Ivy, Tippi, and Starr had straightened out the downstairs. Everything was back on its shelf or in its drawer. The ripped cushions had been sewn shut and turned over so the damage wasn’t visible and anything broken had been thrown away. Dani thanked the girls and gave them each a hug, then made them lunch. They were all going out for the evening, and with a wink and a grin, they assured Dani that they wouldn’t be home until well after midnight.
How they had found out she was having dinner with Spencer was a mystery. Did they have the mansion bugged?
While they ate, Dani went through her cookbooks and made a list. She’d been tempted to go with Thai red curry shrimp, but Ivy assured her that Spencer was more of a meat-and-potatoes guy, so she decided on chili-lime steak with roasted veggies and cheesy sliced baked potatoes.
Dani didn’t want to spend too much time away from the table, so she went with raspberry fool for dessert. Raspberry-infused whipped cream with the shortbread cookies leftover from the birthday party and fresh fruit could be put together in just a few minutes.
With the simple menu, Dani’s trip to the grocery store and prep time was minimal, which left her with a couple of hours to primp. What did one wear for a dinner that wasn’t a date but maybe could be?
After trying and discarding most of her clothes, Dani was frustrated. What was it about hanging something in the closet for a while that made it shrink two sizes?
Finally, Dani found a pair of white jeans that cupped her bottom nicely and a sleeveless tangerine knit shirt that only felt a teeny bit small. At least her wedge sandals still fit. Dani vowed to stop tasting everything she cooked, dig out her Fitbit, and sign up for a Piloxing class—a combo of Pilates, boxing, and dance.
After pulling her hair to the side and loosely braiding it, Dani added simple gold hoop earrings and the floating heart necklace that Kelsey had given her for her birthday. Gazing into the mirror, she was satisfied that she looked casual but pulled together.
She still had a half hour before Kipp and Spencer were due, so she booted up her laptop and typed Al Aaraaf, Tamerlane, and Minor Poems into the Google search bar. When she heard chimes twenty minutes later, she was still reading. Tucking her computer under her arm, she flew down the stairs and into the foyer.
Happy it was Spencer standing on the porch, she flung open the front door and said, “You’ve got to see this.”
“Okay.” Spencer blinked in surprise. “You look really nice, by the way.”
“Thanks.” Leading Spencer into the kitchen, Dani put her laptop on the table, flipped up the lid, and pointed as she read, “The last-known copy sold of Edgar Allan Poe’s Al Aaraaf, Tamerlane, and Minor Poems was purchased for $120,000.”
“I take it that’s the book your ex is after?” Spencer asked, setting down a six-pack of a local microbrew beside the computer.
“Yes.” She handed him a ziplock bag with the book inside. “But this one is in pretty rough shape, and I don’t think it’s a first edition, so who knows if it’s worth anything like that amount.”
As Spencer opened his mouth to speak, the doorbell rang and he said, “Might as well get this over with.”
“Yep.”
“You sure you want to hand over something that might be worth over a hundred grand?”
“It’s his.” Dani shrugged. “He would have never given it to me if he had any idea it was this valuable. And the giver has to know the price of the gift and still freely give it for it to really be a present.”
“I doubt the good doctor has any idea what something is worth until he’s already lost it.” Spencer ran his knuckle down her cheek.
“You could be right.” Dani stepped closer, but as doorbell rang again, she sighed and turned away. “I need to get better at recognizing that myself.”
Chapter 23
When Dani opened the door for her ex and saw that he wasn’t alone, she was relieved that Spencer was with her. The Incredible Hulk standing next to Kipp hadn’t been there when she’d looked out the window a second ago. Had the behemoth been in her blind spot or had the guy deliberately kept out of sight?
Dani’s ex started to push his way into the foyer but rocked to a standstill when he spotted Spencer. The hulk on his heels evidently didn’t get the memo that the Kipp train was stopping because he continued forward, ramming into the good doctor, who face-planted on the marble floor.
Dani put up her hand to hide her grin at the Hulk doing a pirouette to avoid joining Kipp on the ground. He didn’t seem the type who would see the humor in his own embarrassment and she didn’t want to provoke him.
“What’s he doing here?” Speaking at the same time, Kipp pointed at Spencer and Spencer pointed to the Hulk, who had regained his footing and glowered down at Dani’s ex.
“Spencer is my guest,” Dani said frostily. “And I don’t appreciate you bringing a stranger into my house without asking.”
“Why is he with you again?” Even from his prone position, Kipp managed to maintain his condescending attitude. “Is he your new boyfriend?”
Before Dani could answer, Spencer moved her behind him and crossed his arms. “You didn’t answer my question. Who is your shadow, and why is he here?”
“He’s my cousin. The one who was promised the book.” Kipp rambled on and on. “He’s here for a short visit and has to leave tonight and…”
“Interesting.” Dani frowned. Providing excessive detail was a sign of lying.
Kipp struggled to his feet and demanded, “Give me the damn thing and we’ll get out of your hair.”
“You’ve always referred to your cousin as ‘she,’ which I assumed meant a woman.” Dani
