Page 10 of Wedding Cake Carnage
“You’ve come this far, Lottie. I promise it’ll be quick.”
My lips press tight to keep from laughing. “I do believe you said those exact same words just before you frosted my cookies, detective.”
A warm laugh pumps through him. “There was nothing quick about that night.” His lids hood with the memory. “If you need a refresher, I’m up for it. Name the time and the place and I’m there.”
“Noah.” I close my eyes a moment. “If I said yes, would you get me out of there?” I cringe as Everett comes to mind. “Okay, fine,” I say, cinching my grip over his hand as I stride us into the dining room as if we wanted to be there.
“You almost had me,” he says. “In fact, why don’t we go now?”
“Very funny.”
The Nashes are here looking exquisitely expensive in their designer clothes. Their expensive perfume adds pretentiousness to the air, and for a brief second I wish I had taken Noah up on his offer.
Here goes nothing.
Chapter 4
“Lottie!” my mother screams with delight as she heads this way with Mayor Nash in tow. The entire room stills, and it’s all eyes on me.
The dining room of the B&B has been transformed to look like the interior of an expensive restaurant with a white linen cloth covering the elongated table. Bouquets of spring flowers are strewn across the runner, and there are dozens of tapered candles set in my mother’s finest crystal candlestick holders.
“Here she is, everyone! The woman of the hour!” My mother waves us deeper into the room. “And along with her is the handsome Detective Fox. It’s a pleasure to have you both. Lottie, please, come, come. Everyone is so anxious to get to know you better.”
I do a quick scan of all the familiar faces. Mayor Nash, of course, is front and center. He’s tall and barrel-chested, has caramel-colored wavy hair, and a perpetual grin that I regard more as a political ploy.
His daughters, Kelleth and Aspen, are here, both blondes, both with permanent scowls and turned-up noses because they think they’re better than everyone else. For sure they think they’re better than me. They have for years.
Chrissy, Mayor Nash’s ex-wife, waves from the back, and next to her is their son, Finn. He’s tall and shares my same light brown hair and is relatively handsome in a conventional way. I don’t know him that well, but what I remember of him he seemed kind and down-to-earth.
I don’t suspect any of my new relatives share my supersensual standing, seeing that it stems from Carlotta, but nonetheless I’m spooked.
Mayor Nash steps forward, lumbering, a little stiff as if he were uncertain about what he was getting into. “Lottie Lemon, let me be the first to welcome you to the family.”
Even though he was standing right next to me that day when I found out about my paternity, I took off rather quickly with Noah and got straight to the business of looking for Everett. And I’ve masterfully evaded him ever since.
“Thank you,” I say as I shift my gaze to Kelleth and Aspen. “I look forward to getting to know all of you better.”
Finn bounds over with open arms. “I got to get a hug from my new baby sister.” He offers a warm embrace. He holds the scent of fresh pine needles and warm spices, and I like him a lot already. “I heard you have a bakery.” He’s beaming from ear to ear with a friendly grin, and I can’t help but grin right back.
“Yes, and you’re all welcome to stop by anytime.”
Finn pats his belly. “You’re officially my favorite sister, Lottie.”
We share a warm laugh as my mother ushers us to the buffet and we quickly take our seats. Aspen openly ogles me as she chews her food.
“I hear you’re quite the detective.” She hikes a heavily penciled-in brow. Aspen has exaggeratingly large eyes and lips. There’s a Betty Boop appeal to her, if Betty Boop were a snobby preppy—and perhaps a prostitute, too.
“That she is.” Noah lifts his glass as if he were ready to make a toast to me. “Lottie has helped the Ashford Sheriff’s Department on many occasions.”
“Interesting,” Kelleth muses. Kelleth has always had a habit of overdoing the blush, the eye shadow, and the layers and layers of lip-gloss. And sadly, that superficial layer is about all I know of her. “Daddy says your boyfriend is missing. It’s nice to see you’ve recovered so quickly.” She winks over at Noah.
“Actually, Noah and I are—”
“Just friends!” a high-pitched female voice shrills from behind as Cormack lands on the other side of Noah as subtle as a hurricane. “Cormack Featherby, soon-to-be Fox.” She flashes the engagement ring she swiped from Noah. I spot Britney striding in a bit cooler than her counterpart.
“I’m Noah’s wife, Britney,” she says as she makes her way to the buffet, and I can’t help but notice Finn just did a double take.
Hey? Maybe Finn and Britney will fall madly in love and that will finally put a nail in Noah’s marital casket? Now there’s a cheery thought. Noah has been emotionally out of the marriage ever since she cheated on him years ago.