Page 30 of Macaron Massacre
I can’t keep my heart or my spooks in line.
Hey? It looks like Britney might be onto something with that hideous new nickname she gifted me. Although, I’m not sure which is worse, Lonely or Unlucky. But then they’re probably not mutually exclusive.
Michelle Ireland waxes poetic about the attributes of strong, forward thinking people. “You must think big—and then you must think bigger than that! You need to blow up your dreams the size of a hot air balloon and fill them with ambition.”
Nell chortles. “It sounds like a lot of hot air to me.”
Michelle pumps a fist into the air. “You must charge your attitudes, charge your steps. You must walk quickly. Winners have someplace to go. Those who slouch and slog behind are rarely on the victory lines of any frontier. You must believe in yourself. Believe in your progress, believe in kindness, believe in leaving those that don’t believe in you—behind.”
Noah leans in. “I believe in you, Lot.”
“Too late,” Everett whispers. “The ship has sailed. She’s already left you behind.”
Michelle takes an exaggerated breath. “And sometimes when those who don’t believe in you refuse to get out of your way—you simply have to remove them yourself.” The smile drips right off her face. Her gaze seems to have wandered to some unknown horizon, and if I didn’t know better, I’d say she was reliving that fateful day her father died—because she killed him.
“Oh dear.” Nell’s voice is melodic with worry. “She does sound rather guilty, doesn’t she? Perhaps Detective Fox needs to bring another Dallas family member to the sheriff’s department for further questioning.”
Noah glances back. “Good idea, Nell,” he whispers.
Everett leans over and cuts a mean look his way. “No need to flirt with Nell. She’s not available either.”
A dull laugh bubbles in my chest. Noah is rather agreeable this evening. Odd for a man with a woman on each arm and then some. It’s as if he’s addicted to estrogen.
“I’m not flirting,” he hisses back. “I’m being sensible. That’s one of the qualities Lottie appreciates about me. I’m sensible.”
Everett’s chest expands. “You’re right. It was sensible of you to choose to forgo the all-important detail of having a wife. I’m afraid I’m not that sensible. In fact, I think I’m a little bit dangerous.” His eyes hood over as he looks my way. “Danger makes your wheels turn, Lemon.”
I gulp audibly and sink in my seat a notch as I try my best to pay attention in hopes the white-hot spotlight of their attention will dissipate from yours truly. But my God, Everett pegged it.
Noah is sensible. Everett is dangerous. And just like the next girl, I can very much appreciate both of those attributes in a man—men. And that right there is the problem. Noah and Everett simply need to be rolled into one glorious person.
Honest to God, that person might be too much for the female population of the planet to handle. The solar system might disband at the sight of him.
Michelle gives another hour’s worth of pointers before coming to a rollicking conclusion. “You must master your circumstances—they mustn’t master you. If they do, then time is liable to slip away out of your grasp, and you will see all of your hopes and dreams wither away right along with it. If you are at a crossroads in your life”—she pauses, and I scoot to the edge of my seat in hopes to hear the words of wisdom I so long for—“then it is all the more crucial you take command of the situation. You must make a decision. Paralysis by analysis is a very dangerous game. The lie you might be telling yourself is that you’re being prudent, weighing your options, carefully vetting out the pros and cons of each situation, but the unvarnished truth is, you are allowing the hours to slip by. Precious time is being lost. You must make the right choice. The answer already lies within you.”
The houselights flick back on, and the room explodes with applause as every soul in the place bounces to their feet, Nell included.
“What did you think, Lottie?” Nell leans in. “Has she helped untangle your dilemma a bit?”
I’m thankful to be in full-throttle applause mode, thus Noah and Everett aren’t privy to my conversation with Nell any longer.
I shake my head at her. “Do you know the answer, Nell?” I pin her with a look you could cut both butter and hard cheese alike with, and she mimics a zipper motion across her lips.
“You do know!” I suck in a harsh breath as Michelle comes down the side stairs and heads on over. She’s instantly mobbed, but she’s relentlessly heading in our direction.
“Pardon me,” she sings sweetly to the thicket of bodies ready to ardently bow and worship at her feet. “Please form a single file line in the foyer where I will be signing and selling my latest book. I need a quick moment to speak with a couple of friends.”
Her grin turns into a grimace as she turns our way—to Noah specifically. “I see you took me up on my offer, Detective Fox. I’m glad you could make it. I still haven’t decided if I should slug you or kiss you for hauling my mother to the station.” She tosses her hair as she laughs. “It’s good to see the old girl get a pop in the behind every now and again. She had it coming.” She gives a sly wink.
Pop in the behind? Who would say that about their own mother? Come to think of it, Miranda Lemon might just benefit from a good pop in the behind after all the shenanigans she’s partaken in this year alone. If she hadn’t entangled herself with a raging lunatic, none of us would be standing here today—save for Michelle, and she’s technically the only one of us who belongs here.
“So”—she flashes that wide smile once again as she looks from me to Britney to Cormack—“which one is the wife?”
Cormack is quick to offer her a hand. “That would be me—soon-to-be.”
Britney rolls her eye. “That would be me.” She smacks Cormack’s hand out of the way and grabs hold of Michelle’s fingers herself. “I’m the present missus.”
I bite down on my lower lip to keep from laughing. Oh heck, I can’t fight it. This is far too fun. “And I’m the ghost of girlfriends past—but we’ve already met. And this is my new boyfriend, Everett. He’s a judge at the courthouse down the street.”