The bed was so close. And yet so totally not going to happen. Nathan had to shove all that desire away and force himself to step back before anything went any further and they were discovered, or it went too far.

He sought words as they both stared at each other in the low light.

“You keep doing that.” Her voice was a strained whisper.

“I know. And you keep liking it.”

“I know. But you can’t do it anymore.” She grabbed her bag and moved to the door.

“I can and I will, Lily. I’ve watched you all day. I watch the way you move, listen to the way you talk. You smell good. You feel even better. This is meant to happen. You know it and I know it.”

She groaned and moved from the room quickly while he struggled to regain his composure. Want had him fisting his hands to keep from touching her again, to keep from running after her. This had to be step-by-step or he’d mess it up. He could wait. Because they would end up in bed. It was going to happen whether she wanted to admit it to herself or not. He just had to be patient.

But she was so gorgeous and soft. Fire in her eyes, kindness to her brother in her words and deeds. Patience was a challenge like never before. It wasn’t as if he came by it naturally. God knew his parents had none. They did what they wanted whenever they wanted it. And he wasn’t that sort of man and Lily sure as hell wasn’t that sort of woman.

And so he’d wait and bide his time. She was worth it and so was he.

When he joined everyone outside some minutes later, she’d left with Chris. He felt her absence. He wouldn’t have a month ago. But he did now.

“So, you know what I noticed?” Matt asked as Nathan rejoined them at the card table.

“No. But you’re going to tell me, so let’s get it over with.”

Shane snorted a laugh.

“You were gone at the same time Lily went in to get her stuff.”

“I said goodbye to her inside.”

“Yeah, I’m sure you did.” For some reason Shane thought this was hilarious.

“You want her back, obviously. Oh don’t get that look on your face, of course Tate told me about before.” Matt laid his hand down and everyone groaned at the cards. “I saw my momma talking to her earlier. Your Lily. I’m going to take a guess that it was a push toward you. She’s good at that.”

“Your mother is a force of nature.” Nathan looked at his hand and then back up to Matt. “She cornered me a few days ago. Asked me what my intentions toward Lily were and that I shouldn’t toy with a woman as fine as Lily if I didn’t mean to be with her for good.”

“Course she did.” Matt looked to his brothers, who all shrugged back Nathan’s way. “She was instrumental in the wooing plan for all us boys. So you plan to woo Lily then?”

“She’s not a woman prone to rash decisions. And her reasons for holding me at bay are good ones. Especially when Chris is in my class. The boy has had enough to deal with and she’s right to put him first. Lord knows no one else in that family has.” He looked at his hand and tossed two cards down to exchange. “Wooing is a good term. She needs a slow seduction because I messed up before. She doesn’t trust me all the way.”

“You the same guy you were nearly seven years ago?” Matt asked.

“Neither of us are the same people we were then. She’s matured a great deal. Grown into herself. She’s a confident woman. I like that. She’s got a strong sense of what she needs to do and I respect that. I’m older and hopefully wiser. The truth is, I was an idiot before. We were broken up. I didn’t truly appreciate what I had. And then she was gone and my life went on and so did hers. Now she’s back here in Petal and we both have so much to offer one another.”

“So you were friends before? I mean before you ended up together the first time?”

“She was my little sister’s best friend. She had Beth stay over at her house a lot. I saw that as a way to keep Beth safe from my father. So mainly I just thought she was a nice kid and all. Until I saw her later. In college. She’d grown up.” He grinned. “Filled out. We started going out after a pool party a friend had planned. When she came out of the water, glistening and wet…she had on a blue bikini. I can still remember it. Polka dots. Christ. Anyway, no more thinking of her as my little sister’s friend. We were friends and then we were lovers and then we were nothing and I’ve missed her over the years.”

Matt nodded. “The power of seeing those boobs in a bikini would be an awesome one I bet. So you gonna be her friend then first?”

“That’s the plan. But I can’t seem to stop kissing her every time I get her alone. I don’t kiss my friends. Not like that. So yes, I want to be friends again and then lovers, but the not-kissing part is impossible.”

“Here’s what we’re going to do.” Matt laid his cards down again much to everyone’s annoyance. “I know the Murphys are in on the whole woo thing. I know my momma is too. I propose the Chases and the Murphys unite and make this happen.”

Nathan laughed and leaned in. “All right. Here’s my general plan.”

Chapter Seven

“I don’t see why you can’t be around more often. Mom needs the help and you’re freeloading.” Nancy was seated at the kitchen table when Lily walked through her door.

Who was freeloading? Boy did Nancy pick the wrong day to be self-centered. She’d just returned from the counselor’s office where they’d discussed ways for Lily to broach her mother’s substance-abuse issues. She was wrung out and emotionally on edge.