“What in the world?” The four of us storm into Evie’s bedroom, only to find her wailing on her bed with her face buried in her pillow. “Evie?” I sit next to her and do my best to pull her my way until her arms are clasped over me, tight as a koala bear.
“It was Kyle.” She hiccups as she sobs. “I caught him and Dash making out in a dark corner. I hate them, and I hate everything.”
“I’m so sorry. When I was in high school, I had a boy who cheated on me and—”
“Why do you always have to make everything about yourself, Mom?” She starts in on another wailing cry as she grips me tighter.
“That’s right, Lot,” Carlotta hisses. “Let the girl have her moment. It’s not every day a boy has the cookies to step out on a Sawyer woman. And believe me, Evie Stevie, you’re a Sawyer where it counts.”
“Thanks, Cray-Cray.” Evie gives a weak shrug before laying her head on my shoulder. “And I’m sorry I yelled at you, Mom. But I won’t lie—it felt good. I’ll probably end up doing it more often.”
“There, there,” Carlotta says. “You just yell at my Lottie Dottie all you like. That’s what she’s here for. That’s what she signed up for when she agreed to be a parent to you. And that’s why your daddy hired her to be his wife.”
Noah snickers. “He did hire you, Lot. You can’t argue with that.”
It might be a little true, considering the fact I married Everett just to help save his inheritance, but I’m not digging in that direction tonight.
“Why don’t you get your PJ’s on, wash your face, and we’ll meet up in the kitchen for a fresh batch of chocolate chip cookies?”
A smile swims on her lips as she gives a weak nod. “That’s the best part about having a mom who’s a baker. You’re always right there encouraging me to eat my feelings.”
We share a warm laugh as we leave her to get ready for bed. No sooner do I close the door to her room than Everett’s chest expands twice its width.
“I’m going to kill him.”
Noah nods. “I’ll help you hide the body.”
“Around and around it goes.” Carlotta takes a breath. “Where this killing machine will stop, nobody knows. I’d better get ready for bed myself. I’ve got a unicorn costume to put on.”
“So Harry’s coming over?” I ask.
She inches back with her mouth wide open. “How did you know?”
“I wish I could say it was a wild guess on my part, but you had me at unicorn costume.”
“I should’ve figured. You and I think exactly alike. Say—you don’t have a rhinestone leash I could borrow, do ya?”
“No.” It comes out deadpan.
“Fine.” She looks to Noah. “Now that you’re down for the count, can I borrow your handcuffs?”
Noah reaches into his pocket and tosses a pair her way. “You want the key?”
“What fun would that be?”
“Try not to bray all night,” I say. “Evie needs her rest if she’s going to talk to Dash tomorrow.”
Noah inches back. “Why would she ever speak with that girl again?”
“Because girls don’t let boys ruin their relationships. And who knows? It might all be a misunderstanding. Stranger things have happened.”
Everett nods. “Like a respected judge digging a body out of his old stepbrother’s backyard and dumping it in the middle of town square.”
Noah hikes his brows. “Now there’s a solid plan. Did you know there aren’t any security cameras in that direction?”
“I did know that,” Everett responds, and suddenly I’m a little worried about how far and wide the good judge’s knowledge base stretches. “In fact, I should probably get a move on.”
“No, don’t go.” I pull him in. “Evie needs us both right now.”
He glances back at her door. “Okay. But come hell or high water, it’s going down tomorrow night. I want this nightmare behind us. And from now on, my vote vetoes his.” He shoots Noah a sharp look. “You’ve always needed a big brother who could knock some sense into you. I bet if you didn’t goof things up all those years ago between us, I could have saved you from half of the junk you’ve landed yourself in.”
“I wish I wouldn’t have goofed things up.” Noah looks amused. “And you would have probably helped me avoid the mess I got myself into with Lottie—the two of us would be married by now.”
A rumble of a laugh strums through Everett’s chest. “On second thought, things worked out exactly how they should have.” His lids hood my way, and a dangerous smile flickers on his lips as if to suggest he was about to prove it to me. And I have no doubt he is.
Something tells me this is going to be one very long night.
Last night, after baking cookies with Evie, both Everett and I helped get Noah back across the street, and medicated him into oblivion.
Of course, Everett had to prove his point in the most delicious manner regarding how fate worked everything out in our favor, so I had zilch sleep last night.
I’ll admit, I was a little disappointed when Everett actually had to go to work this morning. I stayed home long enough to comfort Evie and make her a big breakfast of waffles and all the fixings. I told her she should invite Dash over later to talk things through and suggested they take a walk around the neighborhood with Toby. He’s not a digger like the golden retriever down the street, so the whole neighborhood loves him.
Lord knows Keelie and I have hashed out our differences a time or two on a cold winter’s walk.
Lily and I work like mad all afternoon, whipping up batches of waffles in a frenzy. Flo hangs out in the kitchen with me, checking her reflection every chance she gets. Personally, I don’t understand the obsession with looking in the mirror. She’s going to look the same as she did the last time she checked, and there has never been more than a twenty second span that she doesn’t gaze upon herself.
“You know I caught a glimpse of myself in the reflection from the window as I walked into the bakery this morning,” I tell her. “And it was like looking through a fun-house mirror. Why hasn’t anyone told me that my bottom has essentially morphed into a baby bump all on its own? It’s as if someone tucked a beach ball under my shirt and in my pants. I look like a freak.”
“You look like someone who’s enjoyed a sweet treat or two,” she says, making a plate of waffles for herself. “Speaking of sweet treats, I need my body returned to the morgue pronto if they’re going to work their magic and get me looking decent for my big reveal.” She takes a bite out of a forkful of waffles dipped in butter and syrup and moans through the experience.
“Not to worry, we’re on it. Everett is going to do the deed tonight.”
Someone scoffs from behind, and I turn to find Lily standing there with her fists tucked on her hips.
“Lottie, are you telling the waffles that you and Everett are going to get freaky later?”
I open my mouth and close it. “Why yes, Lily, I am.”
Goodness. I’ve gotten myself into more deep-fried pickles because of these ghosts than I can count, but confessing to spilling dirty secrets to a stack of waffles is an all-time low.