Frosted With Revenge

by Catherine Bruns

  "They're not that bad," I protested.

  "Please tell me that our kids won't be like this, or I might have to arrange for a vasectomy tomorrow," he said.

  Dylan and Robbie were sitting on the floor in front of the television with Spike situated between the two of them. They had taken one of my lipsticks and colored in the white patches on his fur. They'd even written Hi Aunt Sally on his back.

  "Oh no!" I gasped. "That was very naughty!" I picked up Spike, who licked my face in what appeared to be relief. Children were a new thing for Spike. He was quite a docile little dog because of his advanced age, and I felt confident he'd be fine when Mike and I had our own children. Like Mike, though, he hadn't quite been prepared for the antics of Josie's little darlings.

  "I like Spike," Dylan giggled. "Mommy won't let us have a dog."

  Gee, it was difficult to imagine why. I struggled to keep the irritation out of my voice. "You two need to go brush your teeth as soon as Danny comes out of the bathroom. Then I want you to go into the spare bedroom and lie down on the bed."

  "You mean with Uncle Mike?" Robbie said hopefully.

  "No!" I was afraid Mike might jump out of the window if they went near him again. "I mean the bedroom across the hall from ours. You're both going to sleep in there. It's a big bed, and you'll be nice and comfy."

  Dylan started crying again. "I don't want to sleep with him. He wets the bed."

  "No! Do not!" Robbie argued.

  "You do too!"

  My patience was wearing thin, and I pointed in the direction of the bathroom again. "Let's go this minute, or I'll tell your father how naughty you've been for me and Uncle Mike."

  Danny came out of the bathroom at that moment. "It won't matter," he said casually. "Dad tells us to stop all the time, and then he forgets about it."

  I sucked in some air. It was annoying that a ten-year-old child knew exactly what he could get away with. He was testing me—they all were—except for the baby. I placed my hands on my hips, squared my shoulders, and leaned down so my face was level with theirs. Three sets of eyes stared back at me—four blue like Josie's and two brown like Rob's—and waited expectantly for me to say something.

  "Well then, I'm going to tell your mother."

  That did the trick. Robbie and Dylan went meekly into the bathroom to brush their teeth without saying another word. Danny laid down on the couch and immediately fell asleep. Sure, Josie had mentioned before that Rob was a wonderful father but not much of a disciplinarian. That part was left up to their mother, who was tough as nails. She'd grown up in a large family of siblings and had learned to take care of herself from an early age on.

  I set Spike in the kitchen sink and filled it with a few of inches of lukewarm water while I took a soft cloth and dog shampoo to clean up his fur. Tears fell off my face into his bathwater as I thought about my best friend. I sent a small prayer of thanks up to God that she was going to be all right. I couldn't imagine my life without her. So many people needed her, especially her children.

  I rinsed Spike off with the spray hose and then toweled him dry. He seemed happy to be rid of my offensive lipstick and trotted outside to the backyard through the doggie door to do his private business.

  I was so tired that I couldn't see straight. I finished cleaning up the kitchen and then checked on all the kids one last time. It was almost midnight, but they were finally asleep. As I stood watching them peacefully slumbering, I promised myself that this maniac—who was obsessed with ending my life—would not get away with it.

  Panic seized me again. Even when Mike and I were on our honeymoon, what if this nut continued to terrorize my family and friends? It was entirely possible. What if they hurt someone else and used it as a method to get me to return to town? No. I could run away, but I'd never be rid of this person. They had to be stopped, and I was prepared to do it—no matter what it took.

  I switched off the lights and went into our bedroom, shutting and locking the door behind me. The baby was sleeping peacefully in the crib. He looked like a tiny angel in his blue pajamas. I went into the bathroom to wash my face and brush my teeth then threw on a yellow satin nightgown that Mike had always liked. It wasn't revealing, in case the kids woke up in the middle of the night. Feeling suddenly amorous, I ran a finger down the side of his face and kissed him lightly on the lips.

  Mike was lying on his back, wearing a pair of plaid, blue boxer shorts and nothing else, his arm thrown across his eyes. The ice pack was sitting on the nightstand. His nose was bruised and noticeably swollen. Despite the wound, he was still so breathtakingly handsome. I kissed him passionately and then ran my hands seductively down his smooth, muscular chest. He made a moaning sound low in his throat.

  I smiled to myself. Yes, I could always count on him to be receptive when it came to romance.

  "Guess what?" I said softly. "Everyone's asleep. You know what that means."

  He opened one eye and turned his head slowly to look at me. "Sal, I never thought I'd say this, but not tonight, baby. I've got a major headache."

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  The ringing of my cell phone woke me at seven o'clock. As my hand fumbled across the nightstand in an effort to grab it, I heard children's voices coming from the kitchen and smelled bacon frying. Mike must be feeding the kids breakfast.

  A longing swept over me then, so sharp and pressing against my heart that it was almost painful. I wanted children so much that it hurt at times. Everyone had different goals in life. My greatest one had always been to be a mother. It hadn't happened during my first marriage. To Colin's credit, he had warned me from the beginning that he never wanted children, but I had been certain that he would change his mind over time. That was my way of not being able to face reality. Fortunately Mike was eager to be a father too. At first I had been worried he might be put off by the idea because of his own horrible childhood, but he claimed he wanted them as much as I did.

  Just not Josie's kids though.

  I sighed into the phone as the wailing started from the kitchen. "Hello?"

  "Hey, Sal, it's Rob. Sorry to call so early."

  I sat upright in bed. "No problem. How's Josie?"

  "She's fine," he said. "Actually, she's sitting next to me and wants to talk to you."

  I'd only seen Josie for a fleeting minute last night at the hospital, right before Mike and I had left. She'd been sleeping, and I hadn't wanted to disturb her, so I'd only kissed her on the forehead and squeezed her hand. Raw emotion swept over me when I heard her voice.

  "Hey, partner." She sounded tired. "Are you coming to see me today?"

  I wiped at my eyes. "Jos, I'm so sorry about—"

  "Stop it," she said quietly. "I won't let you do this, Sal. You are not to blame."

  Tears were running down my cheeks as I struggled to compose myself.

  She sighed on the other end. "I know you're crying. Knock it off or I'm really going to be pissed."

  I choked back a sob and tried to turn it into a laugh. "Okay, you win."

  She sniffed. "I always do. Rob's coming by your house in a little while to get the kids. I was hoping you might stop and see me this morning, but I know you have to get to the shop."

  I blew my nose with a tissue. "Forget about the shop. You're more important."

  She was silent for a moment. "The doctor said I can't go back to work for a few days. Sal, maybe I could come in for a few hours each day to at least—"

  This time I cut her off. "No, I won't hear of it. You need to rest. I'll close the shop down until I get back from my honeymoon."

  "How did the kids behave for you?" Josie asked suddenly.

  It was fortunate that she couldn't see my face at that moment. "They were as good as gold."

  She snickered on the other end. "Man, you are such a liar."

  At that moment a loud crash came from the vicinity of the kitchen. I put my hand over the receiver, jumped out of bed, and opened the door. Spike ran past me, jumped onto the bed, and buried his head
underneath the comforter. His small body was shaking.

  Dylan was crying. "Robbie made me spill it!"

  "Did not!"

  Mike stuck his head out of the kitchen, saw me standing in the hallway, and waved me off. "All under control. Go grab a shower while I hold down disaster central in here, baby."

  I decided not to argue with him, but it was probably a good idea to hurry up and get dressed before they managed to knock Mike out cold this time.

  "Sal?" Josie called. "Are you still there?"

  After our experience with the kids last night, Josie was my new superhero. "Like I said, they were little angels."

  Josie sniffed. "I can't wait to see them, but they'll be scared if they know I'm in the hospital, so I asked Rob not to bring them here. When I go home tomorrow, I'll tell them I had a little accident. You didn't say anything to them about the shooting, did you?"

  I grabbed a towel out of the linen closet in the bathroom. "Of course not. I wouldn't do that without asking you first."

  "Thanks, Sal," she said, her voice shaky. "For everything."

  For everything? For what in particular—getting her shot and almost killed? I was afraid the waterworks were going to start again, and then she'd be sore at me. "Okay, let me jump in the shower, and then I'll be over. Do you need anything?"

  "Don't rush. Visiting hours aren't for another hour. And yeah, I want breakfast. A real honest-to-goodness breakfast, not this junk they're feeding me here. Something fattening, greasy, and unhealthy."

  I wrinkled my nose at the phone. "Is that allowed?"

  "I say it's allowed because I'm starving!"

  It was so good to hear her sarcastic mouth again. "Say no more. I know just what you need."

  * * *

  About an hour and a half later, I was placing a bacon, egg, and cheese biscuit, hash browns, and an apple pie on my best friend's bed tray.

  Josie quickly unwrapped the biscuit and took a large bite, closed her eyes, and moaned. "You're an absolute angel."

  I sat in the chair next to the bed. "How are you feeling?"

  She shrugged. "I won't lie. It hurts like hell. And I'm going to need physical therapy too. But it could have been a lot worse." She took another bite of the biscuit.

  Fortunately Josie was in a private room. There was an IV pole located next to me and what I guessed might be a heart monitor on the opposite side. She shifted in the bed as if trying to get more comfortable, and I could see the bandage covering her shoulder through the thin hospital gown.

  I said nothing, but my face must have betrayed me when my lower lip started to tremble violently.

  Josie rolled her eyes at me. "I told you to knock it off, Sal."

  In desperation, I blinked back tears as my voice hit a high octave. "No, I won't knock it off. I'm upset and angry that this happened to you. Someone mistook you for me and tried to kill you because of it. This is personal for me."

  She looked at me like I had two heads. "Of course it's personal. Someone wants you dead."

  I shivered visibly as she leaned her head back against the pillows, frustrated with herself. "I'm sorry. That sounds so cold."

  "But you're right." I took a sip from my McDonald's coffee cup. "And I refuse to live like this anymore."

  She cocked an eyebrow at me. "What are you talking about?"

  I wrapped my hands around the cup for warmth. "I have a plan. I'm going to set a trap for the killer."

  Josie's face went pale underneath her freckles. "What sort of plan?"

  "I'm not sure yet," I confessed. "But this person visits my father's blog. I think I'm going to stop over at my parents' and leave a message for them, courtesy of Father Death himself. Maybe I'll see if I can lure them to the bakery tonight."

  I thought Josie would be excited by the news. She was always up for a new adventure and had constantly been my sidekick in investigations before. She compressed her lips tightly together, and the expression in her eyes was not one of anticipation but of cold, dark dread. "Don't do it, Sal. Please."

  "You can't say anything to Mike," I told her. "He'd freak."

  "Of course he would," she snapped. "He loves you. You're getting married in two days for crying out loud." She bit into her lower lip. "What the hell are you thinking?"

  I was beginning to wonder if I should have even told her. "This isn't just about me anymore. I don't know when this psychopath will strike again or who could be the next victim."

  She grabbed my arm. "Don't go by yourself. Promise me."

  "Ralph will be with me all day." I didn't tell her but had already decided that I'd have to lose him somehow. The killer knew Ralph had been hired to protect me, so I felt confident they wouldn't make a move while he was around. This would be risky, but I didn't think I had a choice.

  "Sal," Josie whispered. "Please be careful."

  "You worry too much," I teased, quoting the line she always used on me. "I have to get to the bakery to finish the order for the Owens' birthday party tonight. I'll put a sign up saying that we'll be closed tomorrow and through next week, until I return from my honeymoon."

  If we returned from our honeymoon, that is. I didn't want to mention Mike's insistence that we would relocate if my stalker had not been caught by then. Sure, Mike could run his business from anywhere, but what would I do? Plus I didn't want to leave my family and friends.

  Josie cleared her throat. "It's awful nice of you to want to give me the time off, Sal, but I'll come in for at least part of the day. I—we really need the money. And I won't be out long enough to be able to get disability."

  I hadn't even thought about that aspect and was suddenly ashamed of myself. "I don't want you to worry about money. Consider this a paid vacation—well, sort of a vacation anyway."

  Now it was Josie's turn to cry. "You can't do that. It's too much money for you to shell out, plus being closed down for a week. I won't let you."

  "Look," I said. "You've worked for me for a year and never taken any time off, with the exception of the three days when we went to Florida last January which I wouldn't call a vacation since we were there for a contest. I received the insurance payment on the old building the other day, and there's a little money to spare. I want to do this for you, so please don't argue with me, okay?"

  She looked away from me and wiped at her eyes. "Okay, fine, but I don't know how to thank you."

  I squeezed her hand. "You don't have to thank me."

  Josie observed me thoughtfully. "What's going on with the wedding? I still want to be a part of it."

  I sighed. "To be honest I don't have any idea. Mike will be finished with his last job today. We have an appointment for city hall on Saturday, but he doesn't want us to wait. Mike thinks we should be married tomorrow so we can throw the killer off. He switched the plane tickets out already, and I believe my mother canceled the country club reception." At least I hoped so. My parents' house was the next stop on my list.

  I tried to laugh it off. "We'll be married. I just don't know where or when."

  "But I want to be there," Josie whined, her voice reminding me of Dylan's.

  My heart was heavy. "I want you there more than anything, but I'm not sure if it's going to be possible. With the new flight, there are a few hours layover in Vegas. We might do it there."

  She twisted her napkin in her hands. "This sucks, Sal. To have the most special day of your life ruined by some whack job. No one deserves to be happier more than you and Mike."

  "We will be." Of course I wanted Josie and my family at the ceremony, but Mike was adamant about us getting out of town as soon as possible.

  "I'm getting discharged tomorrow," Josie announced. "I wanted to leave today, but the doctor gave me a hard time about it."

  "You're not ready to go home yet," I protested. With those four kids? I was exhausted just thinking about her trying to cope with a gunshot wound and her four highly energetic children.

  "You don't have to worry about the kids tonight," she added, and I worried for a mom
ent that she'd read my mind. "My mother's going to watch them. If there's any way at all possible, I have to be there when you guys say your vows. Stick with city hall if you need to. All I ask is that I be there."

  I didn't say the words out loud, but my greatest concern right now was if I would be there too.

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  "Hello?" I called from the foyer. "Anyone home?"

  "In the kitchen, bella donna," my father answered.

  I walked through the living room and entered the large, sunny yellow kitchen with Ralph two paces behind me. My father was seated at the table, chowing down on a piece—or maybe it was three—of Grandma Rosa's sumptuous zucchini bread. My mouth watered. Grandma added chocolate chips to her version, and the effect was delicious. The bread had a rich soft texture and tasted even better than cake. I snitched a small piece off the plate on the counter.

  My father looked up at me and then nodded to Ralph. "Is this the guy Mike hired to watch your back because he's too busy to do it himself?"

  I wanted to pound my head against a wall. "Dad, please. Mike's been working around the clock to finish the jobs he's contracted for."

  My father liked Mike well enough, or at least I assumed he did most of the time. Still, he was an old-school Italian who didn't think there would ever be a man good enough for me or Gianna. I think Johnny might have been winning the potential son-in-law contest, though. After all, he was Italian, while Mike was of Irish descent. That alone earned my sister's beau several stars in my father's book.

  "Sir," Ralph extended his hand to my father. "Ralph Chang, R.C. Investigations. A pleasure to meet you. Mr. Donovan is not trained in security like I am. He wanted your daughter to have the best, and that would be me."

  My father scraped his plate with his fork and snorted. "You're modest, too. Want some zucchini bread?"

  Ralph shook his head. "No thank you." He turned to me. "I'll have a quick look around the house, and then I'll be out in the driveway, whenever you're ready to go."