“Well, there ya go.” Carlotta toasts to Lemon with her muffin. “Calling Cha Cha Mama is just as good as saying it to you, considering the fact she’s walking around wearing your face.”
Evie nods. “She’s right. Last week, I had a heartfelt chat and spilled all of my deep, dark secrets to Charlie, and the whole time I thought I was talking to you.”
“Evie.” Lemon presses a hand to her chest. “Oh, I feel terrible. I’ll tell you what, when we get home, I’ll whip us up a fresh batch of those snickerdoodle cookies you love so much. We’ll hang out in the kitchen and have that heartfelt talk, and you can even spill all of your deep, dark secrets to the real me.”
“Nah. There’s no point,” Evie says, breaking apart the cinnamon roll on her plate. “I feel a lot lighter now that I’ve got everything off my chest. I really had a good time with her. Speaking of good times”—she wags her phone at us—“if you’ll excuse me, I need to text Bradford about a certain driving session after dark.”
“It’s not happening,” I call out after her, but Evie is already in zombie mode as she taps into her phone at the other end of the bakery.
“Great,” Lemon says as she visibly deflates. “Both Evie and Lyla Nell have no problem swapping me out with Charlie. Where is my wily sister, anyway?”
“I can take a stab at it,” Noah says with a sigh. He glances to Carlotta before looking to Lemon and me. “Carlotta and Charlie dropped by my office today.”
Carlotta tosses up her hands. “Who knew you were such a tattletale, Foxy?”
“I did,” I say under my breath.
Carlotta huffs, “I wish you’d given me a clue, Sexy. Foxy is an alligator traitor with a heart of barbed wire.”
Lemon shakes her head. “That hardly makes sense.”
“Oh yeah?” Carlotta grumbles. “Did it make sense when Cha Cha and I stormed his office and shed every stitch of clothing just to put him in a good mood? The man didn’t even bat a lash. Foxy didn’t get happy. He got angry.”
Noah straightens. “I got angry because I had seven other people in the room with me to witness the event. Ivy thought Charlie was Lottie. And despite the fact, I only have eyes for one woman.” He smiles over at Lemon. “That’s you.”
Lyla Nell jumps into his arms and shouts something up at him that sounds like a reprimand.
Carlotta shakes her head. “Hear that, Lot? Little Yippy wants all the manly attention for herself. Looks as if you spit out a carbon copy of yourself, haven’t you?”
Lemon shakes her head. “We’re not changing the subject. Noah? What the heck went down in your office this afternoon?”
Noah tells us all about his adventure with Carlotta and Charlie, about the fact they were fishing for funds because they mistakenly believe money has the power to slingshot Rooster back to Higgins Bottom.
I doubt it would slingshot him across the street. The man is the embodiment of a lie.
“But before they left”—Noah blows out a breath, and Lyla Nell tips her head up at him as if she, too, were waiting for him to continue—“I got a call from Jimmy Canelli.”
My blood runs cold at the thought.
That shell company Luke Lazzari wants me to open for him comes to mind.
A part of me is afraid I’m going to do it. That somehow I’ve sunk deep enough to where I feel my only option is to help a mobster convert the heaps of dirty money he’s obtained through the sales of weaponry in order to keep pumping air into my lungs.
I’m terrified to hear what Canelli has to say. Sure, his dealings are with Noah. But for as much as I can’t explain it, I feel the need to protect Noah, too.
His chest expands. “He said Moretti and his men were planning something big next month, and that if anything happens to him, he’s arranged for it to happen to me.” He looks in my direction. “I wouldn’t have said that last part in front of Lottie, but Carlotta heard the whole thing.”
“Gee, thanks, Noah,” Lemon growls over at him.
“I’m sorry, Lot.” Noah reaches over and takes up her hand. “But I never want you to have to worry about me.”
She closes her eyes a moment. “And now I’m worried sick.” She shakes her head. “Does this have something to do with you knowing where Charlie is right now?”
Noah nods. “I don’t know about right now, but when I let her and Carlotta know that I couldn’t help with the cash to get rid of Rooster, Charlie got in a rage. She said she was going to find Manny Moretti and give him a piece of her mind for not offing Rooster the right way the first time.”
Crap.
Manny is lovesick over Charlie. She was the sole reason he chose to lash out at me. The only reason Manny Moretti has landed a target over my back is because I couldn’t land him a date with his new obsession.
My phone buzzes and I can feel the air getting sucked out of my lungs when I look at it.
It’s the devil himself. Manny.
I’m here in the alley. We need to have a word. Come alone or regret it. I’ve got a message for you, big guy.
I sink my phone into my pocket but not before Noah laid eyes over it.
“I’ll be right back.” I give Noah a stern look that serves as a warning not to say a thing to Lemon. “I need to get something out of my car.” I rise to my feet. “Lemon, do you mind if cut through the bakery?”
“Not at all,” she says as I make my way around the counter. She hikes up on her tiptoes and lands a heated kiss to my lips. “But you’re sure taking the long way, considering you parked out front.” Her left brow hikes because she knows she’s got me.
I tick my head to the side. “I should know better than trying to pull something past the best detective in all of Vermont. I’ll only be a minute.” I give her another far deeper kiss before making my way through the kitchen and stepping out the back door of the bakery.
The air is heavy and humid as a scorching breeze blows through the alley, causing the leaves in the tree across the way to rustle like a death rattle. I take a few steps into the alleyway and give a quick look around.
“Manny?” I call out just as I’m knocked to the ground from behind, face-first and what feels like a dozen fists pummeling me at once.
I’m flipped and turned, my head bashed into the asphalt, as I take blow after blow to my gut and my face. Before I can properly defend myself, two men take off running, and the sound of a car peeling away screams through the air.
“Everett,” Noah bellows as my head hits the ground one last time. His gun is drawn and I see Lemon on his heels.
“Everett,” she screams as she lands by my side and shakes me by the shirt, but I can feel the world going gray and I can’t seem to fight it.
A splash of cold water lands over me, and I open my eyes with a start as I try my best to sit up.
“Works every time,” Carlotta snorts.
I give a few groggy blinks as Lemon lands a careful kiss to my lips.
“Oh thank God, you’re going to live.” She sighs with relief.
Noah shakes his head at me because he knows as well as I do my days are numbered.
Manny sent his men to jump me as a warning.
But if I had to place a bet, I’d say Lazzari is going to finish me off.
Lottie
Everett’s ego was more bruised than his body. But as soon as we got home, I made sure to kiss all of his boo-boos, and there were many. Noah and I begged Everett to head to the hospital and get checked out. God forbid there was any internal bleeding, but he flat-out refused. Everett can be as stubborn as he is gorgeous. But he can also be as generous as he is gorgeous. After I kissed all of his boo-boos, he kissed me in all the same places, then added a few dozen other locations, too. He sure didn’t let a few bumps and bruises stop us from setting the night ablaze.
A few days have drifted by, and we’ve landed ourselves at Honey Lake for one last firework spectacular of the season. It’s Saturday evening, and it seems all of Honey Hollow has shown up to witness the sky light up in a fiery show
of splendor.
I brush my finger gently over the bruise under Everett’s left eye, and Lyla Nell reaches up as if she wants to do the same.
“It’s looking so much better,” I say to him.
“Don’t listen to her,” Noah says as he goes for another slice of pizza. “You look like crap.”
I make a face at him as all of our friends and family load up their plates as they partake in the virtual buffet we’ve brought along.
Everett shakes his head at his old stepbrother. “All right, I got jumped in an alley. What’s your excuse?”
Carlotta hacks out a laugh. “He’s got you there, Foxy.”
“I think you look as sly as a fox.” Charlie winks over at him. “I hear that every fox has his tricks. I’ve got a few tricks of my own. How about we do a little show and tell tonight? After the fireworks, we can go back to your place and light up the rest of the night.”
“Charlie,” I hiss and Lyla Nell does her best to mimic the sound.
“What?” Charlie says, scooping a heap of orange chicken onto her plate. “I’m having a conversation with Noah. It’s not my fault you decided to eavesdrop.” She grazes her lower lip with her teeth as she looks at him. “I’m not afraid to ask for what I want in the bedroom.”
“Charlie.” Noah shakes his head her way. “But thank you for thinking of me.”
She lets out an exasperated sigh. “At least Lyla Nell loves me.”
“Mama!” Lyla Nell laughs as she looks to Charlie and an echo of laughter circles around me.
Mom bops over with her creamy vanilla locks bouncing like springs. “Isn’t that the cutest thing, Lottie?”
“Adorable,” I growl as I look at Charlie. “Hey, can I ask you a question?” I pull my mother aside for a moment as Lainey and her husband, along with Meg and Mayor Nash, move in to help themselves to the buffet. “You and Wiley aren’t partaking in any more of those role-playing games, are you? Noah told me about the money laundering scheme.”
She waves me off. “We finished those last week.” Her lips twist as she looks to Lyla Nell. “Give me that little angel.” She quickly scoops her out of my arms. “You wouldn’t happen to need a babysitter anytime soon, would you?”
“Actually, I do. Everett and I are driving Evie to the Maples Meadow Lodge tomorrow for a concert. But we’ll be home very late.” Evie didn’t want to spend the night with her friends with her parents in the next room.
“The later the better!” Her eyes widen at the prospect. “Wiley?” She waves to him as he talks to Noah and his brother Alex across the way. “It’s a go!” She gives him a thumbs-up. “We’ve got our little good luck charm tomorrow night! And they won’t be back until late.” She trots off with the baby in their direction just as Everett pops up next to me.
“Hey.” I shake my head at the woman who just scampered off with our daughter. “I think she might be up to no good,” I tell him.
“I heard the whole thing,” he says. “We’ll have to write up a no casino clause for the next time she babysits.”
“But that won’t change the fact I’ll have to worry the entire time we’re up at the lodge.”
“No, you won’t,” Evie says as she pops in front of us. Her hair is up in a ponytail, and she has a tank top and cut-off shorts to complete her summertime look. “We’re not going to the concert.”
“What happened?” Everett says in haste. “Do I have to break his legs?”
“Would you?” Evie hitches a brow as she leans in. “Kidding. Sort of.”
Everett wasn’t kidding, but I don’t dare say it.
“Evie, did Bradford do something to hurt you?” I ask with an air of caution. If she says yes, Everett might be moved to give Bradford a set of matching bruised eyes—and the aforementioned broken legs.
“Yes, he did,” Evie says it emphatically, and Everett’s chest triples in size. “He went and got a girlfriend.”
“A girlfriend?” Everett breathes a sigh of relief. “Not one of your classmates, I’m assuming.”
“Nope. They go to the same college. I guess I was never really in the running. It turns out, he really was trying to teach me to drive.” She glowers out at the crowd peppering the shoreline. “Anyway. Your weekend just freed up. I’m going to find Dash and hang out with her. I’ll track you down when the fireworks start. I want to see the look on Lyla Nell’s face as she’s watching them.”
She takes off, and I wrap my arms around Everett.
“And just like that, the book closes on Bradford.” I bite down on a smile as I look up at Everett.
His cheek flinches. “The book might have closed on Bradford, but I predict Evie is on the prowl to start a new story with someone else.”
“Let’s hope that’s one prediction that doesn’t come true for a long, long time.”
I press my lips together as I gaze at my lethally handsome hubby. I’m hoping that prediction of Nell’s doesn’t come true at all.
Come to think of it, more than enough time has gone by. The month is practically over.
Hey? I bet I’ve circumvented the atrocity just the way Nell suggested.
No sooner did she show me a vision of Everett taking a bullet for Noah than she told me that I had the power to stop this by my own actions.
“I must have stopped it,” I whisper as I glance out at the lake.
“What’s that?” Everett dips down and captures my gaze again.
“Oh, nothing.” I breathe out a sigh of relief of my own as I hike up on my tiptoes and land a steamy kiss to his lips. “There’s more where that came from, Judge Baxter.”
“You know what I’m going to say next.” His lips twitch with the hint of a wicked smile.
I nod. “That’s a binding agreement.”
“And I’m going to hold you to it, too.”
A laugh bubbles from me. “We should probably take Carlotta’s advice and move a fire extinguisher into the bedroom. If things get any hotter, we’re liable to set our third house on fire.”
He gives a long blink. “It might be our only house for a while. The butterfly seems to be settling in pretty well.”
I make a face. “I think I’m going to spend the rest of the summer trying to figure out how to rehome a butterfly.”
“You won’t have to,” Bear says as he and Keelie step up beside us. He tips his head to my blonde bestie.
“That’s right, Lottie Lemon. I have a gift for you.” Keelie blows a kiss my way, then one to Everett as well. “It’s a gift for you, too, Judge Baxter.” She gives his cheek a playful pinch. “My mom is in charge of the local horticulture group, and just yesterday she and her plant-loving cohorts went on a nature walk and found an entire army of Honey Hollow Blue Butterflies just over the ridge near Trickle Stream.”
“What?” I shout so loud half the town turns my way for a moment.
Everett nods to Keelie. “An entire army? As in the butterfly is no longer endangered?”
“That’s right,” Bear says. “I’ll start up on the house again Monday morning. I should be done with it later this fall.”
I let out a hearty whoop. “Thank you both!” I pull them in for a group hug. “Best news ever. This entire month is turning around.” I smile up at Everett. It looks as if every last curse, every bad vision has taken a turn for the better.
I can feel Ethel warming against my thigh. I won’t need to be lugging her around, wherever I go, for much longer.
I’ve been sleeping with one eye open—not that I get much sleep to begin with—and glancing over my shoulder ever since the Morettis jumped Everett. I’m sort of rooting for the Lazzaris and the Canellis to give the Morettis the boot out of Vermont, and out of my husband’s life for good.
“We’d better load up before it’s gone. I’m starved.” Keelie pats her belly while looking at the table laden with food from Mangias and Wicked Wok. “Your mom snatched little Bear right out of my arms as soon as we got here. She even offered to babysit for free whenever we wanted.”
&n
bsp; “Do not trust her with your child,” I tell her, but both Keelie and Bear laugh it off and claim they want in on the action as they zip off toward the food.
“Hear that, Lemon?” Everett warms me with his body. “The blue butterfly is no longer an obstacle in our path. I was beginning to feel as if I were jinxed.”
“You are anything but. In fact, it feels as if the universe is righting itself. I bet any minute now we’ll find out that those hits have been called off for good.”
“Now that would be a miracle.”
Noah comes over, and that serious look on his face has the power to wipe the smile right off my face, and it does.
“What is it?” I ask as my breathing picks up pace.
Honestly, unless it’s more good news, I don’t want to hear it.
Noah glances to the lake. “Jimmy Canelli just sent me a message. He wanted to give me a heads-up. He said his men saw a couple of Moretti’s boys casing the lake. I’m going to go check it out.”
“No,” I tell him. “Manny had some nerve jumping Everett just because my sister won’t give him the time of day. I don’t want a single thing happening to the two of you.”
“It won’t,” Everett says with a look on his face that could eviscerate every one of Manny’s boys. “I can identify them. I got a few good looks while they were razzing me over. We’ll be right back, Lemon.”
They take off before I can protest.
“Lot Lot!” Carlotta waddles this way with Rooster on her heels. “Great news!” She grabs Charlie and pulls her in. “You might want to hear this, too, Cha Cha. Go ahead.” She swats Rooster on the stomach.
He’s donned a tan felt cowboy hat, his requisite brown suit, and that greasy grin he’s known for emboldens him.
“Well, if it isn’t my favorite kittens.” He winks my way as he says it. “Carlotta is right. I’ve got me some great news.”
A moan works its way up my throat. “Carlotta, please tell me you didn’t pony up a hundred G to try to get rid of this goofball.”
Red, White, and Blueberry Muffin Murder Page 20
