Inheritance (The Lost Bride Trilogy, #1)(95)

Bon appetit! Bree

It required another steadying breath.

Thank you. My mom may collapse in shock, but thank you. I do know how to make a salad—it’s a house specialty—so no mocking or judging required. I swear by all that’s holy I won’t overcook because I sense the scope of your wrath.

Much appreciated, Sonya Bree signed off with an emoji of a smiley face wearing a chef’s hat.

Sonya set the phone aside. She’d take it when she went into the village to shop. And she wouldn’t think about it until.

By midday, the catering site was ready for testing. And the dogs ready for a walk. So, she realized, was she.

The dogs bounded through and wrestled in the snow. She thought, if she looked hard enough, she could see tiny patches of anemic grass on the south side of the house.

The bounding and wrestling meant she had to mop both dogs up. They got a treat, and she got a Coke, a bowl of pretzels, and a tangerine.

At nearly four she surfaced. Cursed when testing showed her an error. After some adjustments, she ran it again.

And something that had simmered in the back of her mind on the Ryder job popped out.

“That’s good. That could be good. Bold. Fun. Movement.”

She got up, got her tools, and started a fresh mood board.

At her desk, she did some quick sketches just to give herself another visual.

Caught up, she shifted back and forth between the testing and refining her vision.

And jumped when a dog stood on either side of her wagging.

“Oh! God, it’s almost six. I didn’t mean to work this late. Sorry, boys, sorry. Let’s shut it down and go—no saying the word yet.”

After she backed up everything, shut down, she jogged downstairs with them. Since they dashed to the door, she went after them. She’d let them out, come back for a jacket.

And opened the door just as Trey started to ring the bell.

“Oh! They didn’t bark.”

“Mookie knows when it’s me. I guess this one does now, too.” He handed her a takeout bag before he gave the dogs attention. “Hi, guys. Good day for you?”

“I should’ve let them out again an hour ago, but I got involved. I just shut down. You’re still wearing a suit.”

A deep, dark gray with a pale gray shirt and a maroon-and-navy tie.

She all but felt her mouth water.

“You look good in a suit. I figured you would.”

Since the dogs ran out and rounded the house, she stepped back to let Trey in. “I took a walk with them about noon, then I completely lost track of time.”

“They’re fine. You look a little dazed. Everything okay?”

“Yes. The work—it just started rolling. This smells great.”

“You made good choices.” He hung up his coat.

“I try.”

It felt nice, just nice, to walk with him back to the kitchen.

“Why don’t you sit down? I’ll pour you some wine.” He kissed her, several levels up from a casual hello. “You put in a long one.”

“So did you, but I’ll take the wine. How did court go?”

Since she’d gone for shrimp, he pulled a white out of the cooler. “Divorce case, not pretty. The now officially ex-husband made a scene, an ugly one, right in the courtroom.”

“I’ll bet judges don’t like that even more than lawyers who are late.”

“You win that bet. After two warnings from the bench, he got cited for contempt. He’s lucky it’s just a fine because he was heading for a night in jail until his lawyer finally got him to shut the hell up.

“Okay if I grab a beer?”

“You don’t have to ask, Trey.”

“Then I’ll grab one and get the dog food. I picked up more food there—it’s still in the truck.”

“You didn’t have to. I’m going to the store tomorrow.”

“Cross that one off your list. Mookie eats more than Yoda.” He dished out their food and straightened at the woof at the door.

“Speaking of. I’ll dry them off.”

“Not in that suit you won’t.” She waved him back.

“Then I’ll set the human food out.”

And nice again, she thought, to share Chinese food in the kitchen, to talk about normal things.

“I’d like to see the mood board and sketches on Ryder.”

“Sure. It’s just preliminary.” She smiled when he loosened his tie and flipped open the top button of his shirt. “And that’s why women often like men in ties.”

“Because they like to see them wearing a noose?”

“No, because when they do what you just did, it’s sexy. I don’t know why, but it is.”

“I’ve got to wear another one on Saturday. Wedding. A cousin in Kennebunkport. You’ve got your mother this weekend or I’d talk you into going with me.”

“Don’t you already have a plus-one?”

Shaking his head, he speared one of the shrimp off her plate. “Wedding dates are dicey. Then you’ve got your great-aunt Marilyn giving your plus-one a significant look, telling you what a lovely couple you make before she beams, and says, When are we going to dance at your wedding, Trey?”

Shaking his head, he went back to his moo shu pork.