Auf'd (The Belinda & Bennett Mysteries, Book Two)

Chapter 24

Belinda offered sleeping space in the carriage house if Bennett didn't want to sleep in his house that night. She certainly wouldn't, but Bennett said he could handle it, and she knew he could. But she was still reluctant to just leave him there alone after everything and especially with him holding the key card and suitcase key. What if the killer was watching and knew all this?

So she pretended to drive off and circled back around the subdivision, stopping just feet from his house. She could keep watch and warn him if anyone snuck onto the property. Or she could just Belinda chop them herself.

But she'd barely settled in and prepared for an all-nighter before Bennett scared her half to death (again!) by knocking on her window. "What are you doing?" he said once she rolled it down.

Her reply was something like "Um...ahh...so..."

He leaned on his knees to see her better. "Go home, Kittridge."

Belinda jutted out her bottom lip in defiance. She probably looked more like she was pouting than rebelling, but her face only worked so many expressions. "No."

"Why? You've had a long week. Don't you want to go home and crash?"

Well, of course she did! Except that she was so wired now she doubted she'd fall asleep until tomorrow anyway. She might as well do something useful while awake. "I'm trying to help."

Bennett leaned his arms on the window so his face was level with hers. "Then go home. Because if you don't, I won't get any sleep either, keeping an eye on you."

Considering he'd followed her all over Portside and just taken the fall for her stupidity, she couldn't very well deprive him of any more sleep. She sighed. "Fine. I'll go. But only so you can sleep."

"Thank you. I appreciate it." He tapped the side of her car. "Now go before I'm forced to drive you home to make sure you get there."

Belinda did, albeit reluctantly, and texted him when she got back as ordered to right before she drove away. His reply? Good. I'd hate to have to put you on lockdown. And mine will stick. To which she sent a cutesy emoticon representing her sticking her tongue out at him.

A second later, he replied, You know how I feel about those.

So she typed a smiley face.

Then he told her to go to bed.

Belinda giggled and slapped her phone on the bedside table. They were definitely getting back to normal. She tossed the quilt over her head and in minutes after hitting the pillow, she lost contact with the world.

When she woke up, it was that day finally. That dreadful, awful day when Belinda would have to stand in front of a three-way mirror in a chiffon dress that would expose all of the things wrong with her body that she had learned to disguise with her wardrobe.

She hid under the quilt until her alarm buzzed. Of course, the whirring of some power tools had woken her up a while ago. The Kittridge estate had been abuzz—literally—with construction workers, landscapers, and Kyle. She'd popped in the previous day to see how things were going, and demolition was basically finished. It was frightening stepping inside and seeing absolutely nothing except bare bones. She had to keep telling herself it wasn't permanent.

Belinda dragged herself out of the carriage house and over to meet Victoria so they could go to the dress fitting together. Victoria was not in the wedding, but she was close to Belinda's family and invited to attend anyway.

"All right, you've teased me long enough," Victoria said while they drove along toward the bridal boutique in Portside. "Give up the Bentails."

Belinda laughed. "I'll give you the punch line first: I think Bennett and I are officially okay."