Maybe that was because Andrew made her a better woman.
And now, she needed his help.
His plans for tonight were about to change, and he was not going to be happy about it.
Knowing that Janelle had the night off so she and Patrick could have date night, Olivia waited for Andrew at Happy Endings. Sneaking a quick look into the kitchen to make sure that Janelle’s manager wasn’t looking, she snagged a cookie and hurried back to her table.
There were two different places where the residents of Lexingburg dealt with bad days at work. They went to End Game for a drink or they came to Happy Endings for a sugar high. Based on the line that ran out the open door, today had not been a great day for most of the residents.
“Too bad you can’t get wine and sugar here,� Olivia mused. Maybe she’d recommend that Janelle look into expanding.
“Olivia!�
“Crap,� she whispered and hastily shoved the rest of the cookie in her mouth. What was her sister doing here? Olivia could really only deal with one issue in her life at a time.
Janelle flashed her a brilliant, peppy smile as she hurried over to the table. “Were we supposed to meet here tonight?�
“No,� Olivia muttered through the mouthful of cookie. She swallowed. “No, we weren’t. What are you doing here? You’re supposed to have dinner with Patrick.�
“And I will be, in an hour. I just need to check on the ingredients for tomorrow’s delivery orders. Are you stealing my cookies?�
Looking around guiltily, Olivia shrugged. “You were out of scones. You really need to make more scones. Can’t you keep some in stock just for me? I’m family.�
Janelle rolled her eyes. “Stay away from my cookies and my scones, and while you’re here, you can sign the paperwork for the bank loan. I’ve managed to push our meeting until next Monday.�
“I meant to tell you that I took the paperwork home, and Goodwin drooled all over it,� Olivia lied. “And chewed on it. Sorry.�
Her sister didn’t look worried. “How many times have I told you that you need to take that dog to obedience classes? It’s fine. I made several copies of all the paperwork. Let me check those ingredients, and I’ll grab you another folder.�
“You made copies? That’s so efficient of you,� Olivia choked out. “I’m going to need another cookie.�
“What was that?�
“Nothing. You look gorgeous! I love that necklace.�
Janelle’s hand went to the strands of rose gold around her neck. “Patrick bought this for me last month! His tastes are evolving. I swear, not six months ago he would have bought me some huge, gaudy hoop earrings. When is Andrew taking you back out?�
Confused by the abrupt change in subject, Olivia blinked. “What?�
“I know that your dinner the other night at L’Amore didn’t work out. When is he taking you out again?�
“Wait a minute, he talked to you about my dinner?� Olivia leaned back and crossed her arms. “You seem to talk quite a bit.�
“Olivia, don’t be so suspicious. Berkeley was the hostess that night. She told me that you showed up in yoga pants. Yoga pants, Olivia. It’s like you go out of your way to embarrass me. Why didn’t you take the green dress?�
It was so hard to keep secrets in a small town. “Things just didn’t work out well for me that night. When I was on the way to get the dress, I realized how late I was, so I just skipped a step. He wasn’t mad, and Berkeley should learn to keep her mouth shut. She was practically spilling out of her dress and has no room to be talking about my inappropriate outfit!�
“So you admit that it was inappropriate?� she smirked.
“Why exactly do you care again?�
Janelle ignored the question. “You are dating a saint. I’m going to get the paperwork. You need to make this up to him, Olivia. He set up a wonderful night for you, and you ruined it.�
Guilt washed over her as Janelle left. Her sister didn’t know the worst of it. She’d practically spilled beer on the man trying to avoid him and had slept on the couch last night. She really did need to make it up to Andrew in the worst kind of way. Of course, after she asked for the favor she needed from him tonight, he might possibly break up with her.
Leaving her table, she walked around the line and snagged a couple more cookies. The girl at the counter shot her an amused look, and Olivia bought her silence by boxing up a few orders for the guests in line.
“Olivia! My God, are you okay!�
Whirling around, she saw Andrew pushing through the crowd with a frantic look on his face.
“Yeah, I’m fine. Are you okay?�
He stared at her. “Of course I’m not okay. You texted me SOS! I thought you were in an accident. I thought you were hurt!�
“Oh, Andrew,� she whispered. She was clearly approaching this all wrong. Hurrying around the counter, she pulled him away from the line and into the corner. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t realize that you’d think it was an emergency. I mean, it is an emergency, but I’m not hurt.�
“SOS means emergency. What the hell is going on, Olivia?�
Wanting to get him out of the bakery before Janelle returned with the paperwork, she pushed him out onto the sidewalk. “I need your help. Your computer skills.�
Outside, he turned around and gaped at her. “You texted me SOS because your computer isn’t working? Olivia, I think I just lost ten years of my life!�
“And I’m so sorry about that. I promise that I’ll make it up to you, but we don’t have a lot of time. My computer is fine, but I need some information. Franklin Kennedy is leaving for Florida tonight, and I’m afraid that he killed Yvette and is going to get away with it. I spoke to him …â€�
“You spoke to Franklin Kennedy? Damn it, Olivia, you promised me that you would stay away from this case! This isn’t something that you play with! Someone murdered Yvette! Do you understand that?� He grabbed her by the shoulders and shook her.
“I do understand that, but Nick is stretched so thin, Andrew, and Yvette doesn’t have anyone to rally for her. She doesn’t have any friends or family in the area.�
“Sweetheart, the last person who loved Yvette was left standing at the altar—alone.�
“And we still don’t know why,� Olivia said as she searched his face. “Yvette was a private person. We have no idea what was going on in her head, but she was still a member of this town. Someone in this town killed her, and I don’t want her murderer to go free. Are you mad at me?� It would be a refreshing change, but she kept that thought to herself, her eyes earnestly locked with his.
His features softened, and he leaned over and kissed her on the forehead. “You’re going to make it up to me?�
She should have been relieved, but she only felt coldness spread through her. How could Andrew be so complacent? Taking a deep breath, she plastered a fake smile on her face. She couldn’t let her relationship issues get in the way of finding a killer. “A picnic in the park. With cupcakes. Janelle’s cupcakes, because you know that I’m a horrible baker.�
“Throw in a bottle of wine, and you have yourself a deal.� He grinned.
A picnic in the park with wine? It was perfect. Romantic and perfect, but she wasn’t about to back out of it now. “Sure,� she said softly. “A bottle of wine.�
He hooked his arm around her waist and walked with her. “So tell me what you need.�<
br />
“We know that Yvette was suing him, and it was keeping him from buying the condos in Florida. He told me that he sold the business to Jacob, but I think that he sold the business after Yvette’s death. I think he was going to sell it before, and Yvette sued him for breach of contract. If she thought that he was pushing her out of his business, she would have fought like hell, and if he was in breach of their contract, she would have won the lawsuit. I need to know the details and when he sold the company.�
“Okay,� he said as he hugged her tight. “That’s not going to be easy without their social security numbers.�
“Well …â€� Olivia deliberately avoided his gaze.
Andrew stopped and stared at her. “You have Yvette’s social security number. Why does that not surprise me?�
“I didn’t do it on purpose. I just went to the sheriff’s station to talk to Nick, and I may have seen some paperwork on the desk and committed Yvette’s social security number to memory.�
“You are a terrifying woman,� he muttered, but she could see the hint of a smile on his face.
She felt a little more in control of the situation as they walked home. Andrew would help her.
Opening a couple of beers, she handed one to Andrew and paced while he hunched over her computer. Too nervous to drink it, she instead tapped her nails nervously against the glass while she waited. Occasionally he looked up and watched her, but she couldn’t stop. The very idea that Franklin Kennedy was a killer turned her stomach.
Half an hour later, Andrew looked up from the computer and leaned back in his chair. “I’m sorry, babe, but I don’t think Franklin Kennedy is a killer.�
Immediately, her hope deflated. “What do you mean? Why?�
“Yvette dropped the lawsuit. She was suing Franklin because he wanted to sell the food truck business in the middle of her rental contract, but when he sold it to Jacob, Jacob resigned a new contract with Yvette. A three-year contract, which I’m sure made Yvette very happy.�
Olivia slumped against the wall. “I was so sure that it was Franklin.�
Lifting an eyebrow, Andrew shook his head. “Really? Franklin loves this town. And even though the lawsuit was holding up his new project, it wouldn’t have broken him.�
“Franklin is fleeing the town that he loves,� she pointed out.
“Franklin probably bought those tickets weeks ago, Olivia. Whoever murdered Yvette didn’t plan to kill her. They didn’t bring a gun or a knife. Whatever happened was spur of the moment.�
A crime of passion. That made so much sense. Even Andrew was better at solving crimes than she was. Sighing, Olivia walked over and sank down on Andrew’s lap. He immediately put his arm around her and nuzzled her neck. “Are you trying to make me feel better?� she whispered.
“There may be a killer running around this town, and I know you want to be a champion for Yvette, but I have a problem with you throwing yourself into this case.�
“But …â€� she protested.
“If you have something that might help Nick investigate, then by all means, help him. But he’s the law, Olivia. He’s trained to handle situations like this, and you’re not. What if Franklin was the killer? What do you think would have happened when you questioned him alone today?�
“You’re worried,� she murmured. “I thought you were trying to tell me that there was nothing to worry about.�
“Do I think there’s going to be a second killing? No, but that doesn’t mean that the killer won’t do whatever is necessary to protect themselves. Olivia, I can’t lose you.�
“You’re not going to.�
He was silent for a moment as he rested his chin on her head and slowly slid his fingers up and down her arms. Finally, he sighed. “Is there something that you want to tell me, sweetheart?�
Startled, she turned and gazed at him. “What do you mean?�
Reaching out, he swept a strand of hair out of her face and tucked it behind her ear. “I can tell that there’s something on your mind, Olivia. Something that’s been bothering you all week.�
“It’s just this thing with Yvette and this thing with Janelle.�
“Are you having second thoughts about buying the brownstone? I thought you wanted an office.�
Burying her face in his neck, she swallowed hard and lied. “I’m not having second thoughts about anything, Andrew. Everything is just fine.�
“I know you, Olivia, and I know that everything is not fine. If you’re not ready to tell me, I understand, but you can’t lie to me, and more importantly, you can’t keep lying to yourself.�
Close to tears, she didn’t move as she struggled to get her emotions under control. She could count on one hand the number of times Andrew had seen her cry, and it was usually because of her anger rather than sadness or frustration. This was a problem that she couldn’t share with him.
He was right about one thing, though.
Everything wasn’t fine.
10
Rose glared at the detective. “I’m not impeding your investigation. It says right here that your warrant only covers the inside of the house. I’m just searching the shed.�
“That’s breaking and entering,� he growled.
“I have permission,� she gloated sassily. “I don’t think that Karen killed that man, and I’m going to prove it.�
“I thought you were looking for a necklace.�
“Well, now I’m doing both. Karen is my link to the necklace, and someone’s trying to make sure that I don’t have access to her. So you do your thing, but I’m going to clear her name, and I’m going to find my necklace. You, detective, need to stay out of my way.�
The handsome man’s face darkened when he spun on his heels and walked away. Rose took a moment to admire the way he fit in those pants. If he weren’t such an arrogant dick, she might figure out a way to weasel into his arms for a night or two.
“But James is waiting so patiently for you,� Olivia protested. “When are you going to realize that he’s worth the effort?�
She’d just dropped off her morning dogs and kicked back on the couch to grab a couple more chapters before lunch. She didn’t have to walk any dogs until after two, and then she had her out-of-towners tonight. All in all, it was a light day.
It didn’t bother her. Next week she had three dogs that would need medicine, and one dog that needed some water therapy. That always paid extra.
Just before Rose Palmer could get down to searching the shed, Olivia’s phone rang. With a sigh, she checked it and saw that Andrew was calling. He’d done his best to take her mind off Yvette last night, and it’d worked. She’d actually managed to sleep peacefully in his arms, and she’d been in a fantastic mood this morning. It was time to forget this whole mess with Yvette. She’d given it her best shot, and it just hadn’t worked out well.
“Hello, lover boy,� she answered with a gleeful smile.
Andrew groaned. “Is Delilah there?� he asked with some trepidation in his voice.
“No, I’m just teasing you. How’s your morning going?�
“Busy, but I’ve been trying to get some things done so I can take a long lunch. Your schedule is clear until mid-afternoon, right?�
“It sure is!�
“Well, it’s gorgeous out, and you owe me a picnic.�
“Now? I just promised that to you yesterday.�
“And I am here to collect. You aren’t going to welch on our deal, are you? I happen to remember that you were more than satisfied last night.�
Her toes curled at the memory. Despite everything happening, she could always count on the chemistry she had with Andrew. “Are you alluding to your computer skills or that other thing we did last night?�
“My computer skills, of course,� he said, widening his eyes with a gasp. “What else would I be talking about?�
Chuckling, she stretched and sat up. “All right. A lunch picnic in the park? I think I could swing that. What kind of sandwiches do you want?�
“I’ve already got everything taken care of. Meet me in an hour? And leave Goodwin at home.�
“Goodwin loves picnics!� Olivia protested. Plus, she might need to use the dog as a distraction if things started to feel a little too romantic.
“Well, I’d like to be able to actually eat my lunch without worrying about whether or not he’s going to steal it,� Andrew pointed out.
He had a point. Goodwin wasn’t a beggar. He was a master thief. He looked for vulnerability, and he used that to his advantage. Take your eye off a sandwich for a single moment, and it was gone.
“His feelings are going to be hurt, but I’ll try to make him understand.�
“You can always ask about that when you meet with Celeste on Thursday.�
Olivia groaned. “How did you hear about that?�
“I have my ways,� he said mysteriously. “I’ve already cleared my schedule because that’s something I’m not going to miss.�
“Do you want this picnic or not?� she demanded.
“No welching. I’ll see you soon, darling.� He hung up before she could squeeze more information out of him. Her bets were on Jackie or Janelle spilling the beans, but it was always possible that someone else had told him. Lady Celeste’s antics were always a great source of amusement, and the whole town knew about it.
Barking up the Wrong Bakery (Happy Tails Dog Walking Mysteries Book 1) Page 9