Raspberry Tart Terror (Murder in the Mix Book 30) Unknown (christmas read aloud .TXT) 📖

“Carlotta,” I scold her before turning his way once again. “What she’s trying to say is there are other fish in the sea.” My lips crimp. “I guess that means you’re getting over Verity.”

“I’ll never get over her.” His face contorts with a look of grief. “But I’m not against finding someone to take the sting away either. Sugar and I go way back. She’s the one that introduced me to Verity. But it’s not happening, at least not at this moment in time. Have a great night, ladies.” He takes off, and Carlotta watches him go with her eyes bulging.

“Woo-wee, Lot. A couple of more strikes and that young stud will be primed for a cougar like me.”

“Ooh,” Teddy muses. “You’re quite the go-getter, Carlotta. Solving crimes and livening up your love life all at the very same time.”

“More like robbing the cradle,” I mutter. “Carlotta, it’s Valentine’s Day. Shouldn’t you be spending it with Mayor Nash?”

“Oh, I am,” she hisses. “But he won’t be breaking into the house until two in the morning. It’s up to me to keep myself occupied until them.”

“That does sound exciting,” Teddy coos. “Fighting crime and making time for love. You should really take a page out of Carlotta’s book, Lottie. She has it all together.”

A choking sound emits from me, but before I can say a word, Bambi Bailey spins her way over like a tornado.

“Great party!” she shouts above the music. “Verity would have loved it!”

“I’d like to think so.” I shrug. “Technically, it’s in her honor.”

Bambi smirks. “As long as she didn’t have to pay for it.”

“That cheap, huh?” Carlotta asks.

“She wasn’t just cheap, she was barely squeaking by,” Bambi tells us. “Things were about to take off for her, but she was smart enough to keep her gig at the Craft Emporium. Can’t blame her. Judging by the way she was living, they paid her pretty darn well. Who knew all the real money was in arts and crafts?” She cranes her neck toward the crowd. “I see Evie. Believe it or not, that kid is turning into a real celebrity. Now let’s see how much it’ll cost me to get a little dirt on her. Her friends look ripe for the picking.” She takes off, and Carlotta scoffs in her wake.

“Are you just going to stand there and let her get away with that, Lot Lot? She’s about to get the lowdown on your baby girl.”

I shake my head. “All she’s going to do is lose some cash and maybe a bit of her sanity. Evie doesn’t have any secrets.”

“Yeah, but what about my secrets?” She tosses Teddy my way as she struggles to find Evie in the crowd. “I’d best go keep an eye on things. Bambi is hungry for secrets, Lot. And those kids are hungry for dollar bills. It’s one thing for a handful of kids from Honey Hollow to be let in on my mastermind schemes, but it’s a whole other beast to have them published online. Before we know it, women the world over will be nailing my dating commandments to the wall, and then it’ll be curtains for me. I’ll be just like everybody else.”

She stalks off, and I shake my head at Teddy. “Believe me, I know nothing about Carlotta’s dating commandments.”

Sugar comes up, and both Teddy and I gasp. That little pink dress seems to show off quite a bit of skin, and that armful of gold bangles jingles with her every move. The exact same bracelets that she wore the night of the murder, just like the one she dropped in the snow as she was poisoning Verity to death by way of one of my innocent desserts.

“Here she is, Lottie.” Teddy’s voice trembles. “The woman who’s been threatening Evie. And she might just be the killer, too. I always knew Sugar was a go-getter herself.”

I take a moment to shoot the fuzzball in my hands a look. Teddy is forever the cheerleader, and always cheering on the wrong person, too.

“Sugar.” I tip my head to the side as I shed a sad smile. “It’s nice to see you here tonight.” And oddly, I mean it.

“It’s nice to see you, too.” She gives a mournful look into the conservatory behind me. “I’m not sure I can go in there. As much as Verity and I weren’t getting along, this place only makes me miss her all that much more.”

“She stole your pet. She bullied you,” I point out. “She’s the reason your grand opening was a no-go. I can’t imagine you’d miss her all that much.” I can’t bring myself to smile at her. Not after the way she’s treated Evie. This woman is clearly a psychotic.

“Aw,” Teddy coos. “Isn’t she the sweetest? My Sugar always did have the biggest heart.”

I shake my head at the mixed-up marsupial. Clearly, she’s only been trained to see the best in people, and often gets the details wrong.

“And there’s Evie,” Sugar marvels. “Look at all those people mobbing her. She’s quite the popular girl, isn’t she?” Her eyes cut to my belly and I gasp.

“Is that a threat?” I hiss the words out without meaning to. Okay, fine. I very much meant it.

“Excuse me?” She blinks as she takes a step back.

“You heard me.” My voice is tight as I step in her direction. My hormones are surging, and a rage burns within me like I have never felt before.

“Lottie, are you okay?” She squints over at me as if trying to solve the riddle that I’ve become.

I’d better pull it together before she skips town.

Noah and Ivy will most likely be here soon, and I’d hate to ruin everything.

My hands rise over my belly. “I’m teasing. You’ll have to excuse my sense of humor.” I swallow hard. “My hormones are all over the place.”

“No, that’s okay. I’m a bit jumpy myself tonight. I still can’t believe someone had it in