Page 24 of Her Hidden Smile

Chapter Five

I looked around my kitchen and considered if I had all the ingredients for snickerdoodle cookies, and I did. Almost every part of me didn’t want him to come over, but there were a couple of parts that would be okay if he did. Not happy, but okay.

I shoved the phone into the charger and strode over to my desk and pulled up my calendar. Yep, it was clear. Tomorrow was going to be hellish, but this afternoon was free. I needed to be ready for Luxton to call, but I had all of my notes memorized. It wouldn’t be a problem.

Should I let Renzo inside?

My eyes rested on the fire extinguisher again and I winced. I really needed to stop looking at that. When they built this house, they made it as fireproof as possible and I did my part too. I made sure that on a twenty-yard perimeter, there was only grass, so no trees or shrubs could catch fire. The roof was metal, the siding was decorative cement and the windows were tempered. There were doors on all four sides of the house for easy escape. The fence was built with metal. My God, whatever they could think of to make me feel comfortable, they did it. It cost a small fortune, but with the way Uncle Phil had forced my parents to over-insure everything and then the way Aunt Marge managed my money, I had way more than enough to build the house I wanted, with tons left over.

I forced my attention away from the extinguisher and brushed my fingers over the soft peach blossoms that were decorating my desk.

Okay, make a decision. How do you handle Renzo?

Easy.

Pretend he’s a work problem.

Yeah, like that’s going to work.

What work problem ever looked like him? Sounded like him? That accent. I melted every time he spoke. What work problem ever flirted like he did? because that was flirting. And nobody ever tried to invade my space. Nobody. Not even Little Grandma Magill; she always called before coming over.

Renzo called.

Really? Really? Now the voices in my head were on Renzo’s side? What was up with that? I brushed my fingers against the peach blossoms again. I looked around and saw I was caressing the blossoms in the orange juice bottle.

Dammit! How’d I walk into the kitchen without realizing it?

“Guess I better start making cookies. I can worry about Renzo showing up later.”

I pulled up to her gate but she didn’t open it for me. So that was the way it was going to be, was it? No matter, she knew I was able to jump it, so I would jump it. Looking over into the back cab of my truck, I spotted my backpack. I hadn’t intended to lug that into her house, but I’d need that to carry the box of chocolates. The only reason I told her I would take two hours was that I knew I would want to go to the candy store in Knoxville. The store was one where I could hand select the chocolates that would go into the box. I’d been going there for each of my sisters’ birthdays, except Sandy’s.

Little Grandma Magill filled me in that Millie liked dark chocolate and loved soft centers and was especially fond of caramel. They’d even wrapped the box in their blue foil paper, so hell no, this box would not be thrown over the fence.

After I shoved the chocolates into the backpack, I got out of my truck, pulled on the pack, then jumped the fence. I was at her door in seconds. Even from outside I could smell the cookies and I grinned. There was no way she could send me away. I knocked on her door.

She undid the locks then opened the door halfway.

“Hi, Renzo,” she whispered.

Darn, I’d been hoping for a smile. I’d heard her smiling earlier when she’d been talking to me, but I really wanted to see one in person.

“Hi, Millie,” I smiled at her.

“Here you go.”

I looked down and saw she had two Tupperware containers in her hands.

“What’s this?”

“Your cookies.”

She had a stubborn look on her face and her chin was jutted out. She was adorable.

“You do realize you’re giving me mixed messages, don’t you?”

Her chin jutted out farther.

“I’m not. I realized that I had some free time and baking cookies sounded like a nice way to spend the afternoon. So here are some cookies for you, and I’m hoping you will give this other container to Irv.”