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I reached for the knob and twisted it. The office hadn’t been touched. It looked the same as it did three years ago. It might’ve been a waste of an office, but neither my mother nor I had the heart to clean it out. Someone came in once a week to dust and vacuum.
The bookshelves were lined with leather-bound books, the brass lamp on my father’s heavy, dark wood desk rested on the corner, and the high-backed leather office chair was just as I remembered it.
I walked over to the window that overlooked the courtyard. The stone fountain in the shape of an angel spouted water and dribbled into the pool. “When I was in high school, I used to meet him here after classes. He’d take me to get gelato and spoil my dinner.”
I looked at Bones over my shoulder and smiled. “He’d get pistachio, and I always got mint chip.”
“It’s a nice memory,” Bones said, shoving his hands in his trouser pockets.
“It is,” I agreed. I looked around the office. “I haven’t been in here in three years. I guess this is my office now. I thought…”
“You thought?”
I rubbed my sternum. “I thought it would hurt. Being in here.” I closed my eyes. “I swear I can still smell his cologne.”
I kept my eyes closed even as I heard Bones trek across the carpet. He wrapped his arm around me, and I buried my face in his chest.
“Duchess?”
“Hmm?”
“What the fuck is gelato?”
I leaned back to peer up at him. “Seriously?”
He shrugged.
I grinned. “Come on. I’m about to change your life.”
“There’s nothing here,” my mother said after two hours of digging around in my stepfather’s home office. She collapsed into his chair and looked defeated.
“Did you really think we were going to find anything incriminating?” I asked.
“No, but I’d hoped.” She glanced at her cell phone that rested on the desk. “Still no word from Arnold. I thought for sure he’d call so I could at least tell him I was starting divorce proceedings.”
The door to the office opened and Bones entered. “Any luck?”
“None,” I announced.
“The boys have finished changing the locks on the doors and I changed the front gate passcode for you.”
“Thank you, Royce. Who knew having a son-in-law in private security would come in handy.”
“Private security?” Bones repeated. “Is that the PR spin we’re putting on my job?”
“Hmm. You catch on quickly,” Mom teased. “Though, I have several friends that are always on the lookout for security detail as well as home monitoring. How are you with computers?”
“I can turn them on,” Bones said dryly. “You’d need someone in the tech field to get involved for the level of security I think you’re talking about.”
“Well, something to consider.” Mom shrugged her elegant shoulders. “Let me know if it’s something you want to consider.”
Bones’ brow furrowed in pensive thought. “I’ll think about it.”
Mom looked at the dainty Rolex on her wrist. “I think it’s time to take a break. We missed lunch. I can have Paula make us an early dinner.”
“Oh.” I bit my lip. “Actually, Bones is taking me out to dinner to celebrate our marriage.”
Mom’s gaze softened. “Of course he is. That reminds me…” She walked toward the door. “I’ll be right back. Don’t leave yet.”
