Page 53 of I Knew You Were Trouble

And the smell… If the honey ham scent wasn’t so strong, I think I would’ve been knocked over by the wave of apple cinnamon Febreze. I know the scent well—it’s one of my favorite Christmas air fresheners.

He used it very generously.

I stifle a grin at how much effort he put into impressing me with his living space while Maddie sets my bag down next to Pete’s nearly empty laundry basket in the corner. “Geez, Pete… spray enough air freshener in here?”

I let my laughter out. At least I’m not the only one thinking it. I toss my pillow, letting it flump on top of my stuff. I’m not exactly sure where I’ll be sleeping, so I won’t set up just yet. There’s no way I’ll be sleeping in here, right?Withhim? My stomach knots into a ball, and I try to untangle it with a hard swallow.

“Um… I brought some things for cookies.” I pat my grocery bag like an idiot. Like she doesn’t know I have food in there.

“Sweet.” She moves toward the door, but the hallway is so narrow that I end up leading her to the kitchen.

Maddie takes my bag of groceries and starts putting them away, navigating the small space like a professional cook. She knocks drawers and cupboards shut with her hip, spinning in a kick to the fridge, all while bopping to a song she must have in her head. She’s oddly athletic for such a small frame. Her Buddy the Elf shirt pops up enough to showcase a set of abs that I could only pay a trainer for.

Her mood is light and easy, not unlike when she came to help out with Mona Lisa. I wonder if this is just who she is, and that is pretty freaking awesome if that’s true. No wonder Pete gets along with her.

“You don’t mind that I’m here, right?” My eyes go to the counter and I run my hand across the smooth top. It’s not granite or quartz, but it’s still sturdy. Homey.

“Gosh, no,” she says with a wave. “Pete’s gonna be so much easier to handle with you around.”

I’m not sure what she means by that, but it makes me laugh. “I just don’t want to intrude on family time.”

“Friends are family, too.” She opens the oven door, and a loud screech bounces off the wall. I wince, but she doesn’t seem to notice. “Ooh, I think it’s done.”

“It smells really yummy.”

“It’s my first attempt, so let’s hope I didn’t botch it.” She grabs a couple of oven mitts, and I stand awkwardly in the doorway. It’s not like I can help much—there is barely enough space in here with us tandem, so I can’t imagine helping side-by-side. So I wring my hands together and peer at the front door. Gertrude was parked out front, so I wonder if Pete took Maddie’s car to get Demi.

That’s nice and responsible. Safer. Sexy.

Oh! That was a surprise description that just sneaked its way into my thoughts.

I shake my head and focus back on Maddie. “Can I help with anything?” I ask, but it’s more just out of politeness protocol.

“I think I got it,” she says through a strained voice, bent down into the oven. A grunt drops from her lips as she hoists a huge ham up on top of the stove. She lets out a hefty breath and kicks the oven door shut.

“Hmm…” She tilts her head. “Is it supposed to look like that?”

I peer around her, and my eyes widen. The slices splay out like a flower blossoming, the ends crisp and black.

“Did you not wrap it?”

“Wrap it in what?” She picks up the instructions on the counter and reads over them with a furrowed brow.

“Aluminum foil.” I hold back a grin and ease toward the stove. I mean, it looks good… just more like bacon than ham. “You’re supposed to wrap it in aluminum foil while it cooks.”

“Well, that would’ve been good to know.” She chucks the instructions down. “Think it’ll be edible?”

“Oh yeah. Just a little crispy.”

“Great.”

We share a laugh, and she leans against the counter and stretches to turn the oven off. “Guess getting that job flipping burgers isn’t for me.”

“Are you looking for work?” I was under the impression she was focusing on her boarding. At least, that’s what I gathered from seeing her at Troublemakers so often.

“More work.” She sighs and crosses her arms. Her left hand still has an oven mitt covering it. “After the holidays, the theater gets really slow, so my hours will be cut.”

“I didn’t know you worked at the theater.”

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