Sweetest Goodbye (Navy Book 3)

Chapter 6

Two hours and seven dresses later, Kate was exhausted. Lily had tried on a multitude of dresses that were, in her young eyes, not right. There were a few that Kate thought looked very nice and had tried to convince Lily of the same, but she was having none of it. It would have been helpful if Eve would have stuck around to help her, but as soon as they arrived she had declared that she had an errand to run and had left the store.

Lee had seemed unfazed by the entire show, and he had gone from sitting in one of the chairs outside the dressing rooms to standing by a nearby clothes rack. Kate had urged him to go and find something else to do, but he had declined, saying he was learning more about how the female mind worked.

Kate had slipped away to check the dress racks one more time while Lily tried on her latest choice, and now she returned triumphant, convinced that she had found the dress. Walking into the dressing room she threw it over the stall door and insisted that Lily try it on, having to speak firmly over the girl's tears.

"Lily, one more. You told me you wanted me to come because you liked my style right? Well, trust me when I say this one is your style. Please, just try it on for me."

"Fine, but I'll hate it just like I hated all of the others." she insisted as she reached for it and pulled it into the stall.

Kate walked back out into the store, noticing that a tall well-dressed blond woman had cornered Lee. It was obvious that she liked what she saw. She kept throwing her long mane of hair over her shoulder and looking up at him from under lowered lashes. She had even been so bold as to place her hand on his arm.

Lee, who had been on his phone on and off all day, was now clutching the phone in his hand with his arms crossed. He looked calm and relaxed, but Kate sensed something wasn't right so she approached him.

"I think we found the one," she said as she nodded to the blond woman. The woman eyed her as if trying to place her before it clicked in her head. "You work at the diner in Jurgen, don't you?"

Kate nodded holding out her hand. "Kate."

"Wendy," she said, taking the hand. "I was just asking your friend if he needed any help."

Kate smiled up at Lee who didn't return her smile, his face was devoid of all emotion.

"No, we're fine, thanks Wendy." She kept her eyes on Lee's. "Come on Lee, let's go let Lily know what we think." She reached for his arm and he let her guide him away a few steps.

"You're Lee Mercer!" Wendy sounded surprised and baffled all at the same time. "I had heard that you were back." She let her eyes skim him one more time. "You've changed."

"No, not really," he said as she put his hand in the small of Kate's back and propelled her forward and away from the situation.

As they reached the dressing rooms Lily emerged almost glowing. "You were right Kate, it's perfect." The dress was a beautiful plum color which was perfect for her coloring. It draped over one shoulder toga style and was gathered in deep pleats on the opposite hip and fell to the floor with a sweeping skirt.

"You look all grown up Lily," Lee said with a sincere smile.

He had said just the right thing as she turned towards the mirror and looked at herself one more time, nodding. "I even have the perfect shoes," she said to herself.

"Oh, how sweet, you're buying your daughter a dress for the prom. She chose just the right one too," Wendy said from behind them as she looked over Kate's shoulder, taking in Lily's reflection in the mirror.

She felt Lee, who was standing on her other side, tense at the words, and Kate had no doubt why she had said it. She had said it to hurt Lee, but she had only hurt Lily which was obvious by her sudden pallor.

"Lily go change so that your Uncle Lee can take us to lunch. I'm hungry." Kate gently pushed the girl forward and she moved on automatic pilot towards the dressing room.

"Oh, I'm so sorry if I said something I shouldn't have," Wendy said with a smirk as she wandered off towards the other side of the store.

Lee was silently seething, but he held his outwardly calm appearance as they waited for Lily. When she emerged Lee took the dress from her and headed towards the checkout counter, leaving Lily and Kate to follow behind him.

Kate swung her arm around her giving her a squeeze. "It really is the perfect dress."

Lily nodded and stopped walking, looking at Kate. "Oh Kate!" she said before she fell into her arms crying.

Kate patted her back and let her cry for a moment before she pulled away. "Dry your eyes before your uncle comes back."

"You heard what she said, he is my father I know it! Everyone knows it."

She put her arm around Lily's shoulders once more and watched as Lee finished buying the dress. "Have you asked him or your mother?"

"No!" Lily looked horrified by the thought.

"Why don't you try that before you take the word of a stranger as truth," Kate suggested as Lee started towards them.

Lily kept looking at her shoes and anywhere but at Lee. "Thank you for the dress Uncle Lee." Lily's phone buzzed and she pulled it out to look at it. "It's Mom, she ran into a friend and will catch a ride back to the house with him."

Kate looked at Lee who was frowning at Lily, but when Lily looked up he smiled at her. "Where should we go for lunch?" he asked as she led the way from the store out into the mall.

"It doesn't matter," she said, stopping as she looked across the open atrium to the waterfall in the center of the space. She had noticed a small group of young girls all standing around talking.

"Why aren't any of you in school today?" Kate asked, knowing that there was still two weeks left before school was finished.

"It's a teacher work day," she said, watching her friends who had noticed her and called out to her. "Can I?" she asked Lee.

"Sure," he said as he watched her walk across to her friends and start talking. She motioned to Kate and Lee and there seemed to be a serious conversation transpiring.

Lily bounded back over to them suddenly happy once more. "Can I go with my friends, they'll give me a ride home later."

"It's fine with me just make sure it's O.K. with your mother," Lee suggested, her dress still draped over his arm. He looked endearing. Here was this large muscular man holding a prom dress draped over his arm as if it was a common occurrence and he did it every day.

Lily's fingers flew across her phone and a minute later she looked at them with a smile. "Mom says it's O.K." She looked at her dress worried.

"I'll take it with us and you can pick it up from the office when you get home," Lee suggested.

Lily nodded, looking at him questioningly for a moment before Lee gave her a gentle push back towards her friends, and he and Kate watched as she was enveloped in their circle.

"And then there were two," he said as he turned to Kate.

"Where would you like to go for lunch? Or do you have a few friends who are going to sweep in and carry you away?" He looked down at her, amusement evident in his eyes.

"I don't have many friends," Kate said honestly as she turned away from him and started towards the exit again. "There's supposed to be a good little Mexican restaurant a few blocks away.

"I know it." He nodded, his face serious again as he walked with her into the bright sunshine. "It was good when I was a kid, but I'm not sure how it will stand up against some of the Mexican food I've had since then."

When they got to the truck he held open the door for her and she brushed past him as she moved to get into the cab. She couldn't help but be a little excited that they were actually going to sit down and have a meal together. It was almost like a date. The thought made Kate suddenly very nervous, and she watched as Lee stored the dress in the backseat and got into the front seat.

There was a tense silence as they drove the short distance to the restaurant.