Page 74 of Enticement
Evie wrinkled her nose. “Just got in. I haven’t had the TV on. What’s so exciting?” A feature on homelessness, while worthy, didn’t strike her as a topic normally all that dear to Lillianna’s heart, but the other woman was literally buzzing with it.
Evie finished her nails, barely looking at the screen as the newsreader rattled through the other stories: forthcoming budget, more over turned lorries on the A1 and a bit on llama farming. Meanwhile, Lillianna hung on every word. “There.” She jabbed her finger at the glass when the homelessness report began.
“What?”
“There.”
Evie followed her finger as it tracked one of the figures around the screen. “Yeah, it’s a person. What am I supposed to be seeing?”
“It’s Sammie, you dope. Sammie Dean. Molly’s sister. Kit’s ex. You know, the vanished lady.”
“Really?” Evie squinted sceptically as the figure shown huddled in a sleeping bag in the doorway of some shop.
“Not her, you dunce,” Lillianna squealed, adding a palm print to the numerous fingerprints she’d already placed upon the glass. “Not the sleeping bag woman, the charity worker. It’s her.”
Having only seen a few old photographs of Sammie, Evie couldn’t honestly claim to recognize her. This woman, who admittedly appeared to be called Samantha, had very short hair and a much harder face than she recalled from the pictures. In all honesty she would never have recognized her as Kit’s missing girlfriend. “Are you sure?”
“I’m damn sure, I’m sure.” Lillianna planted her hands on her hips, in her favourite straight-talking, no nonsense pose. “Molly’s been dancing around doing circus tricks. She’s just driven off to go and meet her.”
“Really?”
“She got the charity deets from the TV people.”
Still a little disbelieving, Evie nonetheless let a small smile split her lips. If Sammie had turned up, then they could wipe away the doubts hanging like the sword of Damocles over Kit’s head. “What did you come to tell me for, you idiot?” she bellowed. “Why aren’t you over telling Kit?”
“Isn’t he here?” Bangles rattled as they slid along her raised arms.
“No. He’s working on the house. Come on.” Evie strapped on her sandals and headed for the door. She was definitely going to have a night to remember after this revelation.
Kit sat knee-deep in plaster dust with a chisel in his hand. “Lillianna… Evie.” A distinct roll of relief infused his voice on seeing Evie come in behind the other woman. “To what do I owe the pleasure?” He’d finally relented and bought a set of overalls, but somehow he made even the dust-covered baggy jumpsuit look sexy. Lips pursed into a bemused line, he paused to rub grot out of his eyes as he waited for a response.
Evie poked Lillianna in the back.
“Sammie’s turned up,” she squealed and dived on Kit, crushing her face to his dusty chest.
Kit froze into position. “What?”
“Alive,” Evie added, realizing he might think they meant her body, although, maybe that wouldn’t have tallied with Lillianna exuberant puppy dog zeal. “She’s in York working for some charity or other.” Still a little sketchy on the details, despite the news report, she looked to Lillianna for further confirmation.
Her friend beamed. “Molly’s gone to meet her. Tada…tada…tada.” She did a little jig.
Kit dropped his tools, but doubt continued to cloud his face. “Seriously. She’s okay? It’s not a mistake?”
“It’s her. It’s real. It’s real. It’s real.” Lillianna flung herself at him, entwining him in her skirts, which shed a few sequins onto the floor that winked among the rubble. Kit accepted the second embrace and the rather sloppily given kiss she smeared across his lips, but his eyes, those deep pools of longing, remained suspicious.
“Evie?”
“It’s true, Kit. Leastways she’s shown me the TV clip, and Molly’s convinced. I mean, she’d recognize her own sister.”
Even she recognized the doubt in her own words, doubt that was instantly reflected in Kit’s gaze. Instead of whooping at the good news, his brows drew into a troubled frown. He walked across to the window, shaking his head. “Does Ross know?”
“I’ve not told him. I don’t think so.”
Oblivious to solemnity, Lillianna continued to thud her heels against the floorboards. “We should all go out and celebrate. Champagne. Slap up meal. The works.”
“Lilli.” Torn between supporting Kit and calming her friend, Evie tried to stretch herself between them both.
“I’m not celebrating anything.” Kit folded his arms across his chest. “One blurry TV broadcast means nothing. How can you be sure after six years, not far off seven? I don’t suppose anyone has actually spoken to her yet. Find out where she went and what the hell she’s doing on TV? No.” He walked back to the rubble and picked up his tools again. “It could be anyone.”
