valium in her evening purse.
The average person kisses only two weeks of their lives. If the average lifespan is 76.9 years, we’re wasting a lot of time.
—D ELILAH’S D ICTUM
Chapter 8
R obert Huntington greeted so many people the faces began to blur until he saw Lilly. He reached for her hand and smiled.
“Lilly!” he said, with a mixture of surprise and relief. “I was beginning to think you wouldn’t make it.”
Her hand felt stiff and her face looked flushed.
“Is something wrong? Are you not feeling well?” he asked. That would explain why she hadn’t returned his call.
“I’m fine. I didn’t get your call until—” She broke off and shrugged. “I’m um here with—” She broke off again and cleared her throat. “Robert, this is Greg Weatherby. I met him through the executor of my father’s estate.”
Robert automatically extended his hand to the young man at Lilly’s side, but his brain paused. “Nice to meet you, Greg. Glad to have you here tonight.”
“I was glad Lilly could join me,” Greg said, smiling at Lilly.
Somewhere deep inside, Robert felt an odd discomfort. It was as if someone had moved the furniture in his bedroom without telling him. He didn’t have time to figure it out now. “You like to play golf?” Robert asked. After months of campaigning, he was an expert with safe questions.
“Always. I’m still shooting for under par three times in a row. Work interferes.”
“What do you do?” Robert asked casually, aware that he was spending more than the recommended three minutes with Lilly’s escort. He assessed Greg, drawing comfort from the fact that her escort was shorter than he was. Odd as hell thought.
“Estate attorney with Long & Forrester.”
An attorney. Robert stood straighter. “Really? Where’d you graduate?”
“Yale. You?”
“Texas born and bred,” Robert said, distracted by a strange competitive urge. “UT. You two enjoy yourselves. Lilly,” he said with a nod and moved onto the next couple.
He was expected to deliver a stirring, yet entertaining speech tonight. He had also expected to have Lilly by his side. It wasn’t that he had strong, overwhelming feelings of passion for her. He just depended on her. His father was always pushing, pushing, pushing. Robert knew the pushing was motivated by his desire to win the election, but his father wasn’t a restful person to be around. When Robert left his father, he sometimes felt as if he needed a drink or two. When he’d been a child, his mother had attributed Robert’s bed-wetting to his father’s pushiness.
Lilly expected little of him. She was undemanding and adoring, and she didn’t cause him one bit of grief. Being with her wasn’t overly stimulating, but it was a relief.
He stole a quick glance across the room, finding her chatting with her escort as she twirled a glass of wine. The discomfort inside him twisted again, making him frown.
He felt a nudge on his back and turned to find his father at his side.
“What the hell is wrong with you, boy?” his father asked in a low voice. “You’re supposed to be circulating and inspiring donations. This is a well-padded crowd.”
Robert’s irritation pinched him harder. “I’ve been meeting and greeting.”
“Well, do it more. Are you ready with your speech?”
“I’m ready,” Robert said, his gaze wandering again to Lilly.
“Why isn’t Lilly with you?” his father demanded.
“There was a mix-up. She didn’t get my message until late.”
His father sighed. “If you screw up your chances with her—”
Robert’s frustration spiked. “Lay off, Dad. I haven’t screwed up anything,” he said and decided to get himself a drink. He was supposed to be charming and persuasive tonight and he just wasn’t in the mood. It couldn’t be related to Lilly, he told himself as he downed a scotch. She wasn’t that important to him. She couldn’t be.
Robert delivered his speech with panache. He was a competitor. He
The average person kisses only two weeks of their lives. If the average lifespan is 76.9 years, we’re wasting a lot of time.
—D ELILAH’S D ICTUM
Chapter 8
R obert Huntington greeted so many people the faces began to blur until he saw Lilly. He reached for her hand and smiled.
“Lilly!” he said, with a mixture of surprise and relief. “I was beginning to think you wouldn’t make it.”
Her hand felt stiff and her face looked flushed.
“Is something wrong? Are you not feeling well?” he asked. That would explain why she hadn’t returned his call.
“I’m fine. I didn’t get your call until—” She broke off and shrugged. “I’m um here with—” She broke off again and cleared her throat. “Robert, this is Greg Weatherby. I met him through the executor of my father’s estate.”
Robert automatically extended his hand to the young man at Lilly’s side, but his brain paused. “Nice to meet you, Greg. Glad to have you here tonight.”
“I was glad Lilly could join me,” Greg said, smiling at Lilly.
Somewhere deep inside, Robert felt an odd discomfort. It was as if someone had moved the furniture in his bedroom without telling him. He didn’t have time to figure it out now. “You like to play golf?” Robert asked. After months of campaigning, he was an expert with safe questions.
“Always. I’m still shooting for under par three times in a row. Work interferes.”
“What do you do?” Robert asked casually, aware that he was spending more than the recommended three minutes with Lilly’s escort. He assessed Greg, drawing comfort from the fact that her escort was shorter than he was. Odd as hell thought.
“Estate attorney with Long & Forrester.”
An attorney. Robert stood straighter. “Really? Where’d you graduate?”
“Yale. You?”
“Texas born and bred,” Robert said, distracted by a strange competitive urge. “UT. You two enjoy yourselves. Lilly,” he said with a nod and moved onto the next couple.
He was expected to deliver a stirring, yet entertaining speech tonight. He had also expected to have Lilly by his side. It wasn’t that he had strong, overwhelming feelings of passion for her. He just depended on her. His father was always pushing, pushing, pushing. Robert knew the pushing was motivated by his desire to win the election, but his father wasn’t a restful person to be around. When Robert left his father, he sometimes felt as if he needed a drink or two. When he’d been a child, his mother had attributed Robert’s bed-wetting to his father’s pushiness.
Lilly expected little of him. She was undemanding and adoring, and she didn’t cause him one bit of grief. Being with her wasn’t overly stimulating, but it was a relief.
He stole a quick glance across the room, finding her chatting with her escort as she twirled a glass of wine. The discomfort inside him twisted again, making him frown.
He felt a nudge on his back and turned to find his father at his side.
“What the hell is wrong with you, boy?” his father asked in a low voice. “You’re supposed to be circulating and inspiring donations. This is a well-padded crowd.”
Robert’s irritation pinched him harder. “I’ve been meeting and greeting.”
“Well, do it more. Are you ready with your speech?”
“I’m ready,” Robert said, his gaze wandering again to Lilly.
“Why isn’t Lilly with you?” his father demanded.
“There was a mix-up. She didn’t get my message until late.”
His father sighed. “If you screw up your chances with her—”
Robert’s frustration spiked. “Lay off, Dad. I haven’t screwed up anything,” he said and decided to get himself a drink. He was supposed to be charming and persuasive tonight and he just wasn’t in the mood. It couldn’t be related to Lilly, he told himself as he downed a scotch. She wasn’t that important to him. She couldn’t be.
Robert delivered his speech with panache. He was a competitor. He
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