Divine Phoenix(Divine Creek Ranch 10)(16)

She made a beeline to the backdoor and had to shove it open because it had stuck. She placed her hand over the incision site when it twinged. The overgrown yard was empty. The rosebushes her mom had loved were gone, along with the flower beds they’d built. She remembered helping her mom out here when she’d pruned those bushes. Lily had always cringed, watching her mom cut them back to almost nothing, then had marveled each time the roses came back more vibrant and beautiful than before. No sign of the roses remained.

When they’d moved, it had been in a big hurry. Her dad had landed a big job in the oil fields in South Texas, and they’d had to move fast in order for him to start the job on time. Lily remembered crying for days. They’d stopped by the Cooks’ house, but they’d been away on a family vacation. They’d been in a hurry, and her dad didn’t know what their mailing address would be, so she had to leave a note to tell them she would write to them.

She’d done a good job of keeping in touch, sending letters and pictures, but as the years went by more time elapsed between the correspondences. Before she knew it, time had gotten away and a month and then a year had gone by with no communication.

Clay and his brother had occupied her thoughts often over the years, and she’d thought several times of writing to them to reestablish the connection. But she’d gone to college part-time and gotten a job, and soon so many years had gone by that she’d been embarrassed to reach out to them.

They had no other family in Divine and so no reason to ever return. The Realtor had sent a rental check for the house like clockwork and handled all maintenance issues for them. She’d always wondered what her parents had done with the house and now she knew.

“You’re going to need an electrician to look at the wiring,” Clay said from directly behind her. She jumped in fright and the incision throbbed. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you. I thought you heard me walk in. You okay? You look sad.”

Self-consciously, Lily crossed her arms over her chest and felt the heated blush rise in her cheeks. “I wasn’t a very good friend to you and Del. I should’ve tried harder to stay in touch. I’ll bet you thought I didn’t care about you.”

Clay let out a heavy sigh and turned her so she faced him. “Lily, we were seventh graders. When they left, you had to go with them. We missed you for a long time, but we didn’t hold it against you. We weren’t any better about keeping in touch than you were. So don’t blame yourself.”

“I never had friends as good as the two of you.”

Stroking her cheekbones lightly, he replied, “That doesn’t make me happy to hear it. You still had years of your childhood ahead of you.”

Lily shook her head and shrugged. “I got by. What did you find?”

“Your squirrel’s hoard of empty pecan shells, and unfortunately, evidence that they’ve chewed on the wiring up there.”

“Shoot. I guess I need to make a list.”

“Come on. We’ve seen everything we need to see. You can work on the list at home while you relax.”

Lily nodded and followed him out. While she locked the door, Clay picked up some pecans lying in the front yard and said, “You always had good pecan trees.”

“Grab a bunch,” she said, and then snickered. “I’ll crack your nuts at the house.”

It felt good to laugh as Clay cringed and grabbed his crotch in a completely juvenile gesture that would’ve made any seventh grade boy proud.





Chapter Five




Lily smiled when Clay pulled the truck up in front of his ranch-style house. It was a typical bachelor pad. Lived in, but clean and well maintained. Not a plant or bush or bit of color in sight. She took a closer look as Clay climbed from the truck and saw an interesting statue on the covered front porch.

“Ready to see your new home?”

“Yeah. Clay, you’re sure?”

“I’m positive. Let’s get you settled inside. It’s nearly supper time.”

The wind buffeted the leaves around the yard as he helped her from the truck. His gentlemanly conduct shouldn’t have taken her by surprise. Clay and Del’s parents had taught them good manners. Twelve years of disregard by her husband was going to take a while to undo. As they approached the house, she stopped to take in the burnished bronze sculpture on the porch. It was a fanciful rendition of a mythical phoenix bird, rising from a fiery nest of flames.

“Wow.”

“Not what you were expecting?”

“Actually, I would’ve expected a Western sculpture of a cowboy or horse or something more…”

“Masculine?” he asked with a guarded tone.