It was Delilah’s turn to frown. “He hasn’t?”
“Not a word. I have mentioned it a few times and he acts surprised that the two of you are spending time together. He clams right up and says nothing.”
Ouch. The knowledge bruised her a little bit. Delilah didn’t know what to think about her sister’s statement. Was Mac keeping her a secret from his brother? And if so, why? She felt a little deflated about Mac’s possible reasons for not discussing her with Blue. Perhaps he viewed her as nothing special, someone who was just a passing fancy. That had to be it! Otherwise, Blue would be aware of their relationship. If she could even call it a relationship.
“Let’s go in the kitchen. I’ll put Faith in her crib and then I’ll put the stir fry on.” Sarah scooped Faith up in her arms and walked down the hall to her nursery. Delilah trailed after her. She stood in the doorway watching as her sister softly hummed to her baby girl. Faith’s eyes began to droop as Sarah rocked her in her arms. Within minutes Faith was asleep and Sarah lowered her gently into the antique crib. As soon as she placed Faith down, Sarah turned up the volume on the baby monitor.
Sarah tiptoed to the door, then closed it behind her. She sagged against the wall and blew out a deep breath. “Whew. It’s been a long day. Let me put that stir fry on. I’m famished.”
“Why don’t you let me do the stir fry while you sit down and relax,” Delilah suggested.
“Seriously?” Sarah asked with wide eyes. “I invited you to dinner, not the other way around.”
Delilah could see the tell-tale signs of fatigue etched on Sarah’s face. Having a baby wasn’t easy by any means. Interrupted sleep. Crying jags. Constant diaper changes. She knew that as much as Sarah adored Faith she was still worn down and tired.
“Sit down, “Delilah ordered. She pulled her sister by the arm and forced her to sit down at the kitchen counter. Delilah took two glasses from the shelf and placed both down on the counter. She turned toward the fridge and took a quick look inside before pulling out a pitcher of lemonade. Within minutes the ladies were enjoying lively conversation as they drank lemonade and Delilah whipped up some stir fry and rice on the stove. A quick look in the fridge confirmed there were enough ingredients for a healthy salad.
Delilah took plates down and placed them on the table along with utensils and napkins. She served up the food piping hot. She’d made the salad in a huge wooden bowl. As they sat across from each other at the table, Delilah couldn’t help but think of their childhood and all of those nights when they would make dinner for themselves when their parents were working late. Those moments had forged an unbreakable bond between the two sisters. Nothing or no one could ever separate them.
The sisters ate with gusto, devouring the meal as if they hadn’t eaten in days. It was nice, Delilah thought, to share this moment with Sarah. Being a new mother and a new wife meant that Sarah’s time was limited. Being here with Sarah was allowing her to enjoy sister time.
“So, I’m dying of curiosity,” Sarah said in a breathless voice. “Do you think you and Mac have a shot at something lasting? Or is this just killing time?”
Delilah stopped eating mid-bite. Her stomach clenched up. Killing time? Ugh. She hated the sound of that. It sounded so casual and unimportant. Her feelings for Mac were neither of those things. But, at the moment, she really had no idea how Mac felt about their relationship. Sarah’s revelation about Blue not knowing about their dating status bugged her more than she could even put into words. It was a red flag for her, one that she needed to heed before she got hurt.
“He’s a great person, Sarah,” Delilah said. “But things are very new between us, and to be honest, I’m not sure I want to throw my heart in the ring again. Been there, done that.”
Sarah narrowed her gaze as she gave her sister the once-over. “Mmm hmm. Sounds like you’re gun shy, which is understandable, but not very fair to Mac.” She tapped her finger on her chin. “Just remember that you have to be in it to win it.”
Delilah rolled her eyes. “Oh brother. You sound like Mom.” She took a bite of her meal then giggled. They had always promised never to spout Mom-isms. Or wear Mom jeans.
“Mom always did have pearls of wisdom,” Sarah said, wiping her mouth with her napkin, then taking a long sip of her lemonade. “Even if we didn’t fully appreciate it when we were kids.”
“Yes. We’ve been very fortunate.”
“Lilah, you do realize that your past relationships shouldn’t carry over to your present. You had a string of bad luck. You dated the wrong men. You’re older now. Wiser. If Blue and I had stayed stuck in the past we would never have reunited or gotten married.”