do you think you’re doing? I came to see Mike.”
Lily stood her ground. “But as you saw, he’s asleep.”
“I thought I would sit—”
“No.”
Rachel’s frown deepened. “Excuse me?”
“He’s not up to visitors.”
“You’re here,” Rachel sneered, then saw a look on LilyAnn’s face that made her nervous. She pulled her purse against her chest as a subconscious shield.
Lily put her hands on her hips in a defiant gesture. “Yes I am here, and I’m not going anywhere, either, so don’t think you can sneak back in here later. I promised his parents I would take care of him until they can get here, which means you can’t go in until the doctor says he’s strong enough for visitors.”
Rachel’s eyes narrowed angrily. “You’re overstepping your bounds.”
Lily jabbed a finger between Rachel’s abundant boobs.
“No, you’re the one overstepping your bounds. Does Bud know he’s on the way out? Does he know Mike Dalton is in your sights as hubby number four? Better yet, does Mike know that? I’d bet the deed to my house that the answer to all three of those questions is a big loud NO.”
Rachel stifled a gasp, shocked that the fat bitch had picked up on that.
“How dare you?” she hissed.
Lily poked her finger a second time, jabbing harder as she lowered her voice.
“No! How dare you ?” she whispered. “Your life is your business, and I don’t give a damn what you do with it until you involve a helpless man in your cheating-ass scheme. Now you take your pitiful self out of my sight, or I might have to let it slip around town that poor Bud Goodhope is about to become ex number three.”
Rachel’s face was flushed and Lily knew she’d hit a nerve, but Rachel was still defiant.
“You don’t know what you’re talking about,” she said. “Bud and I are fine.”
“Then get your ass home and make sure it stays that way. People run all over me, Rachel, but that’s because I let it happen. However, you don’t mess with my friends when they can’t defend themselves. Do you hear me?”
Rachel shrugged. “Fine. I didn’t expect you to make such a big deal out of a simple visit to a friend.”
“I’ll give you a piece of advice. Next time you get dressed for a friendly visit to a single man, wear a skirt that covers your ass, button up your damned blouse, and leave the push-up bra at home.”
Rachel’s eyes widened in disbelief. “I can’t believe you just said that,” she gasped.
LilyAnn glared. “And I can’t believe you wore that hooker outfit in public.”
“Oh my God,” Rachel said.
“Yes, now that I think of it, God is probably interested in your intent, too, so I’d say that a prayer for forgiveness is a good idea. While you’re at it, say one for Mike that he gets well, and tell Bud I said hello.”
Rachel cheeks were red, her eyes flashing angrily, but LilyAnn Bronte was a good five inches taller and at least forty pounds heavier. Rachel wasn’t getting into a slap-fest with this woman, regardless of what she’d said.
“Of course I’ll say a prayer,” Rachel said shortly, and took herself back to the elevator as fast as she could.
Lily couldn’t help but stare. That woman looked cheaper going than she had coming. Her skirt was so tight and her heels so high that while one butt cheek went up, the other went down, like the pistons that used to fire beneath the hood of Randy Joe’s hot rod. As soon as the woman disappeared, Lily went back into the room and sat down.
Another hour passed before Mike began showing signs of regaining consciousness. She was so relieved to see movement that she quickly rang for a nurse.
“He’s waking up, isn’t he?” Lily whispered.
The nurse nodded. “He was one lucky guy. That cut on his head was minor compared to the ruptured spleen. If you hadn’t gotten him here when you did, he might not have made it. Just sit tight and talk to him if you want. He’ll come to in his own time.”
The nurse was gone,
Lily stood her ground. “But as you saw, he’s asleep.”
“I thought I would sit—”
“No.”
Rachel’s frown deepened. “Excuse me?”
“He’s not up to visitors.”
“You’re here,” Rachel sneered, then saw a look on LilyAnn’s face that made her nervous. She pulled her purse against her chest as a subconscious shield.
Lily put her hands on her hips in a defiant gesture. “Yes I am here, and I’m not going anywhere, either, so don’t think you can sneak back in here later. I promised his parents I would take care of him until they can get here, which means you can’t go in until the doctor says he’s strong enough for visitors.”
Rachel’s eyes narrowed angrily. “You’re overstepping your bounds.”
Lily jabbed a finger between Rachel’s abundant boobs.
“No, you’re the one overstepping your bounds. Does Bud know he’s on the way out? Does he know Mike Dalton is in your sights as hubby number four? Better yet, does Mike know that? I’d bet the deed to my house that the answer to all three of those questions is a big loud NO.”
Rachel stifled a gasp, shocked that the fat bitch had picked up on that.
“How dare you?” she hissed.
Lily poked her finger a second time, jabbing harder as she lowered her voice.
“No! How dare you ?” she whispered. “Your life is your business, and I don’t give a damn what you do with it until you involve a helpless man in your cheating-ass scheme. Now you take your pitiful self out of my sight, or I might have to let it slip around town that poor Bud Goodhope is about to become ex number three.”
Rachel’s face was flushed and Lily knew she’d hit a nerve, but Rachel was still defiant.
“You don’t know what you’re talking about,” she said. “Bud and I are fine.”
“Then get your ass home and make sure it stays that way. People run all over me, Rachel, but that’s because I let it happen. However, you don’t mess with my friends when they can’t defend themselves. Do you hear me?”
Rachel shrugged. “Fine. I didn’t expect you to make such a big deal out of a simple visit to a friend.”
“I’ll give you a piece of advice. Next time you get dressed for a friendly visit to a single man, wear a skirt that covers your ass, button up your damned blouse, and leave the push-up bra at home.”
Rachel’s eyes widened in disbelief. “I can’t believe you just said that,” she gasped.
LilyAnn glared. “And I can’t believe you wore that hooker outfit in public.”
“Oh my God,” Rachel said.
“Yes, now that I think of it, God is probably interested in your intent, too, so I’d say that a prayer for forgiveness is a good idea. While you’re at it, say one for Mike that he gets well, and tell Bud I said hello.”
Rachel cheeks were red, her eyes flashing angrily, but LilyAnn Bronte was a good five inches taller and at least forty pounds heavier. Rachel wasn’t getting into a slap-fest with this woman, regardless of what she’d said.
“Of course I’ll say a prayer,” Rachel said shortly, and took herself back to the elevator as fast as she could.
Lily couldn’t help but stare. That woman looked cheaper going than she had coming. Her skirt was so tight and her heels so high that while one butt cheek went up, the other went down, like the pistons that used to fire beneath the hood of Randy Joe’s hot rod. As soon as the woman disappeared, Lily went back into the room and sat down.
Another hour passed before Mike began showing signs of regaining consciousness. She was so relieved to see movement that she quickly rang for a nurse.
“He’s waking up, isn’t he?” Lily whispered.
The nurse nodded. “He was one lucky guy. That cut on his head was minor compared to the ruptured spleen. If you hadn’t gotten him here when you did, he might not have made it. Just sit tight and talk to him if you want. He’ll come to in his own time.”
The nurse was gone,
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