“You’re going to be fine,” Joyce said and patted Lupe’s arm. “You are by far the favorite after your amazing performance last night.”
“I know, but now it’s all on the gown and the cupcake,” Lupe said. She fretted her lip between her teeth.
“Which one was yours?” Mel asked. She was praying it wasn’t the one with the Pixy Stix.
“The white chocolate macadamia nut one,” Lupe said.
“Oh, I liked that one,” Mel said. “It’s right there, see?”
She pointed to a section of white cupcakes on the tower.
“It’s my favorite cookie, so I figured it would make a good cupcake,” Lupe said. “Then, of course, I panicked because not everyone likes white chocolate. I mean, what if the judges hate it?”
“They won’t,” Joyce said. “Look at it. Mel, you really outdid yourself.”
Mel puffed up a bit at her mother’s praise. Over the past three months she’d really missed Joyce’s unwavering belief in her. It felt really good to have it back.
“Thanks, Mom,” she said.
They watched as the judges were served the cupcakes. Tension mounted each time a contestant recognized her cupcake when the recipe was read out loud to the room.
“I don’t know if I can stand this,” Lupe said when her cupcakes were brought forward.
Each judge tasted the cupcakes and then wrote their scores on a sheet that was not shared with the crowd. Cici would tally the score sheets at the end and announce the winner then.
“Oh, look, the male judge is taking a second bite of yours,” Joyce whispered to Lupe. “He hasn’t done that with any of the others. I bet it’s because he likes yours the most.”
“Or he hates it, and he just wants to be sure how much,” Lupe whispered back.
“No, Mom’s right,” Mel said. “No one takes a second bite of a cupcake they hate.” Lupe gave her a hopeful look and Mel added, “Trust me. This, I know.”
They watched and waited as the judges worked their way through the remaining cupcakes. Mel noted when Destiny’s cupcake came up because her mother, who was standing at the other side of the gathered crowd, stood on her toes and craned her neck to study the reaction of the judges. Destiny stood beside her mother, looking bored and texting on her phone.
By the time all of the cupcakes had been evaluated, the judges looked a bit sickly. Mel noted that Anka was pale and sweaty. Mel figured either the energy drink or the lemon-lime soda cupcake had done her in. She felt her own throat contract at the thought of having to eat either.
Cici stood off to the side. Two of her assistants were tabulating the scores. There was some frantic whispering. Cici shook her head. They went back to the score sheets. There was more whispering and Cici shook her head again.
“Something’s wrong,” Joyce said. “It shouldn’t be taking them this long.”
“I bet there’s a tie,” Ginny Lobo said as she wiggled her way through the crowd to join them. “That always happens and then no one knows what to do.”
“Why not just declare it a tie?” Mel asked.
“They like clear-cut winners,” Ginny said. “No gray areas. Otherwise, people get upset.”
Sure enough, while they watched, Cici called the judges over. She had them review their score sheets. The judges seemed satisfied with the way they had evaluated the cupcakes.
“What is taking so long?” Brittany Richards shouted.
Some of the other parents in the crowd grumbled as well. Cici spun around and gave Brittany a quelling glance. Brittany tipped up her chin in defiance. Mel was surprised. She had thought Brittany would be more of a suck-up on her daughter’s behalf, but maybe that was just to people like Ji, who could get her daughter a modeling contract.
Cici crossed over to the microphone. “We’re having one final review. Thank you for your patience.”
The crowd all glanced in Brittany’s direction, as it was quite obvious from Cici’s laserlike stare that the last bit was for her. Brittany glowered at Cici, but if the other woman noticed, she didn’t show it.
Finally, after Mel was pretty sure her nerves were stretched to the breaking point, Cici came back to the microphone.
She looked the epitome of a former beauty queen with her large blond hair perfectly coifed and dressed in a chic sea-foam green chemise with a matching jacket.
She leaned into the microphone and the room grew quiet. Mel could hear her heartbeat in her ears and her breath rasp in and out of her nose. She glanced at Lupe and noted that she was looking at Oz, who was giving her an encouraging nod in return.
“The third runner-up in our cupcake competition is Sarah Hendricks,” Cici announced. “For her peanut-butter-and-banana-flavored cupcake.”
Polite applause broke out and Mel glanced over her shoulder to see the mean-looking redhead, standing in the corner. She tipped her chin up and it looked as if she tried to smile, but then she spun and faced the wall, dissolving into silent sobs.
Mel had no doubt she had been hoping to win and raise her rank in the competition. Mel hadn’t baked those cupcakes, so at least the mean girl couldn’t come after her. She was pretty sure Olivia could take her.
“Our second runner-up is Kelly Lester, with her coconut cupcake with lime frosting,” Cici said.
This time the applause was louder and a pretty brunette beamed at the crowd and waved. Mel glanced over at the cupcake tower and Angie gave her a thumbs-up. The coconut-lime had been one of theirs.
Cici waited for the noise to die down. She glanced across the crowd as if looking for someone. Mel felt as if a swarm of butterflies had been let loose in her belly. Oh, she wanted this so much for Lupe, and yeah, she wanted to be the one to have baked the winning cupcake just to shut Olivia up.
“And the winner of the cupcake portion of the Sweet Tiara Beauty Pageant is . . .” Cici paused and Mel suspected it wasn’t solely for dramatic effect. “Ladies and gentlemen, we have a tie.”
An outraged murmur rumbled through the crowd.
“I know it is unusual, but since this is the first time cupcakes have been a part of the competition and the judges went over their scores and could not find any reason to alter their votes, we will uphold the tie.”
There was more muttering until Cici held up her hands for silence.
“Our winners are Destiny Richards for her chocolate cupcake with espresso frosting and Lupe Guzman for her macadamia nut cupcake with white chocolate icing.”
Joyce and Ginny grabbed Lupe and hugged her close while Mel sagged a bit at the knees with relief. Joyce was crying and she reached out and pulled Mel into their group hug while Lupe’s family swarmed forward and joined in the melee. Lupe looked happy and relieved and Mel noticed that her gaze strayed up to Oz, who looked as if he was about to burst with pride.
“Hug him later,” Mel whispered to Lupe. The young woman met her gaze and nodded.
Mel glanced over at Destiny and saw that the young woman was smiling and waving at the crowd while her mother had cornered the reporter and was yammering his ear off. There was no sign of her father. Mel wondered if a tied score would make Olivia’s free eye tuck null and void.
A glance over at the cupcake tower and Mel saw Olivia and Angie exchanging words. Angie’s dark brown eyes looked like they were going to spit sparks. Mel pushed through the crowd to run interference. The last thing they needed was Angie to get into another cupcake-throwing debacle with Olivia.
Mel dashed up to the tower just in time to hear Angie say, “Congratulations to you, too.”
She and Olivia shook hands, briefly. Okay, it was more a brushing of fingertips than a handshake, but Mel was impressed with both of them.
“Well done, Pr . . . er, Mel,” Olivia said.
Mel smiled. “You were about to call me Princess, weren’t you?”
Olivia heaved a big sigh. “Being nice
is too stressful. I’m going back to my bakery now. I think I need to eat a Dutch chocolate brownie smothered in caramel sauce with whipped cream and pecans to get my sanity back.”
“I hear you. I’m thinking of mainlining some frosting myself,” Mel said.
Olivia’s lips twitched, but she turned her face away before Mel saw her smile.
“Olivia, forgive me, I know it’s none of my business,” Mel said. “But do you think your deal with Brandon Richards will hold since we tied?”
Olivia looked chagrined. “Yeah, I was talking to that cub reporter from the Arizona Republic and you’ll never guess what he told me about Richards.”
Mel waited but Olivia didn’t continue, so she waved her hands and said, “Yes?”
“What? You’re not even going to guess?” Olivia looked disappointed. “Fine. I was pointing out notable people in the crowd to the reporter and when I pointed out the good doctor, the reporter’s eyes lit up. Turns out Dr. Richards is under investigation.”
“Oh, really?” Mel asked.
“Yes, come to find out he had to voluntarily suspend his practice, because he was found in the pharmacy of his medical building helping himself to some of the goods.”
“When was this?” Mel asked.
“Several months ago,” Olivia said. “He’s got a trial coming up, he’s under review by the Arizona Medical Board, and he’s got a string of lawsuits from patients who say he took money for follow-up appointments that of course he couldn’t keep since he’s suspended. I’m telling you, I wouldn’t let that man near me if my jowls could be used to store nuts for the winter.”
“I think that’s a wise decision,” Mel said.
“Besides, Marty was not thrilled with the idea, he says he likes me just the way I am,” she said. The smile she gave them at the mention of Marty’s name took twenty years off of her and a little dimple appeared in her cheek.
“Marty’s right,” Angie said. “You’re fine just the way you are.”
Olivia and Mel looked at her in surprise.
“Thanks,” Olivia said uncertainly. She left them with a small wave.
Mel turned to Angie. “That was uncharacteristically civil of you.”
“I thought so,” Angie said. She looked quite pleased with herself.
“Do you think Uncle Stan knows about Richards?” Angie asked.
“I’m sure he does,” Mel said. “But I don’t see how it’s relevant. Richards had nothing to gain by Mariel’s death, especially if he was planning to swap nips and tucks for high scores.”
“I suppose,” Angie said.
“How are you holding up, Oz?” Mel asked as he joined them.
“I want to throw up,” he said. “How can people stand this pressure cooker? I don’t know how I’m going to get through the next couple of hours. I may stroke out before the gown portion even starts.”
Mel smiled. “Just be there for Lupe and you’ll be fine.”
He nodded. “I’m going to keep an eye on her until this thing is over. I’m still worried that someone was trying to hit her with that brick.”
“Good idea,” Mel said. “Emotions are going to be running very high, I imagine.”
Mel watched as Oz joined Lupe and her family. She and Angie were left to hand out the remaining cupcakes to the spectators. She tried not to be annoyed that Olivia had ducked out without helping. Truthfully, it was for the best, but Mel was feeling more than a little tired of this whole pageant situation. The brick through her window last night had finished her.
Mel’s cell phone rang and she checked the window. It was a text from Tate. He and Marty had arrived with the cupcakes for the final event. They had all agreed to close the bakery early so that everyone could watch Lupe in her gown strut her stuff.
“Come on,” Mel said to Angie. “Tate’s here with our last batch of pageant cupcakes.”
“Hallelujah,” Angie said. She fell into step beside Mel as they left the lobby to meet Tate and Marty on the loading dock. The four of them carted cupcakes into the lobby for the final cupcake tower.
Mel had sent Uncle Stan a text that she wanted to talk to him, but she hadn’t heard back yet. She knew he was busy with the case, but she really wanted to talk to him about Brandon Richards and his offers of free surgery to benefit his daughter and, yeah, to feel out whether he was looking at Oz or not.
Mel fussed over each cupcake on the tower. Of all the cupcakes she had made for the pageant, these were far and away her favorites. She hated to admit it, but in pastel hues with tiny tiaras perched in the frosting, they were so cute they made her teeth hurt even as she felt the need to say, “Aw.”
As she arranged the sparkly cupcakes so that the tiny tiaras perched on top of them faced out and caught the overhead lights just right, she wondered how Lupe was doing.
Tonight was it. The finalists would walk the catwalk and answer a few questions from Cici, and then the judges would decide who was crowned Miss Sweet Tiara for the next year.
Mel was surprised to find that her palms were sweating. Gah! She was so nervous.
“Would you look at that?” Angie asked.
Mel glanced up and saw Lupe, walking toward them, with Oz at her side.
Lupe twirled in her ivory dress with the black velvet embroidery. Her long hair swept down her back and her makeup accentuated her beautiful eyes and lips.
“We found a small tear on the hem,” Lupe said. “But your mom managed to fix it. She’s a wonder.”
“That she is,” Mel agreed. “You look amazing.”
“Hooee, ‘amazing’ isn’t word enough!” Marty clapped his hands to his bald head as he goggled at the beautiful young woman before them. “And to think I thought you were a guy for the first six months of our acquaintanceship.”
“Marty, I don’t know how to tell you this,” Lupe said in a low voice. “But I’m really a dude.”
Marty stared at her for a second and then she winked at him.
“I love this girl,” he said to Oz. “If you mess it up, I swear I’ll take you out and whup you.”
“I won’t,” Oz said. His face was red but he looked at Lupe, and Mel could see his heart in his eyes when he said, “Assuming there is an ‘it’ and by that I mean an ‘us’ to mess up?”
Lupe looked at him, mirroring his expression of love and affection, and said, “Why, Oscar Ruiz, are you officially asking me out?”
Oz toed the ground with the rubber bumper of his Converse sneaker then squeezed her hands, blew out a breath, and said, “Yes, I am. So, will you—go out with me?”
Lupe stepped closer to him and lightly kissed his lips before she stepped back. “Yes.”
They stood grinning at each other and then Mel heard a big, snotty snuffle come from the direction of Angie and Tate. She glanced over and saw that Angie had her face buried in Tate’s shirtfront and he was holding her close, his chin resting on her hair.
His eyes were suspiciously watery when he said, “Good for you, Oz. I wish I’d been that smart at your age.”
Angie stepped back and they stared into each other’s eyes for a moment before Tate kissed her.
“Oh, for Pete’s sake,” Marty said. “You’re not as smart as him now.”
Tate and Angie broke apart and looked at him. Tate looked like he was about to protest but Marty held up a hand.
“What?” Marty asked. “You know it’s true. Quit trying to prove yourself, grab the girl, and be freaking happy. It’s not brain surgery.”
Tate stared at Marty as if he’d just been hit in the head with a two-by-four. “You’re right.”
He glanced around him as if looking for something and then he reached over and grabbed a tiny tiara off one of the cupcakes. Then he knelt in front of Angie.
Mel felt all of the blood rush to her head and she grabbed Marty’s arm to steady herself. He put his
hand over hers and squeezed her fingers back, letting Mel know he was as stunned as she was.
Angie stood frozen, as if afraid to move, while Lupe and Oz watched with huge, matching grins.
“Angie, I love that you punch first and ask questions later, I love that you enjoy pizza dipped in ranch dressing, I love that you think it’s reasonable to have an intervention over a relationship. Angie, I love you.”
Angie looked at him with wide eyes. Then he grinned as he glanced up at her and said, “‘When you realize you want to spend the rest of your life with somebody, you want the rest of your life to start as soon as possible.’ Angie, will you marry me?”
Thirty-two
Angie opened her mouth to answer but no words came out. Instead, she nodded while the tears coursed down her cheeks. Then she dropped into Tate’s arms, almost knocking him over with the ferocity of her hug.
“When Harry Met Sally!” Angie cried. “I can’t believe you quoted my favorite relationship movie ever!”
Their image was blurry and Mel realized she was sobbing. She glanced at Marty and saw that his cheeks were wet as well.
They watched while Tate slid the mini tiara onto Angie’s ring finger.
“Someday this will be . . .” Tate began, but Angie interrupted him with a kiss.
“It’s perfect, absolutely perfect,” she said.
With a strength that surprised her, Marty turned and scooped Mel up, swinging her up in the air before setting her back on her feet.
“Now that’s what I’m talking about!” Marty said.
He hurried over to Tate and slapped him on the back and then hoisted Angie up and twirled her in the air as well.
Mel pulled Tate to his feet and kissed his cheek. “I’m so proud of you.”
Then she turned and grabbed Angie. They squealed together and jumped up and down. Angie looked happier than Mel had ever seen her. and she felt her throat get tight again with emotion.
“You’re getting married,” Mel said.
Angie looked at her and beamed but then her face fell. “Oh, Mel, I’m sorry. This must be—”
Sugar and Iced (Cupcake Bakery Mystery) Page 20