Ethan was rapt, watching Lily in action, thinking how quick she was, how clever, how freaking funny. How irresistible.
She caught him looking and arched her brows. “That was a fan. I should’ve let you handle it. I just keep messing up tonight.”
“She wasn’t a fan. Not like you mean, anyway. She just wanted to add me to her body count.”
“Well, to be fair, so do I.” She clapped a hand over her mouth and her eyes widened. She looked around as if for something to blame, and her blue gaze fell on her two empty beer mugs.
“When did you get so sassy, Lil?” Ethan was flattered right to his boots.
She lowered her hand from her mouth. “It’s the beer,” she said. “Why don’t we start back? I think the fresh air would do me good.”
“Okay. I’ll take care of our tab.” He got up, plunked some cash on the table for the waitress, and walked back to the bar to settle up.
Chapter Twelve
Lily gathered her jacket and purse and went to wait for Ethan outside. She stood on the sidewalk, looking up and down the small town’s main thoroughfare. It was late, nearly midnight. Most everything was closed. There was a Denny’s up a little ways, and the gas stations were mostly open all night. And the bars. That was it. Every other business was closed up tight.
She breathed deep, let the night air clear her head a little. It had been smoky in there. Not all of it tobacco. But she couldn’t really blame her bold moves on that. Maybe she was feeling desperate. And that was dumb. Her mom used to say that a girl should never love a man more than he loved her.
Not that she loved Ethan Brand. It would be self-destructive to fall in love with him. But she liked him a lot. And she wanted him a lot. And she was convinced they belonged together.
He came out the door with a bottle of water in his hand, which he offered her.
She took it, twisted off the cap and took a long drink. “Thanks. Again, I’m sorry?—”
“Stop apologizing, Lily. I…I wanna add you to my body count too. It’s just…”
“I’m family,” she said. “I know. I don’t want to mess up the family dynamic any more than you do, you know. My dad and brother are all I have, and Maria’s more than just a sister-in-law.”
“She’s my best friend,” Ethan said. “Has been our whole lives.”
They’d started walking back toward the cantina, going slow so they wouldn’t arrive too far ahead of Willow and tick her off. When they’d gone far enough that most of the lights were behind them, Lily started hearing the whir of nighttime insects again, a constant, ever-shifting hum that was the backing soundtrack to every West Texas night. Warm night air on her face, big, hot cowboy by her side. She didn’t think life could get much better.
As they crossed the bridge, she sighed a dreamy sigh, then felt a rumble beneath her feet and looked up as a semi sped their way, faster than was smart. Just as the truck reached the bridge, Lily said, “He doesn’t see us.”
“Run!” Ethan grabbed her arm and ran, but they were not fast enough. The grill of the semi was bearing down. Just before contact, Ethan tugged her with him right over the side. They dropped twenty feet and splashed into the cold water, sinking straight to the bottom.
She panicked, but as soon as she started flailing, she felt solid ground under her feet, and pushed herself upright, breaking the surface in the shallow river only to fall down again.
“Lily!”
Ethan reached her and grabbed her under her arms to pull her up, but the current was fast and the water chest-high. As soon as they rose and moved two steps toward shore, it knocked them down again and swept them further downstream.
He got his footing eventually, and helped her get hers, and then they stumbled onto the shore arm-in-arm, soaked and spluttering. They fell together with their feet still in the water, panting, lying on their sides, face-to-face, legs entangled, arms clinging.
So close. His breath on her lips. His warmth penetrating her chill.
“I can’t…” he whispered.
Lily closed her eyes in disappointment.
“…resist you, Lily Ellen Hyde.” His lips met hers and her heart sprouted wings. Hummingbird wings, it felt like.
She kissed him back, and they wrapped themselves in each other there on the pebbled shore. He rolled over, pulling her on top of him, one hand in her hair, the other on her backside as he fed from her mouth and then her neck, pushing her blouse aside as he went.
Lily pushed his shirt off too, then shucked her jeans and got to work on his.
Ethan lifted his head. “Are you sure this is?—”
