Though the woman didn't seem overly sympathetic, she did pick up the phone and make the request. Within a few minutes, a cart with room for four people pulled up. Lily settled into the back of it with her carry-on and purse and told the driver where she needed to go. She looked straight forward so as not to meet the wondering glances of the people they passed.
With the end of her journey so close now, Lily just wanted it to be over.
As they left the secured area and approached the baggage carousel, Lily looked around for the person who was to drive her to Collingsworth. Because she knew the length of the trip would tire her, she hadn't bothered with trying to rent a car to drive herself. Instead, she'd paid handsomely for someone to chauffeur her home. One of the benefits of having money.
After the driver of the cart let her off with her bags, Lily looked around at the people gathered there. It didn't take long to spot the person holding the placard that read "Lily C."
She approached the woman dressed in a chauffeur's uniform and smiled. "Hi. I'm Lily."
The woman lowered the placard and held out her hand. "I'm Melissa. I'll be driving you to Collingsworth today."
"I'm very glad to see you," Lily told her. "Would you be able to help me with my bags?"
Lily had specified when she'd made the arrangements that she wanted a woman driver and also that the person be willing to help her with the luggage. Melissa nodded and immediately went to get a cart on which to load the bags as they came off the carousel.
Forty-five minutes later, the luggage was stowed in the trunk of the car and they were on their way.
It wasn't long into the trip when Lily began to feel the exhaustion pulling at her. The tiredness didn't come as any surprise, and it had, in fact, been the reason she'd requested a female driver. She figured she'd likely fall asleep at some point during the drive and felt more secure having a woman present with her in the car than she would have a man.
She leaned forward and spoke to Melissa. "I've had a long day, so I'm going to try to sleep a little. Please wake me when we get to Collingsworth, and I'll direct you to where I need to go."
"I understand, Miss Collingsworth." Melissa met her gaze in the rearview mirror and smiled.
Letting out a sigh, Lily settled back against the seat and closed her eyes. She didn't immediately fall asleep though. Too many thoughts swirled through her mind. While she was relieved to be coming home to Collingsworth, Lily knew the days ahead were not going to be easy. Her family still didn't know the reasons why she'd left almost three years earlier. No doubt they would have plenty of questions for her. They were questions she hadn't wanted to deal with before, but now she would. At least she had more informed answers now than she'd had back then. And she'd done a lot of maturing over the past three years. Leaving had forced her to take responsibility for herself, among other things. And she planned to continue to do so even though she was returning to the manor and her family there.
And Nate. She had no idea how he'd been over the past three years. It had been important to her that she sever their bond completely when she left. Her best friend—the one person she'd kept in regular contact with—had rarely mentioned him, and during her sporadic conversations with her older sister, Jessa, over the years, Lily had never asked anything about him. And she was returning home with no expectation that they would pick up where they'd left off. In fact, she knew it wouldn't be possible.
CHAPTER TWO
"Miss Collingsworth?"
Lily woke to the sound of her name, quickly realizing she'd fallen asleep in mid-thought. Straightening, she looked out the front window to see the town of Collingsworth looming ahead.
"You can just continue on this road through town and then turn right when we get to the highway."
Pressing a hand to her stomach, Lily took several deep breaths. Nerves fluttered in her belly. She’d taken another page from Cami's book and planned to show up unannounced. Doing it that way had given her an out. If she decided to change her plans, no one was expecting her. Because even though Lily knew coming home was the right decision, a lot of difficult conversations lay ahead.
It didn't take long for the car to pass through the town and reach the highway. "You can take a right just up there."
Melissa slowed the car and turned onto the driveway which led to the manor. Lily found herself leaning forward to catch a glimpse of her home. A blanket of relief settled overher as they followed the final bend in the driveway, bringing the manor into view.
"What a beautiful house," Melissa said as she brought the car to a stop in front of the steps.
"Yes, it is," Lily agreed. She grabbed her purse from the seat beside her and opened the door. "If you want to just hang on a minute, I'm sure there are some men here who will help carry my bags in."
Without waiting for the woman to respond, Lily headed for the front door. She grasped the door handle and paused for a second before opening it and stepping into the foyer. Immediately the savory scent of dinner greeted her. Something along the lines of a pot roast, if her senses were still accurate. She heard the murmur of conversation coming from the kitchen and moved in that direction.
"Lily!"
Before she could even respond, Lily found herself in the middle of a tight hug. Tears sprang to her eyes, and she sagged against the arms that held her.
Home at last.
"Are you okay, sweetie?" Laurel's voice was laced with concern. "Here, come sit down."
Lily allowed herself to be led to an empty seat at the table. Through damp eyes, she took in those present. Everyone but Jessa, and there was a woman she didn't recognize with a mass of curly blonde hair and a curious expression on her face.
"You got luggage, sis?" Will asked.
