LITMIR.BIZ

       Chapter Four

      “HI, LILY. NEED SOMETHING?” Evan Hill smiled up at her from his desk in the newsroom. He was a little guy with a wiry build and warm brown eyes. There were five desks in the big open space, and he was seated at one of them. Simon had his own office in the corner.

      Lily nodded toward it. “I’m looking for the chief.”

      “He just called and said he was on his way. Go wait inside. There’s a couch. Sit, put your feet up.”

      “Good Lord. You, too?”

      “If you don’t, I’ll tell the Senior Brigade.”

      “We wouldn’t want that.”

      In the six weeks she’d been in Fairview, the people in town had come to care about Lily, especially the older ones she’d helped with ads. She found them fascinating and loved listening to their stories. They must have sensed she was sincere because, in turn, they watched over her like hawks. Having never been nurtured before, she loved being cared for.

      She wandered into Simon’s office and sat on the couch. From there—with her feet up—she studied his personal space. She’d been in here before, of course, but never alone. Several pictures of Jenna, at different ages, hung on one wall. There was another of his favorite old newspapers that had been matted and framed. What was that? She rose and crossed to a small case containing trophies. For basketball. From high school. And, oh, how cute, from this year. He played in a men’s league. Each day she discovered more depths to this man. And each day she found herself gravitating toward him more.

      After she’d finished exploring, Lily caught sight of a typed sheet on his desk. Hmm. She’d just take a peek. His editorials were wonderful—usually on world events that small towns sometimes forgot about. He’d done one on the war in Iraq, and one on peace in the Middle East, and he’d even tackled the volatile topic of gay rights, which— because he was a proponent—had caused a stir down at the diner and over at O’Malleys’ pub. She wondered what the subject of this one was and picked it up. When he walked in, she’d just finished reading.

      “Hi, Lily. What are you doing here?”

      She held up the paper. “I’m sorry, I peeked. Well, no,” she sniffled, “I’m not sorry. Simon, this is so sad. And so poignantly written.”

      He leaned against the doorjamb. She noticed again how broad his shoulders were as they stretched the cotton of his shirt. The opening at the collar revealed dark chest hair and a patch of tanned skin. “It’s a shame, isn’t it, what goes on in those refugee camps? I wish I could do more than write about it.”

      “You do a lot by making people aware of the atrocious conditions. After the Iraq editorial, there was a big collection of socks and books in town. I heard from Loretta that your work spurred other action. You are helping.”

      “I guess.”

      She indicated the one she’d just read. “This woman, Anna. She was in a camp for sixteen years?”

      He nodded his head. “Yep. Got married there, had two kids.” Quietly, he added, “God knows what she endured.”

      Lily glanced away. He came around the desk and squatted in front of her. He tipped her chin and shook his head. “Are you crying, Lily?”

      “Ignore it. I cry at everything these days.”

      “So did Marian.” He took out his handkerchief and Lily reached for it. But instead of giving it to her, he wiped her face. She swallowed hard at the intimacy of the gesture. Up this close, she could see the green flecks in his eyes, how long lashed they were, several shades darker than his hair. She got a whiff of his cologne. Very male, very sexy.

      When he finished, he stared at her for a long time. “You’re something else, Lily Wakefield.”

      She was startled to realize how disappointed she was when he drew back. Self-consciously, she smoothed down her tan capris and long white blouse.

      “Did—” he cleared his throat “—did you come back here for a reason, or just to nose around in my stuff?”

      “I wanted to talk to you. I need advice and I thought you could give me some, since you’re close to Gil.”

      He stiffened. He was so protective of her grandfather, Lily knew instantly she was doing the right thing. Though she was still wary of men, in general, she was beginning to see Simon as an ally.

      “Can we sit on the couch? And close the door?”

      When they were settled, Lily faced him solemnly. “Simon, last week, when Gil brought up my mother’s art, I knew he was waiting for me to tell him what happened to her. He’s been waiting.”

      “He mentioned it while you were turning Jenna into America’s Top Model.”

      “And planning a world tour of all our favorite places, don’t forget.”

      “Spare my checkbook, please.” He sobered. “About Cameron?”

      “If I tell Gil what happened to her, I worry that he’ll be devastated. And I wonder if he really has to know.”

      His face shadowed. “As I told him, sometimes knowing the truth isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.”

      “Simon?” Intuitively, she knew he wasn’t just talking about Gil. And suddenly, she wanted to know more about this man, about those secrets he said he’d been keeping. The longing was so strong, it surprised her.

      “Never mind about me. Finish what you were going to say.”

      “All right. I thought I could tell you what happened, and you could help me decide if I should tell Gil. You’re closer to him than anyone, and you’d know what was the right thing to do.”

      “Thanks for trusting me.” He leaned back against the couch and crossed one foot over the other knee. “Go ahead.”

      “You know the basics. My mother never went to the home for unwed mothers. Instead, she took a bus to New York, and stayed at the YWCA. She found a job right away as a waitress.”

      “That must have been hard. Sixteen. Pregnant, waitressing.”

      Lily’s hand went to her just-beginning-to-bulge abdomen. “I can’t imagine. Anyway, welfare paid for my delivery and our hospital stay, and then she got a second job in a day care so I could stay there while she earned money. It was tough, but she loved me and I knew it.”

      “She must have been a very strong woman.” He smiled. “You take after her in that respect….”

      His compliment warmed her, and for a minute distracted her.

      “What happened?”

      “We did okay for a while. But the hard life wore on her. By the time I was in grade school, she wanted more.” Lily shook her head. “She found a way to get it.”

      His eyes narrowed. “Not a good way.”

      “No. First she waitressed at this club. This strip club. And then she stripped. She called it dancing, but I knew what she was doing. I was mortified, but still she was a good mother.”

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