“Thank you for the raspberry tarts, Lottie. My staff is raving about them already. And the fried pickles, too,” she says that last bit a little unsure as she pokes and prods me before giving my thigh a tap, signaling I can sit up. “Everything looks great. The baby is right on track. Its head is already down and ready for takeoff next month. Your belly is measuring right where it should be, but you’ve gained another twenty pounds since your last visit. I’d ask what you were eating, but judging by your occupation, I’m sure I can guess.” She shoots both Noah and Everett a wry look. “Essex, see to it that your wife includes a few cruciferous vegetables into her diet.”
And yes, Dr. Barnette has very much earned the right to call my husband by his far more carnal moniker. And shockingly, this does not surprise me in the least.
“Lottie?” Her attention swings back my way. “Do you have any constipation? Any sign of hemorrhoids?”
I gag at the thought of discussing my bathroom habits in front of Noah and Everett.
“No,” I frown as I tell her. “I’m as regular as the sunrise. But I will include a few more cruciferous vegetables per your request.” As soon as I google what veggies qualify for that three-dollar word.
Noah steps up. “Any chance we can see the baby today?”
“You bet.” Dr. Barnette pulls the equipment toward her. “So tell me, Lottie, is the nursery ready? At this point the baby could very well arrive whenever he or she likes. We’re out of the danger zone and preemies aren’t all that uncommon.”
“The nursery?” My entire body seizes at the thought. “You mean it’s that time already?”
A laugh bubbles from her. “Of course, it’s time. And don’t think for a minute that the next four weeks won’t fly by.”
“We’ll get on that nursery today,” Everett is quick to assert.
Poor Everett. He’s been brooding and angry just under the surface ever since Fiona left the bakery this afternoon. And I know for a fact there’s not a darn thing I can do to cheer him up. I hate feeling helpless.
Noah nods. “We could hit the hardware store after we grab a bite, Lottie. You can pick out the exact color you like. Was it Granny Smith apple green you mentioned before?”
“Probably. It’s the color I’ve been thinking about,” I say as my breathing picks up. I can feel the panic rising in my throat, and suddenly it’s impossible to catch my next breath. Dr. Barnette is right. The next four weeks are going to fly by.
“Don’t worry about the paint.” Dr. Barnette waves the idea off. “The baby will most likely sleep in a bassinet in your bedroom for a while. You have up to a year before you need to worry about putting the nursery together. As long as you have a bassinet, you’re all ready to meet your new addition.”
“I don’t have a bassinet,” my voice spikes. “I don’t have a crib, or that thing Keelie uses to warm her baby wipes. I don’t have a fancy rocking chair like Lainey that feels as if you’re gliding through the clouds, and I don’t even have a single diaper in my house.” My mouth falls open as I look to Noah and Everett. “What are we thinking rolling around my bed watching my naked belly move like a bunch of cave people? We’re going to be parents! And we’re ill-equipped for the effort. I need a baby bag. I need clothes for this poor child. And if Suze is a blood relation, I might need an exorcist, too. Sorry.” I cringe over at Noah as he shrugs it off.
“I’m right there with you, Lottie.” He picks up my hand and kisses the back of it. “Everything you just mentioned can be taken care of with a few simple clicks on the internet. How about we go on a shopping spree tonight?”
Everett clears his throat and glowers at Noah a moment. “Don’t worry, Lemon. This baby won’t want for anything, and neither will you. I’m not certain, but isn’t your mother planning something? A shower like the one she threw for Lainey?”
“Oh, I doubt it. My mother can’t remember who she is anymore, let alone the fact I’m about to have a baby. Her head is all over the place ever since she gave away the B&B. And she’s practically despondent that Carlotta has swept in and become an overnight sensation in the book world.”
“Ooh,” Dr. Barnette says as she splashes some warm jelly over my stomach before pressing an apparatus that looks like a mouse over it. “I’ve heard great things about her book, Lottie. A couple of copies are circulating right here at the office. You should bring your mother with you next time. My staff would love to have her sign their copies.”
I’d ask which mother she was talking about, but I’m afraid I know exactly which one.
Dr. Barnette regales us with images of our sweet little sugar cookie and tears spring to life in my eyes. Tears of joy because I get to finally see my sweet angel very very soon, live and in person. And tears of grief because Everett may not be here to enjoy the moment with me. And tears of anger because whoever killed Verity Prescott has unwittingly unleashed a wildfire into my own life—in Evie’s and into Everett’s after last night.
I can’t control when the baby arrives. I certainly can’t control whether or not Everett goes to prison. But I can most certainly do my darnedest to land Verity’s killer behind bars.
Whoever killed Verity is going to pay for her death and the carnage they’ve unleashed in my world. In fact, I’m not wasting any time hunting them down.
Juliet Jackowski, I’m gunning for you tonight.
Lottie
By the time we get back to Main Street the three of us are famished.
Okay, mostly it’s me that’s famished, but Noah and Everett are pretty hungry, too. Truth be told, I’m just as hungry for justice as I am anything I can shove into my pie hole, so I’ve hatched a little scheme.
I asked Noah to pick up a pizza and some sandwiches from Mangias. And I asked Everett to pick up the works from the Wicked Wok.
And I asked them to meet me back at the bakery as soon as they could before we hightailed it home to enjoy our feast. Of course, I didn’t actually lie to Everett and Noah. I stopped by the bakery long enough to let Lily know that if Everett and Noah got back before I did to let them know I was in the back office and that I would be out momentarily. And under no circumstances were they to come back there.
Lily gave me the stink eye. She let me know under no circumstances was she going to bend the truth. So I did what any self-respecting business owner would do. I let her know I’d pay her for an additional two hours. And to make her feel better, I left through the back door. For all she knows, I’m in the office stuffing my face with raspberry tarts and monitoring my sales.
But I’m not.
I’m right back on Main Street as the streetlamps shine down over the fresh blanket of snow covering the sidewalks. Pink and red twinkle lights adorn the windows of all the businesses that line the street, and it casts a mystical glow in the night. I traipse across the street, and just as I hit the sidewalk, a spray of red stars appears to my right, and soon enough Teddy is swinging from my neck, sitting on the side of my tummy, and I can feel her warming my body.
“Hey there, cutie,” I say. “Perfect timing. I was just about to head into the knit shop and speak to Juliet Jackowski.”