hard.
Delilah turned with a sheaf of papers in her hand. “Here’s the—” She broke off at the sight of Willy’s hand tangled around Lilly’s hair. “Well, well, Romeo. Now we know the truth. You have a thing for blondes,” she said with a smile. “Pretty, long-haired blondes. I didn’t think I’d have to start watching you in that area so soon.” She untangled Lilly’s hair and put him on her hip. “Sorry. Here’s the report,” she said, handing over the sheaf of papers. “It should make you sleep better about our profits.”
Unsettled by seeing Delilah with a baby, Lilly shrugged. “I’ll study it carefully.”
“You do that,” Delilah drawled with more than a hint of amusement in her voice.
Lilly couldn’t stand the woman’s confidence. She seemed to have so much of it, when Lilly had none. Lilly had no doubt that Delilah had been brought up without the finer things including a college education, but she had so much confidence she fairly oozed it. Lilly resented her for it.
“I’ll be checking on things from now on,” Lilly told her.
“By all means,” Delilah said with a careless wave of her hand. “I’m surprised you have time though. I’d have thought Robert Huntington would have popped the question and you would be busy with his campaign.”
Lilly felt her cheeks heat. Delilah had to know that she had just struck Lilly at her most vulnerable point. The woman wasn’t just confident. She was vicious. “That’s my personal business,” she said.
Delilah’s eyes rounded. “Oh, well excuse me. I thought the deed was done. Robert’s a bit slower than I had thought.”
Lilly immediately rose to his defense. “Robert is a man of integrity and honor. He wouldn’t make this kind of decision lightly.”
Delilah nodded. “I guess I can see that. Probably runs in the family,” she muttered. “Amazing though, it doesn’t matter if they have honor or not, you can’t let them think you’re waiting by the phone. But I’m sure you already know that.”
“Of course,” Lilly said with far more confidence than she felt. “I’m sure I’ll see you again soon.”
Delilah gave a smile that didn’t reach her eyes. “I’m sure you will.” She glanced down at Willy and smiled genuinely. “Wave bye-bye, sweetie.”
Willy waved and Lilly would have to have been made of stone not to wave and smile in return. Tossing her hair over her shoulder, she strode outside to her Beemer. As much as she detested Delilah, the maneater had unwittingly planted some ideas about what she needed to do with Robert.
Her cell phone rang to the tune of Beethoven’s Fifth, and she instinctively reached for it. She glanced at the Caller ID. Robert. He was probably calling her at the last minute to meet him for dinner. She wrinkled her nose. She and Old Faithful had a lot in common.
Her finger hovered over the button to answer while Delilah’s words echoed in her mind, Don’t be so available . It killed her not to answer. By the time the phone stopped ringing, she was nearly hyperventilating. She wasn’t sure she was cut out to be a maneater. She didn’t have the constitution for it. Just not answering the phone made her feel like she needed to run to the bathroom from nerves.
What if Robert never called again? What if he called someone else to join him for the fundraiser at the country club? Sweating, she closed her eyes and stiffened her backbone. This was ridiculous.
If Delilah Montague could wrap her wily father around her finger, then Lilly should be able to rope Robert Huntington. Perhaps he just needed a little prod.
Feeling like a conniving she-devil, she listened to the message Robert had left. As expected, he’d invited her to the fundraiser tonight. She dialed the number for the executor of her father’s estate and asked if he could recommend an escort for the evening. In fifteen minutes, she had a date.
She hoped her bladder would survive the evening. She would stash a paper bag and
Delilah turned with a sheaf of papers in her hand. “Here’s the—” She broke off at the sight of Willy’s hand tangled around Lilly’s hair. “Well, well, Romeo. Now we know the truth. You have a thing for blondes,” she said with a smile. “Pretty, long-haired blondes. I didn’t think I’d have to start watching you in that area so soon.” She untangled Lilly’s hair and put him on her hip. “Sorry. Here’s the report,” she said, handing over the sheaf of papers. “It should make you sleep better about our profits.”
Unsettled by seeing Delilah with a baby, Lilly shrugged. “I’ll study it carefully.”
“You do that,” Delilah drawled with more than a hint of amusement in her voice.
Lilly couldn’t stand the woman’s confidence. She seemed to have so much of it, when Lilly had none. Lilly had no doubt that Delilah had been brought up without the finer things including a college education, but she had so much confidence she fairly oozed it. Lilly resented her for it.
“I’ll be checking on things from now on,” Lilly told her.
“By all means,” Delilah said with a careless wave of her hand. “I’m surprised you have time though. I’d have thought Robert Huntington would have popped the question and you would be busy with his campaign.”
Lilly felt her cheeks heat. Delilah had to know that she had just struck Lilly at her most vulnerable point. The woman wasn’t just confident. She was vicious. “That’s my personal business,” she said.
Delilah’s eyes rounded. “Oh, well excuse me. I thought the deed was done. Robert’s a bit slower than I had thought.”
Lilly immediately rose to his defense. “Robert is a man of integrity and honor. He wouldn’t make this kind of decision lightly.”
Delilah nodded. “I guess I can see that. Probably runs in the family,” she muttered. “Amazing though, it doesn’t matter if they have honor or not, you can’t let them think you’re waiting by the phone. But I’m sure you already know that.”
“Of course,” Lilly said with far more confidence than she felt. “I’m sure I’ll see you again soon.”
Delilah gave a smile that didn’t reach her eyes. “I’m sure you will.” She glanced down at Willy and smiled genuinely. “Wave bye-bye, sweetie.”
Willy waved and Lilly would have to have been made of stone not to wave and smile in return. Tossing her hair over her shoulder, she strode outside to her Beemer. As much as she detested Delilah, the maneater had unwittingly planted some ideas about what she needed to do with Robert.
Her cell phone rang to the tune of Beethoven’s Fifth, and she instinctively reached for it. She glanced at the Caller ID. Robert. He was probably calling her at the last minute to meet him for dinner. She wrinkled her nose. She and Old Faithful had a lot in common.
Her finger hovered over the button to answer while Delilah’s words echoed in her mind, Don’t be so available . It killed her not to answer. By the time the phone stopped ringing, she was nearly hyperventilating. She wasn’t sure she was cut out to be a maneater. She didn’t have the constitution for it. Just not answering the phone made her feel like she needed to run to the bathroom from nerves.
What if Robert never called again? What if he called someone else to join him for the fundraiser at the country club? Sweating, she closed her eyes and stiffened her backbone. This was ridiculous.
If Delilah Montague could wrap her wily father around her finger, then Lilly should be able to rope Robert Huntington. Perhaps he just needed a little prod.
Feeling like a conniving she-devil, she listened to the message Robert had left. As expected, he’d invited her to the fundraiser tonight. She dialed the number for the executor of her father’s estate and asked if he could recommend an escort for the evening. In fifteen minutes, she had a date.
She hoped her bladder would survive the evening. She would stash a paper bag and
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