Baby Bundt Cake Confusion (Murder in the Mix Book 31) by Unknown (reading eggs books .txt) 📗

The baby kicks, and Lil’ Mama floats right off my tummy as if the baby had personally evicted her.

“Oh, Lottie, I would have thought you’d have your litter by now,” the tiny dog yips. “Have you been to the vet yet?”

Noah chuckles. “That she has. And she’s almost to the finish line.”

“Oh heavens.” Lil’ Mama gives a yip of a bark. “How I hope I’m there for the big reveal. My money is on sixteen puppies. Carlotta seems to think it’s just a measly three.”

Everett shakes his head. “It’s just one. We’ve had this theory thoroughly checked out.”

“Just the one?” Lil’ Mama’s mouth opens at the thought. “I’m sorry to hear it. What a dreadful waste of space, but sometimes nature likes to play a cruel joke on us. Don’t worry. Do you just have the one teat?”

I shoot her a look. I’m not sure what her obsession with my teats is.

“I’ve got two,” I tell her.

“That’s right,” Carlotta says. “One for each of her baby dad—”

Before she can finish, a sugary perfume lights up our senses.

“Sorry, I’m late!” The woman with long silver hair quickly takes a seat between Everett and Carlotta, and I let go of Noah and Everett’s hands in the event she thinks we’re a part of some baby-making cult. “Hello, everyone.” She offers a cherry red smile my way just as her musky perfume smothers me like a blanket. She looks bright-eyed and bushy-tailed and not at all like someone who lost two people she cared about. But then again, according to Jasmine, Stassi here was persona non grata to her.

“You’re right on time.” Everett offers her a short-lived smile, and a spear of jealously shoots through me. I have to work hard to see one of those smiles, and here she got one right off the bat.

Noah nods her way. “How are you holding up, Stassi?”

Lil’ Mama gives a sharp bark. “This is the killer, isn’t it? She’s the one that gunned down my Jazzy in cold blood.”

I shrug her way just as a waitress comes by and drops a round of drinks. Beer for the boys, white wine for Carlotta and Stassi, and something fruity for me that I’m guessing is devoid of any real fun.

“I ordered drinks when we sat down.” Noah shrugs. “I hope you don’t mind.”

“Please, Noah.” Stassi takes a sip from her wine. “You’ve always known me best.” She flicks a wrist toward Carlotta. “Noah Corbin Fox, boy wonder, was my first.”

“Your first what?” I ask, blinking in her direction, and then it hits me. “Oh right! That first.” I can’t help but frown over at the boy wonder.

Noah offers a nervous smile my way. “Stassi and I were sort of a flash in the pan.”

“That’s right,” she’s quick to confirm. “Then you were with Cormack, and I hooked up with Essex.” She winks over at my handsome hubby. “Noah may have taught me to walk, but Essex, you trained me for the triathlon.”

And there you have it. I push the plate in front of me away. I’ve miraculously lost my appetite.

Carlotta nods her way. “Sexy is still in the training game. That’s why he and Lot were running late. She’s getting ready to squeeze a Thanksgiving turkey from her patoot and Sexy is getting her primed.”

Now it’s me shooting a nervous smile over to Noah.

Stassi lifts a finger my way. “You know you’re fast. I could have sworn I just said hello to you at that door while you were trying to buy a ticket into this place. I guess you figured out the rules. The tickets to ride the diamond express aren’t for sale.” She winks my way.

Both Noah and Everett exchange a glance, and Noah hops out of his seat, mumbling something about needing to use the restroom. But I track Noah as he bypasses the restrooms for the exit.

It’s that woman again. The one who people keep thinking is me.

She can’t be real, can she? I shake my head trying to put it all together, but it’s too much for my brain at the moment.

Lil’ Mama floats over to Stassi and gives a few sharp barks in her face, and oddly, Stassi gives a few quick sneezes right back in the ghostly pooch’s face, too.

“Excuse me.” She fans herself with her fingers. “I haven’t had this reaction since I was around one of Jazzy’s old dogs. She was a cute little thing, but boy, was I ever allergic to her.”

Huh. I guess Stassi here has a case of the supernatural sneazles.

Lil’ Mama giggles. “It’s nice to know I’ve still got it.”

“Boy, did they overbreed that furry little monster.” Stassi rolls her eyes. “Jazzy’s mother was obsessed with the breed. A poodle, I think.”

“Maltese!” Lil’ Mama barks. “Or is that too hard for your little brain to comprehend?” She turns to Carlotta. “Wait a minute. I’m not a poodle, am I? Although I have heard they were the smartest breed that ever lived. It wouldn’t surprise me one bit if I had a smidge of poodle in me.”

I lean forward a notch. “Stassi, what do you think happened that night? Who would want to kill poor Jasmine and Owen?”

“Ha!” she balks. “Poor nothing. Jazzy was a real peach, if you know what I mean.”

Noah comes back winded and falls back in his seat. He gives Everett a covert shake of the head before beckoning Stassi to go on.

“Anyway.” Stassi shakes out her silver tresses. “You guys probably know what happened on Money on the Med.”

“You bet I do, sister.” Carlotta narrows her eyes over at the woman. “You pranced around that tiny ship in those next-to-nothing bathing suits until you wore Slater Sutton down to nothing. And then when Ariella caught the two of you in the captain’s quarters alone, you tried to play it off as if nothing happened between you and Jazzy’s handsome hubby.”

“Ariella was on the show?” I look to Stassi