Page 17 of Wine, Whiskey, & Lipstick 2

“Okay. Now that that is settled, I should get you home.”

They were a reluctance to release each other from their embrace but did so anyway. While silently setting about gathering their things, both got lost in their own thoughts.

Ben put out the fire. If not for the moon, they would have been draped in almost complete darkness.

The darkness put Dillyn back on edge. Slowly, her eyes turned back to the spot just behind the brush where the coyotes had emerged and lingered. It was harder to make out anything now that the fire had been extinguished.

She sucked in a breath and blinked rapidly while trying to adjust her vision.

What was that?

Was her mind still playing a brutal trick on her? If she didn’t know any better, Dillyn would swear that standing at a distance was the outline of a dark shadowy figure.

She swallowed hard.

Ben was oblivious as he readied Whisper for the ride back home. Dillyn blinked and whatever was there was suddenly gone. She squinted harder.Had someone been there? Was it a person from their security team?

“You ready?” Ben held out his hand to help her onto Whisper.

Dillyn nodded. She was more than ready to return to her home's safety. As they rode away, Dillyn glanced back over her shoulder and shivered.

“You’re cold?” Ben asked as he tightened his arms around her.

“Um . . . a little.” Dillyn wished that was the truth. She couldn’t shake the feeling that someone had been watching them and wasstillwatching them.

Chapter 8

Lucas was standing on the porch with hat in hand when Ben and Dillyn rode up. It was apparent he’d been waiting for a while.

Dillyn didn’t smile or warmly welcome him because she was still pissed.

Lucas’s hands were stuffed into the front of his jeans pockets. “Hey. I see y’all went for a late-night ride?”

Ben leaned down and whispered into Dillyn’s ear. “Can you at least hear him out?”

Dillyn didn’t respond.

Ben had done his part. He’d helped all he could. It was up to Lucas to fix the mess he’d made. He got down off Whisper and then reached for Dillyn.

She leaned into his arms, and he helped her down.

Nervously, Lucas ran his fingers through his hair. “I know y’all are pissed at me, but I just wanted to stop by and say I’m sorry about last night.”

Dillyn rested her hands on her hips, “Sorry for what? Leading my best friend on when you’re not serious about her at all?”

“You’re wrong about that. I like Palmer a lot.”

“Then why was some other woman all over you?”

“Look, Dillyn, technically, I didn’t do anything wrong. Palmer and I are both single. However, I will explain my side because I’d rather have you as an ally than an enemy. Nothing is going on between me and Stephanie. I haven’t been interested in any other woman since I met Palmer. I’m trying to get to know her, but she hasn’t made it easy.”

“So, you’re blaming her for your shenanigans?”

“No, but we’re also not exclusive, even though I’d like to be.”

He had a point.

“Palmer and I have a real connection. I want to explore it. Only I’m not sure that she does. One minute, she acts like she’s really into me, and the next, she acts like I’m disposable.”

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