by Beth Ciotta
Rocky moved closer and climbed onto his lap. She wrapped her arms and legs around Jayce and dazzled his senses with a slow, deep kiss. “I’m thinking we should go back to your place or my place for dessert,” she said, coming up for air. “Feeling a little exposed here riverside.”
“There’s always the backseat of my car,” he teased as they scrambled to their feet.
“With Brewster watching from the front seat?”
Sure enough, as soon as Rocky stood Brewster stood. He was fast becoming Velcro-Dog. Jayce smiled. “Looks like you have a friend for life.”
“The best gift ever,” Rocky said as she packed up the remnants of their gourmet lunch.
Jayce nabbed the blanket and basket, and together they weaved their way through the dense patch of woods. His mind spun with memories of his youth, good memories, picnics and barbeques with the Monroes at Willow Bend. He added this afternoon with Rocky and Brewster to the treasure trove. But then they cleared the trees and his mood faltered.
“What’s that stuck on your windshield?” Rocky asked as they neared his car.
Jayce approached first and snagged the note and silky black fabric from beneath the windshield wiper. His gut clenched as he passed the sexy thong to Rocky. “Yours?”
She flushed, frowned. “What the hell?” She nabbed the typewritten note from Jayce’s hand and read aloud the words already burned in his brain. “You crushed my life, now I’ll crush yours.”
Fury pumping through his blood, Jayce loaded the picnic supplies and Brewster into the car. Then he took back the thong and note and ushered a flustered Rocky into the car. “Lock yourself in. I want to look around.”
“Jayce—”
“Lock the damned door.” He waited until she complied, then did a quick but careful sweep of the perimeter. His suspicions had been confirmed. Someone was stalking Rocky. Someone with a personal beef. Jayce had assumed Billy, but now he considered Adam. “Great guy” or not, he’d been burned and the jealousy and anger Jayce had felt emanating from Adam at the Shack had been intense.
“Find anything?” Rocky asked when Jayce joined her in the car.
“Nothing of consequence.” He keyed the ignition. “You’re moving in with me.”
“What?”
“Just until I nail the bastard who’s threatening you. It’s someone close to you or someone who got close by breaking into the Clover and rifling your belongings.”
“Maybe it is one of the construction crew,” Rocky said in a tense voice. “I mean they have free run of the place and I’m not always there when they are. In fact, I’ve been gone a lot lately. Between the Cupcake Lovers and you…”
“Did you insult one of them? Get one of them fired?”
“Of course not.”
“The note says: You crushed my life.” He latched on to her troubled gaze. “Aside from ending your affair with Adam, didn’t you renege on a business deal as well?”
She gaped.
“He’d offered to invest in the Red Clover, to become your partner, to help you run the place, increase business and revenue, right?”
“Yes, but—”
“He was primed for a business venture. With you. The woman he was sleeping with. In one day, one moment, you ripped the professional and personal ground from beneath his feet. Depending on the depth of his emotional investment, that could qualify as crushing his world.”
She shook her head. “Adam’s not a vengeful man.”
“Then who?”
“That’s for you to find out.”
Jayce lifted a brow.
“I don’t want to go to the police. Not yet. If it’s Billy … we’ll have a hard time convincing the SCPD that one of their own is up to no good. If it’s Adam, which it’s not, but if it is, I don’t want to get him in trouble with the law. Maybe he’s just hurt and … lashing out. For all I know it’s Tasha. Or, hell, maybe it’s a couple of teenagers, pulling a prank. What with Halloween around the corner, it’s possible, right?”
“Anything’s possible.” But he highly doubted a Halloween prank.
“Just do what you do and find out who it is and we’ll handle it from there. Okay?”
She was putting her trust in him, allowing him an inch.
“In return, I’ll move in with you. For a while. Most of the renovations on the Clover are moving upstairs next week anyway.”
Jayce reached over and squeezed her hand. An inch, hell. She was giving him a mile. “I’ll get to the bottom of this, Dash.”
“I know. Just please be discreet. That video crew is flying in tomorrow.”
Jayce didn’t give a damn about that publishing contract and Tasha’s “no scandal” decree. But he did care about Rocky and the Cupcake Lovers. “No worries, hon. Discreet is my middle name.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
Given the multiple surprises and shockers on Tuesday, Rocky had been stunned when Wednesday and then most of Thursday had whooshed by without any major incidents. In fact, things had been so uneventful, she’d almost forgotten about the ominous note threatening to crush her life. She wanted to believe it was a prank. She maintained that anyone could’ve broken into the Red Clover when she wasn’t there. Anyone could have swiped a pair of her underwear and typed up a stupid note. Yes, it was creepy and mean, but unlike Jayce, she wasn’t worried about someone causing her actual harm. Not even Billy Burke. Yes, he was a weasel and a bully, but she’d known him all his life and she’d never known him to cause malicious physical harm.
Leave it to Jayce to point out that crushing her life could entail ruining the career or reputation of one or several of her loved ones. It just seemed so over-the-top, she couldn’t imagine. Or maybe she didn’t want to imagine.
Since nothing sinister had happened on the heels of the note and since Jayce hadn’t dug up any damning dirt, it had been relatively easy to push the ugly incident from her mind. Instead, Rocky had concentrated on training Brewster and settling in with Jayce. She’d cleaned, and decorated, and cooked up a storm. She’d put in a few hours at Maple Molly’s and a couple of hours helping to construct the Creepy Cupcake booth for the Spookytown Spectacular. When Jayce wasn’t with her, Brewster was. Unlike at the Shack, everyone else had welcomed her canine friend with open arms.
Now she was at Moose-a-lotta, along with half of the Cupcake Lovers, gearing up for a private bake-a-thon. She’d joined forces with Chloe, Monica, Judy, and Rachel to make the eighteen dozen giveaway pumpkin spice cupcakes.
Gram, Helen, Ethel, and Casey had joined Sam at his house in order to tackle the fondant. The overall workload was so massive it made sense to divide their efforts and join up later for the actual cupcake decorating.
Tasha and her husband had taken the video crew out for dinner at the Pine and Periwinkle Inn. We’ll meet you at Moose-a-lotta around six thirty, she’d said to Rocky during a short call. Start baking on schedule. It will look better if you’re in the thick of things when we arrive. Acting as the club’s liaison, Tasha had toured the three-person team around Sugar Creek the day before and then accompanied them when they’d filmed candid interviews with the senior members of the club. Gram had texted Rocky that the “shoot” had been successful and that she’d managed not to embarrass Tasha by spouting anything scandalous. She’d even bleached her purple hair old-lady silver in an effort to conform to Americana standards. Even Gram was doing her best to make sure the CL recipe book got its best shot at record sales. More than ever Rocky was determined to keep that irritating threatening note under wraps until that film crew left Sugar Creek.
“So how’s it going at the Shack?” Monica asked Rachel as she opened a new bag of flour.
“Luke didn’t ask you to work over the weekend, did he?” Chloe flitted around the café’s kitchen making sure everyone had what they needed. “The kids would be so disappointed if you weren’t involved in the Creepy Cupcake giveaway.”
“I still can’t believe Gretchen let you go,” Judy said. “The children love you.”
Rocky glanced up from her mixing bowl, noting the bright flush of Rachel’s pale skin.
“Things are going great at the Shack,” Rachel said while measuring spices. “I’ve only worked two nights, but everyone’s nice and if I hustle I make great tips. I’m planning to hustle big-time this weekend.”
Rocky frowned. “So Luke did ask you to work?”
“That sucks,” Monica said. “What gives? He knows you’re a Cupcake Lover and he knows about our booth.”
“And the video crew,” Chloe added.
“Luke didn’t ask me to work,” Rachel said. “I offered. He’s shorthanded and I need the money, plus … honestly, I’m not comfortable with being filmed.”
Camera-shy wallflower Rachel Lacey. No one in the room was surprised.
“We’ll miss you,” Judy said as she, along with Chloe, lined the muffin cups. “The kids will miss you.”
“What about you?” Rachel asked, turning the focus on Rocky. “Heard you got a job at Maple Molly’s.”
“I wish I would’ve known you were looking for work,” Chloe said. “Daisy and I could’ve brought you on board here at the café.”
“It was sort of a fluke,” Rocky said, adding spices to her sifted flour—cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves.… “Right place at the right time kind of thing, plus you know how I adore collectibles. Not to mention they allow Brewster to tag along. He’s fast becoming the antique barn’s mascot.”
“Not surprised,” Monica said. “That dog’s adorable. Where is he now? With Jayce?”
Rocky’s heart fluttered. “Yeah. Jayce is really good with Brewster. He’s good with all animals actually. He volunteered to help out at the Pixley Rescue Shelter once a week. If there was a shelter here, no doubt he’d be there every day.”
“He could start a private shelter in Sugar Creek,” Chloe said. “Something associated with the animal clinic, maybe. Or what about fostering dogs waiting for adoption?”
“Too much of a commitment, I’d think,” Rocky said. “He plans on being pretty busy with the cyber detective agency.”
“He’s seems pretty busy now,” Chloe said while opening several cans of pumpkin puree. “Devlin was just commenting on how he’s not seeing much more of Jayce now than when he lived in Brooklyn. What’s he up to anyway?”
“Aside from playing house with you?” Judy asked.
Everyone gawked at the older woman.
Judy glanced up. “Oh my. Did I say that out loud? I must be channeling Daisy. It’s just we were talking, the senior members that is, about what a good-looking couple you make and how nice it is that Jayce took you in while your house is under construction. Although you could have stayed with your grandma. Since Chloe’s living with Devlin now, there’s certainly plenty of room.”
“And once Daisy moves in with Vince,” Chloe said, “that beautiful old home will be completely empty.”
“I’m not living with Jayce,” Rocky amended. “I’m just staying there awhile. Convenient since I’m also decorating the place.”
“But you are a couple,” Judy said.
By now, everyone in Sugar Creek knew. Rocky suppressed a besotted smile. At least she thought she suppressed it.
Rachel elbowed her and winked. “You’re crazy about him. I think that’s sweet. To think you’ve known him for years and the attraction only just now sparked.”
Monica coughed and Rocky blushed. “Yeah, well…”
“Maybe there’s hope for me after all,” Rachel said.
“Are you talking about Sam?” Judy asked. “Surely you know he’s crazy about you.”
“I—,” Rachel faltered, then bobbled her spoon. “Sorry. I … Chloe,” she said, shifting the focus. “Are you okay? You look clammy.”
Chloe stepped away from the cooking island. “Just need a drink of water.”
“Casey mentioned she saw you coming out of Doc Worton’s office yesterday. Did you catch that bug that’s going around?”
“You didn’t tell me you went to the doctor.” Monica joined her friend at the sink. “What gives?”
“Nothing. I’m fine. Really. Please stop fussing.”
“I’m not fussing and you’re not fine. You’ve been shaky for a couple of weeks,” Monica said. “I thought it was the stress of opening the café. But that’s not it, is it?”
“Let it go, Monica.”
“Why? What’s wrong? You can tell us. You can tell me, for God’s sake.” Monica jammed a hand through her spiky hair. “Jesus. Is it serious?”
Chloe wrung her hands and Rocky got a bad feeling.
Rachel and Judy abandoned their baking efforts, their attention riveted on the heated scene between two friends.
“I’m not sick.” Chloe looked Monica square in the eye. “I’m pregnant.”
Rocky gasped—she couldn’t help herself—as did Judy and Rachel. Rocky really wanted to squeal with joy, but the devastated look on Monica’s face shut her down. Oh, crap.
Chloe shifted. “Monica, I—”
Someone banged on the front door of the closed café.
“Must be Tasha and the film crew,” Monica said.
“Send them away,” Chloe said, seemingly frozen in place.
Monica bolted from the kitchen, and Rocky and the other two women converged on Chloe.
“Dev must be thrilled,” Rocky said with a quick hug.
“Congratulations, sweetie,” Judy said.
Rachel teared up as she squeezed Chloe’s hand. “So happy for you.”
Monica burst back in with Tasha and crew before Rocky and immediate friends had a chance to retreat to their mixing bowls. “I was just telling these guys the great news,” Monica said, hustling over and hugging Chloe with a big, ready-for-my-close-up-Mr.-DeMille fake-ass smile. “My best friend’s having a baby.”
* * *
“It was awful, Devlin. The way she acted all happy and carefree.” Fatigued by an extralong day and the pressure of having to put on a cheery front for Tasha and crew, Chloe fell back on the bed fully clothed. “I know Monica was hamming it up for the camera crew, but even as we cleared out of Moose-a-lotta she gave me another huge hug and smile and told me how happy she was for me.”
Dressed down in sweats and a tee, Devlin sat on the bed and tugged off Chloe’s shoes. “Maybe it wasn’t an act.”
“I’ve known Monica all of my life. It was definitely an act. It’s not that I doubt her sincerity. I know, deep down, she’s genuinely thrilled for me, us. It’s the fact that she’s pretending it doesn’t hurt.”
“Sounds to me like she’s putting your feelings ahead of hers. A sign of a good friend.”
“But I don’t want the pretense between us. I want her to know I feel her pain. I know how badly she wants a child and how disappointed she is that it hasn’t happened yet. How frustrating it must be to learn about two other pregnancies in the space of a week, both accidents, one of them being her best friend. We need to talk about this.”
“Can I make a suggestion?” Devlin asked as he pulled off her socks.
“Sure.”
“Let Monica come to you.”
“But—”
“Give her some time, Chloe. Let her process, come to terms, maybe talk to Leo for perspective—”
“That’s if they’re speaking.”
“They’re going through a rough time. They’ll work it out.”
“You keep saying that. Such faith.”
The bed dipped as Devlin moved up and stretched alongside her. “That’s because I have faith in true love.”
She smiled up at the father of her child. So handsome. So strong and kind. “You say the most romantic things.”
He smiled back and smoothed her hair from her face. “Setting aside the issue with Monica, how did it feel sharing the news?”
She beamed. “Great. I know the rest of the girls were dying to gush, especially Rocky. I couldn’t get a read on Tasha—what was real or fake—because she was ‘on’ for the cameras. She pretended like she was h
appy for me anyway. She spun the news in a way that made ‘good press’ so to speak. A future Cupcake Lover in the making. The tradition lives on. Yada yada. Scandal averted.”
“What about the fact that we’re not married?”
“That didn’t come up.”
“Chloe—”
“I was thinking,” she said, cutting off marriage talk. “Now that the news is out, I’d like to share it with the world. Especially your parents.” She pushed up to one elbow and locked gazes with Devlin, determined to banish another secret from their lives. “I think we should fly down and tell them in person. As soon as possible.”
“The timing—”
“Is perfect.” She reached over and squeezed his hand. “News of a grandchild might do your dad a world of good.”
He raised a brow. “Gram told you.”
“I pried it out of her. Part of it anyway. I know your dad’s fighting a life-threatening affliction. I don’t know what specifically.”
Devlin blew out a breath and rolled onto his back.
“Are you angry?”
“Relieved.” He jammed his hand through his hair. “You don’t know how much I wanted to confide in you, Chloe.”
Heart pounding, she snuggled against Jerome Monroe’s eldest son and hugged tight. “I understand. You promised your mom and dad to keep his illness secret, and promises are sacred.”
“Dad’s a proud and stubborn bastard. He didn’t want pity and he didn’t want family to worry.”
“Having to keep this from Rocky and Luke must be killing you.”
“I regretted the promise soon after making it. If Dad’s health had taken a turn for the worse—”
“But it didn’t,” Chloe said, feeling his unease. “Your dad’s on the mend.”
“Thanks to radical treatment and top-notch specialists. He’s hoping to come home for Christmas.”
“Is he ever going to come clean about whatever he’s been fighting?”
“Prostate cancer. I don’t know. Puts me in a hell of a spot with Rocky and Luke either way.”
“This family’s like an artichoke,” Chloe said. “You peel away one layer, one secret, only to find another.”
