ChapterSeven
Four days had passed, and Lilly was finding it a little bit easier each day to cope.
The storm had been immense and hadn’t stopped for those four days. Several feet of white, crystalline powder covered the ground, the scene breathtaking in its beauty.
She hadn’t been able to leave because the roads were closed. Plow trucks hadn’t been able to clear the streets because the snow had just kept coming, especially this high in the mountains.
Being snowed in wasn’t so bad, especially since she was with Riley and Tallin. Luckily, she had forgotten to take a bag of clothes out of her trunk when she arrived in Burkett.
It was like old times, like one giant adult slumber party, although they were missing one person.
Lilly would wake up in the middle of the night, crying so forcibly that it had been hard to catch her breath. As the days progressed, she was crying a little less until she was feeling the strength grow inside of her.
The anguish was still there, but she realized the more time she spent with Tallin and Riley, the more the pain was tolerable.
She knew that if she went back to Denver, she would crumble and the grief and pain would be too much for her to cope with. She was just so thankful that she had two incredible men in her life.
The three of them worked together, drawing strength from one another and making sure they each got through it.
Lilly padded barefoot into the bathroom connected to the guest room she was staying in. It housed a Jacuzzi in the corner and lots of shiny tile and marble. The tub was her favorite amenity at Riley’s place.
She looked at herself in the mirror and ran her finger under her eyes. Although she rarely wore makeup, she wished she had some cover-up to hide the dark circles under them at least. Lilly ran a brush over her hair, the straight, light strands lying lifeless on her shoulders.
She grabbed an elastic tie, put her hair in a ponytail, and smoothed her hands down the thin cotton t-shirt and fleece pants she wore. She turned off the light, walked over to the dresser that sat off to the side, pulled the top drawer open, and grabbed a pair of socks.
Riley kept the house extremely warm, so the thin material of her clothing, even though it was ten degrees outside, kept her comfortable.
It was barely eight in the morning, but she knew they would be up. Tallin usually woke before the sun even rose, and Lilly assumed it was because of all of his years in the military.
She could smell bacon when she reached the top of the stairs, and, despite not having much of an appetite lately, she found her mouth watering and her stomach grumbling.
She descended the stairs and walked into the kitchen, seeing Riley behind the stove and Tallin sitting at the table with a cup of coffee in his hand.
“Something smells good.”
They both regarded her and smiled. She walked to Riley and gave him a hug, then did the same to Tallin. She sat across from him and poured herself a glass of orange juice from the carafe sitting on the table.
It was fresh squeezed, but then again, Riley never did anything half ass.
“Are you hungry, sweetheart?”
She turned her attention to Riley as he brought over two plates and set them on the table. Bacon and eggs filled one plate and pancakes and waffles the other. She wasn’t surprised to see the spread. During the week, Riley had made every meal like this.
That she hadn’t had an appetite and hadn’t been able to fully enjoy it was just a shame.
Tallin grabbed a plate, added a little bit of everything on it, and then handed it over to her. She raised her eyebrows as she took it. “I’m a big girl, Tallin. I could have gotten my own plate,” she teased.
“You’ve lost weight. I can tell. You need to eat more protein.”
She looked down at herself, knowing her clothes were a little looser but embarrassed he’d actually noticed. “Thanks,” she mumbled as she reached across the table. Tallin’s hand landed on hers as she grabbed the bottle of maple syrup. She lifted her eyes to his.
“I didn’t mean any offense. It’s just that you’re going to get sick. I’m just worried about you.”
She breathed out and nodded. “I know. It’s just that with everything that has been going on, my appetite has been pretty nonexistent. I’m starting to feel better though, and I’m actually hungry this morning.”
His nod was tight and quick, but he still examined her eyes and kept his hand on hers.
She stared into his bright blue eyes, and her heartbeat accelerated with an emotion she wasn’t too comfortable with. It was a feeling she didn’t want to explore too much into, because that would be crossing a line.