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Lizzie—

“I don’t think we thought this through,” Kate whispers behind her hand.

We’re standing in my kitchen, watching someone examine the dining table and buffet in the next room.

“We never should have put the sale for five hours. It’s way too long.”

I couldn’t agree more. We’d put signs up all over town for my estate sale, and the crowds came first thing in the morning. Some with trailers, prepared to buy furniture.

At the first arrival, Kate had slammed the door and pressed her back against it. “Tear the price tags off.”

“What? We just spent an hour putting them on.”

“We didn’t ask enough. These people are ready to buy. Quick.”

So, we’d ripped every tag off and bartered as we’d gone.

It’s only been an hour, and almost all of the furniture is gone. Except for the dining room set.

“Perhaps I’m asking too much for it,” I whisper.

“Nonsense. We can always put it on social media. Someone will love it as much as you do.”

“I want it done and over. This is depressing,” I whisper.

Kate leans to me, her eyes on a customer in the other room. “You know who that is?”

I already know a made-up story is about to be revealed to me. Kate loves creating backstories for all of them, and she’s determined to keep my spirits high. I look at the woman currently examining my table, eying her up and down. She wears a scarf around her head. It’s long with a paisley print, giving her almost a gypsy appearance. She’s got miss-matched patterns on her skirt and shirt, and a shawl around her shoulders.

“That is Simone Beauvais, the faded French film star who now makes her living giving séances in her living room, a psychic palm reader sign jammed out front in her yard. Her husband is home with her thirty-seven scented candles which burned up their last dining set.”

I burst into giggles and beg for mercy. “Stop. Please.”

She’s given a play-by-play of every customer who has stopped in.

“Oh, look,” Kate says, jabbing an elbow into my side. “A new arrival.”

A man in a long duster coat of black leather comes in with a punk haircut and eyeliner.

“Which Salvatore brother do you suppose he is? Damon or Stefan?” she asks. “I do love a man who applies eyeliner better than I do. Do you think he’d give me tips?”

I’m taking a sip of coffee and almost snort it out my nose. We both burst into laughter, me trying to do it silently, my shoulders shaking. I spin to face the sink. “Stop. Please,” I whisper, waving my hand in front of my face.

When they both leave without an offer, I grab a marker, scribble sale is over on a piece of paper, tape it to the window, and slam the door shut. “I’m done.”

“What about the rest?”

“I guess I’ll have to find a storage unit.”

She pulls her phone out and taps out a text. “Maybe Utah can find a place to put it.”

I move to pour another cup of coffee and sit at the dining table I was so excited about the day we purchased it. It was our first really good piece of furniture. I’d felt like such a grownup.

Kate grabs a cup and joins me. “You okay?”

“Yeah.” I cover my melancholy with a sip.

“How’d the dinner go the other night? You never gave me any details.”

“It went fine.” I set my mug on the table and stare at it.

“Lizzie, come on. What is it?”

“He kissed me,” I blurt.

Kate literally pulls her chin back and blinks. “He what?”

“Darko kissed me.”

“When? The night you cooked him dinner?”

“After we ate, he left Eli with the dishes and the two of us went for a walk downtown.”

“How’d you feel about that?”

“I was surprised to say the least, then I was flooded with guilt.”

“Guilt? You have nothing to feel guilty about, Lizzie. Matt is dead. You are not cheating on him.”

“You think it’s that simple?”

“I suppose not, but what about that tattoo guy? Did you feel guilty then?”

“This wasn’t like with the tattoo guy. I didn’t give a damn about him. It meant nothing. With Darko it’s different.”

“Why is it different?” she prods.

I huff. “Because I care about him, okay?”

“So, how was it?” She lifts a brow. “The kiss. Spill.”

“It was…”

“What?”

“I was taken by surprise. It didn’t last long, but… just the touch of his lips… I felt things.”

“What things?”

“Things you’re not supposed to feel for your boss, Kate. That’s what. I work for the man.”

“So what?”

“This could get serious, and if it burns out in a flaming heap, then what? I’d have to quit my job. I couldn’t work there anymore. Then I’m right back where I started.”

“Okay, slow down. He kissed you, then what happened?”

“I asked him why he did it. He said, because he thought there was something happening between us. And then asked me if he was wrong.”

“What did you say?”

“I said I had to go, and I ran to my car and left.” I pause for a moment. “That’s not all.”

“What else?”

“Before he kissed me, while we were walking, he said he knew about the foreclosure. Said he saw it when he was here.”

“Oh.”

“He offered me a spare room at his house in exchange for me cooking him and Eli dinner every night.”

“Oh, wow. That’s big.”

“Huge.”

“You should take him up on it.”

“Are you insane? What did I just tell you? I need to keep my distance. Moving in with him is not keeping my distance, Kate.”

“You obviously feel an attraction to the man, and he obviously feels an attraction to you. Maybe you should give it a chance.”

“What if it doesn’t work out?”

“What if it does?”

“I just can’t talk to you.”

“Because I’m right, and you know it.”

“I know nothing of the sort.”

“Bullshit.”

My mouth drops open. “Did you just say that to me?”

“I did.” Her phone chimes with a text, and she looks at it. “Utah found a place for you to store the rest of your stuff. He says a couple of the boys will be over in an hour to move everything. He’s asking how big a truck they need.” She looks at me.

“I don’t know.” I’m suddenly overwhelmed by everything.

Kate touches my arm. “We’ll figure it out. Don’t worry.”

“I have to be out of here by Tuesday, Kate. It’s a lot.”

“And you have a clubhouse full of people who are willing to help.”

“I appreciate it. I do. I don’t mean to sound ungrateful.”

“Come on. Let’s go finish packing your closet.” She downs her coffee and stands. “And as far as the deal with Darko’s offer? I think you should try it for a week, see how it goes.”

The doorbell rings, and I look through the window. “It’s Beverly,” I hiss to Kate.

She makes a face, and I yank open the door.

“What’s the meaning of this?” Beverly marches in and holds up one of the yellow Estate Sale signs we’d put up around town. “You’re getting rid of all your things?”

“I’m downsizing.”

“Downsizing? You mean getting rid of everything that reminds you of Matt.”

Kate comes forward. “That’s not what she’s doing, Beverly. She can’t hang onto the past forever. She can’t carry around the clothing of a dead man. She needs to start a new life.”

“I suppose this is all your idea.”

“She’s losing the house, Beverly. It all has to go.” Kate drops the bomb with a cock of her brow.

Beverly’s eyes widen, then flick to me. “What? Why didn’t you tell me? We could help you.”

“It’s too late. It’s done,” I whisper.

“You should have said something.”

I gesture to a box against the wall. “I packed up some of Matt’s belongings. Things I knew you'd want to have. Things I’d want if my son… Well, it’s there.”

Her eyes drop to it, and she stares for a long moment, like her son’s life has been reduced to a box of memories.

“I can carry it to your car for you, Bev,” Kate offers, picking up the box, hefting it in her grasp and waiting.

Beverly looks at me, and her face wilts. “I’m sorry, Lizzie. I’m so sorry you’re losing your house. I know how much it meant to you.” She looks around the place. “How much it meant to Matt.”

I nod, my eyes filling.

“I never meant to make you feel like you didn’t care. I know you do.” She sucks in a deep breath. “I just miss him so—”

“I know.” I give her a hug, and we pull apart and she squeezes my hands.

She turns to Kate waiting with the box, and steps outside to lead her to her car. I watch from the doorway until she drives away and Kate returns.

My best friend gives me a hug. “That’s over and done.”

“Yes. I suppose so.” I feel like a chapter in my life just closed. With every step in this process, I feel farther and farther away from Matt. It’s like I’m losing him all over again.

“Baby steps, sweetie,” Kate murmurs. “Come on. Let’s tackle the closet before that truck pulls up.

An hour later, we’re taping up the last box, and a truck horn carries to us.

“That’ll be the guys,” Kate murmurs, and I follow her to the front door and outside.

A yellow rental box truck is backing into the driveway. Utah stands, talking to two prospects in a pickup parked at the curb. I recognize it immediately as Darko’s.

The man himself climbs from the driver’s seat of the cab of the rental truck and hops to the ground.

He looks good, and just being in his presence eases the unsettled things inside me. I feel like everything will be all right whenever he’s around. Our eyes connect, and warmth fills his gaze. He moves across the lawn and straight to me, stopping with one booted foot on the bottom step to stare at me.

“Lizzie.”

“Darko.” My eyes shift to the truck. “You didn’t have to do this.”

He follows my gaze. “Will it be big enough?”

“I’m sure it will. I’ve sold a lot.”

He studies me, looking for sadness. It’s the way so many people have looked at me since this nightmare began. “You okay?”

“I’m fine,” I lie, like I always seem to do, but he’s not buying it.

“Bullshit.”

A smile trembles on my lips.

“You’re not fine, Lizzie. But that’s okay, because you will be. Understand?”

I nod, feeling a warmth flood me because he’s being so protective of me.

Utah crosses the lawn, the prospects trailing behind him. “Everything goes?”

“Everything except the two boxes by my suitcases,” I reply.

Utah and the prospects disappear inside, but Darko stays where he is.

“I didn’t mean to put you on the spot the other night.”

“Sure, you did,” I reply.

“Okay, guilty. But my offer was partially selfish. Yeah, it may help you out, but it may help me out with Eli.”

I nod.

“You’re a great cook by the way.”

“Thanks.”

“I, uh, talked to Eli about it, and he’s all for the idea.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yep.”

“Darko?”

“Yeah?”

“Have you thought about… if it doesn’t work out?”

“Then it doesn’t work out.” He shrugs. “Doesn’t hurt to give it a try.”

I glance at the truck. “Kate said Utah found a place to store my stuff.”

“Yeah. My garage at the house. So, how about we load those couple of boxes and your suitcase in my pickup?”

He doesn’t really wait for my answer, just moves past me to get the job done.

And just like that, it seems I’m moving in with him.