"I'm glad you enjoyed your time there," Nate said, though he really wanted to ask her if it had been worth it. Had it been worth losing their relationship over?
"It's good to be home though. It was time."
Nate sensed there was more. He was still in tuned enough to her to know that there was more to the story than what she was sharing. Was it the secret her sisters had been referring to earlier?
As they pulled into the Walmart parking lot, he let the conversation lapse. He found a spot near the entrance and parked. Once again, Lily got out of the truck before he hadthe opportunity to open her door for her. He knew he had to accept the new normal in dealing with her, but Nate didn't think he'd ever like it.
CHAPTER SIX
Lily walked beside Nate through the automatic doors of the store. He grabbed a cart and together they made their way to the electronics section. Though she'd agreed to do this as a favor, she was really hoping she could prove to him—and herself—that friendship was possible. Collingsworth wasn't that big of a town, they were going to run into each other at least once a week at church if nowhere else. And since he was staying at the manor for the foreseeable future, it was even more important that they get past any awkwardness as soon as possible.
The unfortunate thing was, the more she was around him, the more she remembered how they were together. It was hard to be with someone for seven years and not know them intimately. Just walking into the store beside him brought on a barrage of memories. They had done it countless times before.
"So which one do you think I should get?" Nate's voice drew her from her memories, and she turned her focus to the shelf of monitors.
"Well, you don't want a super big one. I think that wouldbe a little impractical." She pointed to one that fell in the middle, size-wise. "Maybe that one would work."
She heard Nate mutter something as he stared at the monitor she'd indicated.
"What's that?" She could see frustration on his face as he glanced at her. "What's wrong?"
He scowled. "I must be the only man on the planet who needs a woman to show him about computers."
Lily laughed. "Oh, I doubt that's true. It just so happens that your talents lie in another area, and I happen to like electronic gadgets."
"Still. It's a little bit of a jab to the ego."
"Well, I won't tell anyone," Lily said.
Nate looked her way again then his gaze went past her. His expression changed and with a quick glance at her, he said, "I'll be right back."
She slowly turned as he walked past her, following his movements. He approached a woman who stood in the aisle just outside the electronics department. The woman had a mass of dark brown curls and came to a little above his shoulder, her figure curvy. Nate reached out and touched the woman's arm. The woman's gaze moved briefly in Lily’s direction, but they were too far away for Lily to be able to read her expression. Was this Crystal?
Not wanting to intrude on a private moment, Lily turned back to face the monitors. Crossing her arms over her waist, she tried to quell the trembling that had taken over her stomach. She had no right to be jealous. But she was. Jealous of this woman whose health wouldn't lead to a life of dependency down the road. Jealous that she could be a helpmate to Nate rather than a burden. Jealous that she could have the life Lily had once dreamed about. No matter how much she'd come to accept her illness while in London, it was clear she hadn't truly let Nate go. She took a deep breath in and let it out.
In. Out.
Before he returned, she needed to be in control of her emotions. Her emotional extremes were so much closer to the surface than they'd once been, but she couldn't let Nate see her this way.
In. Out.
She heard footsteps approach and assumed they were Nate's. Lowering her arms, she bent her head as if reading the specs on the monitor.
"So, is this the one you think I should get?"
Lily glanced at him, glad he wasn't going to broach the subject of the woman. "Yes. I think it will work well."
Nate found a boxed monitor that matched the one on display and placed it in the cart. "Do you need anything else while we're here?"
"No. I'm good." Therewereactually a few things that she wouldn't have minded picking up, but at that point, all Lily wanted was to get back to the manor. She would see if Amy or Cami were coming in sometime in the next couple of days and hitch a ride.
An awkward silence stretched between them as they approached the cash registers at the front of the store. Aware that the likelihood of running into someone that knew her and/or Nate, Lily told him she'd wait on the other side of the registers for him.
Keeping her head bent, she flipped through screens on her phone while she waited.
"Lily?"
She looked up at the sound of her name and saw the woman Nate had been talking to earlier. "Yes?"
