Page 30 of Wine, Whiskey, & Lipstick 2

Once Ben saw Dillyn was fine, he felt more at ease. “I’m sure it was. Cat and Palmer are on the way.”

“I don’t want you all to worry. I’m fine. Although Cat’s car is probably totaled.”

“We don’t give a damn about the car. We can replace that.”

“Tell that to Cat. She’s going to have a fit.”

“Lucas called Zone Auto. They are towing it to the garage and will have a look. If she needs another car, we’ll buy her one.”

“You’re just a knight in shining armor, but that’s what insurance is for. We’ll figure it out.”

“As long as you’re good, I don’t care how we handle it.” Ben kissed the band-aid on her forehead. “What else did the doctor say?”

“Not much. They took some X-rays and stuff. We’re just waiting for the results.” Dillyn tried to move too quickly and winced in pain.

“You are not okay.”

“I promise I’m fine but I’ll be sore for a while.”

“What happened?” Ben had almost lost his shit after hearing Dillyn scream and the phone go dead.

Dillyn lifted a shoulder in a half-shrug. “I have no idea. Everything seemed fine. I didn’t realize the car was accelerating until I started going down the incline and around the curve.”

“The one about a quarter mile after you drive away from your property?”

“Yep. That one. But I didn’t start to freak out until the turnaround Jacob’s Landing came up. I wasn’t sure I could make that turn without flipping the car over.”

“You didn’t make the curve.”

“No, I didn’t. Luckily, it hit the guardrails, slowing the car down before it flipped over.”

“It did flip over.”

“I mean over the mountainside.”

Just thinking about it freaked Ben out. “I’m just glad you’re okay.”

“Me too,” Dillyn smirked. “I guess this means we’ll need to reschedule movie night.”

*****

It had been almost a week since Dillyn’s accident, and Ben hadn’t left her side since she came home from the hospital.

He was driving her insane.

“Have you called to make your follow-up appointment?” Ben’s eyes were downcast as he pretended to be engrossed in reading a text on his cell phone. His charming southern drawl and smooth baritone voice didn’t mask his frustration.

He asked causally, but Dillyn didn’t miss the notes of irritation. It may have gone over the heads of most, but not her. It was loud and clear.Nowas the answer, but she wasn’t ready to share that information.

Instead of responding, Dillyn remained mum. Her mind wasn’t fast enough to figure out exactly what to say.I need caffeine. Maybe a cup of dark roast with an extra shot of espresso. None of that decaf stuff.Not when her brain was fried, nerves were shot, and the beginnings of a headache were coming on.

Silence stretched between them as they walked toward the kitchen while Ben waited for an answer.

He glanced at her side profile and watched as an overactive vein pulsed at the base of her neck. She was nervous. Ben’sonlyconcern was ensuring that Dillyn and their baby were safe and healthy.Why was she dragging her feet?Ben honestly didn’t know since Dillyn had been acting so cagey. He was just about to push for an answer when a flash of his daughter’s angelic face appeared out of nowhere.

Ben stopped walking in mid-stride. He couldn’t move a single muscle.

It was Rylee.She was laughing and so full of life. Suddenly, he felt hot, and a small ache hit him center mass. Even though Ben knew it wasn't, her image looked real enough to touch. As much as it hurt to admit, Rylee was gone, and Ben would only ever be able to hold her in his heart. Still, he almost reached for her, but Rylee was gone as quickly as she appeared, like mist.

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