For Butter Or For Worse (Patty Cakes Bake Shop Cozy Mystery Series Book 2)

by Holly Plum

  Delilah blushed, and she couldn't bring herself to look Hunter in the eyes. Joy clenched her hands into tight fists, wondering if this was the confession she had been searching for. Was the truth about Sean Fisher's death about to come out?

  "Oh, for heaven's sake,” Paisley continued. "Have you told him or not? It doesn't matter anyway because the wedding is about to start. You both can sort this out later." She glanced at Joy. "Come on, Joy. Let's give them some privacy."

  "Delilah, we're about to get married," Hunter said. "Is there something I should know? We agreed that we wouldn't keep secrets from each other. You know how I feel about that."

  Joy slowly followed Paisley off of the boat, but she couldn't help but linger a little longer. She was too curious as to what Delilah had been hiding. Had Delilah murdered Sean or did she know what had happened to him that fateful night?

  Joy watched Paisley and the two dogs trot along the dock toward the rest of the wedding party. It was the perfect opportunity for Joy to stay behind and eavesdrop some more. Though this time, she needed to be more careful. Her heart pounded as she turned around and snuck back into the boat.

  “Hunter,” Delilah began. She sighed deeply. Her voice softened, and she looked as she was on the verge of tears.

  Joy held her breath.

  “I do have something to confess,” she admitted.

  Joy's muscles went tense.

  “I'm so scared that you'll hate me for this," Delilah went on.

  Joy's stomach was in knots. She bit down on her bottom lip to stop herself from making any sudden noises.

  "Just say it," Hunter replied.

  “I've been holding onto this horrible secret for so long. I don't even know where to start.”

  “Start from the beginning,” Hunter encouraged her softly.

  “I was just a teenager when it happened,” Delilah confessed. "I had no idea what I was doing." Her voice broke, and she began crying. "When I was a teenager, I got pregnant. I gave the baby up for adoption, and I've regretted it ever since."

  "What?" Hunter looked shocked for a moment. "Why didn't you tell me this?"

  "Because I know how you feel about the subject," Delilah explained. "Besides, I hid it from you for so long that I knew you would be upset. My mom said that I should leave the past in the past and never speak of it again."

  Music started playing at the end of the pier where the wedding ceremony was supposed to take place. Joy quickly dashed back onto the dock before the couple could find her eavesdropping again. She ducked behind the boathouse and waited for the bride and groom to so she could follow them back to the ceremony without being seen.

  Joy watched as Hunter helped Delilah onto the dock. As the passed by Joy, she heard them discussing whether or not they should postpone the wedding after all. They walked hand in hand, and Joy sighed. They had a lot of hurdles to jump, but at least Joy knew that Delilah wasn't the murderer. At least, that's what it seemed like. Could Sean have known about the adoption all along? Maybe he had been blackmailing Delilah or threatening to tell Hunter about it?

  Something grabbed Joy's shoulder, and she jumped.

  "Sorry, dear," Paisley said. "I didn't mean to scare you. The wedding is about to start. You shouldn't be over here."

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  Joy turned to face Paisley and began to explain herself. The mother of the bride cut her off.

  “Well, I'm assuming you heard the whole story?” Paisley insisted. Come on; you can tell me."

  “Um …” Joy thought about her options. She could lie, but it was obvious that she hadn't just been crouching behind the boat house for fun. Then again, Joy didn't know how embarrassed or offended Paisley would be if she found out that Joy knew her daughter's secret. There was a lot to consider but hardly any time.

  "It's okay, dear." Paisley smiled reassuringly.

  “I heard everything,” Joy said simply. "I'm very sorry, Paisley."

  “I thought so." Paisley crossed her arms.

  “It was wrong of me to eavesdrop, I know," Joy began. "Sometimes my curiosity gets the better of me."

  "As long as you don't go spreading the news through town," Paisley said. "What you heard is family business. It needs to be kept private. Do I have your word?"

  Joy nodded seriously. “I promise I won't tell a soul.”

  “I told her not to tell Hunter." Paisley exhaled loudly as if the secret had been haunting her too for far too long. "If I can be perfectly honest, everything happened well before she met him. Delilah was very young, and she had no idea what she was doing at the time. Adoption was the best option."

  "You don't have to explain, Paisley," Joy responded.

  “It was a closed adoption,” Paisley continued. "We all agreed never to speak of the incident again. I can't believe it's coming out now at Delilah's wedding of all places."

  “I promise that your family secret is safe with me.” Joy bowed her head humbly.

  “I appreciate that.” Paisley looked Joy up and down. She tapped her fingers, showing off her manicure.

  Joy nodded. She noticed that Paisley's nails were chipped, and her hands were covered in scratches. So much for Candy's two-week guarantee, Joy thought. She took a closer look at Paisley's manicure. Sure enough, they had been painted with intricate dog designs. Joy couldn't imagine how long Paisley's manicure must have taken.

  “Paisley, did you get your manicure done at Candy Nails?” Joy asked.

  Paisley glanced at the chipped designs. “Yes, I did. And you did too, I see.”

  Joy glanced at her own.

  “Yeah, I'm usually very clumsy with my nails, working in a kitchen and all. But Candy guaranteed me that it's impossible to chip them unless you do something crazy within the first twenty-four hours.”

  Joy smiled, and her mind took her back to all of the times Paisley had come to the bake shop to taste cake with Delilah. Joy gulped, realizing that one of those cake tastings had involved pulling out her golden butter knife that her mother had given her. Paisley had complimented it.

  "She said that?" Paisley asked.

  “You must have gotten into a fight with Petunia or something." Joy chuckled, but her stomach went sour. Paisley laughed and placed her hands behind her back.

  “It's a long story," Paisley replied. "We should get back to the ceremony, don't you think?”

  "Probably." Joy clenched her hands into fists. Something wasn't right.

  “But first, there's something you should know." Paisley pointed to the boat. "Over there." Paisley walked toward Hunter's boat, and Joy reluctantly followed, unsure if Paisley was her friend or her foe.

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  Joy stood by the side of the boat. She held onto the railing tightly. Part of her felt like she should be manning the wedding cake with Sara Beth but part of her wanted information. Either way, the truth was finally about to come out. Paisley stood before Joy, looking at her chipped manicure.

  “I'm glad to have to someone to finally talk to about this,” Delilah started. "I used to talk to Dumpling about my problems but I can't anymore."

  "I understand," Joy replied. "I usually talk to my cat Cheesecake when I'm frustrated about something."

  “I was worried about Delilah the night of her bachelorette party. She just went missing and after what happened to my poor Dumpling I didn't know what to think." Paisley shook her head.

  “What happened with Dumpling?” Joy asked.

  “She was killed. I guess you could say that Dumpling was murdered.”

  “What do you mean?" Joy narrowed her eyes.

  “I mean one second Dumpling was alive and kicking and the next she was gone." Paisley's eyes filled with tears.

  "I'm so sorry,” Joy said. She frowned as the sun shone into her eyes making it hard to see Paisley's face. “How do you know it was murder?”

  “Because I saw him do it,” Paisley shrieked. “That horrible man killed my Dumpling. I can't believe that Hunter even had the nerve to ask him to be his b
est man."

  Joy gasped. It appeared that Paisley also had a motive for murder, and she could have easily stolen Joy's golden butter knife during one of Delilah's cake tastings.

  "Sean Fisher killed Dumpling?" Joy said. "But why?"

  “Because he was a horrible evil man,” Paisley answered. "He had no respect for anyone and he hated animals." Paisley took a deep breath, her voice becoming more and more hysterical. "You know he was a lawyer, right? Well, that murderer did a background check on Delilah and threatened to expose her secret to everyone."

  “Sean knew about the adoption?” Joy began to piece it together.

  Paisley was almost frantic now. She paced back and forth along the length of the boat, shaking her head in disdain at the memory of Sean and the loss of her little dog. She began rambling, as though all of these thoughts and dark emotions were buried just beneath the surface and Joy had scratched it.

  “Oh yes, he knew," Paisley went on. "Delilah made one mistake. Just one mistake. And Sean had the nerve to ruin her life over it. My daughter has suffered enough. I thought that marrying Hunter and starting a family would finally bring her some peace. But of course, Sean came along and spoiled everything."

  “How do you know that he knew?” Joy asked. Paisley was beginning to make her nervous. She looked around to see how easily she could get off the boat if she needed a fast exit. It wouldn't be easy.

  “I received a letter from the adoption agency." Paisley laughed manically. “He thought he could start digging around with no consequences. The agency wrote to inform me that they could not disclose any information about the adoption. Delilah was lucky that I saw the letter first. It would have killed her inside. I made some calls and found out it was Sean Fisher poking his head into my daughter's business."

  “When was this?" Joy started to move toward the docks.

  “A while ago before I even met you. I met Sean Fisher in a parking lot and confronted him, but he drove off and … backed right into my little Dumpling on purpose." Paisley wiped away tears, and her hands started shaking. "The night before the wedding was when I scuffed up my manicure. I went to the docks to settle everything with him once and for all."

  "Settle things?" Joy questioned. She continued moving closer to the dock.

  "I blamed him for Dumpling's death, and he just laughed at me. He laughed at me!" Paisley shouted. “He laughed that Dumpling was dead! I had to get even. I had no choice. That devil man was ripping my life apart piece by piece."

  “So you were the one who stole my butter knife.” Joy was in shock. She began to back away, but it was too late.

  Paisley realized what she had said to Joy and rushed toward her. Paisley grabbed Joy's shoulders and tried to push her to the ground. Joy slipped, knocking her head against the edge of the railing. For a moment she felt faint, but Joy quickly regained her senses.

  “No!” Paisley screeched. She leaped on Joy's back and grabbed her neck. Joy cried out and spun around in circles trying to break free. She grabbed Paisley's hands and tried to loosen them from her throat. Paisley's foot got caught, and she let go, falling to the floor and rolling into the water. Paisley hit the water with a loud splash.

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  Joy packed up a large box with miniature cheesecakes. After her confession, Paisley had been arrested for Sean Fisher's murder. It hadn't taken her long to confess everything to Detective Sugar too. Delilah couldn't believe it, and it was enough for her and Hunter to postpone their wedding officially. Delilah had finally realized that she and her fiancé had a lot of issues to work through first.

  The whole experience had made Joy value the importance of the kind people in her life. Joy had already thanked Sara Beth for being a great baking assistant, and she had given Cheesecake an extravagant fish dinner. Now she was going to visit someone else who had always been kind to her.

  The senior center looked golden in the evening light. As Joy drove along the coastal road, she felt like the golden glow was shining on her too. She was very excited to see Edith and fill her in on everything, though she suspected that Edith probably already knew. Even so, it would just be wonderful to be around someone who had known her mother well.

  Joy reached into the glove compartment and took out a piece of chocolate covered honeycomb. The chocolate was unsweetened and 96% cocoa. The taste was rich and slightly bitter. As she bit into it, the chocolate flaked off in big chunks and began to melt. The bitterness was almost overwhelming until she felt her tongue tingling as it hit the honeycomb in the middle. Sweetness suddenly swirled with the bitter chocolate, creating a decadent taste that was perfectly harmonious. It was the ideal taste to compliment her mood.

  Joy pulled into the parking lot of the senior center and saw a car that looked familiar. A logo on the side was hidden by another vehicle, but she knew where the car came from. Joy parked and took out the box of miniature cheesecakes from the back seat. She slowly made her way up to the front door.

  As Joy reached for the doorbell, the door swung open. Standing before her was Maple McWayne. The two women made sour faces and then quickly put on cordial expressions.

  “So nice to see you, Joy Cooke,” Maple exclaimed.

  “Maple, what a pleasant surprise.” Joy tried her best to have a good attitude toward Maple, but it seemed impossible. She supposed that her new positive outlook on life could only extend so far.

  Maple eyed the Patty Cakes Bake Shop box that Joy held in her hand. “What brings you here? Getting rid of some ruined stock?”

  “No, I don't use expired ingredients in my cakes. I'm visiting a friend and brought some freshly baked cheesecakes for the residents. Freshly baked.” Joy smiled politely although her comment was not intended to be polite.

  “I don't use anything expired either, despite what you might have heard.” Maple cleared her throat and held a steady gaze. “I was just visiting my grandfather and I gave everyone one of my famous cupcakes so you can probably toss those cheesecakes and no one would mind.” Maple laughed and smiled as though she had just told a hilarious. “Besides, cheesecake is a little brave of you, isn't it?”

  "Brave? Why do you say that?"

  “Well they don't last long in the heat, do they? And the heat has just been awful lately, hasn't it? Hot enough to melt anyone's icing. Lucky we have a good, reliable air conditioner at The Sugar Room. The customers love it.” Maple fluttered her eyelashes in feigned innocence.

  Joy's blood boiled. Her cheeks turned bright red, and her chest tightened so much that she struggled to take a breath. So Maple had been guilty all along. She was responsible for the air conditioner breaking.

  “You sabotaged my air conditioner,” Joy said simply.

  “Me?” Maple put a hand on her chest, acting deeply offended. “I would never do a thing like that, and you certainly couldn't prove it if I did.”

  Joy bit her lip. Maple was right. There was no proof. Joy scowled as Maple said a cheerful goodbye and skipped off toward her car. As she did, Joy noticed Maple's fingernails. She had the same cake design from Candy Nails as Joy did, but with one telling difference. Maple's nails were all chipped.

  A Preview of SOMETHING BAKED AND SOMETHING BLUE by Holly Plum

  CHAPTER ONE

  The pink doors of Patty Cakes Bake Shop were securely shut for the day. Regular customers pressed their faces against the front window, looking for any sign of movement or a whiff of pastry from within the bakery. It was a hot day in the Florida panhandle, and tourists sought after air conditioning and a refreshing beverage. But Patty Cakes Bake Shop was closed. The shop's owner and head baker, Joy Cooke, was spending the morning in the kitchen putting the finishing touches on a custom order cake for a bride-to-be named Bridget Clarke.

  Joy had inherited the bake shop from her late mother Patty and had thrown herself into carrying on her mother's legacy. The first few years were very challenging, and Joy had sacrificed a lot to dedicate herself to the endeavor full-time. Now Joy's baking and business skills were up to speed.
But Joy still stood by the ovens, twiddling her fingers as she waited for her cakes to rise.

  Joy's assistant, Sara Beth, was a southern belle who Joy had hired to take care of the customer service side of the business. Her natural charm and Mississippi manners were a hit with the customers. It also turned out that Sara Beth was even more helpful in the kitchen. She had a knack for staying one step ahead of Joy. As Joy finished cracking eggs into her batter, Sara Beth was right by her side, handing her a whisk. With Sara Beth's help, Joy's baking now ran smoothly, and she was, for the first time, relaxed in the kitchen. It showed in her baking. There had been fewer disasters, and Joy found herself making bigger batches of pastries and even experimenting with new flavors.

  Now that Joy was accustomed to Sara Beth as a kitchen-hand, she counted on her help with big orders. This meant that Joy had to close up the bakery anytime they were working on a custom cake. At first, Joy had worried that they would lose regular customers and that the profits would decline, but the elusive opening times gave Patty Cakes Bake Shop an air of mystery. One had to be in the right place at the right time to get one of Joy's iced buns. Customers said the exclusiveness made every baked good taste even better. Besides that, Joy was booked solid with custom orders.

  Now, with the signature pink doors securely shut, Joy and Sara Beth boxed up their newest creation and very carefully loaded it into the back of Joy's car. They strapped it down, double-checking that they had everything for Bridget Clarke's bridal shower, and then double-checked it all again. Sara Beth crawled into the passenger seat. As well as becoming a jewel in the kitchen, Sara Beth was also Joy's right-hand woman when it came to catering events. Joy was a little prone to anxiety, and her cheerful assistant had kept her calm at the most stressful of times. Sara Beth had a talent for talking, and Joy had a talent for producing great tasting cakes. Together, the two of them made an unstoppable team.