Page 108 of Her Hidden Smile

“Are you sure⁠—”

I interrupted Trenda before she could go on. “Yes, I’m sure I want to go.”

“Well, okay then, let’s get this party started.”

“Where’s Bella?” I asked.

“I sent her over to a friend for a playdate. Trust me, this is tough work, this is not playing.”

I gulped again. Nope, it didn’t seem like playing at all.

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Jasper Creek, October

It rankled that Millie wasn’t here. She knew I was going to leave for the airport in less than an hour and then I would be gone for a week. Yeah, I know we’d discussed how we would facetime so she could meet everyone. But still. It kind of hurt that she wasn’t here.

I shut my suitcase and took it into the living room.

At least I’d been able to get ahold of her this time and she said she would be home soon, that she was just running late. Not like that one horrible day when I couldn’t get ahold of her.

I went into the kitchen and tried to figure out if I wanted lemonade or iced tea. I peeked in the cookie jar and found snickerdoodle cookies. I grabbed the carton of milk.

Soon I was sitting at the table dunking my cookies in milk and sulking.

Seriously, Drakos. This is how you’re going to spend your time? Sulking?

I started to laugh.

I heard Millie’s car drive up and got up to pull open the door. Something didn’t compute when she got out of the car.

“Renzo, can you get the stuff out of the trunk,” she hollered, as she bent back in and reached over the driver’s seat to pick something up off the passenger seat.

Fuck, I’ve never seen those jeans before. They were red, skintight, and looked incredible.

She turned around. “Renzo. The trunk? We don’t have much time.”

Her hair. It’s different.

“Renzo. I need you to get my suitcases out of the trunk. The Lyft is going to be here in twenty minutes, and I need to grab something out of our bathroom and I have to tinkle.”

Suitcases?

“Renzo, snap out of it!” She sped by me and went up the stairs.

What?! Did she just smack my ass?

“The suitcases!” she yelled over her shoulder.

I went to the trunk of her Mini Cooper and found three rather large suitcases.

What the hell? Is she staying at my place while I’m out of town?

I pulled them out of the trunk and brought them inside.

I waited impatiently outside the master bathroom door. When I heard the sink tap turn on, I opened the door.

“What in the hell is going on?” I demanded.