Dashing Through the Snow (28 page)

“I don’t know what else to call it, Mom, when
you all act like I’m not grown with a mind of my own. And then to
lay that kind of burden on Smith to get me to drop out of my career
is just not right. He has no more say over what I do than any of
the rest of you.” She turned to Rowdy and held her hand out to be
shaken. “How are you, Mr. Rowdy? It’s been a long time, but it’s
good to see you.”

Rowdy’s eyes twinkled at her as he gave her a
blinding smile, and sudden recognition hit Lily like a blast
between the eyes. She narrowed her eyes at him and tightened her
grip on his hand when he would have let go. “We have a lot to talk
about, you and me,” she told him.

He flushed, but quirked a brow. “We just
might at that.”

“It’s good that you remember him, Lily,”
Glenda said as she rose. “It took forever for us to get him over
here for dinner. But when I realized that he’d be alone this
weekend because Smith was out of town, I wouldn’t take no for an
answer and finally got him down here with a little help from Darla,
of course.”

“How is Mama,” Smith asked. “I missed my
weekly call yesterday.”

“Yes, she mentioned that when I talked to
her. She and your dad are fine. Dinner will be on the table in five
minutes, everybody,” Glenda called as she walked into the dining
room. “Peter, come help me, will you?”

Lily watched her parents leave and knew they
were going in together to talk and worry about her in private.
Wincing, she tried to squelch the guilt. Everyone else eventually
made their way into the dining room, apparently realizing that the
conversation about her and her career was a dead one.

Smith came up behind her and rubbed her back.
“Way to go, Norma Rae? You feelin’ okay?”

Lily chuckled tiredly and leaned into him for
a brief moment. “I’m fine, thanks. I hate having that kind of
conversation with them. It never seems to do any good.”

Smith slipped his hand under her hair to
massage her neck. “Next time you have it, don’t wait until you’re
ready to have a meltdown and emotions are high. Just sit them down
one day when nothing’s going on. They’re reasonable, loving people.
Hopefully, they’ll get it. Now, come with me.” He took her by the
hand and led her to the door and out of sight of everyone else.
Putting his hands on her waist, he bent his head. “Mistletoe,” he
whispered. Lily looked up and smiled. “Someone might see,” she told
him even as she wrapped her arms around his neck.

“Nobody’s paying attention to us; they’re all
still reeling from your revolt. Now gimme a kiss.”

Lily looked around first just to be sure.
“Okay, but just one,” she whispered and raised her mouth to press
her lips to his, at the last minute opening her mouth to give him a
slow, wet, thorough kiss. Slowly, she slid her tongue inside his
mouth, tangling it with his and moaning when he pulled it farther
inside.

Smith pulled her closer and took what she
offered greedily. The carnality of the kiss made him ache to lay
her down and he slowly began to pull out of it. Breathing heavily,
he rested his forehead against hers. “How’s your hand?” he asked,
still keeping his voice in an undertone.

She winced before admitting, “It’s throbbing,
but the medicine makes me loopy. I don’t like taking it.” Still
resting her injured hand on his shoulder, she toyed with a loose
button on his shirt with the other one.

“I thought as much,” he said and gave her
waist a quick squeeze, to make her raise her gaze to meet his. “Why
not try taking just a half of one, and see how that works?”

She nodded and pursed her lips for another
kiss. “We’d better go in before we’re missed,” she said after the
brief pressure of lips.

Lily sat in the front passenger side as Smith
drove, wondering how she was going to say what she needed to say
once Smith, Rowdy and she reached Smith’s rental house. Rowdy sat
in the back seat, quiet, but she didn’t sense any tension coming
off him. They pulled into the driveway and she climbed out of the
car and followed Smith to the house, stepping inside when he
unlocked the door and held it open for her.

Rowdy followed and then Smith. She trailed
them into the living room and looked around after Smith had turned
on the lights. The room had a Spartan look to it, but the few
pieces that were there were nice. She smirked when she caught sight
of the flat screen television. It was at least sixty inches.

“I’ll be right back down, Lily,” Smith said
as he put a foot on the first step of a short flight of stairs.
“I’m going to spend the night with Lily tonight, Uncle Rowdy,”
Smith said, “to help her get around.”

“Hmph,” Rowdy said as he sat down in front of
the television and picked up the remote. “Is that what they’re
callin’ it now?”

Embarrassed, Lily flushed. “Before you go,
cowboy,” she said to Smith, as she stared at Rowdy. “I have
something to tell you.”

“Yeah, I did it,” Rowdy said defiantly, “and
I’d do it again, too.” He stared right back at Lily.

Shocked, Lily gasped, but recovering quickly,
said, “Well at least you’re admitting it. It’ll save me the trouble
of a trial.”

Smith stepped in. “Hold up,” he said, looking
totally baffled. “What is going on here?”

“In my defense,” Rowdy began as he looked at
Smith, “I did it for you. I did it for both of y’all.”

“For me?” Lily screeched. “How could breaking
my windshield possibly be for me?”

Smith looked at her, still baffled. “Breaking
your…” The light dawned and he turned angry eyes on his uncle. “Are
you fuckin’ nuts? You’re the crazy Santa who’s been harassing her?
You
hit her in the back with that ice ball? You hurt her,
Rowdy! Have you lost your fuckin’ mind?”

Rowdy stood hurriedly. “I didn’t want to hurt
her, I swear. I was just tryin’ to help. I promised your mother
before I left that I would do my best to bring you two together.
She believes that you’re meant for one another -- that you’re even
in love with one another. After seein’ you together tonight, I can
see that there’s something there. I think you should explore it.
Actually, it’s kinda obvious that you already are, but --”

“Wait!” Smith interrupted. “Are you saying
that Mama told you to do those things to Lily?”

Rowdy shook his head impatiently. “No, boy.
She just told me to do what I could to bring you together. And
since I want to see you happily married just as much as she does, I
agreed. The harassing Santa Claus thing, though? That was entirely
my own idea,” he said with pride.

Smith exploded again. “You then lost too many
balls in the fuckin’ weeds, hoss! What the hell is the matter with
you?”

“There’s nothin’ the matter with me,” Rowdy
said. “I thought my plan was a good one and that it would scare
Mama Long Legs here enough to come running to you for protection. I
didn’t know y’all had decided to work together until you came home
the other day and told me that you were leaving town with her.”

When Smith looked ready to attack again, Lily
said his name softly and put her hand on his arm. She turned to
Rowdy. “But if you want me to be with your nephew so much,” she
said with confusion, “that must mean you like me -- at least the
“me” you remember, right?” When he nodded his head, she asked,
“Then why would you hurt me? That snowball you hit me with was full
of ice and left a bruise.”

“I’m sorry, but I thought I was just packing
snow. I didn’t know there was ice in it, I swear. And also,” he
said eagerly, “I paid for your windshield. I put two hundred
dollars in an envelope and mailed it to your house. I hope that was
enough. Did you get it?”

“It may have come while we were gone, but I
haven’t checked my mail since we got back.”

“Well, you let me know when it does get there
and if that was enough.”

He looked so sincere that Lily simply agreed.
She turned to Smith and smoothed the frown lines from his face.
“Try not to be mad at him anymore, cowboy. He didn’t mean to hurt
me and he
is
sorry.”

“Yeah,” Rowdy joined in, “And that whole ‘I’d
do it all again’ speech I gave when we first got here? I wouldn’t,
really. I’d skip the icy snowball part.”

Chapter Twenty-four

Late Wednesday afternoon, frustration at the
stalling of their case had Lily slamming her office phone down on
another dead end. Smith and she had been wracking their brains
trying to solve the mystery of the disappearance of one Charles
Landry. Smith had come up with the idea that afternoon to call her
grandmother and aunt to get them to contact a high-level
muckity-muck at MSI to get them to check on the Golddigger’s Folly.
As it was still kind of early in Australia and she knew her
grandmother and Amelia liked to sleep late, Lily hadn’t made the
call yet.

Quincy came in with the mail. “More junk
mail, cuz,” he said and tossing the small stack on her desk,
slumped down in a chair. “I think I’ll take off in a few.”

Lily smiled. “That’s fine. Thanks for holding
the fort down for me while I was gone, Quince, I appreciate
it.”

“You’ve already thanked me at least a dozen
times, but no worries; it’s all good. There really wasn’t much to
do while you were gone, anyway. But I’ve been thinking…”

“Yes?”

“Would you consider training me to become a
private eye? I think I’d like the work.”

Lily lifted a brow, knowing how his
imagination worked. “Are you sure you’re not just wanting it
because you picture yourself in a trench coat with a pipe in your
mouth and attracting all the chicks.”

He smiled guiltily. “Well, there is that, but
give me a break, dude. I’ve been here a week now and I know that
there will be down times. Hell, I’ve lived through them.”

“What about school?”

“Oh, I’ll still go, and besides you told me
all the requirements for getting my license. I’m ready for
that.”

“But your parents…”

“What about them? This is my life; not
theirs.”

Lily couldn’t fault the logic and she nodded.
“Well, as you stated yourself, things are a bit slow right now and
that means money’s tight.”

“I know that, and I’m totally willing to work
for
gratis
. Dude, that should tell you how much I want this
-- I’m so literally willing to work for almost no money.”

Lily bit her lip to keep from laughing. “I
don’t know how to tell you this, dude, but
gratis
is for no
money. It so literally means free.”

“Oh,” he said with a sheepish grin. “So, I’ll
work for free, then.”

“Oh, I think I could scrape together some
kind of wage for you if I decide to do this.”

“For reals?” His gorgeous and charming grin
spread across his face, making Lily smile in return. “You are the
ult, dude, the absolute ult!”

“Uh, thanks, I think. You’re cool, too.”

Quincy just grinned and did a happy, little
rump-shaking dance as he made his way out of her office. He passed
Smith in the doorway. “Dude!” he said happily and held up his hand
for a high five.

Smith obliged him, only shaking his head
after Quincy wandered out. “What’s with him?” he asked Lily.

“He’s just happy about a potential job.”

Smith nodded and sat kitty corner to her on
the desk. He moved in for a kiss. “You ready to go to dinner?”

“Yes,” Lily said as she rose. “I hope you’re
thinking casual, ‘cause that’s certainly what I’m dressed for.”

Smith looked at her black jeans and crisp
white blouse she wore tucked in beneath a wide leather belt. On her
feet she wore those boots that every woman on earth seemed to have
-- the ones that inevitably made him think of eighth century
Vikings walking across frozen Tundra. He didn’t like them, but
understood they were quite warm. Lily wore black ones that looked
like they were just out of the box. The outfit was offset with a
chunky silver necklace and big silver hoop earrings that peeked out
between strands of her thick black hair. He smiled, thinking she
just didn’t know how dressy she made casual look. “You’re
fine.”

“Good. Can we stop to see Cousin Andrew
after? Since I forgot to get his Garrett’s popcorn when we were in
Chicago, I ordered some online for him and it came today. Will you
carry it for me? It’s awkward for me to pick it up.”

Smith walked around the desk to see what had
to be at least a five gallon-sized tin painted in blue and white
snowflakes. “Jesus, think that’ll be enough? What kind did you get?
Chicago Mix?”

“Yep, the classic caramel and cheddar mix.
It’s his favorite.”

“Eating all that might make him sick.”

“It won’t. He’ll share it with his friends,”
she said as he helped her with her coat. She grabbed her purse and
walked ahead of him out the door, through the reception area and
out another door.

After locking up, they went to his car. They
spent two hours having dinner at a steakhouse and then left to see
Andrew. The drive didn’t take long and Lily was soon walking into
Andrew’s alley with a flashlight and calling his name so as not to
startle him.

“Hi, there Smith and Lily. I’m glad to see
you. Really.”

Lily laughed and kissed his cheek. “Thanks,
cousin. I brought you something. Smith has it.”

Andrew’s eyes brightened with greed as he
spotted the tin. “Oh, you’re an angel, yes you are. And kept your
promise, my little star.”

Smith handed him the tin.

After struggling with the tape that held it
down, Andrew ripped the lid off. “Ah, smell that aroma,” he
murmured so low it was as if he were speaking to himself. He looked
up. “Where are my manners? Forgive my lack of class. You have some
first; don’t let this chance pass.”

“Don’t mind if I do,” Smith said with a big
smile before reaching out his hand.

Lily smacked his arm away before he reached
his goal. “Don’t, Smith. It’s his. I have some for us back at the
office.”