He smiled, which took a bit of the tension off of the conversation.
“I'm sure she's up there,” Lily said, looking up toward the clouds. In reality, she didn't know if she actually believed in heaven and hell, but wasn't about to argue something like that with Wyatt. If the thought of her still being around and watching over him made him feel better, then she was more than okay with it.
Wyatt looked up into the rear view mirror and chuckled. “Maggie has officially fallen asleep. I don't even think she made it through the beginning credits of that movie.”
Lily turned around in her seat to see Maggie with her head leaned back and her eyes closed. The music from the kid's movie filled the rear of the SUV and it must have been enough to lull her into dreamland.
“She's too cute for words,” Lily whispered.
She turned back around and let out a sigh, gazing out the side window.
“This was a fun afternoon,” she said.
“Agreed,” Wyatt replied.
They didn't say anything else for the rest of the drive. They just cruised down the highway, with kid's music as their sound track. To most people, it would have been boring. To Lily, though, it was the perfect way to spend the afternoon. She couldn't think of any other place in the world she would have rather been.
Chapter 8
Wyatt
Wyatt stood in front of the mirror in his bedroom. He could hear Lily and Maggie downstairs, talking and laughing as they made dinner together. It was like music to his ears.
Today was a good day, he thought. Somehow, I actually had fun going to the grocery store. I never thought that would happen. Not in a million years.
His phone buzzed in his pocket and he pulled it out to see an incoming call from his best friend, who also happened to be one of his partners in his business. He sighed as he gazed at the number. It was Saturday evening and not exactly a time when he felt like handling anything work-related. Despite that, though, he picked up the call. He wasn't the type to slack off when it came to his business.
“Hey, Derek,” he said, lifting the phone to his ear. “What's going on?”
“Wyatt, how are you?” Derek sounded excited, which usually meant he had either been drinking or had gotten laid. Sometimes it was both.
“I'm doing alright,” Wyatt replied, taking a seat onto the edge of his bed. “What's up?”
“Not a lot,” Derek said. “Except that I happen to have two court-side tickets to the Raccoon's game for tonight. It starts in half an hour. I'll come pick you up.”
Wyatt glanced at the clock. It was almost six. He stood up from his bed and without even thinking about it, headed to his closet to grab his jersey. He'd been a fan of the Raccoon basketball team since he was a kid. It had been over a year since he had attended a game, though. It was difficult for him to find the free time.
“Why the short notice?” Wyatt asked, pulling the red jersey out of his closet.
“Are you really complaining right now?” Derek replied, with a laugh. “Just shut up, get dressed and I'll pick you up.”
Wyatt chuckled and shook his head. It was typical Derek. They'd been friends for a long time. They had first met in college. It was freshman year and they'd been dorm mates. They had stayed in touch ever since graduation and when Derek made it big in the software industry, he decided to join Wyatt's company as an outside investor.
It was a win/win for everybody involved. Wyatt obtained huge financial support for his company's investments and Derek was able to make a pretty penny, too. Plus, the two best friends were able to hang out and still have fun because of it. It was the perfect excuse to get together and party like they were still in college. Only now, everywhere they went was a tax write off.
“Alright, well give me a few minutes.” Wyatt had the cell phone pressed against his ear with his shoulder. He was trying to change quickly into some jeans. He nearly fell over, though, as he hopped around on one foot while trying to get out of his slacks. “Just text me when you're here.”
“Sounds good,” Derek said, then immediately hung up the phone.
Wyatt changed quickly and opened his bedroom door to head downstairs. The intoxicating smell of a home-cooked meal entered his nostrils and he breathed it in.
“Something smells amazing,” he called out, making his way into the kitchen. When he turned the corner, he saw Lily and Maggie facing away from him as they prepared food on the counter. Lily was on the left, wearing black yoga pants and a white t-shirt. Maggie was right next to her, standing on a stool and putting vegetables into a bowl.
Lily turned around as Wyatt walked in. “I'm attempting to make my mother's eggplant Parmesan. I'm not sure if I'll get it right, since it's my first time. I hope it turns out okay.” Her eyes went up and down Wyatt as she spoke. “I didn't know you were a Raccoon fan. My dad loves that team.”
Wyatt ran his hands down the front of his jersey. “Your dad has good taste in basketball then.”
Lily smiled. “Well dinner should be ready in about an hour. Maggie has been working really hard to help me.”