent?”

I checked my list. “White Kia Telluride. Yes, that should be Mrs. Cooper.” I turned to the two boys kicking a stone around. “Maxwell, Blake, your ride is here.”

The two boys stopped what they were doing and ran toward the car as it parked up. I followed them and recognized Maxwell’s mom behind the wheel. “Thank you for coming, Mrs. Cooper and I’m so sorry about this.”

She waved me away. “It’s not a problem. Blake lives next door to my mom, so she minds him and Maxwell after school, but she doesn’t drive so I’m just sorry you had to wait for me to finish work.” She turned to the backseat. “Buckle up boys.”

As I waved them away, my whole body sagged with relief. All I had to do was get myself home. Pulling my phone from my pocket, I sagged when rain splashed down on the screen. “Damn it.”

The muggy sky had turned ominously dark. The storm had finally arrived.

Rain started to fall in thick, heavy drops, splashing into the gravel with a force that made everyone scatter.

Wilder appeared, waving at me. "Come inside!"

"I'll just call an Uber," I called back, shielding my phone from the rain.

"No one’s coming out here in this weather," he yelled, grabbing my hand and dragging me toward the house.

Inside, we were both gasping, drenched. My dress clung to me in all the wrong places.

“Shit.” Wilder was breathless as he slammed the front door. “That came on quick.”

I’d forgotten how quickly summer storms came on around here, and how harsh they could be. “God, I’m soaked.”

“I’ll grab us a couple of towels.” Before Wilder had even walked a step his phone rang, and he held up a finger as he answered.

“Gun what’s up? Yep…shit…okay…give me ten to get the quad out…

yeah, see you then.” He slipped his phone back into his pocket and grimaced.

“Sorry, Lily, I’ve got to go. One of the men’s horses just got spooked and bucked him.

Gunner says the guy has dislocated his shoulder and needs me to take the quad and trailer out there to get him while they search for the horse. ”

He was already at the door, pausing only to grab a rancher coat from one of the coat hooks.

“Can you let Nash know?” He gave me a pleading look, like he knew it might be the last thing I wanted to do.

“He’s upstairs washing up. He’ll be down soon.

And stay put no one will come out here in this weather. ”

He pulled on the coat and headed back into the storm.

Gone.

I stood there awkwardly, dripping, until footsteps creaked on the stairs.

Nash.

He moved down the staircase like gravity didn’t dare rush him, his dark gaze pinned to me, making my breath stutter. Every step was deliberate.

He looked like every dream I’d ever had and every regret I’d ever lived through. Like hope and heartache rolled into one impossible man.

He stopped in front of me, his chest rising and falling slowly.

"Bertie's at Shane’s," he said, voice low. “She won’t be back until after dinner if that’s who you’re looking for.”

"No. It’s…” I pointed toward the front door. “The minibus broke down. The storm came and Wilder…one of your guys horse bucked. He had to leave, something about a dislocated shoulder, the hand not the horse."

Nash’s smirk ghosted across his lips. "I figured that."

We stood there, the storm raging outside, but the real tempest was inside these four walls.

Silence fell and we went back to just watching each other.

Unblinking, not breathing, just waiting.

The tension was taut, and the only sound was the tick of a clock somewhere close by.

I gave way first, my tongue darting out to lick my bottom lip.

Nash lifted his hand and tentatively caught a droplet of rain from the end of my hair.

“You really did get caught in the storm didn’t you.”

“Yeah.” I swallowed, my throat hurting from the boulder of emotion lodged there. “Wilder was going to give me a ride home, but then…” I trailed off, watching Nash’s fingertips as he rubbed them together to brush away the raindrop.

“No one is driving in this weather.” His voice was deep and commanding and it had an instant effect on me between my thighs. “I’ll take you later.”

I wanted to argue. To tell him I’d make my own way home, but I couldn’t. I didn’t want to drag myself away from his stare. The intimacy of the moment was too addictive, even though I didn’t understand it. Even though I had no clue how we’d gone from bitter words to loaded looks?

“Nash, I can get an?—”

“Not happening.” Without another word, he crossed to the kitchen. “Come in here to get dry.”

I followed on shaky legs, entering as he poured a mug of coffee. His back to me, he pushed it to one side. “Drink that and I’ll get you a towel.”

“Thank you.” Wrapping my hands around the steaming coffee mug he handed me. The heat seeped into my fingers but did nothing for the cold inside me. “You don’t need to get me a towel.”

“I’ll get you a towel.” Dominant. Deep. Unrepentant, daring me to disagree.

“Okay.”

He disappeared and a few seconds later returned with a soft towel, gently patting my wet hair. His fingertips grazed my forehead, lingering like he couldn't help himself.

"You're freezing."

"I'm fine," I lied, sighing like a moody teenager. “I should know.”

He chuckled, deep and rough, and narrowed an uncompromising gaze on me. Putting the coffee down, I took the towel and started to pat the ends of my hair.

"Good girl," he murmured, low and sinful. Reverberating through my whole body.

When our gazes locked, the world fell away.

Nash stepped closer, his knuckles brushing my jaw. "About the lilac river," he said, voice raw. "I swear, Lily. I never told her."

"I know," I whispered. I did. That had been ours and I knew he’d probably brushed it away like discarded rubbish when I left.

He took the towel, dropping it onto the table, and cupped my face in his rough hands, his thumb brushing a raindrop from my cheek. For a heartbeat, he simply stared at me, as if memorizing every line of my face. As if he didn’t know if this would be the last time.

Then we moved together, our mouths crashing, desperate and hungry.

It wasn't a kiss.

It was a homecoming.

It was a silent promise: I still love you. I never stopped.

The storm howled against the windows, but inside, in Nash’s arms, I finally, finally felt safe.