Page 120 of The Body in the Backyard
“To make sure we’re not being followed.”
“Glad we cleared that up,” she said as he swung the SUV into their driveway.
He pulled up to the mudroom door and turned off the engine. They both sat staring through the windshield.
“Remember the good ol’ days when we could just walk into the house and have sex on the kitchen table?” Nick said.
Riley sighed. “Back before my ex-husband and our old roommates became our current roommates.”
He reached over and squeezed her knee. “We could just drive to the airport, get on a plane, and have frozen drinks with umbrellas in hand by tonight.”
She wrinkled her nose. “Much as I’d like to run away with you, we can’t tonight. We’re babysitting, remember.”
Nick thumped his head against his seat. “Fine. But when this is over, we’re planning a vacation.”
There was a lot of “this” to overcome. Attempted murder, the roof collapse next door, getting the business back on its feet… But if there was a chance she could watch Nick Santiago take his shirt off on a beach and slather every inch of muscle and tattoos with sunscreen, she’d do whatever it took to make that happen.
“Count me in.”
They reluctantly unloaded their errand haul and trooped inside.
The bag of sticky notes, pens, and file folders slipped out of Riley’s grasp and hit the floor. Nick ran into her back.
“Are you seeing what I’m seeing?” she whispered.
Mrs. Penny, Josie, and Gabe were seated around Griffin at the kitchen table. Griffin wore a blindfold, and from what Riley could tell, he had his hands tied behind his back. Burt sat on the floor next to Mrs. Penny, raptly watching the occupants of the table.
“Why is ourclientbound and blindfolded at the kitchen table?” Riley asked.
“Shh! Don’t distract him.” With spritely fingers, Josie dipped a piece of celery into a shallow bowl in front of Griffin.
“Mouth,” Mrs. Penny barked.
Griffin obediently opened his mouth, and Josie shoved the celery inside.
Everyone watched with rapt attention as Griffin chewed in tiny mincing bites.
“Even the way this guy chews makes me want to punch him in his fucking face,” Nick muttered, dumping the bags of groceries on the island.
“Truffle mayo with”—Griffin pursed his thin lips—“soy sauce!”
Scattered applause and appreciative murmurs broke out around the table.
“We could have been at the airport by now,” Nick complained as he opened the fridge and began shoveling groceries onto the shelves.
“Are you seriously taste testing mayo?” Riley asked, ignoring her boyfriend.
“We didn’t believe Gentry could taste the difference between Bucket o’ Mayo and his thirty-dollar-a-jar truffle brand,” Mrs. Penny said, as if that explained anything.
“It’s called a condiment palate, and very few people in the world have it. I’m very lucky,” Griffin explained.
“He even tasted the pickle juice we slipped into his Hershey syrup,” Josie said.
“But why are his hands tied?” Riley asked, looking to Nick for help.
“I don’t care if they spoon-feed him Drano,” he said, stealing a slice of Swiss cheese out of the deli pack.
“Mrs. Penny insisted it is part of official sanctioned taste tests,” Gabe explained. “Is this not correct?”
