“You need to stay, Rose. I need to talk to you.” Lillian smiled. “Sister business.”
Rose looked up at the Mitchells and smiled. “I’ll let you have your family time. Enjoy the tour!”
Lucy started to say something, but abruptly stopped when Lillian delivered a swift and obvious kick under the table.
“Let’s start in the lobby,” Claire announced, leading her guests away before Lucy got another chance to speak. She shot her one last look before taking the Mitchells through the door and back into the lobby.
Chapter Twenty-one
Rose waited until her guests disappeared from sight to kick off an argument with her sisters.
“What was that all about?” she demanded. “You two are acting like a pair of quarreling cats.”
“A pair of quarreling cats,” Lucy repeated. “Try saying that five times fast.”
“A pair of quarreling cats,” Lillian parroted.
Rose let out a huff. “Stop it!”
“I’m sorry.” Lucy turned to her, arms crossed. “Are you feelingleft out?”
Rose rolled her eyes. “Lucy. If you have something to say, just say it. I don’t know what you’re hinting at.”
“Fine.” She leaned in. “Why didn’t you tell us you had a thing going on with Craig?”
“What?” She pulled back. “We don’t have athinggoing on.”
“Don’t lie to me, Rose!” Lucy pointed a finger. “I’m not an idiot. First, he brings you to meet his parents, then the two of you are going on and on and on about how perfect you think each other are.”
That was not atallwhat had happened. “He didn’t bring me to meet his parents. I stopped by the house to pull a few weeds because I didn’t realize–”
“You were pulling weeds for him?” Lucy stared at her, her mouth open. “By my calculations, that means you’ve been dating him in secret for, what, like a year?”
“I haven’t even known him for a year,” Rose said.
“I guess you move fast.”
“Okay, okay.” Lillian put her hands up. “You can’t attack her like this. She won’t tell us anything if you keep being aggressive.”
“There’s nothing to tell,” Rose insisted. “He’s my boss, a great boss, and yeah, I pulled some weeds when his parents were there and…it’s nothing.”
Lucy and Lillian exchanged glances.
Rose sighed. “What.”
Lucy started to speak, but Lillian beat her to it. “I’m not saying this to be mean or anything, but it doesn’t seem like nothing.”
“Yeah, it seems like he’s in love with you,” Lucy blurted out.
Rose looked at Lillian, fully expecting her to be on her side, but instead was met with a furrowed brow. “You can’t believe her! That’s ridiculous. He’s not in love with me.”
“He does seem quite fond of you,” Lillian said.
“He looks at you with these big puppy eyes and laughs at everything you say,” Lucy added.
“Craig is a supportive boss. There’s nothing more.” She sat back, waiting for them to argue, but they stared at her in silence. She went on. “I’m getting dinner with Greg on Tuesday.”
“Craig?” Lucy tapped her ear. “Craig, the man who thinks you’re special and funny and wonderful?”
