ChapterSix
Josh knewhe’d hit a button, but the question now was how hard should he push it. He reminded himself that he needed to stay focused on the project, not onthegirl.
They reached the front porch of the cottage just as the skies opened into a torrential downpour. Lily opened the front door, and they hurried inside. Connie quickly hopped up from the kitchen table where she had been sitting with Allen. They both looked guilty ofsomething.
“What’s going on?” Lilly askedfirst.
“Nothing,” Connie said, taking Lily’s art supplies from her hands to set them on the kitchencounter.
Josh pointed at Allen. “Lily, this is my business partner and friend, Allen Bolton. Allen, this is the artist,LilyHolt.”
Allen offered his hand, and Lily took it. “Nice to meet you. I see that what Josh saidistrue.”
“What’s that?” Lily asked, and Josh fought the rise ofpanic.
Allen gestured to the easel with that monstrosity of a painting on it. “That you’re a talentedartist.”
Josh bit his tongue and leaned into Lily. “I assure you Allen is not the art connoisseur of ourgroup.”
Connie giggled with a nervous twill then tugged Allen back to the kitchen table to sit down. “We were just talking about our favorite places in New York. Do you know that we both run in Central Park three days a week? Well, I used to run there before moving here. I’m Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Allen is Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday. I even used to run the same path. How crazyisthat?”
Josh eyed Allen who looked away. The only time Allen ever ran was when there was a deal to chase. Josh had invited him to join his early morning runs numerous times, but Allen had always turned him down. He wouldn’t call Allen out on it now, though, but if Connie was anything like her sister, his partner had better be a darn good liar or confess quick. “Really?”
“I’m surprised you don’t like to run,” Connie said to Josh. “I thought all you high-strung types lovedtorun.”
Josh eyed Allen. What exactly had he been telling her? “It’s not that I don’t like to run, I just prefer running throughthecity.”
Lily opened the refrigerator and started pulling out lunch meat and bread. “That’s because you haven’t run on the beach at sunset or sunrise. It puts running Central Park toshame.”
Connie moved into the kitchen and started helping Lily make sandwiches. “What do you boys like? Ham?Turkey?”
“Ham sounds good.” Allen eagerly joined the women at the counter, no doubt thankful the topic of running had beensidelined.
“What about you?” Lily asked Josh. “I have lettuce and tomato if you’revegan.”
“No, I’m not vegan.” Josh figured the girls would kick them out the moment he returned with Lily. Now, they were making themlunch?
Lily set out plates and put slices of bread on each. “Stop worrying. If it makes you feel better, you can take it as an apology for your sunburn. I’m not going to have you being washed away in a flood adding to myguilt.”
How did she always seem to know what he was thinking? Maybe she really was a unicorn. He shook his head. “Turkeyforme.”
“So, did you two work out the details?” Connie asked. “Is Lily doing the artwork for yourcompany?”
Before he could answer, Connie grunted as her sister’s elbow connected with her side. “We haven’t discussed it yet,” Lily replied. “Nowbuttout.”
“Fine, but whether you decide to take it on or not, you need to finish that house painting first. I promised the customer we’d have it to him at the end of the week.” Connie carried two plates to the table and sat down, Allen sitting beside her. The small kitchen table didn’t allow for a lot of room. Lily sat across from them, leaving one seat left. The onebesideher.
Josh slid into it, careful not to bump the table. They were so close he could smell the soft fragrance of her hair and skin. Her name fit her perfectly. She smelled like fresh flowers, like lilies. He recognized the smell from his sister’s wedding last year. But Lily smelled better, lighter, morealluring.
“What do you want?” Lilyasked.
Busted. Sheepishly, he fumbled with his sandwich. “Want?Um…”
“The artwork. You said you wanted parts of it changed. What did you think I was asking?” Lily bit into hersandwich.
He took a drink of water to stall for a second and regain his composure. “Same setting, same girl, but the guy needs to be different. He was offsomehow.”
“What do you mean byoff?” Connieasked.
