Divine Phoenix(Divine Creek Ranch 10)(14)

“The window has already been replaced and insurance is covering all of that.”

“Oh, great. One more thing for JT to gripe about.”

“Let the insurance companies duke it out.”

Lily lay back against the pillow on the elevated head of the bed and sighed heavily. “I’m out of his clutches. I really am.” Heat traveled up to her cheeks and tears filled her eyes. She felt like a ninny all over again. It seemed like all she did was cry all over him. “But this lasts only as long as I’m incapacitated. I’m out of your hair as soon as I get the approval of Doctor Guthrie.”

“You know Emma?” Clay asked with a surprised look on his face.

“No, Doctor Burns suggested I see her. Why?” It was on the tip of her tongue to ask how he knew Doctor Guthrie on a first name basis, but it wasn’t any of her business.

“She was the first medical professional on the scene at your accident.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. I helped her.”

Lily worried for a moment that Clay might have been there when she was examined. He might have seen the tattoo. But if he had, he would’ve known what JT meant earlier.

“Then I’m glad he referred me to her. I’m really sorry about damaging your building. All I could think was…” I needed someone safe, someone familiar. I needed you.

“What, Lily?”

“I was glad that not everything in Divine had changed completely, that there was still someone here that knew me.”

Clay’s smile filled her vision as he leaned forward and pressed his lips to her forehead. “It took a lot of years but you’re home now.” He lingered there perhaps a breath longer than a friendly peck would dictate, and she breathed in his clean, manly scent. The soft stroke of his lips on her skin was comforting and disconcerting all in the same moment.

“It’s good to be home, Clay.”

“I have to get to the shop. You focus on resting and I’ll check on you later today.”

Lily pressed the button to lower the head of the bed and got comfortable. Clay winked before he slipped out of the door, and Lily was surprised that a blush heated her cheeks. This was so foreign to her, to be flirted with like that. Would any of it ever feel normal again?



* * * *



Wednesday afternoon, Lily was released from the hospital. She refused adamantly when he tried to lift her into his gray Ford F-150, but allowed him to help her when she saw that her refusal irked him a bit.

The scent of leather surrounded her, and she felt like a poor, pitiful relation looking around the luxurious, clean interior of the truck. She wondered again at his generosity. Twenty-six years had slipped by without a word of communication between them and they’d picked back up like they’d hardly been apart.

Lily was mortified when they drove past his parents’ old place and she realized she had yet to ask about them. When she apologized, Clay waved it off. “Mom passed away in 1998 from a massive heart attack. Never knew what hit her. She was healthy as a horse until the day she died. We agreed that was the way she would’ve wanted it. To not be a burden or linger. Dad died in 2004. He had a nasty fall and got pneumonia later that winter. With his asthma, it was more than he could shake off. We were both with him to the end and nothing was left unsaid.”

Lily smiled, thinking that in the Cook family that had never been a problem. They had always been loving, demonstrative folks.

“Have you heard from Del?”

“Not recently but he was talking about retiring from that private military company. I’m hoping he’ll be home sometime soon. His ranch is in need of attention.”

“He owns a ranch?”

“Yeah. Out past the river bridge on FM 709. It’s a little place. We inherited it from one of our great-aunts. I wasn’t interested in working it so he bought me out and I got my own house in town.”

“Your Aunt…”

“Delbertine,” Clay supplied with a smirk. “She was close to Mom. Remember those little outfits she used to crochet out of that scratchy yarn that we had to wear every Easter?”

Lily laughed, remembering the sight of Clay and his brother, who was named Delbert after his mother’s favorite aunt, in their little handmade, itchy sailor suits. “It was nice of her to leave you both the ranch, to make up for the embarrassment.”

“I still have the pictures of us in those outfits somewhere.”

“Dad saved all of my baby pictures, too. They’re in one of my boxes. I’m sure I have some with the two of you in them. Oh! I remember this street! That oak tree has gotten huge! The house should be—Oh…boy.”