And if I’m honest, for reasons unknown to me, I miss them both. Yes, I saw them just last night, but they weren’t exactly in top form. I miss the three of us actually getting along. I knew things would be different now that I’m with Everett, but I had no idea it would feel as if my world had turned upside down.
Here’s hoping an extra-large pizza from Mangias can help right all the wrongs.
Mangias is located right across the street from the Cutie Pie Bakery and Cakery, so I park right in front of my bake shop and pause to peer inside. It’s closed at the moment. The twinkle lights from that behemoth resin oak tree that expands its branches into my shop are the only thing giving it life at the moment. This bakery was my dream for so long, and now I have it. Maybe once you achieve one dream in your life it’s time to reach for another?
Both Lainey and Keelie are moving on with the next phase of their lives.
Should I be doing the same?
I mean, technically, I’m married. But what about children? Of course, I want them. I’ve always envisioned myself as being a mother one day. My own mother was a loving example of how to raise and nurture a family. But I won’t be able to have kids forever. I really need to get my procreating act together. I need to get my heart together.
A part of me wishes I had met either just Noah or Everett and not both on the very same day. Life just seems so much more complicated when you have two men that you’re hopelessly in love with.
I just wish I had a sign as to what I should really be doing and with whom.
A burst of pink light erupts in the bakery and a tiny tot of a piglet materializes as Bingo appears before me.
“Lottie Lemon,” she oinks my name out. “I do believe all the world’s problems can be solved by eating dessert.” She moseys her way to the bakery shelves, and in less than five seconds half of one shelf quickly disappears.
Maybe so. But right now, it’s time for pizza. I give Bingo a friendly wave before heading across the street. I’ll clean up the mess she leaves behind in the morning.
Inside the Italian eatery, I find both Noah and Everett already seated at a table near the window and the two of them stand up like true gentlemen once they see me.
“Save it.” I pull each one in for a hug in turn. They both look devastatingly handsome. A table full of women nearby keeps stealing glances in this direction and a few of them look genuinely disappointed that I’ve shown up. “You’re both savages and you know it.”
The three of us take a seat and the waitress stops by as we put in an order for our usual pepperoni pizza and garlic bread.
“Lemon”—Everett takes up my hand and kisses the back of it—“I want to be the first to apologize for my behavior last night.”
Noah dips his chin. “I believe I was the one who started the argument. I should be the first to apologize.”
A quick laugh bounces from me. “For goodness’ sake, let’s not brawl over who should apologize first. I accept both of your apologies. In fact, I think we should just drop the subject. Noah, I realize seeing Everett and me together is hard for you to deal with. I would be devastated if I were in your shoes. If anyone should be apologizing around here, it’s me. And in light of that, I’m truly sorry to have dragged you both into an unfair situation.”
“It’s pretty fair to me.” Everett gives a sly wink, and I can’t help but bite down on a smile.
“Yes, well,” I clear my throat, “it wasn’t fair to you while I was with Noah.”
Everett’s dark brows meet in the middle as he frowns. “Lemon, I was insistent you finish things off with him. I was a willing participant. Don’t feel bad. Certainly don’t apologize.”
Noah leans in. “For the record, Lottie and I haven’t finished things off. I suggested she see if there was anything between the two of you to return the favor so Lottie and I could resume our lives without interruption.”
Everett straightens a bit. “So you classify me as an interruption?” He folds his arms across his chest. “Don’t worry, Noah. I won’t resort to name-calling.”
My lips twitch as I look to both of them. “I’ll admit, I rather like the idea of being married.”
Noah’s deep green eyes enlarge a moment. “I’ll marry you, Lottie.”
Everett laces his fingers with mine. “Sorry, Noah, she’s taken.”
Noah growls over at him, “That’s merely a legal technicality.”
I take a breath, already wary of their war of words.
“Bizzy and I went down to Lowlifes today and spoke to Henry Watson. He asked us both out for a date.”
Noah squeezes out a quick smile. “A little competition?”
“No,” I quickly assure him.
Everett rubs his thumb over my fingers. “Someone asked my wife out?” He narrows those cobalt eyes to mine. “That’s because you don’t have a ring.” His lips curve at the tips. “I was going to save this for later, but I don’t see why I should wait.” He pulls something out of his pocket and holds what looks like a diamond-riddled platinum band between us. “Carlotta Kenzie Lemon, would you do me the honor of wearing this ring as a token of my undying affection?”
A series of sighs break out from all around me. Not surprising considering women sitting in a close proximity to Everett have a certain duty to keep tabs on his every move.
A breath hitches in my throat as I take in the magnificent cushion-cut diamond surrounded by a halo of diamonds set on a diamond eternity band. It’s a darn right diamond palooza happening here.
“My God, Everett, it’s exquisite,” I pant as he slides the jewel onto my ring finger.
Everett leans in and brushes a soft kiss over my lips as a round of applause breaks out around us.
I pull back to see Noah glowering over at Everett.
“Sorry.” I wince his way.
“Don’t be.” Noah’s dimples dig in. “I’m not intimidated by his latest tactic.”
“No tactic,” Everett replies. “I’m simply furnishing my wife with what is due to her. And the next time someone wants to hit on her at a bar, they’ll spot the ring on her finger and think twice.”
“It’s so beautiful, Everett. You really shouldn’t have. This must have cost a fortune. Please tell me you plucked this out of your mother’s vast collection of baubles.” A while back I wore an engagement ring that once belonged to his mother and it was the size of a globe. Long story short, I eventually gave the ring back to his mother and she put it into the family vault where it belongs.
Everett catches my gaze. “I picked this out especially for you. Wear it in good health, Lemon. Always.”
There’s a sincerity in his voice that neither Noah nor I can argue with. And before I can respond, the food arrives and the three of us dig right in. Of course, I’ve got one eye glued on my brand new sparkler. Dear God, it shines like a supernova. I’m no expert, but I’d say I have four or five carats on my finger at least. This must have set Everett back a fortune. Not that he doesn’t have a fortune or two—but still.
After we indulge in a few aggressive bites in a satiated silence, Noah nods my way.
“Tell me about your meeting with Ambrosia’s ex.”
“You know about Henry?” I ask him.
“I’m the lead homicide detective on the case,” he says. “I know about everything.” He gives a playful twist of his lips. “So what did you glean?”
“Henry was caught cheating,” I tell them. “And, well, let’s just say Ambrosia found a creative way to pants him in public.” I fill them in on Henry’s father’s birthday debacle, and how that exposure affected his relationships with his family.
Everett leans back in his seat. “That’s pretty brutal. But I’ve heard worse in the courtroom. It’s usually that behavior—both his and hers—that land people in front of my bench.”
Noah shakes his head. “I think I’d better pay a visit to Mr. Watson. Anything else you’d like to report, Detective Lemon?”
“Henry confirmed the fact Ambrosia stole Jacki
e Hart’s plotline as one of her shiny new ideas. Apparently, Jackie had wondered if Ambrosia had a ghostwriter helping her write all those novels she was putting out three and four at a time. Henry said Ambrosia’s ego was bruised, and that’s why she dug her claws into Jackie’s plotline. But the strangest thing he brought up was another author, Tallulah Velvet.”
Noah gives a crooked grin. “Tallulah Velvet had a major beef with Ambrosia Whispers.”
“What about?” Everett asks before reaching for another slice of pizza.
Noah shrugs. “Don’t know. I spoke to her the day of the murder. She said Valerie had it coming, but it wasn’t her that did it.”
Everett nods. “The battle cry of both the innocent and the guilty.” He looks my way. “Do you know where to find her?”
“Not yet. Bizzy offered to track her down. And don’t either of you worry. We’re hoping to speak with her in a public venue.”
Noah’s expression grows stern. “And do you plan on bringing Ethel along for the ride?”
Ethel is the name I gave the Glock handgun both Noah and Everett teamed up to buy me a few months back.
“Yes, and no. Mostly no.” I cower a moment. “But in my defense, I’m too lazy to head to your place to retrieve her.” It’s true. She’s been sitting in Noah’s gun safe ever since Evie popped into our lives. For a time, Evie was actually staying with me, and I didn’t feel safe having a gun in my underwear drawer with a teenager in the house.
Noah closes his eyes a moment. “Lottie, the gun can only protect you if you have it on your person.”
“I know. And believe me, I’ve been thankful for all the times it’s protected me before. I’ll try to be more diligent about it.”
Noah’s phone pings and he glances at the screen before letting out a hard moan.
He looks my way. “Lottie, have you seen the new cover for your mother’s book?”
“No, do I want to?”
Noah flashes his phone our way, and both Everett and I recoil at the very same time.
“What is that?” I lean in, trying to get a better look at the monstrosity.
Noah pulls his phone back. “I believe that’s my father’s chest with the appendages of several women glued to it.”
“I guess the hot wax debacle made the final cut.” I glance over at the disaster once again. “I don’t think this is going to garner her any additional sales. If anything, numbers will run retrograde.”
We finish up dinner and head on out.
I offer Noah a quick hug. “Hey, I forgot to ask you if you had anything new on the case. Are you holding something back from me, Detective Fox?”
Noah takes in a lungful of the warm night air. If tonight’s heat wave is any indication, tomorrow will be a scorcher.
“Not much. We did confiscate a few items from Ambrosia’s condo, some paperwork, her laptop. And I’ll be talking to Jessie Lane again tomorrow. She’s been pretty helpful with the investigation as far as filling me in on who had a bone to pick with whom. I’ll let you know if it yields anything.”
We say a quick goodnight as Noah hops into his truck and takes off.
Everett wraps an arm around my waist. “You want to head back to my place and kick your shoes off?” His lids hood low, and judging by that devilish grin twitching on his lips, he’s hoping I’ll take off more than my shoes.
“Not so fast. There’s something I didn’t share with Noah.”
“I like where this is going already.”
“I stopped by the Honey Hollow Library and checked out a certain book called In the Judge’s Chamber by Jackie Hart.”
His eyes round out before the hint of a sly smile curves on his lips.
I take in a quick breath. “Did you read it?”
“A secretary of mine clued me in on it a few years back when it first hit the shelves. She gave me her copy and I did read it.”
“How much of that book was a work of fiction? Inquiring wives want to know.”
His chest pumps with a quiet laugh. “Her name and mine.”
“So about page thirty-three…”
Everett swipes his thumb over my lips.
“Page thirty-three will blush when it hears of the things I’m about to do with,” he picks up my hand and kisses the ring he placed on my finger, “my wife.”
Everett and I head over to his place and blow page thirty-three to pieces.
And the one left blushing is me.
Chapter 11
When I heard the words rage yoga, I should have quickly deduced exactly which town would have the angst needed to hold such classes.
And as the universe would have it, all raging roads always point to Leeds.
Bizzy texted last night and let me know that not only did she find Tallulah Velvet, but that she was heading up a yoga class the very next day.
It’s early morning, far too early for keeping both eyelids open at once, let alone venting my rage out on the world, but as fate and my intense thirst for justice would have it, Bizzy, Macy, Georgie, and Carlotta have all driven down with me to the Body Fit Yoga Studio on a strip of land on the outskirts of Leeds. Although, my inability to keep my eyes open might have more to do with the fact I had an exceptionally late night and early start to the day.
Everett made sure to not only demonstrate page thirty-three, but to improve on it, many, many times into the wee hours of the night. And seeing that I had to get up extra early to bake so that I could be here in time for our little rage party, he was kind enough to hit the pause button so we could both get a few winks of shut-eye. This morning we may have hit the shower at the very same time to conserve water, but seeing that we were highly distracted in that tiny little water closet of mine, we probably used more water than either of us would have otherwise. Nonetheless, he came down to the bakery with me this morning and worked on his laptop until it was time for him to head to the courthouse.
I will say it was bliss.
More than bliss.
There’s been a smile on my face and a spring in my step ever since.
The yoga studio is minimalistic, white walls, white wood floors, and a bevy of yoga mats to choose from if you didn’t bring your own. The five of us sign in and ante up for the one hour howl of terror and are quickly directed out back into what looks like a hayfield that sits under a pristine blue summer sky. The temperatures have already skyrocketed and are nearing triple digits, and there’s no hope of keeping our cool out here, literally or figuratively.
“I was sort of hoping we’d be letting out all of our pent-up rage in the confines of an air-conditioned studio,” I say, slapping a trickle of sweat as it runs down the back of my neck.
Georgie bumps her shoulder to mine. “I bet you need to cool off after that wild night you had.”
Both Georgie and Carlotta have donned matching pink kaftans with bright green leggings underneath. I won’t even ask.
“How do you know I had a wild night?” I bite down on the smile I’ve been trying to harness all morning.
Macy rolls her eyes. “First of all, we know who you went home to.”
Carlotta pokes me in the ribs with her finger. “Second of all, we know the two of you can’t keep your hands off each other.”
Bizzy gives a sly smile. “Thirdly, your need to investigate page thirty-three probably got the better of you.”
“It’s true,” I say as we step out into the midst of dozens of women already posing and stretching on the yoga mats. “Let’s just say, Everett made sure to meet and exceed everything written in that naughty novel. And if I’m being truthful, he’s already outperformed every move between those covers long before I ever cracked the book open. Everett says he saved his top gun moves for me, and that I inspired him to invent a few new ones to boot.”
The four of them moan and swoon in unison, and if I’m not mistaken, I could swear I heard a couple of oinks in there as well.
Sure enough, a spark of light goes off bright as a nuclear blast and Bingo appears in a clearing jus
t shy of the yoga mats and throngs of women.
“What on earth are all these people doing here?” she warbles as she ambles in close and takes a seat on her belly, ready and willing to observe this strange human condition we’re subjecting ourselves to.
“Bingo’s here,” I whisper to Bizzy with a wink and lead us over to her where we lay down our mats and begin to stretch as if we know what we’re doing.
I look to Macy. “How was your night with Alex?”
Macy rolls her eyes. “The man is insatiable. And it doesn’t hurt that I am, too. He’s taking the day off to gear up for our hot date tonight. He’s taking me out for a picnic on Honey Lake.”
“Ooh,” Georgie coos. “That sounds romantic. I bet he’s looking to get lucky.”
Macy shrugs. “He is, and he will. I’m making sure that boy misses me something fierce once I leave. He’s already making plans to visit Cider Cove.”
“Wow,” I say. “If you and Alex end up getting married, we might actually be related.” I suck in a quick breath as I remember the fact I’m not with Noah at the moment.
My ring catches the light and Bizzy reaches over and snatches up my hand.
“Oh my God, Lottie. Did Everett give you this?”
I give a rather shy nod as the four of them gather around to inspect my bling.
Carlotta flicks it with her fingers. “That’s a real one, Lot. If things go south, you can hock it and gain a fortune.”
“I will never hock it.” I hold it protectively close to my heart. “This was a gift from my husband. It means the world to me.”
Bizzy tips her head and looks up at me from under her lashes. “You’re really getting serious about this marriage. I’m starting to think it’s not just a business arrangement anymore.”
“It’s true, it may have started as just that, with Everett needing to do the matrimonial deed in order to collect his full inheritance, but now that we’re together, it does feel like something more.”
Carlotta shoots me the stink eye. “But what about Foxy?”
“Yeah,” Macy says with a touch of protest in her voice. “I thought we were going to be related, remember?”
Murder in the Mix Boxed Set 8 Page 28
