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

her head. “Stassi, really? If it’s true, she deserves an Oscar for the way she’s been denying it. Besides, half a dozen women probably embraced him tonight. It could have been anyone’s perfume.”

A throaty gurgle comes from Cormack. “You keep frying that chicken, Jen, and leave the investigating to me.” She buries a kiss into one of Noah’s dimples before anyone can stop her. “I’ll stop by your place tonight and we can go under covers to discuss the case.” She takes off and disappears into the crowd as quickly as an apparition.

“Wait! Noah doesn’t live there anymore!” I shout after her. “Great,” I growl over at Everett. “If she turns up in your bed tonight, call me. I’ll bring Ethel and we’ll call it a party.”

Jen tips her head to the side. “Do I want to know who Ethel is?”

“No, you don’t,” Everett says. “Slater is right, this place is great. You look really happy, too.”

She blows out a breath. “I’m just glad to have control of my life again.”

I bet that was a dig at Jasmine.

“Jen?” I lean in. “So what happens to Jasmine’s Door-to-Door Gourmet business? Will you be acquiring it? I mean, you had a part in it, right?”

“No, that was all Ariella and Jazzy. I guess you’d have to ask Ariella that question. But I made it clear the night Jazzy died, my kitchen was no longer available for use. It got to the point where my restaurant was suffering because I didn’t have access to my own facility. I can’t even tell you how much that drove me insane.”

Noah inches back. “Why was that happening? Couldn’t you tell her to leave?”

Lil’ Mama barks and it sounds like a laugh. “Heavens. Nobody ever told Jazzy what to do. She was the boss, as her mother liked to say. She wrote her own rules and everyone else had to live by them.”

Jen shoots a glance out the window. “Jazzy knew what to say to make people do her bidding. I guess you could say I was no different.”

“Did she at least pay you?” I ask.

Jen’s chest bucks with a silent laugh. “Jazzy didn’t have the money to pay for anything toward the end. Let’s just say her new meal delivery service wasn’t even close to covering costs. She wasn’t just costing me money. She was costing herself money, too.”

“Jen”—Everett says her name low and stern and sounds very judicial in the process—“what did she have over you to make you concede to her that way?”

Her mouth opens then closes as the music ticks up a notch and a quirky beat pumps from the speakers.

“It’s time for the ‘Chicken Dance’ once again.” She laughs as she points to the ceiling. “Come on, you three. I want to see you flapping your wings.” She winks my way. “Be sure to pick up some chicken before you leave. It’s on me!” She takes off flapping her wings, and don’t think for a minute I didn’t note the way she expertly evaded that question Everett asked her.

Just what did Jasmine have over her? I bet Ariella will have the answer.

Carlotta flaps her way over, pinching her fingers and spinning in a circle with the best of them. There’s a chicken hat sank over her head, and my guess is she stole it from Keelie or Bear.

“Come on, Lot! Let’s show these men what we’ve got.” She bops her head and feathers go flying.

“I’m not a pro at the ‘Chicken Dance’, Carlotta,” I say, trying to resist her rather violent tugging, but inertia takes over and I’m right there next to her as she swings me by the hands.

“Sure, you do, Lot! It’s in your blood. Just do what I do.”

Lil’ Mama floats up next to me. “I’ve never seen such a thing, Lottie. But I have a sneaking suspicion this will bring your pup along sooner than you think.”

“Really?” Soon, I’m squawking, flapping, and pinching my fingers along with the best of them. Carlotta hops up onto one of the tables and starts in on a solo act and half the room begins to cheer her on. As the song picks up pace, her movements grow that much more frenetic and she spins herself like a top.

“Watch out, Lemon.” Everett carefully backs me up in the event Carlotta decides to spin right out a window. And sure enough, she takes one wayward step and the table goes one way and Carlotta flaps her wings and flies in the other direction, landing square in Bear Fisher’s arms. She promptly reaches into the bucket of chicken Keelie is cradling and holds up a chicken leg in triumph. The crowd goes wild and the song ends and magically starts right up again.

The baby gives me a swift kick, and I nod as I understand exactly what it’s trying to tell me.

“I think it’s time we get our chicken on,” I say.

“You read my mind,” Noah says.

We down two buckets before we leave, and Noah heads up to the counter to pick up another one to go.

I shrug up at Everett. “You never know when you’re going to crave a thigh at three in the morning.”

He nods. “Happened to me last night.”

I sigh up at my handsome hubby. “We have got to fix this living arrangement. I have needs, you know.”

His lids hood a notch. “What a coincidence. I have what you need.”

I nod. “And you’re going to give it to me. I’m not going to let Jimmy Canelli or some amateur hit man ruin my time with Mr. Sexy.”

“He hired amateurs?”

“That’s right. They’ll either miss you or blow up all of Honey Hollow. I don’t think there’s an in between with this one.”

He shakes his head. “There hasn’t been an in between in my life for a very long time.”

“Join the club.”

We take off and I kiss Everett goodnight on the porch like a teenager getting dropped off after a hot date.

He pulls back and growls, “I’m going to kill Jimmy Canelli.”

“Go ahead.