Page 24 of Poison Apple Crisp

“I’m not leaving you. We’ll get back to sleep.”

“There’s no way I’ll get back to sleep.” I check the clock on the wall. “Besides, my alarm just went off. It’s time for me to head to the bakery.”

Noah and Everett exchange a silent nod, and I take a moment to note they’re both in their skivvies. It’s an honest look at this time of night, but with their hair mussed, their muscles flexed at attention, and both men wielding weapons in their hands, it’s a mighty tempting look, too.

I can’t help it. It’s like I’ve got an electrical charge coursing through me just begging to be expelled in some manner—the very same way I got into this debacle. I blame it all on the extra helping of hormones.

“All right, you two,” I say. “What gives?”

Everett glances out the window a moment. “I’m not needed on the bench until two. I’ll go to the bakery with you.”

“You mean you’ll babysit me.”

“No,” he’s quick to disagree with my more than accurate assessment. “I am babysitting our child. Lemon, as much as Noah and I love you, we love that baby.”

“And you think I can’t be trusted.”

Everett’s jaw clenches before he closes his eyes. “I’ll concede.”

“What?” Noah goes off in a panic. “I knew you’d cave. I’m not relenting. In no world do I want you chasing after criminals. Lottie”—his tone softens as he presses those verdant eyes to mine—“I promise you I’m going to track down whoever broke in here tonight. I love you so much it hurts. On an ordinary day I don’t want you working on a case. I know what can happen. I’ve seen it get ugly—for a trained professional—and I don’t want that for you. And I sure as hell don’t want that for my baby.”

“Fine,” I snip. “I’ll make the two of you a deal. You let me open my bakery, and I’ll take one of you with me when I’m ready to question a suspect.”

Everett’s lips tick upwards a notch. “Deal. I’ll go with you.”

“I’llgo with you,” Noah snarls. “I’m the only one that has any business doing it anyway.”

“Exactly why you shouldn’t come,” I say. “At least not all the time. Everett is more inconspicuous.”

Noah bites down hard on his lip until it turns white. “Lottie, what if whoever broke in here tonight shows up at the bakery?”

“I guess it’s a possibility,” I say. “After all, I don’t think they got what they came for.” I pull out that envelope I found and hand it to Noah. “That was tucked in the back of the book. And I’m betting it was exactly what they were looking for.”

Chapter 7

Noah stayed at the bakery with me until Lily showed up, while Everett stayed with Carlotta and Evie. I tried to tell Noah that Ginger was there and that he was free to leave, but he pointed out that a ghost couldn’t protect me. I knew that, but at the moment, Ginger was all I could work with.

The morning rush just seemed to roll into the afternoon rush. It turns out, people really crave a sweet treat once the weather begins to change. We’ve already sold out of our apple crisps twice today, and I have three more batches in the oven. Apparently, the scent of warm cinnamon and sugar is wafting all the way down Main Street, herding people in with a hypnotic look on their face. We’re selling out of pumpkin spice cupcakes, apple turnovers, apple pies, pumpkin pies, pecan tassies, and my famous, or ratherinfamous, caramel apple cutie pies as well.

Yes, fall is in full swing, and just about everyone in Honey Hollow is getting into the spirit of it—including Ginger who thinks my apple crisps are worth coming back from the dead for.

The crowd finally dies down, and Lily lets out a horrid groan.

“I’ve got an idea for you, Lottie. How about you don’t kill anyone with one of your desserts next month? Don’t you think this little slaughter and upscale marketing plan of yours is growing a bit stale?” She snorts. “And funny how it all came about at the same time you put both a homicide detectiveanda judge in your back pocket. I guess you proved that airhead theory I had about you wrong.”

“Thank you, I think. But it’s all some odd cosmic coincidence. I’m not plotting anyone’s demise—except maybe Carlotta’s.” I narrow my gaze over at Meg, Evie, and Carlotta as they huddle together in the corner, noshing on a platter of fresh from the oven double chocolate brownies. “What do you think they’re talking about?”

“You’re the investigator. Go over and investigate.”

“I tried on three different occasions, and each time they clammed up and gave me the stink eye.”

Lily puts together a plate of fresh baked cinnamon rolls and slides it my way.

“It’s time to play dirty, Lottie. You’ve got questions. They’ve got answers. If they want a bite of this ooey gooey treat, they’d better cough up the truth.”

I scoop up the plate of warm treats and make my way over.

“Hello, ladies,” I say. “I thought you might like something fresh out of the oven.”