Page 45 of Kiss Me at Midnight
“You want truths?” Jud’s arms tightened around her. “We may be breaking up tomorrow night, but I’m serious about taking you to dinner this weekend.”
“I don’t know.”
Jud drew back, staring at her. “Explain.”
“I’m comfortable with this fake relationship because I know there’s no pressure for more than kisses.”
“I told you I’m a patient man. You can trust me. Say yes, Lily. Say yes to weekend dinners with me.”
Lily nodded, because Jud seemed to expect her to.
But increasingly, she felt he was hiding something in that conversation Rachel had caught on camera. Increasingly, she felt as if her heart was going to break tomorrow night.
For real.
Chapter Nine
“Ma’ams.” Someone knocked on Lily’s door far too early in the morning. “There’s someone here to see you.”
“If it’s Abe, tell him to make a lunch appointment.” Grandma Dotty rolled over and pulled the covers over her head. “And bring an egg salad sandwich.”
“Who is it?” Lily put on her glasses, pulled on a bathrobe and went to the door.
The porter pointed to the porthole. “You can see them from your window. We’re under strict orders not to let anyone else on board. Ms. Cohen and her fiancé have already disembarked.”
Lily thanked him, closed the door, and climbed on her bed to look out the porthole. She gasped. “Time to rise and shine, Grandma Dotty. My sisters are here.” Without waiting for an answer, Lily hurried to get dressed and ready to face her well-meaning, meddling sisters. She wore the flowery Stella McCartney pants Marta had loaned her and a flowing blue blouse.
Jud met them in the hallway. He wore a forest green polo and khaki shorts. “I heard you have visitors. Let’s get out of here for the day.”
Our last day.
There would be no dates this weekend. Lily needed honesty in a man and she couldn’t shake the feeling that Jud wasn’t telling her something.
“Jud, dear, I…” Grandma Dotty seemed to be choosing her words carefully, for once. “Are you sure you want to accompany us? Some men find Lily’s sisters to be a…a handful.”
Lily shrugged. “It’s his funeral.” They’d submit him to the Kissing Test, for sure. And even though Lily wanted to believe he’d pass, it might be better if he didn’t.
“Now I’m nervous.” Jud tried to make light of it. “Do your sisters have superpowers?”
“Something like that,” Lily agreed. She led them to the stairwell, up a floor and then down the gang plank to the dock.
Wisps of fog still clung to the water and shrubbery on the shoreline, but it promised to be a nice sunny day. The marina was full of yachts and people disembarking, heading toward shore.
“It’s about time.” Violet looked tired, her red blouse was as wilted as her hair. She enfolded Lily into her arms. “My twin spidey sense was doing double-time yesterday after that post Rachel made. Your hair looks marvelous.” She stepped back to take her in. “And those trousers are fantastic. They make you look so happy.”
“Looks can be deceiving,” Lily murmured, causing Violet’s eyebrows to skyrocket.
“We took the red-eye.” Aubrey was next in line for a hug, easing Violet out of the way. She wore a blue polka dot dress over a pair of tights and black booties. She nodded toward Jud. “Is that the target?”
“There’s nothing here to target,” Lily told her, moving on to hug her youngest sister Maggie, who wore a black T-shirt, black jeans, and work boots.
“I hope you’re wrong,” Maggie said in a sour voice. “I lost a night of sleep because of you. I can’t sleep on planes.”
“Where’s Kitty?” Lily asked before realizing the topic of their older sister was still taboo with Maggie.
“Kitty is interviewing at a hospital near Beck’s horse breeding farm,” Grandma Dotty said plainly, as if not remembering that Kitty had contributed to Maggie being stood up at the altar by Beck.
Pain flashed across Maggie’s face.
