Page 85 of Trouble Walked In

Renic relented and moved one arm to allow her to pass, then followed her into the kitchen. Carrie leaned against the counter and watched them with interest. Her apron was covered in flour, and there was a brown smudge on her nose.

Lizzie stalked past Carrie, intending to ignore everything and everyone, but then stopped at the door to her office and glanced back over her shoulder. “The desserts?”

Carrie waved her off. “They’re good to go, and already set up on the buffet. Go on. I’ll make the announcement.”

“Like that?” Lizzie’s voice cracked. “You’re a mess.”

“Never trust a clean cook. It means they don’t love their work. Now shoo. Take your time.” Carrie sauntered to the door, flashed Renic a subtle thumbs-up, and left the room.

Lizzie glared at Renic, then went into the office. He followed her in and shut the door.

The room was more like a closet than an office. It was maybe six feet across, with just one high window thatprobably didn’t let in enough light during the day. A small desk covered in papers that looked like invoices filled the corner of the room, a small chair crammed in behind it. Another chair huddled in the left corner. Piles of clothes he assumed belonged to the servers lay scattered on the bookshelves, the chairs, and the floor.

Lizzie picked up a few papers from the desk and shuffled them together. “You might as well go enjoy the party. Your work here is done. Della’s going back. You got what you wanted.”

“Whatwewanted.” He wanted to shake her until the problem spilled out. “I thought we were on the same side on this.”

“We.” She said the word like it was something foreign. “Yes,wegot what we wanted. You’re right. And it’s the right thing for Della. For all of them, really. It’ll be good to see them together again.”

“Then what’s your problem?”

She picked up more papers and piled them neatly on top of the others. “Nothing.”

He put a hand on hers to stop her frantic movements. “I know you better than that, Lizzie, even if you don’t think I do. Something is going on in your head and it has nothing to do with Della. Tell me what’s wrong.”

She gave him a stare that could form ice in a desert and pulled her hand away. “We only slept together twice, Renic. It doesn’t give you the right to interrogate me. I have an event going on. Stop making it harder.”

He blinked. “You think what we have is just a fling?”

Lizzie moved the papers from one side of the desk to the other, then stacked pens next to them one at a time. “Isn’t it? You’re leaving on Monday, right? Or are you leaving in themorning now that Della’s back? That’s why you were staying so long, wasn’t it? For Della?”

He clenched his jaw in frustration. Morgan had warned him about this. She’d told him to include Lizzie in his thought process, but with everything else going on he’d forgotten to tell her his plans. She obviously thought he didn’t have any that included her. “I do have to get back for some meetings already on the books, including two sessions in the studio, but I’m coming back.”

Lizzie wiped invisible crumbs off the desk. It was as if she were trying to clean him out of the room and her mind. “I don’t see why you’d come back. It’s the middle of nowhere, and Della won’t be here.”

“This isn’t about Della,” he said, louder than he’d intended.

Lizzie started and looked up at him.

He took a deep breath, forced it out, then counted to five. He locked his gaze on hers. “Della might have given me the excuse I needed to get off my ass and come see you, but that’s it. I’ve wanted to come for a long time. I just didn't have the guts. And it wasn’t just a couple of nights in the sack. Not to me. Are you saying you don’t want me here?”

Lizzie closed her eyes, severing the connection between them. “It was two nice moments. That’s all. They’re over. It’s over.”

He couldn’t believe what he was hearing. It was like a Dear John letter, but out loud and to his face, and it stung his heart like nothing else ever had. “What the hell, Lizzie? Twonice moments?”

She opened her eyes and lifted her chin, and a calm mask slid over her face. “I’m glad you came, Renic. It’s been good for Della. Please. Just go. I need to finish this event.”

They were brave words, coolly professional and composed,but he knew they were complete crap because a rogue tear spilled out and traveled down her cheek. She impatiently brushed it away and returned her attention to the damn papers.

He ran his hand through his hair, so frustrated he could spit. “This is bullshit. Complete and total bullshit.”

She looked up, fire flashing in her eyes. “Get out.”

Just like that, they were right back where they’d started a few days ago. It was the beginning of a nasty pattern, and he’d had enough. “No. I’m not letting you push me away. Not this time. I want more. Alotmore.”

“Like what?” Her jaw tightened, and she spit the words out like each one cost her more money than she could afford to spend. “Phone calls? Texts that gradually taper off when life gets more exciting? Emails that go through Morgan for a spell-check?”

“No, dammit.” He wanted to punch something. Instead, he slammed his hands down on the desk and leaned toward her.

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