Page 53 of Wedding Cake Carnage

Lea’s eyes widen with horror as she looks from me to Greer and Winslow.

“I won’t have this,” she shouts. “This is my house.” Her voice breaks somewhere between a whimper and a whine. “This is my house, and I’ll have it hauntedmyway.” She stomps her foot and the floor rattles beneath me. “You just don’t understand what it’s like to be me!” She runs howling and screaming as every door in the B&B opens and slams shut at an alarming pace.

Greer scowls my way. “Now look what you’ve done to the poor girl.”

Winslow cranes his neck in the direction she took off in. “I believe she needs a mother.”

“And a father.” Greer picks up his hand. “Come now. Let’s find the little monster and hug it out. I think we’re finally on our way to becoming a family.” They float down the hall at record speed.

Beasty stretches out his front paws as if he just finished watching a movie, and I do believe everything he witnesses around here is highly entertaining.

“I’ll be around when you need me, Lottie. But for now, I think it’s best I go after my sweet little Lea.” He trots off in their general direction, and I can’t help but coo after him.

“That’s adorable. Beasty is just as smitten by Lea as he was Jana.”

“Yeah, so he’s got a thing for dead girls,” Carlotta smarts as she flattens the front of her dress. “How do I look?”

“Like the belle of the beastly ball. Where are you off to?”

“Harry is taking me to dinner tonight. He suggested I dress nice and I did.”

“So the Jungle Room?” The Jungle Room is even seedier than the establishment it’s buried in, and all sorts of kinky things go wrong in that place.

“I should be so lucky. He’s taking us out for steaks by Honey Lake.” Her phone bleats and she smirks at it. “Here goes nothing. Who knows, Lot? You might end up with a full-blooded baby brother or sister yet.” A laugh rattles from her as she runs out the door.

So not funny.

And do you know what else isn’t funny?

Lainey’s wedding is in exactly three days.

Something tells me I’d better scour that wedding bible of Jana’s before it’s too late.

Chapter 19

Since Lainey threatened us within an inch of our lives, neither Meg nor I was brave enough to steal her away to some dicey strip club that featured half-naked men. Instead, we took both her and Forest and everyone we know and booked the back room at Mangias and had an Italian feast fit for kings. Mom brought Pastor Gaines and Carlotta brought Mayor Nash, and, of course, I brought Noah and Everett.

Everett has taken to sleeping at his place again, and since I can’t bear anything to happen to him, I packed up Pancake and Waffles and we’ve joined him. And since Noah is paranoid something will happen tome, he slept on Everett’s couch last night. I, of course, opted for the sofa opposite him in an effort to keep things from getting any weirder among the three of us.

It’s been exhausting trying to keep up with two different maniacsandstay one step ahead of Lainey’s wedding.

Dinner was wonderful and everyone is mingling about the room as Sinatra booms from the speakers.

“Keelie”—I lean in toward my bestie—“what did Felicity say? Who else was in her apartment?”

She shakes her head. “No one.”

“What? That doesn’t make sense. Pages were ripped out of Jana’s journal. We have proof. Someone must have broken in.”

Bear comes over and steals Keelie away as they slowly rock together on the makeshift dance floor.

Figures.Nowhe’s a hopeless romantic. But nonetheless, I’m thrilled for Keelie.

Meg bops up with Hook in tow as bodies move for the door.

“You ready, Lot?”

“I guess it’s time. The wedding is in two days. It’s going to be here in a blink of an eye. I still have to finish up the cake. I’m putting my all into it.”