Page 59 of The Trouble With Bad Boys

I found the cooler—marked by a simple strip of red tape—then gathered the arrangements and carried them to the showroom.

“Thanks,” she said as I set them on a display table. “We have an order for the resort on the mountain, so I’ll need to make a delivery up there later this afternoon.”

Lily unlocked the front door, and I drifted into the back room as an elderly woman entered almost immediately. I wasn’t sure what I was supposed to do, so I walked around the room, peeking in cabinets and drawers.

I glanced down at the ridiculous ruffled apron and scowled. Certainly she wasn’t serious about me wearing this damn thing. My fingers had just closed around the strings when the bell over the door jingled once more.

“Hey!” Lily greeted the newcomer. “How are you doing?”

“Good, thanks,” came a cordial masculine voice. “How about you?”

I didn’t hear Lily’s response as the bell over the door jingled and the man’s voice reverberated through the space. “Have a nice day, Mrs. Garber.”

The door closed again with a soft thump, and the tread of footsteps filled the air. “Business booming?”

Lily laughed. “I wish.”

“I’m sure it’ll pick up.” The man’s voice dropped several octaves as he moved deeper into the room. “Glad I caught you alone. I need to talk to you about something.”

My nerve endings prickled at the man’s low, smooth tone. What the hell did he want with Lily?

Edging close to the wall, I peered through the large window overlooking the showroom. The man moved closer to Lily, putting him directly in my line of sight. Everything inside me stilled at the sight of the discerning scar that ran the length of his face.

I’d seen this man before. I racked my brain, drawing back on every encounter until it clicked: he was crime boss Matteo Capaldi’s right hand man.

Capaldi had taken over the Chicago outfit with brutal force, and the men were all wildly unpredictable. I’d attended a meeting with Fox months ago where the man had been present. The fact that he was here in Pine Ridge sent alarm bells ringing in the back of my mind.

Ducking low, I stayed clear of the window as I quietly pulled open a drawer and grabbed a pair of shears. Too bad I’d left the knife at Lily’s house. It was a mistake I wouldn’t make again. I adjusted my grip on the weapon as I moved closer, calculating the distance between us.

Lily was caught in the crosshairs of a very deadly game. It was my responsibility to save her.

Nine

LILY

The bell over the door jingled again almost immediately, and I leaned around John’s wide shoulders to greet the newest customer. My shop hadn’t been this busy in months.

A genuine smile pulled at my lips when John’s fiancée, Joey, barreled through the door. He shot me an exasperated look before turning and pulling the pretty brunette to his side. “Hey, beautiful. I thought you’d be opening the shop.”

“I am.” She waved a hand. “But I saw you come down here and I figured I’d pop in. Besides”—she turned her dark gaze on me—“I wanted to see if you still had that pretty aquamarine necklace in stock.”

Though the Clothing Emporium carried clothes and accessories, John told me she’d been eyeing a particular piece of my jewelry. I’d pulled it from the floor just seconds before Joey had waltzed through the front door, and it was currently waiting to be boxed up.

John’s gaze moved to the ceiling, and I smothered a smile. His surprise was going to have to wait a bit longer.

“I’m sorry,” I replied, hating having to lie. “Someone from the resort stopped in and picked it up the other day.”

Her face fell. “Oh.”

My heart twisted at her expression of disappointment, and I rushed on, “I’ll see if I can get another made up for you.”

“That would be great.” She smiled, then turned to John, suspicion heavy in her eyes. “What brought you down here?”

“I told Mia and Jules I’d pick up the flowers for the festival.”

I turned my attention to him. “Oh, you didn’t have to do that. I was going to bring them up during my lunch break.”

“It’s no problem,” he assured me. “Jules wanted to get a head start decorating, and it’s a slow day, so I offered to come.”

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