“Will do! Hey, Luke,” Oliver shouted back. Lily’s family was huge and close. I used to be close to all of them too. When I got back, they’d all welcomed me unreservedly. Each one of them had come to visit me when I was laid up at Jed’s. It meant a lot that they all forgave me. If I could get Lily to talk to me, hopefully, she would too. Savannah arrived with smiles for the both of us and took over behind the bar. Cade grabbed a beer for himself, then we headed for a booth in the back.

“So, I’m pretty sure I already know the answer to this, but I’ll ask anyway. Has Lily heard you out yet? And what are you doing about it?” Cade had always been like a brother to me, but whenever the subject of Lily came up, he stopped being my brother and was all about her. I respected that. I respected him immensely and valued his opinion.

“I can barely get her to even look at me.”

Cade laughed. “You know her, lost in her own world.” He stopped laughing. “You left that world. Got to find a way back in.”

“How?” I asked.

Cade thought for a minute. “I would never, ever give this kind of advice to anyone about any of my sisters.” His eyes bored into mine. “But you’re different. You two …” He sighed and took a sip of his beer. “If you don’t get back together, it’ll be a tragedy. I trust you. I get where you were coming from, and I’m going to help you.”

“I’m all ears, Cade.”

“You have to push her a little bit. Or, probably a lot. You need to be alone and talk it out. I’m supposed to pick her up tonight. I think you should pick her up instead. I’ll text Vi and tell her to give Lily the keys, so Lily can lock up. You two can stay in the shop and talk it out. She won’t be able to leave. Well, she can, but we both know she won’t because it will be dark outside.” I chuckled, Lily’s fear of the dark was cute. Her denials that she was afraid of the dark were even cuter.

“Thanks, Cade. I won’t hurt her again. I didn’t mean to before—”

“I know. We all get it. I might have done the same thing. I just wish you would have come to us, any of us. You’re family, Luke. You shouldn’t have been alone all that time. None of that shit again. Right?”

“Right. Thanks for the advice.”

“It’ll work. Plus, once she’s settled in here, comfortable and back in a routine, that will help too. She’s finding her footing, she’ll come around.”

“She’s been through a lot,” I mused. “Should I back off?”