Page 29 of Wine, Whiskey, & Lipstick 2

Ben closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. “C’mon Dillyn. I thought we agreed to stay out of their business.”

“Technically, we are not in their business. I’m inviting my boyfriend and his family for a movie night.”

Ben ran a hand down the back of his head. “We need to let sleeping dogs lie. They’ll figure it out, or they won’t.”

“I don’t own a dog, so I don’t know what that means.” Dillyn smiled inwardly. “Anyway, this is a well-thought-out plan I devised about fifteen minutes ago.”

“This is going to blow up in our face.”

Dillyn wasn’t above pleading. “Maybe, but Palmer . . .” She chose her words carefully. “Hasn’t been Palmer lately, and Lucas wants to spend time with her. This could work.”

It could also be one giant clusterfuck.Ben released a few curses underneath his breath that Dillyn couldn’t make out.

It was time for her to pull out the big guns. Dillyn wasn’t above begging. “Please.Support me on this.”

“I can’t support this, but I won’t stand in your way. I’ll extend the invitation. If they want to come great, I can’t guarantee they will.”

“That works!” Dillyn said quickly. “I’ll take whatever help I can get. And I’m sure Lucas will appreciate having another shot with Palmer.”

“Yeah. Maybe.” Dillyn had a point, but Ben wasn’t going to encourage her.

Dillyn took a curve too fast. She pressed down on the brake to slow it down, but it maintained its current speed. “Wow!” Dillyn glanced out of her window only to stare at a steep drop over the side of a mountain.

There was a heightened anxiety in her voice, “Ben?”

“Hmm . . .”

As the car straightened from going around the curve, it accelerated in speed. Dillyn stepped on the brakes again, but the car was not slowing down.

Ben could hear her breathing. “Dillyn?”

She couldn’t speak. Her words were caught in her throat as she shifted to full-on freak-out mode. The car was moving at a dizzying pace and Dillyn could barely keep control.

“Oh shit!” There was another curve coming up. There was no way she would be able to make it. Dillyn gripped the steering wheel hard as she pushed the brake pedal to the floor.

“Oh my god!”

Ben stood. “What? Tell me what’s wrong?”

She spoke in broken sentences. “I can’t. Stope. The brakes. Aren’t working!”

He had to have misunderstood. “What?!”

“They’re not working! I’m pressing it to the floor and . . . OH MY GAWWD!”

Dillyn released a blood-curdling scream, and the line went dead.

Chapter 14

Dillyn sat on the edge of the hospital bed swinging her feet, waiting for the doctor to bring her test results, when Ben came rushing into the room.

He had broken every law to get to her in record time. He cradled her head in the palms, “I got here as soon as possible. Are you okay?”

“The baby and I are fine.” She smiled weakly as she captured his wrists in her hands. “I’ve just got a few scrapes and bruises.”

“Thank God.” Ben gave her a full once over as if to make sure himself. “Are you sure?”

She sighed, “Yeah. They gave me the whole internal exam.” Dillyn wrinkled up her nose. “That was fun.”

---