Page 66 of Poison Apple Crisp
“First off, her friends call me Car-Car.”
“I believe it’s Cray-Cray,” I’m quick to inform her. “And that cute moniker has nothing to do with your name.” I’ve heard the whisperings among Evie’s friends myself.
She waves me off. “Believe me when I say I’ve got the pipsqueak’s best interest at heart. I know how hard it can be to fit in. And by the end of this night, she’s going to be the queen bee of this Podunk honey hive. Now if you’ll excuse me, Evie is waiting for me out in the quad. We have some last-minute business to conduct.” She winks over at Everett. “Don’t you worry your sexy little head off. Cray-Cray’s got it all under control.” She zips off, and I can feel my blood pressure rising, but I don’t dare tell Everett. He’d do anything to protect his baby, even if it means shipping Carlotta off to the arctic in a solid block of ice. And sadly, that may not be enough to protect us all from her zany antics.
“Here we go.” Everett groans at something just over my shoulder, and I turn to find Noah headed this way along with two bubble-headed blondes.
“Lavinia.” Cormack winks my way while attaching herself to Noah’s side like a barnacle. “I’ve already placed a healthy number of bids, and I’m willing to go as high as I need to in order to ensure a successful fundraising night for our Evie.”
“Our Evie?” I glance to Everett.
Cormack winks my way. “You bet your little costume jewelry-loving heart.” She pets Noah’s shoulder. “The Big Boss feels as if Evie were his own daughter. And now that you’re sharing children, anything and anyone that’s important to my man is important to me.”
“I’m important to Noah.” I force a smile. “Am I important to you?”
She glances to the ceiling. “Don’t be silly. You belong to Everett. You staked your claim in the sand and left Noah high and dry like I always knew you would. But don’t worry. I’m right here, ready and waiting to heal his heart. And who knows? Perhaps by Christmas I’ll have a ring on my finger, too.” Her fingers tiptoe up his tie. “Expect to see a lot of me around. I’ll be a regular fixture on Country Cottage Road now that I’m a devout pupil of Hannah Beckham’s.” She purses her lips my way. “And while you turn into a belly full of jelly, I’ll be toned and firm, and rock hard in all the right places. Don’t worry, Lazarus. You keep delivering the boys those tasty cookies of yours. I’ll make sure to deliver the eye candy.” She blows me a kiss. “I’d better ask Principal Hickman if she needs anything else. Cressie and I are already in line to join the PTA.” She zips off, and the urge to cry hits me for reasons I can’t understand or control.
Everett pulls me in and drops a kiss to my forehead.
“Don’t let her get to you, Lemon.”
Cressida growls, “Oh, stop your blubbering. You’ve got my man, my child, not to mention that tax deduction in your belly should be mine, too. I’d like to think the woman who hijacked my life would be a little more appreciative of the things she has. Butno. You’re greedy, and you want Cormack’s life, too. And because of it, we’ll make sure you suffer.”
Everett steps forward, and I’m half-afraid we’re about to have a second homicide right here on school grounds.
“Listen to me, Cress, and listen good. I want both you and Cormack to steer clear of my family.”
She gasps. “I’m Everly’s mother. That family you have? It’s with me. And what about our future, Essex? What aboutus?”
“There is no us. There never was an us. And the only mother Evie has is my wife. Don’t make me pull out a restraining order.”
Cressida scoffs right in his face. “Fine. I’m not gunning to be anybody’smommy. You can keep your restraining orders to yourself. Everly and I have come to an understanding. I’ll be in her life on the periphery, supporting her as I know how. And when she’s mature enough to realize she has Bentley blood coursing through her veins, she’ll step over to the right side of the tracks and take her proper place in high society.” She looks my way. “And that, my rottenLemon, is the honest truth.” She blows Everett a kiss. “Toodles.” She trots off toward the auction table featuring the gilded birdcage with that luscious emerald necklace nestled inside of it just waiting for a good home. Too bad it will most likely end up in Cressida’s junk pile. But I won’t let Evie end up there.
Noah picks up my hand. “I’m sorry, Lottie. I’d ask you to ignore them, but I realize that’s a tall order.”
“Don’t worry. I’ll steer clear. Our baby is my top priority, right along with Evie.” I bite down hard on my lip because I can feel the tears ramping up again. “And oddly, I meant ours in a universal sense.”
Everett nods. “Not to worry. You keep your mood up. Noah and I aren’t going to kill each other.” His lips twitch. “Yet.”
“Very funny,” I say, giving him a playful swat. “Everett, I hate to ask, but could you track down Carlotta and make sure she isn’t cooking up something deliriously inappropriate as far as Evie and her friends go? I just have to get a glass of water.” And shove a fistful of my apple crisps in my face, but I leave that part out. Oddly enough, Cokie insisted I bring them tonight, along with platters of cookies and brownies. She said she didn’t want me to think they had a stigma attached. But right about now, I think just about everything in my bakery has a stigma attached.
Everett lands a kiss to my lips. “Consider it done.”
He takes off as Noah and I walk over to the refreshment table, and he quickly produces a cold bottle of water for me.
“Thank you,” I say before knocking back half of it. “I won’t lie, I feel as if I’ve been walking on a boat all afternoon—dizzy and sick to my stomach. But the one thing I can eat without any trouble is just about anything that comes out of my bakery.”
Noah’s dimples dig in. “I’ve looked into it. And at this stage, as long as you can keep something down, you’re in good shape.” His phone beeps. “It’s Ivy. She wants to talk. Something about Meadows’ case.”
“Oh? Well, don’t worry about me. In fact, I’m going to be right here filling my pie hole with whatever I can shove in it.”
“Good.” He offers a stern look. “Try to stay out of trouble.” He takes off, and I can’t help but frown as he leaves.
Try to stay out of trouble?
It’s like the whole world thinks I’m a magnet for misfortune.
My hand warms my stomach. “Don’t you worry,” I whisper. “I plan on keeping us plenty safe.”