“Now, walk me out. You’re a gentleman.”
“I’m a gentleman,” he parroted.
“This one”—she jerked her thumb at him—“always so smart.”
He hugged her against him, and then he walked her to her car.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Lucy had no place to go. Her house was probably still smoldering. She let out a long breath and raised the head of her hospital bed a bit more.
“Do you have any eights?” Reuben asked from the chair he’d pulled up beside her bed. An impromptu visit would’ve normally cheered her up, but right now everything was wrong.
“Go fish. Any twos?” Lucy replied absently.
He handed her the two of clubs. She added the card to make a stack of twos and tossed them on the table. “You’re a guy, right?”
“That depends,” he replied. “Any aces?”
“Go fish.” Lucy scowled. “What does it depend on?”
“Your question.”
“I figured you might have some insight into the male mind.” She organized the cards in her hand, rearranging them by number. “Any queens?”
His poker face remained in place. “Go fish.”
“What do you think it means when a guy tells you he loves you?”
“That depends.”
“On what?”
“He want in your pants?”
“No, for the purposes of our conversation, he’s already in… Okay, you know what? Never mind.” Lucy held up a hand.
Reuben grinned. “William?”
Yes, of course it was Will. “Maybe.”
“Inappropriate for me to comment then.”
“Okay, it’s not him. It’s a…I don’t know…a guy named Ernie.”
Reuben folded his cards in his hand and leaned back in his chair, tapping the edge of the cards on the table. “Hypothetically, a guy doesn’t toss around the L-word without meaning it.Unlesshe wants in your pants. He’s already in? Nothing to gain. Any kings?”
“Go fish,” she mumbled.
“Still irritated at him?” he asked.
“All my feelings are squished together. I don’t know what I feel right now.” She yawned and tossed the rest of her cards down. “Thanks for keeping me company.”
His expression turned serious. “Lucy.”
She raised her head to look at him.
He smiled at her, a real, honest to goodness with teeth and everything smile. “Ernie’s lucky.”
