Page 30 of Peach Cobbler Confessions

Sammy grunts, “No, I didn’t kill Dane.” Her lips twitch with a smile. “But I’m not sorry things took a turn for the disastrous. There. I said it. Dane was a louse. He told me he loved me, and when push came to relationship shove, he wouldn’t be seen with me in public. He had a hand in that showUnsolved Mysteries Tonightand wouldn’t even introduce me to Ridge Porter. He said it wasn’t the right environment for me. I was an embarrassment to him because of what I do to keep my lights on.”

Collette clucks her tongue. “My heart breaks for her. I hate that women are disregarded just because of their positions in life.”

I feel the same.

“Sammy, who do you think was angry enough to kill Dane?”

“He did have a girlfriend.” She gives a long blink. “At the same time he was seeing me. She was at the awards ceremony that night. She confronted him and he denied knowing me. He actually had the nerve of accusingherof cheating onhim. Or at least that was his version. And when he asked me to use the same cover, I slapped him good.”

So that’s what I saw.

Collette leans in. “How I miss giving a man a good swat across the cheeks. And I’m not talking about the face.”

I choose to ignore the dead among us as I lean toward Sammy.

“And you think Jade was angry enough to kill?” The moment that night when the contents of Jade’s purse spilled out comes back to me. I distinctly saw the butt of a gun sticking out of her handbag.

Sammy nods. “Oh yeah. She confronted me after they had it out. She said she was so upset she could kill him.”

“She said that?”

Her metallic lashes lift a notch. “Yup. And you know what? I think she just may have.” She hands me a bag full of my clothes and leaves the room.

Collette gives a deep sigh. “It’s always an angry ex, isn’t it, Lottie?

“I don’t know. But Jade Archibald threatened to kill Dane Gannon. She had a gun with her that night. And she had a motive.”

Jade Archibald is looking guilty as sin.

But is she the killer?

Chapter 11

Evie had a slumber party well underway at Everett’s place when we got home last night, so Everett and I found creative ways to entertain ourselves for the rest of the evening. There was a hero, a damsel in distress, and a very steamy bath involved. Suffice it to say, I’ve never felt so clean and loved in all my life.

That little splish-splash carnal extravaganza is the precise reason I’ve been slogging my way through the morning. It was all I could do to bake hundreds of mini peach cobblers once I arrived. And just as the lunch rush begins to die down, two far too handsome demigods enter the bakery.

“Well, well, Lottie,” Lily purrs. “If it isn’t yourhero.”

Meg came by this morning and filled Lily in on my not so private foray into adult interpretive art.

Noah sheds a naughty grin. “That would be me.”

Everett shakes his head. “It was me.” He winks my way and Lily sighs and swoons.

“Okay, what gives?” I ask as I pull forth a chocolate chip cookie and hand it to Noah, and a rocky road brownie and feed it to Everett. “To what do I owe this double pleasure?”

Lily chortles herself into a conniption. “I don’t know, but I have a feeling I’m closing the bakery tonight.”

“Thank you.” Noah nods her way. “You’re quite intuitive, Lily.”

“Ooh, let me guess where you’re going.” Lily holds up a finger. “Lottie says the next suspect on her list is Jade Archibald. Lottie spent all morning talking to herself, trying to figure out where Jade works. I bet the two of you are here with answers.”

Both Noah and Everett frown my way.

I have a feeling they both know I wasn’t talking to myself, but to the ghost of a certain vixen—who by the way is currently in my office doing a face-plant into a three-tiered banana strawberry cake I baked just for her.

“No,” Everett says. “We don’t have the answer to that question. In fact, we’re here because we’d like to take you for a little ride, Lemon.”