Fuck.
Why had I offered to make the call, allowing them to vanish together anyway?
Toes curling in the slippers I’d borrowed from my brother, I inched to the edge of my seat and placed the laptop down on the coffee table.
“Madam?”The florist’s confused tone reminded me he was waiting for me to talk.
“I’m sorry, what?”Brows knitting, my attention darted back to the screen.
“You were going to confirm your selection for the service.”His labored tone suggested it wasn’t the first time he’d asked me the question.
“Erm, yes.”Flushing, I read him the company’s product code for my selection, but my thoughts were still with the two men in the kitchen.
Without my mum, Eli and Owen might have been the two most important people in the world to me, but the idea of them confiding behind my back was disconcerting.
“Lovely,” the florist answered.“And the date and location?”
“Actually, can I email this information to you?”I was too distracted to trust myself to get the details right.
“Erm, absolutely.”Apparently, he hadn’t expected my response.“Just use the email address on our website, and please leave us your contact number.We’ll be in touch to confirm pricing and availability.”
“Thank you.”
I hung up before the poor florist even had time to reply, rising from my chair and tiptoeing out into the hall.Clutching Owen’s phone in one hand, I turned toward their voices and headed quietly for the kitchen.Staying close to Owen’s cream wall, I paused, tuning into their conversation.It was Owen’s voice I heard first.
“You said it was an old associate of yours who caused all the nasty business?”
Owen sounded as if he was trying to play it cool, but it was obvious to me that he was out of his depth.My brother was a great guy and an emergency consultant.The chances that he’d have anything to do with men like Hawkins were almost nil, unless they came in as his patients.
“Yeah.”Eli’s forced casual tone was equally as feigned.“I’m afraid so.”
“Wow.”Owen’s voice was nearly lost beneath the noise of the kettle boiling.“What was it you said you did for a living?”
“I’m a tour guide.That’s how I met Erin.”
“Oh, yes.”The sound of cupboard doors closing and cups being placed on the counter punctured Owen’s reply.“Is that where this associate was from?”
“He was from my old profession.”Eli’s clipped tone conveyed how little he was enjoying the course of the conversation.“But theOfficial Secrets Actprevents me from saying too much more about that, I’m afraid.”
“Oh.”Evidently, Owen had not been anticipating that reply.“I see.”
I imagined the way his mind was boggling at Eli’s mysterious response.I knew the feeling all too well, having experienced it myself.
“I’m sure you understand,” Eli went on.
“Of course.”
The conversation fell into a strained hush, persuading me that was the moment to intercede.
“What’s happening in here?”Attempting to keep my voice upbeat, I swept into the kitchen, just as both men lifted their heads to look my way.
“That was fast.”Eli’s arching eyebrow supported his skeptical tone.“Is everything sorted?”
“After all that, I need to email them the details.”I compelled laughter from my lips as I slid the phone across the counter to Owen.“Can we do that from your email, Owen?”
“Sure.”Owen’s brow creased.“Don’t they take phone orders?”
“I think he wanted all of the information in one place.”Sensing Eli’s stare on me, I couldn’t help but shift my weight from one foot to the other.I didn’t like lying to either of them, but I could hardly tell them I didn’t trust them to talk to one another when I wasn’t there to mediate.
