We came full circle. I gave him the out of not thinking about Dad, definitely glad he didn’t want to talk about it with me. “Yeah. He’s easy to find online, but I need his personal address and that’s more difficult.”
“For Lilly.”
“You’re too damn smart for your own good.” I clinked my glass against his and then caught sight of the woman we were just talking about and I was always thinking about.
I grinned at her when she caught my gaze, watching as she paled like Shawn had said when she caught who I was talking to.
Yeah. She didn’t like cops.
A quick scan of the reception hall from her told me she’d rather be anywhere than talking to the two of us, but she straightened her spine and headed our way. There was my fighter. I couldn’t shake the grin at the thought.
I dropped it quickly and lowered my voice. “You’ll find when you start digging that it’s her dad, and that she was in prison.”
“No shit?” Shawn’s eyes went wide with surprise.
It was the cop in him. I didn’t take it personal although I figured he’d definitely now understand why he got the impression Lilly didn’t like cops. None of that mattered though as long as he could help.
“Long story, like I said. Melissa met her when she was inside. She’s good people.”
“It’s the Valentine way,” Shawn said with a smirk.
We both turned as Lilly moved closer and came right to me.
“That was a beautiful speech,” she said. Her eyes were red and her mascara slightly smeared beneath her eyes.
Ah. That was why she’d taken off. Concern swept through me until she smiled at me, erasing it all with a crooked grin. Whatever had made her cry wasn’t ruining her mood.
Ignoring Shawn watching us, probably already trying to figure out the connection we had, or how I’d be so interested in an ex-con, I grinned at Lilly.
“I meant every word.”
I let her see how much I meant them. Her cheeks burned bright and she blinked rapidly.
“Can I get you something to drink?” Shawn asked.
She faced him and replied, “Club soda and lime, please. Thank you.”
“Anything for family.” He faced the bar, giving us a moment of privacy or at least the appearance of it.
“Family,” she muttered with a soft smile. “I keep hearing that. Feels weird.”
“But good?”
“Yeah,” she said quietly. “Feels good.”
* * *
For hours,I did my family duty, talking with all of the family who came from out of state to celebrate Brandon’s wedding with us. I spent time hanging out with employees from Valor Holdings who had come, especially Stephanie and her husband as well as Sandra, Brandon’s assistant and her husband. Lilly sat with them for a while but didn’t stay long before she was dragged onto the dance floor with Jenna and her bridesmaids where she danced to upbeat pop songs, smiling in a way it seemed she felt freer on the makeshift dance floor at a wedding in a hotel than she had in years.
I had never seen that smile on her face, and it distracted me so much that eventually, I found myself at the edge of the dance floor, watching her, probably drooling over her. Anyone who saw me could tell my feelings for her were plastered all over my puppy dog face. I didn’t care.
When the music slowed, Jenna turned and immediately searched for Brandon, my feet carried me toward Lilly as she was trying to bow out of the dancing.
“Dance with me,” I said, stepping in front of her and offering her my hand.
I’d let her think she could say no for a moment, but fortunately, her head tilted up to me and her expression turned soft.
“Okay.”
