Page 30 of Donut Disaster

Noah comes to mind, and I feel a twinge of guilt.

Never mind. Life has a way of taking a complicated situation and snowballing it into a relationship avalanche. I could write a book about it.

Her eyes stray past me and widen. “So, did they find the killer? Is that why Detective Fox is with you? Is that why you came?”

Great.

Why do I get the feeling this would have been a better operative for just Keelie and me?

Cookie dances a circle around her as if he were finding the killer himself.

“No, actually”—I try to wave it off as absurd—“we’re here with friends.”

Everett leans in. “Detective Fox is recently engaged. We’re here to celebrate.”

I shoot Everett the stink eye, and his lips curl with delight.

“Nice.” Anika takes a sip of her fruity concoction. “I’ll have to congratulate him. I was this close from getting a ring out of Morgan.” Her lips pull down, but the endeavor looks a bit sarcastic in this strange light.

“Really?” I feign surprise. “I just bumped into Cassie at the Evergreen Manor, and she said the same thing. Why do you think she was so confident?”

Anika tosses her gaze to the crowd as she gives a disbelieving grunt. “I’ll tell you why. Cassie’s father is Jake Montgomery, famous quarterback turned coach. Ever heard of him?”

Everett inches back. “His team just went to the Super Bowl for the fifth time in a row last year.”

Anika nods. “That’s right. Jake Montgomery is a powerful man. Cassie thinks I’m the spoiled brat in this lineup, but she’s just trying to deflect the truth from herself. It’s what she does. She has three brothers, and all her life she was catered to—given what she wanted and when. Did she tell you why she and Morgan broke up to begin with? She cheated on him with one of the doctors that Morgan worked with. He was at the lake that night, too—Dr. Drake.” She sticks her finger down her throat when she says his name, and I try not to gasp at the revelation. “Don’t get me wrong. Everyone has their own taste in men, but I never saw the attraction. I mean, girls line up around the block just to have him glance their way. I think Cassie likes the chase.”

The Elite Entourage comes to mind. “Maybe Cassie knew Morgan was cheating on her? I mean, Everett has told me stories about the guy.”

Everett nods as if affirming my little white lie, and Cookie barks up a storm.

Anika’s eyes grow wide. “He liked the ladies, sure. But he was just sowing his wild oats. He told me so himself.” She wraps an arm over her stomach like she might be sick. “Look, everyone liked Morgan. He was a good guy. Yes, Cassie and I turned a blind eye on occasion, but that’s because we knew how he was. But he was going to change.” Her eyes gloss over. “He told me so himself. He said once the summer was through, he was cleaning up his act. The board was set to name him chief of surgery soon, and he said that would be a turning point in his life. He said he wanted a family and that he wanted it with me.” A single tear rolls down her cheek like a falling star. “He said I was in his will, though. If anything should happen to him, he said I was taken care of.”

Everett tips his head. “Why would he say that? Did he feel like something was about to happen?”

Anika glances around before stepping in. “Not outright, but he said that he knew something—and that he was trying to figure out how to take care of it without letting on. A secret—a dark one.”

Everett and I exchange a glance. Morgan knew something. A secret? One so dark it got him killed?

Anika sheds a dark smile. “I think you should tell Detective Fox to take another look at Cassie. I bet he doesn’t knowshe’sgot a dark secret—one that she never wanted Morgan to know. But then, if he did find out—Cassie’s daddy knows some pretty powerful people. He could have it taken care of. What Cassie’s done would bring shame to the family, and it could tarnish his entire ball club. A lot of careers are on the line here.” She starts to walk away, and I block her path.

“It sounds like you know Cassie’s secret. Care to share?”

Her pink lips quiver for a moment. “Like I said, Cassie’s father knows a lot of powerful people. I’ve seen what happened to Morgan. I think I’ll pass on the free trip to eternity for now.” She ducks into the crowd, leaving Everett and me to soak in her words.

We head back to Noah, and I spill everything she told us.

Cormack bops back and lands right in Noah’s arms as if she belonged there, and I ask Everett to take me home. My work here is done, and I don’t need to stick around to watch the show.

Cassie has a secret.

My mind swirls with the possibilities all night long.

Chapter 10

After Everett and I left the Electric Dandelion, we went back to my place, snuggled with Pancake and Waffles, and I made us some tea. Everett watched a game until we decided to play a game of our own that involved a couch, a dining room table, a shower, and a nice long satisfying night of good sleep in one another’s arms.

Everett gets up early with me despite the fact it’s Saturday, and I’m the only one who has to be anywhere at this ungodly hour. He has coffee and a stack of pancakes he whipped up ready at the table by the time I get out of the shower.