“What about Bizzy?” Mom balks. “She didn’t have one of your magical mushroom brownies.”
“No mushrooms in these beauties, but I like how you’re thinking,” Georgie says as she comes shy of winking. “And Bizzy doesn’t need my brownies. She’s holding a cat, which makes her mellow by proxy.”
“Oh, for Pete’s sake, Bizzy, give me Fish.” She plucks the furry cutie right out of my arms. “You know what? I do feel better already. I think I’m going to need her for the rest of the day.”
“Sure you’re gonna need her.” Georgie nods. “She’s your emotional support cat. You keep Fish in your lap, and I’ll have Acorn and Sherlock Bones by my side. If the customers won’t walk through those doors for two old broads, then they’ll come for the animals.”
Mom scoffs. “If only we sold pet supplies.”
Mom and Georgie exchange a wide-eyed look as if a thunderbolt just struck them both at the very same time.
“I heard you, Mama!” Juni runs up holding her caramel-colored little Yorkie named Sprinkles. Juni adopted her a few months back, and she’s been nothing but a little sweetheart ever since. “I’ve got Sprinkles ready to go.” She pats the little palm tree-like sprout held together by a pink bow at the top of the tiny dog’s head. “And I got my face done did. So which book are we doin’ first for the book club? Passion in Paris or Cowboy Boots Under My Bed?”
Mom’s lips part. “I thought we agreed to The Cat and the Crime? A cute little caper with the talking cat and the baker who reads minds?”
Juni waves her off. “Who’s gonna believe that drivel?”
Sprinkles barks and yips. I’d read it, Bizzy. That is, if I could read. She barks and wiggles. Put me down, Juni. There are men in this room I’d like to get to know better. And don’t worry, Sherlock. You’re still one of them.
“All right, you little squeaker.” Juni sets her down and Sprinkles runs right over to Sherlock and attempts to jump on his back. Acorn is currently being loved on by a couple of the girls in charge of lighting. I can tell they’ve really missed him. And I bet they miss Morgan, too.
Mom waves a copy of her cat mystery my way. “I’m sorry, Bizzy, but you’re going to have to be the tie breaker.”
“How can there be a tie if there are three of you?”
“Exactly.” Georgie stabs a finger my way and nearly pokes an eye out.
The room starts to buzz at a frenetic pace as the crew shouts to one another. By the looks of it, the filming will take place in the middle of the shop with Georgie, Mom, and Juni surrounded by miles of wonky quilts in every configuration. Dresses, pet bedding, tote bags, you name it, they’ve added their wonky touch to it.
And just as things are about to get moving, two women dash this way, both looking a tad bit too dolled up for the middle of the afternoon on a weekday. Macy has on bright red pants with her face in full glam mode. And Camila Ryder is at her side, all dolled up like a vamped-up version of herself with her flowing chestnut hair, her full pouty lips painted a dark shade of crimson, and she’s holding what looks to be a pizza box.
“I’m all set to go.” Macy plucks a candle off the shelf behind my mother. “I’ll warm up the crowd for you.”
“Hey”—Mom bleats—“those are my candles.”
“Which were purchased from me at a steep discount.” Macy gives a little wink. “Don’t worry. I’m not here to steal your limelight. I’m here to date one of the cameramen. Face it, they’re hot and they’re fresh meat here in Cider Cove.”
“Which means you haven’t cycled through them yet,” Camila snips.
“Which means you haven’t cycled through them yet,” Macy dishes it right back. “Dibs on the muscleman who’s trying to bench press the entire left-hand side of the store.”
I glance over, and a tall man with muscles for days is moving an entire table full of quilts, one-handed.
“Dibs on the dark-haired man with the devilish grin.” Camila blinks a smile my way.
“Where? Where?” Juni cries out as she cranes her neck at the crowd.
“I left him at the Seaview Sheriff’s Department. Homicide division to be exact.” Camila holds up that pizza box in her hand without missing a beat. “I’ll help her warm up the crowd.”
The two of them take off, and Mom gives an odd little hop.
“It’s really happening.” Her head wobbles as if it’s about to fly right off. “We’re looking good, ladies. So we’ve settled on hosting a book club?”
“We’re going to wing it,” Georgie says, chomping on yet another brownie.
“Wing it,” Mom repeats. “Got it. Maybe I’ll find a hair bow for Fish. I need something to take my mind off the fact this is going to be on the internet forever.” She takes off and Fish lets out a howl.
No bow, Bizzy! Anything but a bow!
But it’s too late for Fish. In fact, it feels too late for all of us.
“You’re both going to do great,” I tell Juni and Georgie. “Just be yourselves.”
Sherlock barks. Dicey advice, Bizzy. Maybe tell them to keep a little bacon on hand. Once the people know they’re selling the good stuff, they’ll be breaking down the door to get into this place.
Georgie lifts a finger. “I don’t need an interpreter to know what my trusty pooch is saying. Don’t worry, hot stuff. You tantalize them with that furry face of yours, and I’ll tantalize them with salted meat.”
“Ooh, hand it over.” Juni flicks her fingers, and soon there’s a bacon exchange which involves half the crew.
Sherlock barks. There she is, Bizzy. That blonde woman you’ve been waiting for just walked through the door and she’s attacking Acorn!
“Let’s go,” I say as the two of us head toward the entry and Sherlock butts up to Acorn and gets in on the loving Hollis Carrington is doling out.
Hollis looks as affable as can be in a sweater and jeans. Her face is currently being licked silly as Acorn does his best to love her right back.
She misses me, Bizzy, Acorn howls. I wish Morgan was here to see it. She and Morgan used to spend a lot of time together.
Used to.
But something tells me that good time ended before poor Mabel Buttonwood was given a lethal dose of poison.
Hollis bubbles with a laugh as she rises to her feet. Her blonde hair is a creamy vanilla and sits just above her shoulders. She has full cheeks and bright eyes and looks so warm and friendly, it’s hard to believe she’d even think about murder let alone pull it off.
“Hello, Hollis,” I say. “How’s your day going?”
“My van just got a ticket right outside for parking a foot in the red zone if you can believe it. And if that’s how my day is starting, let’s hope it doesn’t end that way. But these two managed to put a smile right back on my face. They’re just too much fun. I don’t know how you get any work done with these cute faces around.”
“Sorry about the ticket. And you’re right. They can be the best distraction, especially when I’m facing a full day of work.”
Sherlock looks up at me with his tongue wagging. You don’t have to do much work, Bizzy. Acorn, Fish, and I greet the guests for you.
And they do. All three guests. I’ve got more vacant rooms than ever before.
“So are the ladies ready?” Hollis holds up a clipboard in her hand. “I was just getting a few things outlined in the van.”
“As ready as they’ll ever be. It’s safe to say they’ve got the jitters. Where can people view this once we’re through?”
“We’re doing a livestream with the local cable channel. And as a part of the package they bought from me, I’ll set them up with their own YouTube channel where they’ll upload the footage. That way we’re coming at the people of Cider Cove with both barrels blazing. You should try it for the inn.”
“It’s been on my mind,” I say without an ounce of conviction.
Sherlock barks. Let’s do it, Bizzy! We’ll be famous. And once the word gets out that we have the best bacon in town, we’ll h
ave every pooch and their mother breaking down our doors.
He might be onto something. The maple bacon we serve is pretty addictive.
Hollis squints a bit. “I’m not sure how you feel about talking about the dark history of the inn, but you’d be surprised how many people love that.”
“By dark history, you mean murder.” I sigh at the dark reality. “Do you think the inn is too far gone to ever be viewed as ordinary?”
She belts out a laugh. “Why in the world would you want to be considered ordinary? You’d have to be insane to want that.” She gives a forlorn smile. “I get it, it’s hard to see something you love morph into something you never wanted it to be. But sometimes we need to roll with the punches—take what life gives us and somehow make it work. Unless, of course, what you’re doing now is working for you. Is it?”
“If you call a fifty percent decrease in occupancy since last year a win, then it’s working like gangbusters. Come to think of it, a gang busting up the place might actually bring more guests to the inn than what I’ve got going.”
She bubbles with laughter once again. “Don’t discount what a little airtime could do for you. Oh, and speaking of which, I just got a text from Mabel Buttonwood. I guess she’s doing the tribute show to her sister at the inn. Maybe she’ll give you the last twenty minutes of her slot? That should be plenty of time for you to showcase the inn to viewers. And that way if you see an uptick in guests, you’ll know that video advertising is the way to go. Believe me, you’ll see an uptick. I’ll tell you what. I’ll only charge you half my fee if you decide to do it, in exchange for a room for the weekend. I’d love to come by in the spring and lie on that beach with a tall glass of iced tea and a good book.”
“It’s a deal,” I say. “Worse comes to worst, I’ll join you for drinks on the sand. So how are you holding up? You filmed a lot of shows with Morgan. This has to be hard on you, too.”
She closes her eyes a moment and frowns just as Acorn rubs her head against my leg.
She’s thinking about Morgan. Acorn moans. She used to make that face a lot when she and Morgan were together.
Hey? I bet Acorn knows more than he realizes about this feud between Hollis and Morgan.
“The funny thing is, Morgan never leaves my mind these days.” Hollis takes a moment to shudder. “I guess you have no idea of the impact someone has in your life until they’ve been removed from it.” She shakes her head. And thankfully so. As much as I’ll miss her, I won’t miss the back and forth we had—especially not earlier this month. How dare she use me for months only to give me the boot? Of course, she didn’t give me the boot until I refused to work for free.
“Oh,” I say out loud without meaning to. I clear my throat. “Do you remember the last words you shared with Morgan that day?”
Her features cloud over. The one time I decide to grow a pair of cookies and give someone a piece of my mind, she has to go and keel over just moments later.
“We had a bit of a disagreement over filming,” she admits. “We argued. Or more to the point, I gave her a piece of my mind—and do you know what she did?” Hollis blinks back tears.
“What’s that?”
“She just stood there and took it! All those years of not wanting to confront her and afraid to poke the bear, and she didn’t utter a peep back to me.”
“Were you just a smidge disappointed?” More than a smidge, I’d say.
Her chest bucks with a laugh. “That and remorseful.” She shrugs. “Some days I just wanted to kill her.” She takes off, and I frown over at that last remark.
So much for completely wiping her from the suspect list. And to think she was this close.
Fern Tuttle cups her hands over her mouth as she steps into the center of the shop.
“And we’re on in twenty seconds. Remember, the show is live. We’ve only got a half hour! Let’s get her done!” she shouts at the top of her lungs before heading my way. “Hey, Bizzy!” She gives both Acorn and Sherlock a quick pat on the back. “I see you’re hanging out with all the cool kids.” Her dark hair is pulled back into a ponytail and her clear green eyes all but glow in the light.
“I try to make it a habit,” I tease. “How do you think this is going to go?”
“It’s anyone’s guess.” She twists her lips, looking over at Macy and Camila as they stand behind a dark, glossy table. “But considering the fact we have a pizza, a candle, and a stack of spicy and sweet books, it looks like your typical Friday night for just about every Suburban Betty out there.”
We share a quick laugh.
She shakes her head at the budding chaos. What I wouldn’t give to have something so simple be the highlight of my week. Nope, I had to find me the most damaged person out there and fall into his world. Sometimes I wonder why I chose love over sanity. But then, sanity is overrated.
She shrugs my way as she steps over and picks up the clapperboard. “And we’re live!”
“Hello, everyone.” Macy grins wide for the camera, and dare I say, she really does look like a natural. “My name is Macy Baker, and I want to welcome you to Lather and Light, my soap and candle shop, where every day that ends in Y means you get a buy one, get one half off deal on all full priced three-wick candles.”
Mom tosses her hands in the air from behind my sister, and I bite down on my lip to keep from laughing out loud. But on the bright side, if they change their name to Lather and Light, this might still work out for them.
Camila shakes out her chestnut hair, and it bounces and flounces as if it were a life force of its own to be reckoned with. “And I’m Camila Ryder, from my new show, Gossip Gal, inviting you to hang out with me while I eat pizza and put my makeup on using only the best cosmetics the world has to offer. And all the while, I’ll be dishing the juiciest rumors our little slice of Maine has to offer.”
“Ooh,” Macy coos. “Makeup, pizza, and dishing on the who’s who of Cider Cove? Now there’s a show I can really get behind. We should do a collaboration.” She looks back at the camera. “Buy one, get one half off of all three-wick candles at Lather and Light when you use the promo code Macy Baker sent you.”
Their gab session slash infomercial goes on for twenty minutes solid, and I’ll admit, even I was a bit entranced by all the dirt Camila just spilled. Who knew the vice principal of Cider Cove High left his wife for the third grade teacher? Not only that—it turns out, two women were dating the same sugar daddy right here in town and found out about it just this week when he accidentally double booked dinner at A Fork in the Road. Apparently, chairs went flying. It’s no wonder I saw the window boarded that day Emmie and I took the dogs for a walk.
Sherlock moans. I don’t think this is going the way Ree and Georgie expected. Maybe it’s time to pull out the bacon?
Acorn gives a soft bark. I’m thinking we should snatch that pizza for ourselves, Sherlock. Save the bacon for dessert.
Bizzy will never allow it. Sherlock turns my way, but to his surprise, I give both pooches a hearty thumbs-up.
In less than six seconds, Acorn and Sherlock snatch that pizza out of the box and make a quick work of it while Macy and Camila grunt and scream.
“It’s our chance, Mama.” Juni navigates Mom and Georgie to the front while elbowing Macy and Camila out of the frame. “I’m Juniper Moonbean. I like ’em six foot tall, with arms full of muscles and a belly full of beer. Add on a tat of a turkey on the rear, and you’re gonna be in for a real good time. My number is five five five—”
“No.” Mom shakes her head as she holds up Fish who has a giant pink bow strapped around her body like a bomb. “We’re two old broads! And we read naughty books about animals!”
Naughty books about animals? Good grief. She’s going to get them all banned from the internet for life.
“And I’m Georgette Conner!” Georgie says, scooping up Sprinkles into her arms and inadvertently holding Juni’s fur baby upside down. “We lick dogs and cats.” She plants a kiss right on the tiny pooch’s keeste
r and about three different crewmembers moan.
Way to go, Georgette—and why did I think her formal name was Georgina? One of us is wrong, and no thanks to those magical brownies, I’m betting it’s her.
Georgie’s eyes bulge as she looks to the crew. “What did I do? What did I say? Who am I?” She lands Sprinkles on the table and holds up a book—albeit upside down and backwards. “We read stinky novels.” She gives a hard wink and her left eye refuses to open again. “I mean, steamy dreamy novels.” She starts in on a low guttural laughter and she can’t seem to stop that either.
“We’re two old broads!” Mom pleads with the camera.
Bizzy! Fish belts out a screech of a yowl. I beg of you to negotiate with the terrorists and demand they free me at once. Quick! Before Georgie turns me upside down and kisses my bottom. And if she does that, I’ll be forced to spray her. It won’t be pretty.
No, it won’t. But it might stop Georgie’s body from malfunctioning.
“Two old broads with lots of talking books!” Mom shakes Fish at the camera like a threat, and my poor cat seizes the moment to jump to the floor and zips off to God knows where.
I can’t blame her.
“Save yourself, Fish,” I whisper.
“I got brownies!” Georgie shouts into the camera as she stalks forward like a one-eyed zombie along with Juni and my mother. “Magic brownies! First come, first swerve!”
Juni shouts her number for the umpteenth time, Georgie is shoving as many of her magical brownies into her mouth as she can possibly fit, and my mother looks as if she’s about to beat anyone who comes through the door with that paperback in her hand.
“We’re two old broads!” Mom caws one last time as Fern snaps that clapperboard so close to Mom’s face she just about snipped her nose off.
A Winter Tail of Woe Page 10