by Mia Ashlinn
Sweet Serenity 5
The Sweetest Dish
Love, laughter, friends, family, and a Thanksgiving none of them would ever forget.
After the highs and lows of the last year, Jaycee Blakemore, Shannon Dalton, Katie-Anne Jacobs, and Ella Blaylock-Asher are ready to celebrate their blessings with the people they love. But the return of their archenemy, Leila Schilling, threatens to destroy their perfect Thanksgiving.
Having spent months plotting the sweetest revenge, Leila’s arrival in Serenity, Kansas, immediately sets off a chain of events that turn Jaycee, Shannon, Katie-Anne, and Ella’s lives upside down. With an arsenal full of old hurts, veiled truths, and past scandals, Leila shamelessly exploits whatever she must to come out on top. However, she goes too far when she hurts the girls’ friend, Sarah Matthews.
Determined to rid themselves of Leila once and for all, the women unite to take her down. Only they discover on their path to vengeance that love is the sweetest dish in life—on Thanksgiving and all year round.
NOTE! The Sweetest Dish is a holiday reunion book in the Sweet Serenity series and is not stand-alone. We recommend reading this book after books 1-4.
Genre: Contemporary, Ménage a Trois/Quatre
Length: 50,714 words
THE SWEETEST DISH
Sweet Serenity 5
Mia Ashlinn
MENAGE EVERLASTING
Siren Publishing, Inc.
www.SirenPublishing.com
ABOUT THE E-BOOK YOU HAVE PURCHASED: Your non-refundable purchase of this e-book allows you to only ONE LEGAL copy for your own personal reading on your own personal computer or device. You do not have resell or distribution rights without the prior written permission of both the publisher and the copyright owner of this book. This book cannot be copied in any format, sold, or otherwise transferred from your computer to another through upload to a file sharing peer to peer program, for free or for a fee, or as a prize in any contest. Such action is illegal and in violation of the U.S. Copyright Law. Distribution of this e-book, in whole or in part, online, offline, in print or in any way or any other method currently known or yet to be invented, is forbidden. If you do not want this book anymore, you must delete it from your computer.
WARNING: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000.
If you find a Siren-BookStrand e-book being sold or shared illegally, please let us know at
[email protected]
A SIREN PUBLISHING BOOK
IMPRINT: Ménage Everlasting
THE SWEETEST DISH
Copyright © 2012 by Mia Ashlinn
E-book ISBN: 978-1-62242-029-2
First E-book Publication: December 2012
Cover design by Les Byerley
All art and logo copyright © 2012 by Siren Publishing, Inc.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED: This literary work may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, including electronic or photographic reproduction, in whole or in part, without express written permission.
All characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead is strictly coincidental.
PUBLISHER
Siren Publishing, Inc.
www.SirenPublishing.com
Letter to Readers
Dear Readers,
If you have purchased this copy of The Sweetest Dish by Mia Ashlinn from BookStrand.com or its official distributors, thank you. Also, thank you for not sharing your copy of this book.
Regarding E-book Piracy
This book is copyrighted intellectual property. No other individual or group has resale rights, auction rights, membership rights, sharing rights, or any kind of rights to sell or to give away a copy of this book.
The author and the publisher work very hard to bring our paying readers high-quality reading entertainment.
This is Mia Ashlinn’s livelihood. It’s fair and simple. Please respect Ms. Ashlinn’s right to earn a living from her work.
Amanda Hilton, Publisher
www.SirenPublishing.com
www.BookStrand.com
DEDICATION
As always, this book is for my husband, the man who showed me what the sweetest dish is. Thank you for feeding my heart and nourishing my soul with your love. You’re truly the best thing that has ever happened to me. I love you today, tomorrow, and always.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it. —William Arthur Ward
Writing this book was quite bittersweet for me. Like Thanksgiving, I had the pleasure of visiting with a group of people I consider a part of my extended family and counting my blessings with them. At the same time, I was reminded of all the things I have lost and gained in the past year. So I want to thank those of you—friends and family—who have been by my side every step of the way.
First and foremost, I want to thank a special group that has taken me in and held me through the good and the bad. To the Righteous Perverts, you have all come to mean the world to me. When I think about my blessings, you are one of the first things that come to mind. Between the unconditional friendships and unwavering support, I cannot imagine being more proud to be a part of a group…of pervs no less. I love you guys.
Secondly, I want to thank the friends that I surround myself with constantly.
To Luna, your sense of humor continually keeps a smile on my face. And your selflessness as a friend inspires me. Thank you for being who you are and allowing me to be myself with you.
To Sheri, you are an amazing friend. I know that I can rely on you to be there for me in the ups and downs of life. And that is a priceless treasure.
To Tina, a year ago I approached you to be my beta. Little did I know that you would become my right-hand woman and a dear friend. Yes, I know you’re not fond of when I get all ooey and gooey. But it’s true, and I’m going to be mushy for a minute. So as you always say, “Suck it up, buttercup.” Here it is, get your trash can if you need it. You’re a blessing that I didn’t count on. And I’m rather glad that I didn’t expect it, because that makes your friendship so much better. Having someone to talk to and work with who understands me, supports me, and accepts me—dorkiness, quirks, and all—is something that I never thought I’d find. So I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart.
To Tara, when I asked you to be one of my betas, it wasn’t something I took lightly. I knew you as a friend, and I had such respect for you as a person. But I didn’t want to put a strain on our relationship. Looking back, I couldn’t have been more mistaken. Having you as a beta didn’t diminish our friendship. It only enhanced it. I feel closer to you than I did before, and I’m so thankful that I decided to ask you and that you agreed. You’re a beautiful blessing that I wouldn’t trade for anything.
To my Facebook friends, I can’t tell you with words the joy that you have brought to my life. Chatting with you every day is unbelievably fun and highly entertaining. But it is so much more than that. The friendships you have offered me freely are extraordinary. And I’m forever grateful to each and every one of you.
To the Serenity readers, thank you for following me on this journey and loving the characters like I do. Being able to share the stories and these people with you is the best part of being a writer.
Finally, I want to thank those people wh
o make each and every book possible.
To Les Byerley, thank you for making a cover that exceeded my highest expectations. It is exquisite, and I owe it all to you.
To Diana DeBalko, thank you for being the most amazing publisher. Every day, I get up knowing that I get to write for a publishing house that I believe in. When I submitted my first book, I knew that I wanted to be a part of Siren, but I had no clue how wonderful it would truly be. And it’s because of you.
To Jackie, I want to thank you for the job you did on this book. As always, your help is immeasurable, and I’m blessed to have you as an editor.
To Siren’s staff, thank you all for treating me so well. Being able to work with a group of people who are creative, reliable, and so caring is more than I could have ever imagined.
THE SWEETEST DISH
Sweet Serenity 5
MIA ASHLINN
Copyright © 2012
Chapter 1
Ella Blaylock-Asher strolled down the baby aisle at Garrett’s Groceries with Jaycee Blakemore at her side. Perusing the three different brands of diapers carried by the store, they moved in complete silence. The only noise around them was a muffled, impossible-to-understand voice coming from the overhead intercom.
Unable to take any more silence, Ella gave in to the gossip she’d been holding back for nearly ten minutes. “The Bitch is back,” she whispered to Jaycee, only she didn’t really whisper. With six short aisles in Serenity’s only grocery store, murmuring secrets and whispering gossip was impossible. Every spoken word carried throughout the store and bounced off the walls where everyone could hear it. Then within the span of a few minutes, it had spread through the town like wildfire.
Jaycee paused, the squeaky wheels on their cart squealing to a sudden stop. “Leila? Leila Schilling is back?”
Who else? Ella wanted to ask, but that was rude. So she held her tongue, not releasing one of her typical smart-ass responses. Instead, she replied, “Yeah. I heard that she drove her Mercedes Coupe into town at the break of dawn.”
“When did you hear that?” Jaycee asked, the curiosity palpable in her excited tone and eager expression. “It’s only been an hour. You’ve been with me the whole time.”
Ella snorted. “A girl has to go potty sometimes, Jaycee. And Lord knows that all the best gossip happens in the ladies’ room. Besides, Reagan called. My sister knows everything going on around town.” With a grin, she mumbled, “The little heifer is good like that.”
“Oh, I forgot about your ridiculously long trip,” Jaycee said. Laughing softly, she started to walk again. “No wonder you were gone for ten damn minutes. I just figured you’d fallen in.”
“Nope. I was being nosy.”
“Eavesdropper,” Jaycee teased. “Isn’t it funny how something happens in Serenity, and it only takes an hour for it to work its way through the grapevine?”
“Oh yeah,” Ella responded. “It’s a real hoot—as long as it isn’t you they’re talking about.”
Ella knew all about being talked about. She’d had to endure more than one scandal in her twenty-nine years. Hell, she and one of her husbands, Caedon Blaylock-Asher, had broken up over a video that had been leaked to the press while she’d been at the height of her plus-size modeling career. And then when they’d finally managed to work things out this past July, they’d been thrust into the spotlight once again.
Caedon’s former acting agent, Ted, and Ella’s nemesis, Leila, had recorded a videotape of Ella with their other husband, Micah Blaylock-Asher. Of course, they’d run straight to the press with a tawdry story about her alleged cheating. However, that time her men wouldn’t allow there to be misunderstandings. They’d gone to the press and admitted to their permanent ménage.
Although, they’d left out the part about Micah and Caedon being as in love with each other as they were with her. But they planned to reveal that soon. Now that the wedding had happened without the press crashing it and most of the scandalous talk had died down, they felt they’d reached the point where they could share their love with the world—all of them. They were just waiting for the best time to do so.
Jaycee chuckled as she kept walking without stopping once to pick up any of the items they’d come for. “This is true.”
Slowing, Ella squatted down and scooped up two packs of diapers. “Hey, Jaycee,” she called out. “Don’t forget these!”
Jaycee glanced over her shoulder, the youthful blonde woman sighing. “Oops. Sorry, Ella. Since I had the twins, my mind doesn’t work quite right. I don’t even think I remember how to walk and chew gum at the same time.”
Ella couldn’t help but smile at her friend. Jaycee had been scatterbrained since she’d given birth to Ava and Mason in July. Even with four months having gone by, Jaycee rarely slept. Her two poor husbands tried to get her in bed—innocently—all the time, but she was stubborn as hell when it came to her babies. She wanted to take care of them, not a nanny or some other helper.
Ella thought it was quite funny that two big, strong men like Gray and Cade Blakemore couldn’t take down their beautiful, petite wife. Well, except for in the bedroom. From what Jaycee’s big mouth had shared with Ella and half the women in town, her husbands had complete control whenever she walked in there. Otherwise, all bets were off. Of course, her husbands seemed just fine with that—most of the time.
“Who needs to walk and chew gum at the same time?” Ella asked, the teasing ever present in her voice. “That is way overrated.”
“Says the woman chewing gum and walking, as we speak,” Jaycee shot back.
Ella grinned. Stepping around Jaycee, she dropped both packs of diapers in the grocery cart then skipped to the end of the aisle. She spun around quickly and razzed, “See, I can skip, too.”
Being ornery, Ella blew the biggest bubble she could manage with her favorite gum. When she had no more air and the damn bubble was covering half of her face, she reached up with her hand and popped it. “Oh, and I am good with blowing bubbles while moving.”
“Ha,” Jaycee exclaimed. “That’s because you’re full of so much hot air, baby.”
“In the words of Shannon Dalton, bite me,” Ella said with a chuckle. “Or I can go with Katie-Anne Jacobs, and call you a bitch.”
Jaycee’s two best friends and sisters-in-law were notorious for saying those things to the people they loved most. It was practically an endearment. Shannon constantly told her three husbands, Jared, Drew, and Randy, to bite her. Of course, they did—much to the amusement of everyone, even their baby sister, Jaycee. And Katie-Anne’s husband, Landon, teased her about calling her friends bitches while her other husband, Shane, fussed about her foul mouth. They weren’t the only ones either. Katie-Anne’s older brother, Gray, grumbled whenever she called his wife, Jaycee, that derogatory name, as he called it.
Backing up, Ella wasn’t paying any attention to where she was going—until she bumped into a person. “Ooph,” she said.
“Watch where you’re going,” a snotty voice snapped at Ella from behind.
Big baboon ass! Ella didn’t have to turn to see who had spoken. She knew that voice, and she hated it—Leila. The gossip is right. The bitch is back. Damn it.
Whirling around to face the vilest person she or any woman in town had been forced to deal with, Ella frowned. “What are you doing back here? I thought you’d left town for good.”
“No,” Leila replied with the usual air of conceit that followed her around like a bad perfume. Speaking of perfume. I think I’m going to gag. The smell of a person having bathed in their perfume filled Ella’s nostrils. Oh yeah, someone’s fragrance has revolted.
The teeny, reddish-brown-haired woman standing in front of Ella was amazingly beautiful, like always. For a heinous, malignant shrew, she sure looked like an angel. With her flawless hair and immaculate clothes, she was the poster child for the perfect woman.
Looks can be deceiving. Ella had learned that the hard way. She’d come from the glittering fashion world, and she�
�d dealt with the most vile people while she lived in it.
Although, she had to admit that Leila took the cake. She beat out any mean and nasty woman Ella had ever met. If it weren’t for the fact that Ella didn’t allow people to intimidate her, Leila had a chance of doing just that. She was downright vicious when she wanted to be. And with her being back in Serenity, Ella knew she and the other women in town were going to get yet another taste of her poisonous ways.
Pushing her noisy cart next to Ella, Jaycee stopped and cursed, “Well, damn. There went our perfect Thanksgiving.”
“Perfect is in the eye of the beholder—”
Breaking eye contact with Leila, Ella slid her gaze to Jaycee. “She won’t ruin our holidays,” she said, speaking over her abhorrent adversary. “Remember? I ran her skanky ass out of town once. I can do it again.” She sent a cutting smile to Leila. If only my smile would really hurt her. “She won’t make waves unless she really wants to start a war.”
Ella had run Leila off—in a roundabout way—four months ago. After she and Ted had sent shockwaves through Hollywood and Fifth Avenue with the news of Ella, Caedon, and Micah’s relationship, she’d disappeared. The little pussy had run like the wind. But of course, she hadn’t disappeared without a couple of parting shots. She’d left a note behind for Ella with a bunch of trashy threats. One of which included the information that she had a sex tape—of Caedon and Micah.
As she recalled what Leila held in the palm of her hand, a trickle of unease steadily flowed down her spine. Surely, Leila hadn’t been stupid enough to send that to the press. But then again, this was Leila. The psycho couldn’t see past the end of her pert nose.
