“Janelle was on the security footage. According to the camera, she was the last person to see Yvette alive—which is ridiculous. The killer could have snuck in from the front of the truck on the other side and left the same way—but it doesn’t look good. They were arguing outside. Heatedly. Their fight continued in the truck, and Janelle was the only one who came out. Yvette was never seen on the camera again. Janelle said that they were arguing about the baked goods. Yvette’s been selling leftover scones and muffins, and it upset Janelle. She swears that they came to an agreement, and she left.�
Andrew looked puzzled. “You don’t believe her?�
Her defenses immediately rose. “Excuse me? Of course I believe her! Janelle may be passionate about her business and slightly overprotective of her scones, but she is not a killer!�
Andrew chuckled. “No, she’s not. But you look worried.� He pushed the appetizer plate over to her, and Olivia popped a mushroom in her mouth. It was so good that she almost moaned before she remembered where they were. Expensive restaurant. Perfect proposal atmosphere. She had to remember to keep Andrew distracted.
“Janelle was in the truck. She touched things. Her fingerprints are going to be all over that crime scene, and even if Nick does believe her, he has to follow the evidence. Right now, the evidence probably points to Janelle. What are we going to do?�
Taking her hand, Andrew gestured to the waiter with his free hand. “We’re going to get the check, go home, and figure out a way to relax.� He repeated the request to the waiter, who gave Olivia a dirty look before nodding.
“I don’t think he likes my outfit,� she said with a tentative smile.
Andrew leaned back and shook his head. His eyes roamed over her, and she felt a blush creep up from her neck to her cheeks. “Probably not, but I certainly do. I love the way those pants cling to your hips.�
He was trying to make her feel better, and it only made her feel guiltier. “I ruined your dinner,� she said softly. “I’m sorry.�
“You didn’t ruin anything. After seeing Yvette this morning, I should have postponed the dinner. Even if Janelle wasn’t all tangled up in this, seeing Yvette must have upset you.�
It hadn’t upset her as much as it should have, and she had only her books to blame for that.
He paid the check while their waiter wrapped up the unopened bottle of champagne for them to take home. Settling his hand on her waist, Andrew gently guided her out.
Every time he touched her, she still felt a little thrill. A year of dating, and she still got the butterflies whenever she was around him. You weren’t supposed to marry the man who gave you butterflies. You married the man once the butterflies were gone, and you felt safe and secure.
“No point in letting a perfectly good bottle go to waste,� he said, his grin mischievous. Olivia watched in disbelief as he popped the cork right there on the sidewalk. “Want to go for a walk and help me drink this?�
Unable to help herself, she laughed and reached for the bottle. “Walk around drinking a bottle of champagne? We’ll be the talk of the town tomorrow morning.�
“That never stopped you before.�
“And it’s not stopping me now.� Taking a swig from the bottle, she sniffed—the bubbles tickled her nose—and nestled under his arm. “Can we walk to Happy Endings? I left my phone there.�
“Sounds like a plan.�
“What do we do about Janelle?�
“Olivia, you promised.�
“What? What!� She pulled back and stared at him. “It’s my sister. I can’t let her go to jail.�
“She’s innocent, Olivia. She’s not going to jail. This isn’t like one of your mystery books. Nick is not going to put an innocent woman behind bars.�
“I’m not saying this is like a book. I’m simply pointing out that someone I love is in trouble. I want to help, Andrew. I would think that you’d want to help, too.�
He grabbed her elbow and forced her to stop walking. “Olivia, we’re not going to fight about this. Of course I don’t want anything bad to happen to Janelle, but I also don’t want anything bad to happen to you.�
She glared at him stubbornly. “I don’t want anything bad to happen to me, either,� she grumbled. “But I also don’t plan on letting anything bad happen to me. We can figure out a way to exonerate Janelle without getting involved ourselves. There has to be a way!�
“No.� Andrew narrowed his eyes and set his jaw. “If it comes to it, we’ll hire a lawyer. That’s what normal people do in this kind of situation. I know that you want to help, but you’re not qualified.�
“Because I’m just a dog walker?� she snapped. “Just because I’m not some hot-shot computer whiz with a master’s degree doesn’t mean that I’m not smart. I have a college degree in business!� Now was not the time to point out that she’d waffled between a few degrees and only settled on business so she could graduate on time.
“Because you’re not a detective. Stop trying to pick a fight with me.�
Under his steady gaze, her shoulders slumped. She was trying to pick a fight with him, but it felt better than doing nothing. He wasn’t wrong, but Janelle was her sister. Even though they didn’t always get along, she loved Janelle, and she couldn’t just stand by and let her go to jail. “You’re right,� she admitted finally. “I’m sorry.�
“Promise me that you’re not going to get involved.�
“I already promised you that.�
Andrew half-smiled and reached out to tuck a strand of Olivia’s hair behind her ear. “I know, but I feel like maybe you’ve forgotten, now that Janelle is in trouble.�
“I haven’t. That’s why I came to you with this problem. I could have just kept it to myself and acted on my own.� Olivia knew that she was pushing the envelope, but she didn’t want Andrew to think that he’d completely won. She wasn’t about to make that promise again.
Especially if she wasn’t able to keep it.
Rose Palmer never had this problem, but she also had a new lover in every book. Olivia was not jealous of that particular detail.
Taking another swig of the champagne, she tried to relax. It was that simple, right? Janelle was innocent. Everything would be fine.
Andrew wrapped an arm around her waist and gently pulled her down the street toward the bakery as they passed the bottle back and forth like a couple of teenagers. Janelle’s manager had locked up a few hours ago, but Olivia had a key to the back door. After all, Olivia was soon about to own fifty percent of the building. Why shouldn’t she have a key?
Just another thing for her to worry about.
“See if there are any muffins left over,� Olivia said as she headed to the office. “We’ll snag some since we skipped dinner.�
“And have Janelle come after me?� he muttered. “No, thank you.�
“Wimp,� Olivia teased as she handed him the champagne bottle. Turning on the lamp, she swiped the phone from the desk and paused, her hand hovering over the paperwork from the bank. She should just sign it and be done with it, but the devil on her shoulder was always louder than the angel.
“She should be more concerned about her innocence than the sale, anyway,� Olivia muttered as she snagged the papers and shoved them in her purse. If Janelle thought that she’d misplaced them, she’d have to get more copies from the bank, and that would give Olivia just a l
ittle more time to think. “I’m the worst.�
Andrew loosened his tie as he leaned against the doorjamb with a box in his hands and a guilty look on his face. “Are you sure she won’t get mad?�
“Oh, she’ll be furious—but we could always smash in a window and blame it on a robber,� Olivia said as she cracked the top open and peered inside. “Are those the lemon ones? They’re my favorite.�
Andrew closed the cover with a decisive gesture, nearly trapping Olivia’s fingers, tucked the box in one arm, put a firm hand on her back, and guided her toward the door. “We are not breaking a window, and I know the lemon ones are your favorite. Hopefully they’ll keep you busy so you don’t steal my apple pie muffins.�
Olivia gasped. “There were apple pie muffins left over? Those are my favorites, too!�
“If you’re nice to me tonight, maybe I’ll let you have one!�
“Let me have one?� Olivia said in mock indignation as she relocked the bakery. “It was my idea to steal them.�
“True, but I actually did the stealing. I’m taking all the risk here!� He handed her the champagne bottle and held a lemon muffin before her face. Sinking her teeth in, she giggled when crumbs fell down her chin.
Andrew pulled the muffin away and polished off the rest in two bites. He moaned in mock ecstasy. “Forget L’Amore. This is the perfect evening.�
“Champagne and baked goods? I could not agree more!�
He walked her back to her house. She rented, and it was almost more than she could afford, but she loved the small two-bedroom house. The neighborhood backed up to a small running trail and creek, and each house had its own charming personality. The brick house with its black roof and shutters wasn’t what caught her attention, but the bright blue front door had been its selling point. She kept the small front yard simple and manicured, but she let the back yard grow wild.
Climbing up the brick steps, he stopped her before she could unlock the door. “This night did not turn out the way that I wanted,� he whispered as he leaned in and kissed her. It curled her all the way to her toes, and she sighed. “But it was still perfect.�
“It doesn’t have to be over,� she whispered. “You could come in.�
Andrew grinned as he kissed her. “So tempting, but it’s a beautiful night, and we still have half a bottle of champagne to drink. Why don’t you grab Goodwin, and we’ll enjoy tonight for a little longer?�
“And then?� she asked, eyebrow raised.
“And then we’ll enjoy the rest of our evening inside,� he said with a laugh.
“Now that sounds like an excellent plan.� For a moment, she forgot all about Janelle and Yvette. He was right. It was a beautiful night. The stars were twinkling bright in the skies above, and there was a warm breeze. Kissing him one last time, she headed inside and leashed her monstrous mutt. “I haven’t forgotten about the shower curtain,� she said, eyeing him.
He jumped up and kissed her.
“Fine,� she grumbled. “I still love you.�
Leaving the muffins on the counter, she leashed Goodwin and rejoined Andrew. Goodwin kept his head to the ground and sniffed everything excitedly. She’d adopted him two years ago at a particularly low point in her life. Her previous boyfriend had left her, and her family simply couldn’t understand why yet another relationship hadn’t worked out. In retaliation, Olivia had decided to get herself a companion that wouldn’t judge her. She’d felt a connection with Goodwin the moment she’d met him, even though she’d had no idea about his background. The pet adoption agency had said that someone had brought him in from the streets. It was clear that he’d been loved before, but the owner had never been found. He’d always been a joyful dog, and for Olivia, he came into her life at the perfect time. She’d been between boyfriends and had sworn off men forever.
Until Goodwin found Andrew Patterson. The mangy mutt had broken free of his leash one day and ran straight to the gorgeous stranger walking down the street, even though he knew she’d sworn off men. She’d told him so, often enough.
One thing she could say about Andrew, he didn’t give up until he got what he wanted. It had taken him a good three months to finally convince her to go on a date with him. Since then, he’d steamrolled right over her trust issues and neurotic tendencies. He patiently held her hand while she broke up with him three times during the first month. He kissed her when she freaked out over still being with him after six months. He didn’t dump her when she refused to move in with him.
As he was the new blood in town, all the eligible women panted after him, but he only seemed to have eyes for her. She looked up and felt her heart flutter.
He flashed her an amused smile. “Are you feeling more relaxed?�
She could have melted against him, but Goodwin pulled on the leash, and she sighed. He was sniffing around a for-sale sign.
“That’s Franklin Kennedy’s home. Is he moving?�
“Huh. I guess so.�
“He’s selling the brownstone … Now he’s selling his house. What’s going on?â€�
Andrew shook his head. “I don’t know, but you’d think that if the man was moving, everyone would know about it.�
“Darla rents from him. So does Phillip Jackson. Yvette’s food truck belongs to him. Do you think he’s selling everything?�
“I don’t know, babe. Franklin and I don’t cross paths much. You can always ask when you sign the paperwork for the brownstone.�
Her gut clenched, and she swallowed hard. “Yeah. Sure.�
“For the record, I think it’s great that you’re finally getting an office for your business. It’s made me nervous that you’re so mobile. You rent rather than own. You work out of your home. I might wake up one day and fine you gone.� His tone was teasing, but Olivia could sense the grain of truth in his words, “This office means you’ll have roots.�
Roots. Right. That seemed to be the word of the week. “You’re hogging the champagne,� she said with a high-pitched laugh as she grabbed it. At this rate, she was going to develop an ulcer before she signed anything.
She drained the rest of the bottle and moaned as she handed it back to him. “I don’t suppose that you have another one of these hiding on your person somewhere.�
“You’re welcome to check,� he said in a husky voice. She didn’t know whether it was his tone or the champagne, but she was instantly warmed.
They walked out of the neighborhood and back to Main Street. As they strolled through the park, she paused for a moment to take in the scenery. The crescent moon hung low and could only be seen through a clearing in the trees. It was breathtaking.
She disposed of the champagne bottle in the trash can and turned around to take Andrew’s hand again. He was staring at the moon as he ran his hand over his pockets.
Oh, God. Was he searching for a ring? She’d ruined the dinner, but here they were, in a beautiful clearing in the park with a perfect view of the most gorgeous sky. If she were the type of woman who dreamed of a picturesque proposal, this would be it.
Except that she wasn’t the type of woman who dreamed of proposals. Or weddings. Or perfect men.
Her breath caught in her throat. What was wrong with her? She loved him. She loved the way his arms wrapped around her protectively at night. She loved the way he calmed her down when she grew anxious. She loved the way he always asked how her day was—and actually listened.
And he loved her. There
wasn’t a single doubt in her mind that he was the man for her. But marriage? Was she ready for that?
“Olivia,� he said softly.
As if the dog sensed her hesitation, Goodwin barked and broke away. “Seriously? I’m the worst dog walker ever,� she muttered, and took off after him. “Goodwin! You get back here!�
The dog bounded down the street, his leash trailing behind him. She raced after him. Andrew’s footsteps weren’t far behind.
The ridiculous mutt ignored all her commands and flew through the square until they reached the caution tape surrounding the food truck. Olivia drew up short when Goodwin ran under the tape and started nosing the ground on the other side.
“Olivia, you can’t go under there,� Andrew commanded.
“I know that,� she snapped, but she ducked under the tape anyway. “Goodwin, stay!�
Her dog was still nosing the ground when Olivia grabbed the leash. She was just about to pull the dog away when she realized what he was doing.
He was licking up crumbs. “Andrew, hold him for a second,� she said as she pulled Goodwin away and handed him the leash.
“What? Olivia, you’re going to get in trouble.�
“There’s something here,� she muttered as she ignored him. Pulling out her cellphone, she turned on the flashlight and studied the ground. “Crumbs. Andrew, these are the missing scones.�
“That’s great. We can call Nick after you get back on the right side of the tape.�
“Janelle was right. Yvette was selling stale baked goods. If the killer was eating fresh scones when he left, it wouldn’t have crumbled like this.�
“That’s not really helping Janelle’s case,� he pointed out tightly.
“When Janelle left the food truck this morning, she would have walked directly to her shop. She has no reason to walk in this direction. She doesn’t live that way. She doesn’t work over there. This could exonerate her!�
Barking up the Wrong Bakery (Happy Tails Dog Walking Mysteries Book 1) Page 4