Bootscootin' and Cozy Cash Mysteries Boxed Set (Books 1-6)

by Scott, D. D.

Jules laughed out loud at the bad karma queens’ take on Men in Black. And she had to give them credit. They were scarier than Tommy Lee Jones and Will Smith could ever be.

  Even covered by heavy layers of bandages and face wraps, Jacques’ eyes opened wide with horror.

  “Suck it up, Loser. And brush up on your macrobiotics. I’ve read in my gossip rags, and my Cousin Lucy from Santa Monica confirmed, that all the most miserable celebrity chefs out there have that latest trend to master. I hear it’s hell finding the ingredients.” Grams caressed Jacques’ bandaged ears then traced the outline of his chin with her bony, overworked and arthritic fingers.

  “Oh yeah. One other thing, Ass Wipe. The witch my Cousin Lucy hooked you up with cares more about her staff’s looks than their talent so I hope that face of yours heals well.”

  Jules swore she saw Jacques shudder.

  Revenge was soooo not in her Buddhist upbringing. But damn was it sweet!

  She’d do the extra meditation to work through the unexpected joy of rocking Jacques’ egomaniac world. And she knew without a doubt that The Mom Squad, once they’d had their share of liquid courage, would be on yoga mats right next to her.

  • • •

  With Jacques now out of commission and studying macrobiotics, Jules rallied the people who’d been her family since she was a little girl along with those that had now joined that family too.

  With their ensemble of talents and unconditional support and love, Jules could be back on Cruz Control to success.

  She wanted this wedding to go down in Nashville’s ‘best of’ celebrity wedding books and magazines. To accomplish that ideal, Sweet Destiny needed the benefit of the big mouths and big egos she was about to feed.

  Everything about the events had to perfectly fit the theme of lovin’ and loungin’.

  From the flowers, to the iced pink wedding cake, coordinating cupcakes, parting gifts, plush seating and coffee tables, chandeliers and crystal. Every creative detail centered on a sexy, seductive celebration, based on a vibe of love and the comfort love brings.

  Ironically, Jules’ job was to forge a fantastical affair in the Cruz’ family compound surrounding a theme these people knew nothing about.

  But for the first time in her life, Jules did. Love and family weren’t all about loss. Loss was never having experienced that kind of unconditional love.

  Growing up without her parents, she’d struggled to find whether or not her journey to happiness was paved with treasures or nothing but dead ends.

  Sometimes the solace of hiding in the dark shadows of her past, making excuses based on her misery, had seemed like the best path. It certainly was the path of least risk. But it was also a path destined for nothing but additional pain.

  If she was afraid to go for the gusto, she’d be shutting herself off from the love still left in the world and ready for her to explore.

  By accepting that life is transitory, Jules had eased her grip on it. And when she wasn’t desperately clinging to love, she was free to care for it and relax into its nourishing ways.

  Nothing seemed to last forever, making her deepen her appreciation for the happiness she had now.

  She no longer pinned her hopes on what may or may not happen in her future. It was the here and now she reveled in.

  And right here — right now — she had a helluva lot of love in her corner of the world.

  She was a lucky girl. But she’d only found that kind of love because she’d given her heart first, putting it out there, taking the huge risk it might be stomped on.

  She looked at the group of people filling two of the bakery’s largest tables, each seat taken by a person she was proud to include in her inner circle.

  “Okay, Honey. We’re all here for you. Give us our assignments and we’ll get to work,” Tulip said, sinking her teeth into a huge, ball-shaped cookie decorated like a Christmas ornament.

  With the rest of The Mom Squad flanking Tulip, Jules couldn’t help but think how much her mother would have fit into the feisty, free-spirits residing in those five women.

  “Lily and I can’t wait to get started on putting the tables together for you,” Kat McDonald said, flaring out the collar on her crisp white blouse to showcase Roxy’s latest necklace. “It will give us great practice for Roxy and Zayne’s special day. If Lily and I ever get ‘em shoved off the dance floor and down the aisle.”

  Lily laughed and slid her arm around her daughter’s shoulder. “Roxy may be a bootscootin’ fool but she’s got wedding bells in her future too. I feel it. And so does my psychic.”

  Roxy shook her head and sipped the hot tea that Jules had laced with plenty of sugar and honey to sweeten her up. “Well, Mom, if your psychic says so, I’m sure that’s all Zayne needs to hear. Right, Baby?”

  That got the boys good and whooped up. Zayne sat in the middle of Damian and Cody, hugging his arms in an attempt to ward off the play punches his best friends were hurtling.

  “Whatever you say, Dear,” Zayne said to the whoops and jeers of his well-meaning peers.

  “Pay close attention, Sweet Man,” Jules popped off, unable to let the opportunity escape Cody’s attention. “Zayne’s a smart man.”

  “Yes, he is,” Roxy said, getting up from her chair and wrapping herself around her bootscootin’ cowboy, laying a big one on Zayne’s cheek.

  Zayne’s face turned as red as the cranberries in the bread he was devouring. He turned and locked lips with Roxy, earning him more knuckle shots from Damian and Cody.

  Audrey looked at Damian, her pretty blue eyes saying something only he understood, Jules thought.

  Their relationship was proving most interesting. Although neither one of them seemed to want to admit something was going on, there was a connection simmering in unobstructed view for anyone who knew them.

  “Audrey,” Jules said, meeting her sweetest friend’s eyes.

  The blush coloring Audrey’s face signified Jules had caught her wistful dreams.

  “You and Damian will head up the set-up crew and keep our staff in check and operating efficiently. Sound good?”

  “Yeah. We can do that. Damian’s an ace keeping people moving. And I’m great at telling him how to do it,” Audrey said, her sweet as honey bun voice oozing orneriness.

  “And that you do, Sweet Pea. I’m not sure I even remember how to think for myself anymore,” Damian said, then laughed, his strong as a steer upper torso moving with his robust chuckle.

  “That would be assuming you ever did,” Cody pitched in, slapping the back of Damian’s head.

  “Then no wonder you’re best friends,” Grams said, earning Cody’s silent bewilderment and Damian and Zayne’s hoots and hollers.

  “Who asked your opinion, Grams?” Cody asked, covering his chest with his hands, massaging out the imaginary pain stabbing his heart, feigning he’d taken a mortal wound. “That hurt, Grams.”

  “Actually I do need your opinion and expertise, Grams,” Jules flipped her notebook to the long list she had ready for Grams to tackle. “Could you and Midge be in charge of getting out all the food and keeping it flowing throughout the events?”

  “That’s perfect for us, dear,” Midge answered for both of them, putting her arm around Grams. “We’re a great team.”

  “Yes we are,” Grams said, putting her hand on top of Midge’s and squeezing tight ‘til her knuckles turned from a barely-there-pink to a white peach blush. “We’re great at keeping customers happy despite what the hell’s happening in our kitchen.”

  “Well there’s no need to worry about what’s going on in the kitchen. Jules and I will have that under control and operating smoothly. Won’t we, JuJuBee?”

  Cody came to Jules’ side and pulled her close, tugging at the strings of her skullcap, just like he commandeered the forces in her heart.

  “You betchya, Sweet Man,” she said, kissing his nose, letting his support soothe her doubts that they could pull this off, hitches and all.

  “Okay, lovebirds. What am
I supposed to be doing?” Roxy said, tapping her French-manicured nails against her water glass.

  Jules took a deep breath, dreading dumping this job on Roxy. But she was the best qualified.

  “Oh, shit. Don’t do the deep breathing thing. I’ve known you way too long not to know that means bad things,” Roxy said, bouncing one purple suede boot out from under the table, disturbing the tablecloth’s fringed border.

  “Well, Jacques was the wedding planner. So as such, he would be the one in charge of seeing to it that all of the wedding party’s style needs were met.” Jules’ hands jittered as she turned over the last page of her notes.

  She tore off the sheet she’d jotted down for Roxy with everything she’d need to know about Sienna, her sisters and her parents as well as the rest of the wedding party and guests.

  “Oh my God. You want me to dress and wait on that bitch and her posse?” Roxy asked, her mouth open wide, not the least bit demurred by the other people in the room.

  “Man I’m feelin’ for you, Sister,” Grams threw out there to everyone’s amusement except Roxy.

  “Grams, that’s enough,” Cody said, earning him a look from Jules meant to convey ‘what the hell are you sticking up for Sienna for’.

  Judging by the ‘What? What did do? But whatever, I’ll hush-up’ look he returned, evidently Jules had achieved her intended effect and silenced his well-meaning, but misguided assistance.

  “At least someone cares about the hell I’m going to be going through,” Roxy said, raising her water glass to Grams, who returned the toast with her coffee cup held high.

  “C’mon, Rox,” Jules said, not above getting on her knees to beg for her oldest friend’s acquiescence. “You know none of the rest of us can pull off that part of the plan.”

  “That’s beside the point. And you know it. Wow, Jules. You’re asking an awful lot.”

  Roxy looked at The Mom Squad then Zayne. To Jules’ relief, none of whom appeared to have much sympathy for her assignment.

  “Fine. But I’m going to remember this one. I’m by far taking the biggest one for the team here. You all owe me big time,” she said, kicking her boot out with a bit too much gusto and nailing Audrey’s shin.

  “Ouch! Shit. Watch what you’re doing with those things. Damn. I’m always getting the tip of your boots wedged someplace. And I never do anything to deserve it.” Audrey rubbed her shin.

  “Sorry, Audie. I’ll try to be more careful.” Roxy took a turn rubbing out the gigantic red spot on Audrey’s leg.

  “I know where you could stick those boots.” Grams raised her eyebrows and smiled, the space between her small white teeth making her look even funnier.

  “I love the way you think, Grams,” Roxy said.

  “I guess that just leaves me. Where do I fit into the master plan?”

  At the sound of Cody’s dad’s voice, Jules’ corner of the world hit pause.

  If there was ever a time in Jules’ life - other than when she’d been told of her parents’ death - when it felt like the world simply stopped moving, held captive by a moment, this was it.

  Midge couldn’t have gotten up any quicker from her chair. “Billy.”

  She went to him and hugged him as if she were afraid to let go.

  As all eyes watched Bill collapse into his wife’s arms, the room maintained its silence.

  Bill closed his eyes and buried himself into Midge’s welcoming embrace as if he too never wanted her to let go.

  Jules looked at Grams whose tears streamed toward the napkin she ferociously attempted to use to cover up her bliss-fed agitation.

  Turning to Cody, Jules took his hands in hers and, with a nod of her head, nudged him to go to his dad.

  Evidently reading her body language and hopefully finding courage to draw from it, Cody went for him.

  “I could sure use help with the barbecue,” Cody said, reaching out his hand to take his dad’s, only to be pulled into the embrace shared by his parents.

  “Consider it done, son,” Bill said, resting his head on the top of Cody’s.

  With his family once again in his arms, the tension Jules had first seen in Cody’s body relaxed.

  “Well, let me in on the action,” Grams said, shuffling over to join her family. “Welcome home, son. I’m proud of you.”

  Jules looked around the bakery, taking in all she’d made and achieved since coming to Nashville. She was proud too. Not so much of the material wealth and possessions she’d accumulated but of the family she’d let love her and be loved by her.

  No event or events on her catering calendar were as important as the success and fulfillment she’d found from letting these people into her life.

  She’d been so full of it when she’d said she didn’t need anybody. The kind of love she’d found - pure, true and unconditional - would carry her through anything, keeping her strong and independent.

  And damn would she need that strength to conquer Cruz and Company.

  Chapter Seventeen

  The rehearsal dinner was finally winding down.

  As the departing guests chirped and buzzed about what they’d seen and heard throughout the evening, Cody eavesdropped.

  Sweet Destiny’s ascent to Nashville’s latest premier dessert house and catering service was confirmed. Jules was Music City’s newly crowned, Go-To Event Queen.

  Cody’s chest warmed with pride.

  He’d worked hard alongside her creating culinary event magic not just for Cruz Control but for Jules’ future. Who was he kidding — he’d also done it for their future.

  After instructing his barbecue pit clean-up crew, Cody found Jules, shoes off, sitting at the edge of the Cruz’s grotto-like pool.

  While she soaked her feet in the Mediterranean blue and lush-green oasis, Cody basked in the joy she brought to the deepest part of his core. Like the glow bathing her feet from the heat of the pool lights, Cody’s soul radiated a satisfaction he’d never known.

  The beauty of being Jules Tulip Lichtenstien would never be lost on him. There was so much more to her than unmatched talent.

  Her allure wasn’t just physical, although tonight she’d outdone even her own elegant but edgy style. She pushed the boundaries not only in her work but in appearance too. And Cody loved that about her.

  Her plum dress made the bronze-brown of her tanned skin shimmer amidst the thousands of candles blanketing the pool-side venue. Her silver stilettos dangerously dangled over the water on the tips of her slender fingers.

  Cody could only imagine slipping those Cinderella shoes on her gorgeous feet. He’d be her prince any day of the week. He’d be honored to be her happily-ever-after.

  The crystals covering her dress danced in the late night starlight, outlining her seductive curves. A crucial sheath of fabric, anchored to one of her perfectly rounded shoulders, covered her deliciously voluptuous breasts hidden underneath.

  What Cody wouldn’t give to be that piece of material.

  With her hair pulled up and large diamond drops dripping from her earlobes, she’d made every head turn in the crowd. Something that fed Cody with pride as well as a jealous twinge he couldn’t quite block.

  Being with her filled him with a rebellious boast of “oh yeah, Fellas, she’s mine”.

  At the same time, though, he loathed other men looking at her at all. Just thinking of them salivating over her natural good-looks made Cody’s spine tingle.

  No matter what she said to convince him otherwise or how confident he was in their relationship, he’d never understand what Jules saw in him.

  She could have any man in the room. Why would she settle for him?

  What if she someday grew tired of him?

  Or like Sienna, would her chance to continue climbing the success ladder relegate him an unworthy step holding her back?

  His insecurities were pathetic and completely base-less, he knew, but they had a strong hold.

  But not stronger than Jules’ sweet, contagious smile. Her smile was his sun
shine.

  Seeing it shaping the beautiful curves of her lips brought him out of his unjustifiable worries.

  Knowing the relief and happiness forming her smile were meant only for him, he walked toward her.

  Following the light warming his soul, he held himself taller. Moving toward her, knowing she was waiting for him only, made him determined to move all mountains blocking her happiness.

  Sienna, on the other hand, had never made him feel that protective. That confident and assured of his convictions. That understood and worthy. That loved.

  He bent down, placing one arm around Jules’ back and shoulder, the other grazing her knee cap. He lightly caressed her skin and whispered into her ear, “You’re beautiful, Jules. I’m the luckiest man in the world tonight.”

  “Just tonight?” She tilted her head, an ornery grin turning up the sweet corners of her perfect lips.

  Her forehead wrinkled between her brows, asking the kind of question reminding Cody she meant forever and needed to know he did too.

  “No way, JuJuBee. Not just tonight. Forever, Babycakes. I told you you’re stuck with me. Sooner or later, though, you’ll get tired of me hanging around.”

  Taking off his outrageously uncomfortable loafers then his dress socks, he rolled-up his pants and sat next to her, then dangled his dreams, alongside hers, in the pool water circling their feet.

  At least he could remain partially hidden and a tad comfortable underneath the brim of his Stetson. No occasion — especially not this circus - warranted leaving at home the safe haven of his hat.

  Cody would never understand how people enjoyed the pretentiousness of dressed-to-the-hilt nights like the Cruz’s reveled in. But it was part of the big city life Jules came from, and with her business now flourishing, it’s where she’d need to be from time-to-time. He’d just have to make the necessary adjustments. And he was more than willing to make changes because Jules did the same for him.

  Growing up in Manhattan, there was no way she could have ever been exposed to the down-home, simpleton pleasures of his family’s diner and lifestyle.

  But she handled the experience with grace and a loving-kind sincerity he’d come to love most and respect about her.