“I didn’t land,” I said. “I worked hard to gain back the trust that I lost.”
He laughed lightly. “Of course you did. You always were… earnest.”
There it was. The gentle diminishment wrapped in praise.
I crossed my arms, grounding myself. “Why are you here?”
His brows knit together, puzzled. “Here? In the café? I’m getting a double expresso.”
“You know what I mean,” I told him.
He sighed, a performance of confusion. “Lydia, I really don’t understand why you’re upset.”
I felt heat rise in my cheeks. “You left. With our money.”
His eyes widened slightly, the picture of surprise. “I only took what I was due to be paid.”
“You took a lot more than—”
“Did I?” he interrupted gently. “Because from where I was standing, you hired me. You approved the numbers. I assumed everything was handled.”
“That’s not—”
“Do you have a contract?” he asked softly.
The question landed like a slap.
I opened my mouth, then closed it.
He smiled, almost apologetic. “I think you might be remembering things differently.”
The café noise crept back in around us. Cups were clinking. Someone was laughing at a nearby table. Life continued even while I was confronting my worst enemy.
“I can’t believe you just said that. I can’t believe this is happening,” I said through clenched teeth. “The worst part is I let you into our home, let you meet my family. I trusted you Gavin.”
Gavin watched me, his smile softening. “It was a delight to meet them. I especially liked your mother. She is such a lovely woman.”
“I can’t believe you,” I muttered.
His expression flickered. Just for a second.
And that was when the bell over the door chimed again.
“Hey, Charlotte,” a familiar voice said. “Do you have anything with chocolate and zero calories?”
Ephram.
He stepped inside, uniform visible, presence grounding. His gaze moved from Charlotte to me to Wickham who didn’t bother to look back at him, and something sharpened instantly. “What’s going on here?”
Charlotte slid the double espresso across the counter. “I think this man cheated Lydia out of money.”
“Seargeant North, this is Gavin Wickham,” I introduced them, folding my arms across my chest. “Gavin, maybe you should talk to the nice police officer.”
“Sergeant North,” Gavin said smoothly, turning to face Ephram and holding out a hand. “How very nice to meet you.”
Ephram’s eyes never left him. “I have heard a lot about you.”
“Is that so?” Gavin asked mildly, like he had no concern in the world. “All good things, I hope.”
