“I’m going to head downstairs for a bit to check on things. Will you text me if you need anything?” he finally asked after watching me for a few minutes.
“Sure,” I started, feeling myself overheating from the fever… or from the nerves. “I’m just not sure what to say, Lee…”
He laughed, pushing himself off the doorframe. “Let’s wait until you’re feeling better, then we’ll come up with some creative way for you to thank me.”?
I rolled my eyes, but my stomach turned around in a million circles. Lee Wilder was flirting with me—again—and my body, sick as a dog, was responding to the call like an old friend. Traitor.?
“Oh! There’s one more thing. Hang on.” He dashed toward the living room, rifling through some bags before rushing back down the hallway. He set an envelope down in front of me.
“Is this the paperwork for the bar sale?” I asked, my fingers nervously tugging at the tab. “I haven’t really had a chance to think…” I couldn’t finish my sentence, struck silent by the awe I felt. Inside the envelope was something I hadn’t seen in years—actual printed photos.
“I found a disposable camera in a shoebox in your room,” he said, hovering over my shoulder as I began flipping through the pictures. “Don’t worry, I didn’t read your diary.”
I spun around to face him, a playful, nostalgic grin spreading across both our faces. “This is incredible—look at these! We were so young. This one’s from your gig at Lizzie’s.” I handed him a photo, and he examined it closely. It wasn’t just his first gig; it was our first nighttogether.
“Wow,” he murmured, studying the next few pictures I showed him. “Look at us. We were so happy back then.”
“Young and clueless, more like it,” I teased, meeting his eyes again.
A shadow crossed his face, and the mood shifted. “I should get going. I’m glad you’re starting to feel better.” He dropped his stack of photos on the table where they fanned out like a rainbow of memories and time gone by and shut the door heavily behind him.
I was still sorting through the photos when Sutton came crashing through the door with a key lime pie and two forks.?“Ya hungry? Feeling better? Ready totell me every single detail concerning Lee Wilder locking himself up here for three days and barely letting anyone else in to see you?”?
“He was busy, probably didn’t want anyone to intervene.” I motioned to the bright white walls and polished chrome appliances.?
“Holy shit.” She sank down next to me, snapped the top off the pie, and dug in. “So, he’s staying, right? Please tell me you begged him to stay. I have some work I need done in my condo. Wait, what are these?” She picked up the pile of pictures, her eyes glistening at the memories.
“He had those printed during one of his many trips to the pharmacy. Can you believe it? And we actually didn’t really get a chance to talk about him staying much. He did, however, tell me that he would spend the rest of his life trying to make me happy. In a friendly capacity, of course.”?
“A friendly capacity… right. That sounds legit. Speaking of the Wilder clan, have you talked to your boyfriend?”?
My eyes flew wide open, and I darted into my room to check my phone. He still hadn’t called or texted to check on me. I shot him a quick text.?
MAGNOLIA: Feeling much better. Heard you weren’t feeling so hot yourself. How’s the trial??
Little conversation dots popped up, then disappeared. “He’s probably busy,” I shrugged, putting the phone down and spooning up a tiny bite of pie.?
“Charlie tried to get the scoop from Lee, but it didn’t work. You know whodoeshave the intel, though? Ryan.”?
The way she said his name piqued my interest. I swallowed a cool, tangy bite, but everything still felt like shards of glass going down my throat. “Um, so, are you talking to Ryan? And what exactly did he say?”?
She did a little shimmy in her seat. “We’re not liketalking-talking, but when I put him in the Uber after brunch last weekend, he asked for my number so he could refund me the ride bill, and we’ve been texting here and there ever since. I was on bar duty last night, and he stopped by.”?
“Thank you for doing that, by the way. So, what did he say?” I leaned my head on my hands, my body fighting the urge to crawl back into bed.
“Well, for starters, he said that there was quite the kerfuffle with Dane and Lee over Lee staying and buying into the bar. I guess Vance got involved, but Eunice actually stepped in and stood up for you, saying that this bar was yourhome and if Lee wanted to stay and help you out, no one was going to stop him.”
The notion of Eunice Wilder standing up to VanceandDane shocked me. Eunice was a strong woman, but usually, when Vance wanted something done his way, she let him have it gracefully. She called it a Southern woman’s charm. I let out a dramatic gasp, then sputtered into a coughing fit.?
“Ew, you sound gross. Charlie and I were shocked, too. Anyway, Eunice had Dane faxherthe agreement, and she’s going to call you so you can sign your end of it. I guess she’s a notary or something, so she can do some stuff for Vance if there’s not a paralegal or an assistant at his beck and call at all hours.”?
I tried a bit more of the pie but stuck mostly to my tea, listening to Sutton catch me up on three days’ worth of gossip, which in our world was akin to a century.
We moved into the living room, and Sutton covered me with a blanket and bounced into my room to get my box of tissues. She came running out with Pickle on her heels, hissing wildly.?
“This damned cat. Isn’t it like a hundred years old now? Shouldn’t she be dead?”
Pickle and I both glared at her.?
