Page 31 of Wandering Closer

“You’re the local expert, surprise me. I haven’t had the chance to explore the local restaurants much yet.”

He pulls open the passenger door for me, ushering me in. Once I’m seated, he leans in and buckles my seatbelt for me, then places my purse on my lap. Those butterflies I just mentioned never having felt were taking flight in droves. When he hops in on his side and buckles up, he flashes me a heart stopping grin.

“I know just the place.”

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

thoren

Lily’s vanilla scent hit me when I buckled her into the truck, and now I am salivating over it. She smells warm, like freshly made muffins on an autumn day. She looks so pretty today, but then again, I always think she does.

“Thanks for coming today, and I’m sorry about Sherry. We grew up together and she’s one of the volunteers on my SAR team. She’s unique.”

“She is certainly something,” Lily mumbles under her breath.

Unique isn’t the word I want to use, but I don’t want to call her a bitch even if she was one today. Seeing her car pull up this morning sent a full body shiver through me in the worst way. I was Pavlov’s dog and everytime she came near it put a grimace on my face and my balls shriveled up. There was a moment where I sensed a look of jealousy on Lily’s face when Sherry put her hands on me and I hated it. I need to set the record straight because even if my blood heats at the thought of her being jealous over me, I don’t play games like that.

“Just to clarify, there is nothing, has never been anything, nor ever will be anything between her and I,” I tell her as I pull into a parking spot in town.

A blush travels up her cheeks as she unbuckles, changing the subject. “Michele told me that. Where are we going for lunch?” Dainty hands reach to open the truck door.

My hand snaps out to squeeze her knee before I can stop it. “Wait.” I hop out and jog around to her side, opening the door for her. I love the way those pink cheeks are now a rosy red as I hold my hand out and help her down.

“Thank you.”

“When you ride with me, you never open your own door, understand?” She sucks in a breath when I cup her face, but I don’t move until she nods. “Good girl,” I clasp her small hand in mine. “I thought we could go to a staple around here. Cedar Ridge has a Bavarian history, and what comes with that is beer and brats. Is that okay?”

Her face lights up as we walk into the outdoor seating area of Munchen Garten. “I’ve been wanting to eat here! You have to tell me what to get on my brat like a real local.”

“Do you trust me?” I seat her at a small picnic table.

“Yes.” Her confident reply makes me preen.

“Okay, I’ll be right back.”

I wait in line at the ordering window, ready to blow her mind with the best beer and brat combination she will ever have. Today is turning out to be amazing. I got DeWitt on the phone this morning and she was everything River promised. Understanding and kind, but with a bit of an edge to her. She agreed to tell Lily that she would be working pro bono and send me the bill, so that was a huge bonus. Then I got to do one of my favorite parts of my job, and now here I am having lunch with Lily.

When the line clears, I place our order and wait for them at the next window. I ordered us pork brats with apple cider sauerkraut and a crisp pilsner on the side. By far the best things on the menu in my opinion, and all of it is made locally.

With food and beer in hand, I walk straight to our table. Lily’s eyes widen when I place hers in front of her and she sees the size of the sausage. She digs right in, taking a monstrous bite without testing if she might like it first.

My dick stirs watching her wrap her pink lips around it, and all the blood rushes south when that’s followed by her shoulders sinking into a low moan.Fuck.Watching sauerkraut drip onto her chin should not be turning me on like this. Reaching for my beer, I drink down a few gulps, trying to think of anything but the show in front of me.

“This is amazing,” she says after swallowing her bite. “Thank you, Thoren. This might be the best sausage I have ever had in my mouth.”

Beer flies from my mouth as I sputter, trying to remember how to breathe. I grab a napkin from the table, wiping my face and the mess I made, coughing up the rest of the beer. The tips of my ears feel hot as I face Lily who looks beyond proud of herself for that comment. I raise an eyebrow at her, but she just shrugs it off.

“You were quiet over there, not even touching your food yet. I thought I would perk you up,” she giggles.

“It perked something up.”

She changes the subject quickly. I like that she’s getting bolder with her words, but that bravery never seems to last long. “I thought about the lawyer. Thank you for finding one for me. I would like to talk with her, and maybe meet with her. Is she local?”

“She’s in Seattle. River sent me his home game schedule for the month, maybe we can kill two birds with one stone. Go to his game and you can meet with Kinsley DeWitt?” I slide my phone from my pocket and open our text thread. “I’m sending you her phone number and the home schedule. When you call her, see ifthere are any of those dates where she could meet with you, and we can go from there.”

I was hoping that it would work out this way. I want to be there for her through all of this. This isn’t something she should have to go through alone, and I want to protect Lily. She needs a safe harbor, someone to hold her and give her strength when things get tough. I don’t want her to have to see the lawyer alone, and this way I can be there if she needs me.

“Thank you, for all of this. The lawyer, helping me with my book, going to Seattle with me, being my friend. It all means so much to me,” she says, placing her hand on mine.

---