Baked to Death (Cookies & Chance Mysteries Book 2)

by Catherine Bruns

  "No." Tears streamed down my face again. "Brian, he doesn't belong there. He's innocent."

  Brian sighed. "Come here." He folded me into his arms while I sobbed against his massive chest. His strong arms held me tightly, and he whispered soothing words into my ear. It felt good to have someone hold me again. It also didn't hurt that he smelled wonderful—a woodsy type of cologne that reminded me of the great outdoors on a summer day.

  He reached down and lifted my face between his hands. I saw the look in his eyes and realized what was coming next but didn't react soon enough. I should have moved away, but my entire body seemed to have gone numb. I was mesmerized as I stared into his brilliant green eyes. They were hypnotizing.

  Brian pushed my hair back from my face and moved his finger lightly over my lips. Then he kissed me.

  I closed my eyes. For a brief moment, I think I might have pretended that he was Mike. Maybe I imagined I was someone else, too. Was it like the dream with Bradley Cooper? I couldn't be sure. All I knew was that the pain was consuming, almost suffocating me, and I needed it to end.

  The kiss deepened and became more urgent. Brian's hands splayed down my back as he lowered me onto the couch. His fingers reached underneath my shirt and brushed against my bare skin. Slowly, I staggered out of my mental stupor and tore my mouth loose from his. "I can't do this. I'm sorry."

  Brian seemed not to hear me. His hands were at my waist, and he was preoccupied with kissing my neck. "You never even gave me a chance. He's going to break your heart again. Forget about Mike."

  At the mention of his name, reality kicked in at full force. I pushed Brian backward and struggled to sit up. "I asked you to stop, and I meant it. Please."

  Reluctantly, he released his hold on me. "I'm sorry. I didn't come here to take advantage of you. Do you want me to go?"

  While my mind said yes, my mouth had trouble forcing it out. Brian was a nice guy, and I suspected he'd behave now. Plus, the idea of being alone depressed me to no end. If I was angry at someone, it was myself, not Brian, for giving in to a moment of weakness.

  "No. You can stay if you promise to be good." I smiled and gestured toward the kitchen. "Would you like a sandwich or something?"

  He shook his head. "I had a late lunch, so I'm fine. Thanks."

  As his eyes studied my face, heat rose through my body. "Um, I did some snooping around when I was in Florida."

  Brian yawned and settled back against the cushions of my couch. "Of course you did. That's your middle name." He eyed me suspiciously. "Did you find out anything about Colin's death that might help Mike?"

  I told him about Amber Mills and the unknown blonde then relayed the information about Ramon and the break-in.

  Brian's eyes widened. "You have been busy."

  "I'm scared," I said honestly. "For myself and for Mike. What will I do if this Ramon character comes to New York to find me?"

  "I can get you police protection," Brian said. "If you see any signs of him or his so-called associates, call me."

  "Could you run his name through the system, and see if you come up with anything on him?"

  He smiled. "My, you're quite the Nancy Drew now, aren't you?"

  "I don't have time to waste. The grand jury is meeting in a week. I have to prove Mike is innocent."

  Brian leaned forward to refill our glasses. "I'll do whatever I can to help him. We've been questioning Colin's family and his friend Luke whom he came to town with." He lifted his glass to his lips. "Luke said he was worried about you."

  "I'll call him tomorrow. I want to ask him if he knows anything about the blonde Colin was seeing."

  Brian narrowed his eyes. "I think that guy has a thing for you."

  I let out a bark of laughter. "Oh, please. That's ridiculous."

  His eyes traveled slowly down my body while I looked away in embarrassment. "No, it's definitely not ridiculous." He let out a huge sigh then focused his attention on the television. "The Cavaliers and Celtics are playing tonight. How does that sound?"

  I downed the rest of my drink in one gulp and yawned. "Sure. Go for it."

  I'd never been a basketball fan. Even though I'd led cheer for games in high school, the sport had always bored me. So I let the wine take over. I remembered Brian talking about a penalty shot and then went out like a light.

  When I awoke, the room was dark and quiet with the exception of one lamp on the end table casting a soft glow upon the room. The television was off. Brian's gun and cell phone lay on the coffee table in front of us, and he himself was sleeping next to me on the couch, snoring softly. One arm held me close against his bare chest. His shirt was lying on the table.

  I was confused. How had we ended up like this? For a brief moment, a wave of panic engulfed me. Had I done something I'd regret? I glanced down. Nope—still fully clothed. This was a good thing. I squinted at my watch in the dim light. As comforting as it was to be nestled in Brian's arms, I had no desire to tempt fate once again. Gently, I lifted his arm while he opened his eyes and smiled at me.

  "Hey." He yawned and stretched. "What time is it?"

  "About three." I padded over to the window in my socks and peered out. The street light was dim, but I was able to detect snow coming down at a rapid, almost blinding rate.

  Brian blinked and rubbed his eyes. "I should get going."

  I hesitated. "You can't go out in this. It looks like a blizzard. You're welcome to spend the rest of the night here. I'm going to my bedroom."

  His mouth turned up at the corners. "And where do I get to spend the night?"

  "Right where you are."

  He sighed. "Well, it was worth a try."

  I grinned. "You don't give up, do you?" I grabbed the afghan from the back of the couch. My heart beat rapidly as his eyes watched my movements intently. With some difficulty, I tried not to stare at his smooth, muscular chest while I covered it. "Get some sleep. Good night."

  Brian's eyes lingered on my face. "Good night, beautiful."

  I went to my bedroom and shut the door behind me. I thought about locking it then stopped myself. For goodness sake, he was a cop, after all. I felt safe and protected with him but also nervous as hell. I was also too tired to analyze the situation any further. Thanks to the wine, I fell into a deep, dreamless sleep.

  The sun streaming through my window woke me. At least the snow had stopped. I glanced at the clock on my bedside table. Crap. It was eight thirty, and my shop opened in half an hour. When had I become such a slacker? I reached for my cell on the nightstand and dialed Josie's number. She answered on the first ring.

  "I've done it again. I'm running a little late. I had an unexpected houseguest last evening."

  "I'm already downstairs," Josie said. "I've been here since seven. Take your time. By the way, I noticed a squad car parked at the curb. That wouldn't happen to belong to Officer Hottie, would it?"

  Ugh. "Well, yes, but it's not what you think."

  "Look, honey, whatever gets you through the night is fine with me. I'm the last person to judge. You're not married, and you certainly aren't dead. Speaking of hot males, you had a visitor a few minutes ago."

  My heart nearly leaped out of my chest as I scurried into the bathroom to brush my teeth with the phone still pressed to my ear. "Mike?"

  "Calm down. Mike has a key, doesn't he? He would have gone right up. No, sweetie, I'm talking about another hot guy. You seem to be collecting them in droves these days."

  I looked at myself in the bathroom mirror. My hair was standing up on end every which way and resembled something similar to a lion's mane. My eyes had bags underneath them, and my complexion was almost as white as powdered sugar.

  "Yeah, well, I don't see anything in the mirror that looks appealing right now, so you're dead wrong on that account. Was it a good visitor or a bad visitor?"

  "Like I said, he was cute," Josie teased. "But I'll let you determine the good or bad part. It was Colin's buddy, Luke."

  Confused, I stared at the phone. "Did h
e say what he wanted?"

  "He said he wanted to make sure you were okay and asked if you'd call him later. Personally, I think it's baloney. He's got the hots for you."

  "Okay, I so don't want to hear this right now. He's only a friend."

  "Whatever. But the guy is gaga over you. You're putting together quite a list of admirers."

  I blew out a sigh. "Some days I think life would be so much simpler if God had never created man."

  Josie chortled. "Simpler, yes, but nowhere near as fun."

  "Okay. I'm going to take a quick shower, and then I'll be down."

  "Can I ask if you'll be the only one in the shower?"

  "Oh, shut up. See you in a half an hour."

  I disconnected and tiptoed out of the bathroom into the narrow hallway. The rest of my tiny apartment was in plain view, the small eat-in kitchen and the connected living room area. Plus, Brian's almost naked body sprawled across my couch. The afghan had fallen away, and he had stripped down to his boxers. Good grief. I was glad he'd decided to make himself comfortable.

  A tingle ran through me, and I forced my eyes away from his taut body. What the heck was the matter with me? My boyfriend's gone for less than a week, and I can't control myself around other men? I returned to the bathroom, locking the door behind me.

  I turned on the water as hot as I could stand it and let the spray envelop me. If only I could wash away my problems this easily. I shampooed and conditioned my hair, and then wrapped myself in a fluffy, pink towel that stopped midway down my thighs. I worked at my hair, blow-drying and styling until it was somewhat presentable. I reached for my robe on the hook of the door, but it wasn't there. Shoot. It was still in my suitcase. I'd just sneak across the hallway and grab it. Chances were that Brian was still sleeping.

  I opened the door, stepped out into the hallway, and then let out a small squeak.

  Brian was leaning against the wall. His arms were folded across his bare, muscular chest. To my relief, he was wearing his uniform pants while he clutched his shirt in his left hand. His gaze dropped from my face to the towel I was tightly clutching around me.

  "You scared me," I whispered.

  He looked apologetic. "Sorry, Sally. I wanted to wait until you were finished so that I could say good-bye. My shift starts at ten, and I've only enough time to run home and grab a quick shower."

  Brian's eyes focused on the towel again and then came to rest on my bare legs while my face warmed with embarrassment.

  He winked. "Too bad I didn't wake up a few minutes sooner. Maybe we could have shared a shower."

  My mouth opened in shock, yet somehow I managed to keep my voice steady. "That would not have happened. And I do think it would be best if you left now."

  My cell started ringing from the bathroom. At the very same moment, Spike rushed to the front door and began barking in a frenzy. Then he stopped suddenly, wagged his tail, and whined. My heart stuttered inside my chest. There was only one person Spike acted like this around. I remained frozen in place as a key tumbled in my door.

  Maybe it was Josie? No, she would have knocked first. Josie and Mike were the only ones who had keys to both the building and my apartment. I struggled for air as I watched the door open, and Mike's imposing figure filled the door frame. He reached down to scoop Spike into his arms.

  "Hi, fella. I missed you." Mike glanced toward me then at Brian. I watched the color drain from his face and the wide smile change to a look of bewilderment. Even from across the room, I glimpsed a muscle tick in his jaw and a rage of storm clouds brewing behind his baby blues. He clutched Spike tightly in his arms and took a step backward. His eyes locked on to mine. In a brief moment, I detected hurt, confusion, and anger in his expression. Lots of anger.

  "Sorry. Didn't mean to interrupt anything." He took another step backward then slammed the door behind him as he disappeared.

  I was finally moved into action. "Oh my God. Mike, wait!"

  Brian grabbed me by the arm. "Sally, don't."

  I shook his hands off furiously. "Let go of me!" Without thinking, I raced down the stairs, through the storefront, and to the glass door of my bakery. I was just in time to witness Mike's truck speed off. His tires, like his anger, were smoking. "Wait!"

  It was freezing on the front porch in my bare feet. I turned around, defeated and sickened to my stomach. My heart was a dead weight in my chest. All I wanted to do was go upstairs and smack my head against a wall. Hard. Mike had finally returned home, and now he thought I was cheating on him. How could things possibly get any worse?

  I stepped back inside the storefront and froze.

  It was past nine o'clock, and we were open for business. At least five customers were standing in front of the display case. Six sets of eyes, including Josie's, were all staring at me. Me, the proprietor of Sally's Samples, dressed in nothing but a towel.

  Josie clutched a bakery box in one hand. The other was clamped over her mouth in an expression of horror.

  Ronald Feathers hobbled over to my side. He lived down the street from my parents. At eighty years old, he was bald, hard of hearing, and possessed no teeth. He was also Mrs. Gavelli's main squeeze. He chuckled and tapped me on the backside with his cane.

  I seemed to have lost the feeling in my legs as I continued to stand there, grasping the towel with both hands.

  Mr. Feathers winked. "Nice legs, honey. Nicoletta only comes over on Sundays, so I'm free tonight. From the looks of things, I'm guessing you are, too."

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  "Okay. What exactly just happened downstairs?" Josie stood in the doorway of my bedroom as I finished getting dressed.

  She had dispersed the crowd in record time then ran upstairs after me to see what was going on. Her blue eyes were enormous in her face as she examined mine.

  My voice shook as I pulled on my boots. "Mike walked in on me when I was wearing nothing but a towel. To make matters worse, Brian was leaning against the wall talking to me with no shirt on."

  "Holy cow." Josie pursed her lips. "He thinks—"

  I glanced around for my car keys. "Yeah, precisely. Did he say anything when he came into the shop?"

  She shook her head. "I spotted him walking in the door. He nodded to me but headed right for the stairs. I called your cell phone. I tried to warn you."

  I pulled on my jacket. "He finally comes home, and now he thinks I'm involved with another man." I glanced at her with hesitation. "I have to see if I can find him."

  Josie gestured toward the door. "Go. I'll be fine."

  "I owe you." I ran down the stairs, taking them two at a time. I flew out the back door, unlocked my car, and sped off toward Mike's house, wondering how my life had suddenly become such a train wreck.

  There were fresh tracks in the driveway, but Mike's truck was gone. My heart sank. Could he have taken off again? Somehow I didn't think so. He knew I'd follow him here and apparently was in no mood to talk to me. Of all the lousy timing. Could there have been a worse moment for him to walk through my door? Well, if he'd caught us on the couch together last night, Brian might have been missing a few teeth by now. But why at that exact minute?

  Then it dawned on me—the message I had texted last night. Maybe Mike had driven all night in the storm from wherever he was to get home to me. Deep down he had to know I wasn't cheating on him because why would I have sent him the text?

  My brain was starting to hurt. I whipped out my cell and dialed his number. As usual, it went straight to voice mail.

  "It's me," I whispered. "What you just saw—it's not what you think. Brian came by to ask me some questions about Colin and the murder last night. I had a glass of wine and fell asleep on the couch. I guess he did, too."

  Okay, Sal, maybe you shouldn't have mentioned that part.

  I choked back tears as I continued. "Please don't leave again. I've been miserable without you. Please don't jump to conclusions. I—"

  The phone beeped, and I heard the message, "This mailbox is full."

>   "Damn it!" I sat in the car and wiped away tears of frustration with the back of my hand. I thought about what I had said. Don't jump to conclusions. Hadn't I jumped to conclusions ten years ago when I found Mike in a vehicle with another girl—Backseat Brenda, as she'd been dubbed because of her reputation—on prom night? I hadn't given him a chance to explain then. Instead, I'd promptly broken up with him.

  You're such a hypocrite, Sal. Not knowing what else to do, I drove back to the bakery. I didn't have any other ideas of where to find Mike. Plus, I felt guilty leaving Josie to run the shop alone again. I hadn't been the most reliable owner as of late.

  As I was alighting from the vehicle, my phone buzzed. I held my breath and prayed, but it wasn't Mike's number. "Hello?"

  "Hey, Sal." Krista's voice greeted me. "Are you still in Florida?"

  "No. I got back last night."

  She hesitated for a moment. "Did you have any luck finding the owner of the ring?"

  "I spoke to Amber. I didn't volunteer any information, but I'm pretty sure the ring doesn't belong to her. She said that she and Colin broke up over a month ago. He was cheating on her with another woman—a blonde."

  "Big surprise there," she said dryly. "Do you think it belongs to her then?"

  Better to get this over with. "Did you know that Colin owed money to the mob?"

  "What?" Krista squeaked.

  As I'd suspected, my statement hadn't gone over very well. "Okay, maybe it's not the mob, but at the very least, the guy is a loan shark. He found out I was in Florida and told me he wanted the money Colin owes him. I'm wondering if he could be involved in Colin's murder."

  Krista gasped on the other end of the line. "Did he threaten you?"

  "Yes," I said, "and our hotel room was broken into. I think he may have been searching for the ring. He said Colin promised him something in exchange for paying off the debt. Don't worry. He didn't get the ring. I still have it safe in my purse."

  She was quiet for a moment. "Sal, this isn't your problem. I'm sorry I ever involved you in this mess. You should have just given the ring to this creep."

  "I'll stop by and return it to you," I said. "I had hoped it might somehow lead to freeing Mike from a possible murder conviction."