Curtain Call by Denise Grover Swank

Author:Denise Grover Swank [Swank, Denise Grover]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781939996572
Publisher: DGS
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

* * *

Tilly worked up a protest when I walked in through the back door of the catering kitchen wearing my serving uniform. Her mouth dropped open and she put a hand on her hip. “I thought you were taking the night off, so why on God’s green earth are you dressed up like a server?”

“If I stay in her house for five more minutes, I’m gonna go batshit crazy,” I said, walking past everyone to see what they were up to. It looked like they were about to load the vans.

“That still doesn’t explain the uniform.”

“We all know that’s where my true strength lies—in serving. I’ll still help out in the back, but I want to help serve too.”

Colt hadn’t been in the room, but he came walking down the stairs and did a double take when he saw me. “I thought you were taking the night off.”

“Changed my mind.”

He took a few steps toward me and placed his hand on my uninjured arm. “Are you sure you’re feeling up to it?”

“Yeah,” I said softly, staring up into his worried eyes. “I need to keep busy.”

“Mags, about this afternoon . . .” He stopped and swallowed, his Adam’s apple bobbing several times. When he spoke, his voice broke. “I want to tell you, but I can’t.”

“I know,” I said. I’d thought about it off and on all day. If the contents of the safety deposit box had something to do with the woman he’d lost—the only reason I could think of for him to stay silent—I understood his need to protect her. Just like I’d protected him from Owen. I still didn’t one hundred percent trust him, but I understood.

He gave me a small nod. “I don’t want to lose you, Maggie. After I see this through, I’ll tell you everything.”

He started to pull away, but I grabbed his wrist. “After you see what through? You’re not talking about this mess with Daddy, are you?”

I was sure he wasn’t going to answer, so I was surprised by the slight shake of his head. “No.”

“I think I understand,” I said, “but we won’t work if you have some huge secret hanging over you.”

Defeat filled his eyes, and he started to pull away, but I dug my fingers deeper into his flesh.

“But I’m willing to wait. I’m willing to give you some time to see it through, but I won’t wait forever, Colt.”

“That’s more than I can ask for.”

“Until then, we need to just be friends. We make pretty good friends, don’t you think?”

A sad smile lifted his lips. “Yeah. We do. Now let’s get to work.”

It was a good thing I’d decided to come in—a couple people who were supposed to help from the culinary school had come down with food poisoning after making a bad batch of oysters earlier that morning, so now Tilly was short-staffed.

We got everything loaded into the vans, and Tilly filled me in on the menu for the night—a three-course meal consisting of a house salad, roasted rosemary potatoes and chicken with asparagus, and cheesecake for dessert.

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