Page 43 of You'll Be the Death of Me

“Can you touch walnuts if you’re allergic to them?” Cole asked as he fastened the buttons that pulled the bodice tight over Dell’s chest.

She felt her breath hitch at the now familiar compression.

“Normally, no. But I’m already dead, so.”

“Well, maybe you could still work the nuts in. There; done,” Cole said, and fastened the topmost button. His fingers brushed against her skin one last time before he stepped back.

Dell spun around to see him staring at her with another stunned expression.

“You look beautiful,” he said as if he couldn’t stop the words from tumbling out of his mouth.

His reaction put a floating feeling in Dell’s chest. He was looking at her the way she could have only hoped Tommy would look at her in the dress. Like he couldn’t quite comprehend his fortune. And like he wanted to peel it off her.

“Thank you,” Dell said, and fought the burn in her face. “What do you mean I can work the nuts in?”

“Nuts?” Cole asked like he wasn’t following.

“The walnuts,” she clarified. “Unless you mean kicking Tommy in his nuts, which I am not above.”

Cole winced like a kick to the crotch would be cruel punishment even despite the situation. “I meant the walnuts.”

“Hmmm,” Dell considered, and looked around her office. Inspiration struck when she caught sight of the large potted palm in the corner.

“Oh, I got it,” she said. She strode over to it, her dress swishing, and channeled some anger so she could scoop up a handful of dirt from the pot. Then she knelt to the floor and began pouring dirt from her fist in the shape of letters with a purely wicked grin.

“What in the world are you doing?” Cole asked as she shaped the letterN.

“Sending a message,” Dell answered, and released the dirt into aU,T, andS.

“?‘Nuts.’?” Cole read the word spelled out in dirt and quietly laughed.

Dell stood and wiped the remaining dirt from her palms. “Yes. He’ll know what it means. Now we just need a way to get him in here.” She pivoted again and saw a framed photo of her and Tommy from their engagement party on the shelf behind her desk. “Perfect.” She grabbed the photo frame and carried it back to the middle of the room.

“You might want to stand back,” she told Cole as she fluffed her gown’s train out behind her. She angled herself and also fluffed the fabric billowing in front of her so it laid perfectly. Then, with a loud crash and the ideal damsel’s faint, she threw the photo frame on the floor and collapsed behind it in a heap of ivory silk and lace.

Cole jumped back when the frame shattered. “Now what are you doing?”

“Setting a trap,” she said with a feline smile. She held still, waiting for the sound she knew would come. On cue, Tommy’s footsteps approached from down the hall.

When Tommy poked his head into the room with a curious frown, Dell grinned in delight. His eyes scanned the floor, looking for the source of the crash. He still held the broom in one hand.

“What the hell?” Tommy said when he saw both the shattered photo frame and Dell’s wedding gown. He approached with caution, avoiding the broken glass, and reached for the frame.

To Dell’s delight, he hissed in pain when a shard poked into his finger, sending a drop of blood onto the floor.

“How did this get here?” he asked what he thought was the empty room.

“With a little determined fury,” Dell answered. She kicked her foot so her dress rustled.

Tommy jumped back. “What the—” He spun around to look behind him, and then turned to the window as if a breeze had moved the dress. In his scan, he caught sight of the dirt spelling outnutson the floor.

Tommy’s face paled to a shade of snow. He stepped back and crunched a piece of glass. “What the fuck is this?” he blurted in fright.

“It’s a love note, baby,” Dell said, and pushed herself up to stand. “From your dearly departed never-to-bewife.” She lunged at him, and he stumbled backward.

Tommy shrieked a sound of true horror that filled Dell with so much joy, she could have moved a mountain. “Stay back!” Tommy wailed at her floating gown and brandished the broom like a sword.

Dell cackled and took another step toward him. “What’s wrong? Don’t want to get married anymore?” she said. “Maybe you should have thought about the consequences of your actions.” She lunged at him again, and he let out a scream so high-pitched, even Cole sputtered a laugh.