Page 83 of Trouble Walked In

Lizzie studied the look on Della’s face. The way sheengaged with the small audience. The way she owned the intimate space as if it were the biggest venue on earth. The joy.

Renic was right.

Her sister was leaving.

Della was going back to her life under the lights, and her absence would leave Lizzie and the inn a little emptier, a little quieter, and a lot more wistful for what used to be.

She’d known Della wouldn’t—shouldn’t—stay. Her little sister had a life to live. She just hadn’t put it together that it meant she’d lose Renic, too. He’d follow Della, of course. He had a business to run, and he couldn’t do that from the middle of nowhere.

Hope was an insidious thing. It had let her build an entire world filled with Jackson Renic, and she hadn’t even realized she’d done it. Somewhere over the last week, between kicking him out of the inn and their night at Lookout Point, she’d created a life with him. She’d filled her future with imagined nights under the stars and picnics by the lake and warm nights by the fire, and she hadn’t noticed that it was all just fantasy.

The fact was, his life was under stage lights just like Della, and hers was here with the vines and the inn, watching other people’s moments.

She swallowed the lump in her throat and tried not to let the tears fall. Her head told her it was stupid to mourn something that never existed, but her heart silently broke anyway.

Chapter Twenty

Renic stood in the doorway behind Lizzie and watched with her as his number-one star dazzled another audience. Della Bellamy was back, no question. The anxiety that she’d caused eased, and the load he’d carried the past week lifted. She was back, and his business was going to survive.

The icing on the cake was the woman who stood in front of him. All the years and anger between them had miraculously melted away. He rubbed Lizzie’s shoulders and let the good mood Della created wash over him.

The impromptu concert ended with a standing ovation. Several people in the audience tapped excitedly on their phones. He had no doubt they were sharing videos of the entire thing, which meant not only would Della get a bump of publicity from this, but so would Jacob. The kid didn’t know it yet, but Renic already had plans for him that involved Della and Jacob touring together to promote their new albums.

Della made her way through the small crowd toward thedoor. Her excitement was infectious, and he found himself beaming at her like a proud father.

“Great job, Della.” He pulled her in for a quick hug. “That was fantastic.”

Della gave him a fierce squeeze and beamed up at him. “That was more fun than I’ve had in a long time.”

Della whirled to throw her arms around Lizzie. “I know you didn’t want anyone to know I was here, but I heard them yelling at you and I saw the poor bride crying and I couldn’tnotdo something.”

“It’s okay, Dell Bell. You were perfect.” Lizzie hugged her sister tight. “I’m so proud of you.”

Renic waited for the two sisters to end their hug before pushing forward with the one thing he really needed to know. “So, Della, have you decided? Is the tour back on?”

Lizzie glanced at Renic, then away again. He caught a flash of emotion in her eyes that he couldn’t interpret.

Della kept her hands tucked around Lizzie’s arm. “The tour. Yes, but I have conditions.”

He frowned, and noticed Lizzie doing the same. “What do you mean?”

Della lifted her chin. “I realized something while I was singing. Actually, before that, while I was hiding upstairs pretending I didn’t exist.”

Lizzie made a sound as if to argue with her, but Della shook her head. “It’s okay, Lizzie. I can admit when I’m a selfish brat. Anyway, everyone kept asking what went wrong. Why I left. Over and over and over. I didn’t have an answer, but today it hit me. I was at that party, and the Wagner twins were there. You know them, Renic?”

He nodded. “Pink hair, pop vibe. They’re with Standard Records.”

“Yes, them. They were so excited, talking ninety to nothing,almost like they spoke their own language. They’re so close, and they’d had a big night. They were sharing it with each other just like the people at this wedding, and I realized that I’d had a big night too, and…,” Della swallowed, and her voice shook a little when she continued, “I didn’t have anyone to share it with. I didn’t have my sisters. And…I miss that. I miss my sisters.”

“Oh, Del.” Lizzie pulled Della in for another hug. When they pulled apart this time, both of them had tears streaming down their cheeks. “You always have us. You know that. Right?”

“Yeah, maybe. It hasn't felt like it though.” Della sniffed and wiped at her tears. “So I’ll do the tour, Renic, on one condition. We relaunch The Bellamy Sisters.”

Renic sucked in a breath. In true Della fashion, she’d asked for something that might be impossible with the same attitude other people used to order a glass of wine. “I don’t know if I can make that happen, Della. Piper and Mattie have moved on. So have you.”

Della set her jaw in that stubborn way she had whenever she wanted something she thought she might be denied. Renic knew that look well. It was the same one she’d used when she demanded to go solo. “No, they haven’t. Not really. Mattie’s still writing songs just like she always did, which is good because I want us to recordhersongs, not anybody else’s. I guess I should make that another condition.”

Lizzie crossed her arms as if she were trying to give herself a comforting hug. “What about Piper?”

---