Page 33 of Peach Cobbler Confessions
“You’re not steering clear of the Gannon case, are you?”
“It sounds like you know me.” A sly smile glides up my cheek.
“Inside and out.” A dry laugh bounces from his chest. “I believe Lily mentioned Jade Archibald is next on your list.” He tips his head my way. “Don’t worry, Lemon. I’m not outing you. I’m here to help.”
Everett drops a wad of bills onto the table and we take off into the humid, heated evening.
Everett pulls me close and spins me under the tangerine sky as the sun still hangs high.
“Lemon,” he whispers it hot into my ear. “I hope this baby you’re carrying is mine.” He pulls back, his blue eyes glinting like shards under the street lamp. “But if it’s not, it makes no difference to me. It’s as good as mine in my heart. I’m in this with you, no matter what.”
I bite down on my lower lip, and I’m sure Everett thinks I’m biting down on a smile, when in reality, I’m fighting back tears.
“I know you’re in this with me,” I whisper. “I’m your wife.”
He closes his eyes and pulls me in tight.
“Yes, Lemon, you are.”
Everett is going to help me with this imaginary baby, and I feel as small as an ant.
I push away all thoughts of my horrible secret—the one I’ll have to reveal to Noah and Everett soon enough—and put my mind back on track to catch Dane Gannon’s killer.
Jade Archibald is a bit of a mystery herself at the moment, and that’s one mystery Everett and I are about to solve.
Chapter 12
It turns out, tracking down Jade Archibald is harder than it sounds. Or more to the point, Everett and I threw in the towel after fifteen minutes and decided to spend the rest of the evening down at Honey Lake on board Everett’s ridiculously extravagant yacht,TheLucky Lemon.
The Lucky Lemonis a fifty-four foot cruiser yacht with three exquisitely furnished staterooms. It comes with both an indoor and outdoor kitchen, but perhaps the very best feature is the full sundeck to soak in the rays and a six-person hot tub. No one is quite sure why Everett’s boating purchase went in such an extravagant direction, but I’m betting it had something to do with the fact both he and Evie are used to the finer things in life.
Honey Lake is gleaming like a sapphire today. The sky is a pristine blue, the weather is heated, and the sunbathers have come out in full force. The air is peppered with the scent of fresh hot dogs on the grill and the delighted screams and laughter of those on the beach. Behind the lake, on the north side, sits a row of evergreens and to the left is the beginnings of Main Street.
Everett and I get settled in the warm bubbling water of the hot tub while the boat remains docked. Everett brought some sparkling cider—no alcohol for the baby, he was quick to point out and break my heart—and a couple of champagne flutes to drink from. I, of course, packed a huge box full of goodies from the bakery before heading this way, filled with cheese Danishes dotted with fresh raspberries, an entire rainbow of macarons, double fudge brownies—which I’ve had an odd hankering for—a couple of pink glazed crullers, peanut butter chocolate chip cookies, s’mores cupcakes, a few fresh baked cinnamon rolls that are still warm to the touch, red velvet whoopie pies, lemon poppy seed muffins, donuts—my God, the donuts—and a handful of my mini peach cobblers.
“Wow,” Everett muses. “You could feed an army with this.” His lips curve as he pulls me in and I float right into his lap. “Have I told you today how much I love you?”
“Just twice.” I shrug before going in for a kiss. Everett’s kisses are dreamy, steamy, and downright unforgettable, each and every one. “I can’t believe you’ve had the whole day off.”
“It happens now and again.” His cheek flinches. “And that probably means we should take advantage of it and find Jade before it’s too late. I don’t want you running around without me.”
“Then we’ll track down Jade later for sure.” I frown as I pull a mini peach cobbler from the pastry box. “Of course, that’s too bad. I had some major plans for the two of us that would start here and end back at my place.” I give a little wink as I feed him a bite of my peach cobbler and Everett moans as if he’s never tasted food before.
“You know how to tease me.” A dark smile twitches on his lips, his lids hood, and his eyes get that glazed look in them that typically gets the Mr. Sexy train pulling out of the station.
“Oh, I’m no tease, Judge Baxter. You of all people should know that by now.” A thought hits me. “Hey? You wouldn’t want to shed a deep, dark secret or two, now that we’re all by our lonesome, would you?”
Everett sighs deeply. “Would you?”
My mouth opens and closes.Would I?
“No.” I don’t even really need to think about it. “Not if we’re going suspect hunting—not to mention the fact you need to get a good night’s sleep before you head off for a long day at work tomorrow.”
He turns his head slightly, keeping those cobalt flames locked over mine. “You mentioned you wanted Noah there as well?”
“As did you,” I point out.
“Duly noted. We’ll let sleeping dogs lie until we hit the weekend.” His lips start to hitch their way into his cheeks.