Page 64 of The Woman Left Behind

After sharing that, Rus rose from his chair, probably chomping at the bit to get some wheels in motion after two meaty cases finally landed on his desk. “Look forward to meeting her.”

“Look forward to introducing you to her.”

Rus inclined his head and said, “I got paperwork to fill out.”

With that, he left, and Harry returned to his own work.

He was at it for half an hour before his phone on his desk lit up with a text from Lillian.

At store. Do you like farro?

He smiled because of her question and because, in about an hour, he was leaving to go home, change, get his dogs, then return to town to go to her house to make dinner with her.

It was her idea to invite the dogs.

Yes, he answered.

She came back with, Salmon?

Yes, but you don’t have to get fancy.

I’m on a mission. Do you like macerated cabbage?

“Fuck it,” he muttered, smiling through his words and calling her.

“Hey,” she greeted.

“Hey back. Yes, I like cabbage. But salmon is expensive.”

“Don’t mess with my mojo,” she bossed. “I saw a recipe I want to try. Do you like ginger?”

What she meant was, she looked up recipes for food he’d want to eat.

Christ, she’d been just down the block from him.

For years.

“Yes, honey, but—” Harry tried.

“A little heat? The recipe has red pepper flakes.”

Harry started chuckling. “Yes, Lilly, though?—”

“Persian cucumber?”

Harry stopped chuckling because he was laughing.

“I’m thinking yes on the cucumber and carrot,” she mumbled into his laughter.

“Yes,” he pushed out through it, just as his phone vibed in his hand with another call. “Hang on, a call is coming in.”

“Okeydokey.”

Okeydokey?

Christ.

Just down the block.

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