Shocked, I leaned back in my chair. “How did you …”

Trent shrugged, looking good in his bathrobe and bare feet. He had nice feet. “You don’t think I know your medical history?”

My wonder died as I recalled Faris dead on his office floor. What in hell was I doing here eating dinner with him? “Waffles would be great.”

“Unless you’d like something more traditional for dinner. Chinese doesn’t take long. Would you rather have that? Maggie makes fabulous wontons.”

I shook my head. “Waffles sound good.”

Maggie smiled, turning to putter back into the kitchen. “Won’t be but a moment.”

I put my napkin in my lap, wondering how much of this let’s-be-nice-to-Rachel scene was because Ellasbeth was in the next room listening and Trent wanted to hurt her for accusing him of cheating. Deciding I didn’t care, I put my elbows on the table and took a sip of the best coffee I’d ever tasted. Eyes closing in the rising steam, I moaned in delight. “Oh God, Trent,” I breathed. “This is good.”

The sudden thump of heels on carpet pulled my eyes open. It was back.

I straightened in my chair as Ellasbeth came in, her dress coat open to show a starched white shirt and a peach-colored scarf. My gaze went to her ring finger and I blanched. You could run a city on the sparkle that thing put out.

Ellasbeth sat beside me, a shade too close for my liking. “Maggie?” she said lightly. “I’ll have tea and biscuits, please. I ate while out.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Maggie said as she leaned through the open archway. Her tone lacked utterly in any warmth. Clearly Maggie didn’t like Ellasbeth, either.

Ellasbeth fixed a smile to her face, setting her long, fragile-looking fingers on the table to best show off her engagement ring. Bitch. “Seems we got off the horse on the wrong side, Ms. Morgan,” she said cheerfully. “Have you and Trenton known each other long?”

I didn’t like Ellasbeth. I think I’d be pretty upset myself if I came home and found a girl in Nick’s bathtub, but after seeing her shouting at Trent, I couldn’t find any sympathy for her. Accusing someone of cheating is harsh. My smile faltered as I realized I had almost done the same thing to Nick. I had accused him of dumping me, asking if there was someone else. There was a difference, but not much. Shit. I had to apologize. That he hadn’t told me where he’d been going the last three months while avoiding me didn’t seem like enough reason anymore. At least I hadn’t called him any names. Jerking myself from my thoughts, I smiled at Ellasbeth.

“Oh, Trent and I go back a long way,” I said lightly, twirling a curl of my hair about my finger and remembering its new shortness. “We met at camp as children. Sort of romantic when you think about it.” I smiled at Trent’s suddenly blank look.

“Really?” She turned to Trent, the hint of a tiger growling in her voice’s soft cadence.