Page 26 of Trouble Walked In

“You going to give up this inn to go start over with her, Lizzie? Is that whatyouwant? To go back to being their stage manager?”

Lizzie hesitated, then continued on down the stairs without another word, without looking back.

Renic let her go. Being around her made him forget all of the arguments he’d been lining up, and now he wasn’t sure what the right play was.

He swore and went back to his room.

The place was a complete disaster. He’d thought the Budget Inn was bad, but at least it had walls and had seemed relatively clean. A closer inspection of the Rose Room revealed just how much damage the plumbing problem had caused. Some of the studs needed replacing, and the curtains smelled like sewage despite the fresh air from the open window. The room needed new carpet, new drywall, and new flooring. He wasn’t a contractor, but he could see the giant price tag attached to everything in the room.

He’d guessed right about her dilemma, but her jab had struck a guilty nerve. He’d taken advantage of the situation, no question. She’d obviously taken on a lot more of a project than she could handle, and he’d bet his next three deals that she hadn’t asked her sister for money to help pay for it even though Della could undoubtedly handle the expense.

He shook his head. “Stubborn.”

He had to find a way to make Lizzie see reason. If hecould get her on his side, Della would be a lot easier to work with.

He needed boots-on-the-ground advice. A technique that always worked for him when scouting new talent was to visit the family, talk with friends, learn everything he could about the current situation. He learned their wants, needs, and dreams—all of it. Finding out what someone really wanted underneath the typical bluster and filling that void was something he was usually really good at.

He used to know what Della wanted, but he had to admit something had skewed sideways. Time to find out what. He needed an insider, someone who would talk with him and maybe fill in some of the gaps.

He left the shell of a room, not bothering to pick up the key, and went downstairs to do a little scouting.

The old inn was a study in character. The rich wood accents were original, well-worn but stately. The floor looked a little newer, but stained-glass accent windows above the front door looked like they’d been imported from an old country church in Europe. Double doors off the entry led to a good-sized ballroom, which already had tables and chairs set up for the wedding reception. At least, he assumed that’s what it was for. A white lattice screen and plants filled the far corner of the room. He thought he detected the faintest trace of the stench from upstairs.

The room was empty, as were the entry, the library, the sitting room, and the lounge at the back of the house. Double doors opened onto a stone patio filled with ornate iron tables and chairs that spilled down onto an enormous lawn, with pathways along both sides leading down to the lake. A smaller house nestled in a garden off to the right of the main house. Beyond that, he could see an expanse of vines and another building that he assumed was the winery in the background.

It was the most picturesque place he’d ever been.

He saw people moving around the trees bordering the lawn and stepped toward them for a closer look. He didn’t see Della, but he saw Lizzie immediately at the back left corner of the lawn. She had her hands filled with strings of white holiday lights. She handed them up to a guy on a ladder, who looped them over the branches before handing the string off to someone Renic couldn’t see around the back of the tree.

Even in her old jeans and worn T-shirt, Lizzie looked better to him than any woman he’d ever seen at any entertainment industry party.

Della appeared from the garden on the right, carrying a big box that overflowed with more lights. She pulled a wad of them out and began untangling them.

Lizzie said something that made Della laugh, which made Lizzie smile. It was a genuine thing, filled with amusement and affection. He found himself smiling along with them, even though he couldn’t hear the joke.

Who was the guy on the ladder, and what sort of information could he get from him?

A familiar voice rang out behind him. Jordanna burst out of the kitchen and paced toward him like a drill sergeant.

“It won’t matter. No, it won’t.” She waved at him. “Because it’s not that kind of show. No, it’s not. Look, tell them we’ll be there two hours before.”

He gave her a nod and gestured for her to continue her conversation.

She shook her head at whoever was on the phone. “Well, tough. Two hours is more than enough to do a soundcheck if they have everything set up the way I said. It’ll be a fantastic show. Yes. Okay. Call me after.”

She clicked the phone off. “I swear, the smaller the venue, the bigger the ego.”

"You think they’re compensating?” Renic laughed. “Which venue?”

“They’re all the same. But no big deal, it’ll work out.” She opened her arms wide for a hug. “Glad you finally made it through the front door.”

“Good to see you, Jordy.” He gave her a quick squeeze. Jordanna worked so well with talent because she was the mom most of them had never had. That meant bear hugs and ice cream and a welcoming ear. He’d liked Jordanna the second he met her, and their friendship had grown into something more like family over the years. “I have a feeling it’ll take all of us to solve this one.”

“How do you solve a problem like a Della?” Jordanna sing-songed, then laughed. “Maybe your boyish good looks and charm will crack the nut.”

“Maybe.” He wasn’t so sure about that.

Music started up behind him from the direction of the kitchen, then a woman sang along, loud and off-key. He grinned. It had to be Carrie the Cook. The way she’d been flirting earlier suggested she was someone who would know all of the Bellamy family gossip. “I need to do some background legwork. Catch up with you later?”

---