Page 18 of Peach Cobbler Confessions

“Red Satin,” I mutter and Everett lifts a brow my way.

“We’re familiar,” Everett says, pulling another slice of pizza onto his plate. “Lemon’s sister works there.”

Ridge holds up his hands. “I have nothing against a woman making an honest living any way she can.”

I don’t bother correcting him about Meg’s position down at the gentlemen’s club.

“Speaking of Lottie.” Carlotta winks my way. “I bet she could solve every single unsolved mystery you’ve got, and then some.”

“Really?” Ridge looks momentarily confused by Carlotta’s crime-busting outburst.

“That’s right. She can.” Noah is quick to sing my praises, right alongside Carlotta. “Lottie has been the chief reason every homicide case I’ve investigated so far has been solved in a timely manner.”

“That’s quite an accolade.” Ridge takes a deep breath. “Be careful investigating this case. Whoever killed Dane didn’t care that anyone was around to see it. That sounds like the most dangerous type of person.”

“I agree,” Noah says it sternly my way. “And that’s one of the reasons I’ll arrest you, Lot, if you try digging into this.”

“Arrest?” I blink back in disbelief while Carlotta cackles up a storm.

“Sounds as if Foxy wants to get kinky.” She winks my way as if she wholeheartedly agrees, and I know she does.

Everett pats my hand with his. “I’m sorry, Lemon, but I’ll make sure he does it. I’d rather have you in a jail cell than putting yourself and our child in harm’s way.”

My mouth falls open. “You brute!”

A plume of sugary perfume engulfs us as a platinum socialite with an odd orange skin discoloration happens to leap into our presence.

“Did Lala just call you a brute?” Cormack Featherby’s celadon green eyes bulge with glee as she looks to Everett. She never bothers to say my name right, so the impromptu nickname doesn’t grate on me. “I take it you did the big reveal.”

And darn it. I was really hoping she’d stay in the Mediterranean—at the bottom of it to be exact.

“Wait a minute,” I say, pushing my chair back to get a better look at my handsome hubby. “Cormack knows your big secret?”

His mouth opens then closes with dismay as he glowers up at her. “Excuse me. I’ll be right back.” Everett navigates Cormack to the front of the establishment, and suddenly I’m wishing Collette Jenner were here so she could spy on them.

How dare Everett have a secret that Cormack is privy to.

Noah chooses to ignore the strange outburst and points to Ridge instead.

“Tell me your thoughts on Dane Gannon’s murder. So far, all I’ve got are two irate women.”

“Isn’t that enough?” Ridge rumbles out a dark laugh.

“You got me there,” Noah mutters mostly to himself. “Dane mentioned that Kent was helping him out of a pickle. Do you have any idea what the pickle might have been?”

Ridge glances out at nothing in particular. “Nope. Can’t think of a thing.” His eyes enlarge for a moment. “Actually, I do have some idea. Dane owned Caper Productions. He was rumored to have acquired a string of mystery movies from a local studio, but he wasn’t convinced of the quality and wanted to back out at the last minute.”

I shrug over at Noah. “I guess that’s your pickle. It doesn’t sound as if there was much to hide.”

Carlotta shoots Ridge with her fingers. “Speaking of hiding the pickle, have I got an offer for you.”

Everett comes back just in time to spare us all from Carlotta’s perverted pickled intentions.

“Where’s Cormack?” I ask with a curt tone in my voice. Typically, I’d be thrilled she was gone, but something about this disappearing act isn’t sitting well with me.

Everett takes his seat. “She went home. She won’t be bothering us anymore—or more to the point, you.” He picks up my hand and kisses the back of it.

Everett doesn’t want Cormack bothering me? Or is it that he doesn’t want her telling me his secret? I’m betting it’s an equal mixture of both.