Page 25 of Poison Apple Crisp
The three of them all reach for the cinnamon rolls at once, and I pull the plate back a notch.
“Not until you tell me what you’re conspiring about.”
Meg grunts. Meg is my younger sister by a year. She has jet-black hair, pale blue eyes, and a moody disposition. She used to be a part of the wrestling circuit down in Vegas, knocking down bodies as Madge the Badge, but she’s been back in Honey Hollow for some time teaching the dancers their moneymaking moves at Red Satin Gentlemen’s Club.
“Lot, take a load off.” Meg pulls out a seat for me while Carlotta hisses a threat her way.
I shoot a sharp look to the woman who birthed me. “What’s the matter, Carlotta? Afraid Meg is going to rat you out? If that’s the case, you must be up to something you know I won’t approve of.” Never mind the fact Carlotta is always up to something I don’t approve of.
“Please.” Carlotta elbows Evie. “Hear that, kid? She actually thinks I’m afraid of her.”
Evie shrugs. “Then we should totally tell her what we’re—”
“No!” Carlotta all but bites her nose off. “Lot Lot is in a delicate state. Her hormones are going off like fireworks, and not the good kind. We’re talking an explosion at the fireworks factory—mass casualties. She’s losing her mindandher temper. Her sanity is beginning to teeter, and that’s one boat we don’t want to rock.”
“Meg.” I give my sister the death stare as she pulls a cinnamon roll onto her plate.
“First, tell me how you and the baby are doing.” Meg takes a bite, and I can see my little cinnamon-based ploy of manipulation has already backfired.
“Yeah, Mom.” Evie gives my foot a light kick from under the table. “How’s the tiny troublemaker?”
“The baby and I are doing great.” My chest bucks because I do believe that’s the very first time I’ve said those words.The baby and I. How precious is that?
“Oh, Lot Lot.” Carlotta shoves a cinnamon roll my way, and I take it. “Now look what you’ve done, Meg. You worked her up. Didn’t I tell you she was in a delicate state?”
“I’m not in a delicate state.” I make a face at the master manipulator. “I feel just like myself, with the exception I’ve gone to the bathroom sixteen times already today, I get green around the gills if I even glance in Mangias’ direction, and every day at about two o’clock I hit a wall and want nothing more than to curl up with my cats and fall into a coma.” I leave out the little detail about me chucking my cookies in the bathroom this morning in the middle of whipping up a chocolate cake. If word gets out around town that the baker is prone to puking, I’m guessing business will die down real quick.
“So what gives?” I flash a tight smile to Carlotta and Evie. “What’s the big plan? I already know it has something to do with the supposed mean girls at Honey Hollow High and how Carlotta said she was going to put you”—I nod to Evie—“large and in charge of every teen queen in Vermont.”
Evie clucks her tongue. “Carlotta, youtoldher? She’s like one degree of separation from my dad. And have youmetmy dad? He’s the roughest, toughest judge in all of Vermont. When he wants to cheer himself up, he adds ten years to a prison sentence. Just think of what he’s going to do to me when he finds out. Think of what he’s going to do toyou.” She juts her head toward Carlotta before turning to Meg. “Oryou.”
Meg stands and straightens her apron. “I’ve got a restaurant to manage.” She starts to take off before looking to Carlotta. “We’ll talk.”
“Just what will you talk about?” I snip over at my older, questionably wiser look-alike.
“About Evie Stevie’s sweet sixteen,” Carlotta snips right back. “If you must know, we’ve been dreaming and scheming behind your back.” She gives a hard wink to Evie.
“That’s right,” Evie says it a touch too loud, a touch too exaggerated, and a touch too dishonest. “We’re talking tattoo bar and everything. My cake needs to be mega, and it has to be OG. Oh, and I totes want to have a piñata filled with goodies from Tiffany’s.”
Tiffany’s? I’m pretty sure that’s not happening. More like Target.
Evie made it clear she just wants to have a few friends over at Everett’s house for cake and punch. All she asks is to have the house to herself for a few hours.
Everett and I weren’t born yesterday. We know she’s probably plotting to have the world’s biggest rager. We’ve already decided to hang out across the street at Noah’s and keep an eye on things. Her birthday isn’t until the end of the month, so we still have plenty of time to shore up the details.
“Evie.” I pick up my sweet daughter’s hand. “Tomorrow is your first day of school. Are you excited?”
“Not really. I still haven’t picked out what I’m going to wear.”
“Why not, kid?” Carlotta snatches another cinnamon roll off the plate. “Your daddy pitched for an all new wardrobe. And I saw your closet. You’ll never wear anything twice.”
“Yeah, who cares?” Evie looks indifferent. “Besides, I don’t want to go home. It’s my last day of summer. How about we chase down a suspect, Mom? You never let me have any fun like that. I saw you running around in your underwear last night with Uncle Noah and Dad having a shootout in the middle of the street. Nowthat’sliving. I’m basically rehearsing for my sarcophagus. Every day is exactly the same.”
A dark laugh pumps from Carlotta. “Your mama is living enough for ten women. What I wouldn’t give to have a good old-fashioned shootout in my underwear at midnight. If that didn’t work those boys up, nothing will.” She slaps her hand over the table. “I just thought of something, Lot Lot. Who’s gonna watch the kid while you go out on your investigations?”
“I’m not an investigator,” I’m quick to tell her. “I’m more worried about what will happen to the bakery right after I have the baby.”
“Please.” Carlotta sniffs. “You come and go around here like one of the customers. Slip that woman chef next door a cool ten dollar bill and have her run the bakery while you’re kicking your heels up at home noshing on bonbons. Everyone knows Lily is the backbone of this place.”