Clayton gave her hip a pat and said, “In you go, Lydi.”
She pinned up her hair and then did as he asked, sighing luxuriously as she climbed into the big tub. “Are you going to join me?”
Chance said, “No, baby. We’re going to shower, and then we have preparations to make.” Squatting down at the side of the tub, he asked, “You’re sure you want to do this, this afternoon?”
Lydia nodded and earnestly looked into his eyes. “I’ll beg if I have to.”
Chance smiled at her and shook his head. “You are an amazing woman, Lydia. You could have us wrapped around your little finger and you still ask so sweetly. How could I deny you anything?”
She leaned toward him and kissed him then said, “I love you, handsome.”
Clayton stood at the door, and when Chance rose to leave Clayton said, “Stay in the tub and soak, Lydi. We’ll come get you when we’re ready. Just relax for now.
Clayton kept her guessing at times. He seemed to appreciate it when she was direct in asking for what she wanted from him, but there were times when he was equally straightforward and she liked that very much, too.
She heard movement in the house on the stairs, and the showers came on in the men’s bathroom. Thunder rumbled again in the distance, seeming a little closer than last time. The heat seeped into her muscles, and her body gradually went limp against the sloped side of the tub. She was glad she’d taken the weekend off and not done any work. A couple of days off had been just what she’d needed, but she attributed the languid, relaxed state she was in to her men.
She thought of the book she’d brought downstairs and was relieved she hadn’t embarrassed them by revealing that she knew about its presence. In thinking about it, she realized that they were indeed recreating the scene from the book. The ranchers left their lady to soak in a tub of hot, scented water, while they made their preparations. Smiling lazily, she waited for the next act. She was dimly aware of her phone signaling an incoming text message from its place on her bedside table, but she chose to ignore it. Anyone texting her now was waiting until tonight for a return call.
* * * *
Ace laid his phone in the console of the Hummer as he drove toward Divine. He’d texted Lydia from Discretion’s parking lot before heading home with Summer. She smiled at him from the passenger seat.
“Don’t worry. She’ll call you when she can,” she said quietly, then pointed out the window. “Look at that.”
It had been an arid summer and dried-up corn shucks swirled inside a dust devil in a plowed-under field just outside of town. He slowed as the speed limit dropped on the edge of town.
The sky was dark, and thunderstorms had been predicted in the area. Ace felt a sense of anticipation as though the elements were gathering strength for a real storm that might finally end the dry spell. Too many farmers had already plowed their unproductive crops under for it to help them, but the break in the weather and high temperatures would be a welcome change.
Divine was quiet this Sunday afternoon, with not much traffic moving. Everyone tried to stay indoors on these days where the temperature soared into the triple digits by noon.
“Grace told me that she met Chance and Clayton’s new girlfriend. Maya brought her into the store yesterday after I left to meet you for lunch. They said she’s a sweetheart and very pretty. She offered to cook for Maya’s wedding reception.”
“Oh, yeah?” he asked absentmindedly. He wondered how Lydia was doing and felt increasingly guilty about putting off calling her. She must be at work or she would have called him by now. He decided he would call back and leave a message when they got to the house, asking her to get in touch with him immediately. He needed to get this over with because it was really bugging him.
He was honestly happy for Chance and Clayton Carlisle. “They’re good guys.”
Ace thought they deserved someone to love them the way Summer loved him and Kemp. Life was so much better with her in it. He squeezed her hand and she squeezed back.
“Can we stop at Batson’s?” Summer suddenly asked. “I just remembered we’re out of coffee.”
“Sure.” He hit the blinker and pulled into the parking lot in the next block up.
“I’ll be right back. Coffee is all we need,” she said as she opened the door and quickly climbed from the vehicle. She’d moved so fast that he didn’t have time to get out and open it for her.
With the air conditioner running, he watched the front of the store, waiting for her pretty blonde head to come into view at the cashier stand so he could catch the door for her when she came back out.