Page 26 of Donut Disaster
“Jeremy.” I shake my head. “I didn’t get his incessant need to berate his deceased brother at dinner the other night. But I guess they’ve never gotten along, not to mention the fact Dr. Dawson paid Jessica Nicole a visit through the Elite Entourage. Hey? Maybe I need to dig a little deeper in that angle? Lord knows I’ve got contacts. Not only do Kelleth and Aspen have employment ties in that dicey direction, but so does Naomi.”
“Is she the one that threw punches at the girl from the bakery?”
“Yes, at Lily.” It’s true. And it wasn’t pretty. Naomi tried to deck Lily—her best friend in the world—right in the mouth. Alex himself broke up the fight before it ever really got off the ground. Thankfully, Lily still has all her teeth intact.
Cookie groans. “I’m rooting for Lily.”
A small laugh sputters from me. “I’m thinking my best bet is Naomi as far as getting anywhere with the Elite Entourage, though. I wish I would have thought of that yesterday, but the dueling brawls that were simultaneously occurring were a bit distracting. It’s a miracle I got anything from Cassie at all. Come to think of it, I should pay her another visit as well. She mentioned that first night that she was a banker in Leeds. Hey! My sister, Meg, works in Leeds. Maybe she can come with me as we make the rounds to every financial institution within that slimy town. Or I could simply walk across the street at some point and ask Cascade Montgomery where her niece works.”
“Yes, that would definitely be easier.”
A light tap emits over the window.
“Huh,” I say, putting down my spatula as I head over to take a peek. “I wonder who that could be?”
Cookie runs ahead, barking up a storm. “Sorry,” he pants as we get to the café. “Old habits die hard.”
“Not a problem. If only they could hear you, I wouldn’t feel so uneasy.”
“I sense a peaceful presence.”
“Good to know. A killer with a clear conscience.” I spot a familiar face. “Ah, I’m not too far off.” I unlock the door. “Good morning, Mayor Nash. Here for an early cup of coffee?” His face is nearly bronzed from a summer in the sun, and he’s got on his chinos and a dress shirt as if he were ready to rule our tiny world.
A cheery laugh bellows from him, and for some reason I find this comforting. “I saw your light on as I was driving to my office and thought I’d stop by. Coffee sounds great.”
“I’ll throw on a couple fresh glazed crullers.”
“Now you’re talking my language.” He takes a seat at the counter, and I hand him a plate of deep fried goodness and slide a giant mug of coffee his way. “I hope you don’t mind that I stopped by, but we’ve never really found the time to have dinner. I’d be a liar if I didn’t say I’ve been anxious to spend some time with you.”
Cookie hops up next to the register and curls into a ball. “He seems nice enough. He reminds me a bit of Mr. Dawson. Morgan’s father was a bit of an eccentric man.”
“So I’ve heard.” I wink over at Cookie because it happened to fit both conversations. I make myself a cup of coffee and join him on the stool next to him. “I don’t mind one bit that you stopped by,” I say to Mayor Nash. “And I haven’t been actively avoiding you—anymore at least.” I wrinkle my nose as I say it. “I don’t know why, but I feel like I’m cheating on my father whenever you’re around. Awkward, right?”
“Not at all. In fact, I knew your father well.”
Something warms in me when he acknowledges the fact that I have a father that’s not him.
“You did? I mean, I know you knew him, but I didn’t think you knew him well.”
“Yup. Joseph Lemon was an upstanding citizen of Honey Hollow. Chrissy and Miranda have been great friends for years. Your father and I played our fair share of golf. He talked nonstop about his girls. I used to admire him for his devotion to his family. Me, I was like broken pottery in comparison. Chrissy and I sent the kids to boarding school. We felt it was best at the time. But, in hindsight, we missed a whole heck of a lot. I’ve been working hard these last few years to make it up to the kids. They’re good kids. And so are you.”
“Well, thank you.”
His shoulders droop. “Okay, I’ll admit, Kelleth and Aspen need to have their rough edges sanded off, but I’m hoping that’s where you come in. I think they need someone grounded like you in their lives.”
“Finn seems grounded.”
“Finn isn’t one of the girls. You’ll be a great influence on them. I just know you will.”
“They’re not twelve.”
“And that’s what I keep telling them.”
We share a warm laugh on their behalf.
He picks up another warm cruller and takes a bite. “So, what’s the story with you and those men? Carlotta says you can’t make up your mind.”
“They’re both great. One is married, but that didn’t stop him from pursuing a relationship with me. I thought he was divorced, and that tiny marital detail happened to throw someone else’s wedding ring in all my good plans. I was hoping Noah and I would have been married by now.” My own shoulders sag as I pick up a warm cruller of my own.