Page 135 of Bodyguard By Night

Ransom

Lackeywas now my actual moniker.

For the next hour, she ordered me around the lodge. We used Rachel’s diagram as a guide more than a template. Chaos changed the planters-slash-urns about thirteen times.

Thankfully, there wasn’t an extra fifteen pounds of flowers in them yet.

She did have a good eye and had adjusted the room for a better flow from the head table to the dining tables and finally, to the wide dance floor. A glitzy chandelier somehow worked with the dark wood and lanterns scattered around the lodge.

We ended the afternoon climbing on ladders adding ivy around the lanterns to give the space a more natural feel. I wasn’t sure how she pulled it all together, but then again, she was the queen of staging when it came to her job.

Normally, the silence would suit me. Instead, it ramped up my guilt. The light and airy romantic space highlighted exactly how different we were.

I couldn’t give her this in the long term.

Maybe pretending we could actuallybesomething was getting to me. Especially since I hadn’t let her in on the game.

The worst part was it wasn’t a game. Not anymore.

Sooner or later, she’d see through the façade, and I’d be back to my lonely house.

I snapped the ladder closed. It hadn’t been lonely before her, dammit.

Enough of this. We could talk this out like reasonable adults. Or at least semi-reasonable.

I turned around, my gut tightening as I realized she wasn’t there. “Chaos?” I waited a beat, and when she didn’t answer, I let the ladder clatter to the floor.

I didn’t want to worry her about the cider burglary, but she was too damn intuitive. The fact that this guy might have gotten on the orchard property had ramped up my protective instincts.

“Chaos?” I called out again.

I strode toward the double doors that led to the chapel and found her on the stone path, dragging a few of the extra urns to line the walkway.

Relief slammed into me and my heart rate stuttered at the sight of her in the late day sun. Her short sweater had rode up to show her freckled back as she bent herself into an impossible angle to drag the heavy marble exactly where she wanted it. Her hair was in one of her messy knots and a few untamable curls hung in her eyes.

“Let me help.” My voice was low and strained.

She blew a curl out of her eyes. “I got it.”

“Chaos.”

She straightened up and I got a flash of her stomach before the fluffy sweater fell back into place. “I’m perfectly capable of doing this.”

“I’m well-aware how capable you are.”

“Could have fooled me.” She pushed up her sleeves. “But if I have to do a million labels tonight, I’ll let you help.”

“One hundred and forty-four is not a million.”

“I’ll remind you of that in another hour.”

I brushed a curl out of her face and she took a step back. “I think three will work on each side. Spaced out.”

I fisted my hand. “Got it.”

“Aunt Laverne finished printing out the labels for us. We can pick them up at the desk. She has a knitting club at the café so we won’t have to socialize.”

“I’m not a fucking ogre.” I grunted as I lifted another planter. “Here?”

---