Instead, she turned and kissed his cheek and said, “It sure is.”
They were quiet, watching Captain Jack attack scraps of paper, climb the shelves of the bookcase, and smack the fronds of the plant hanging in the corner of the room as if they had done something to offend him.
When Joe finished his third slice, he crumpled his napkin and tossed it onto the box. Mel finished her third as well, except she had to dump the crust. She just couldn’t finish it.
A sharp rap sounded on her office door but before Mel could call out a greeting the door swung open. Her mother, Joyce Cooper, stuck her head in and her face lit up at the sight of them.
“Melanie,” she said. “And dear Joe.” Joe had been “dear Joe” to her mother from the moment they had started dating and remained so even during their brief breakup. Mel wasn’t sure, but sometimes she suspected her mother loved Joe more than her.
“Hi, Mom,” Mel said. She started to scoot off of Joe’s lap, but her mother held up her hands in a stop gesture.
“Don’t move on my account,” she said. “I just came by because my friend Ginny said that she heard from Monica Wexel, who was talking to Abby Dresden at the art gallery, that you were making the cupcakes for Elise Penworthy’s book signing tomorrow night at the Orange Blossom Resort, but I said that couldn’t possibly be true because you would have told me, because you know that I know most of the people who were written about in that book, and surely, you’d want me to know.
“I mean, Elise Penworthy is said to have dragged her ex-husband and his hot young wife through the proverbial wringer in that book, of which I would love to get a copy. Not only that, but she goes on to destroy everyone in her neighborhood who took her husband’s side in the divorce, which because of his wealth and influence was just about everyone.”
“Uh.” Mel stalled. She wasn’t sure what to say and she was a bit worried that her mother had run out of oxygen and was about to pass out. She didn’t. Pity.
“Mel just got the job a few hours ago,” Joe said. “In fact, I’m sure she was about to tell me that she was going to call you after her dinner break and share the news.”
“Really?” Joyce clasped her hands in front of her chest and gave him an Aw look.
Truly, if Joyce’s eyeballs could shoot hearts out of them like an emoji, Mel was pretty sure Joe would be covered right now. While she was thrilled that her mother liked Joe, she couldn’t help but notice that her mother was so besotted she didn’t really hear what Joe said sometimes. As in, he told her he was sure Mel was about to tell him she was going to call her mother, not that she actually was going to call her.
What a conniver! She hadn’t been about to do any such thing. Then again, it did keep her mother from thinking she was out of the loop. Joyce hated that.
“I’m sure it was one of the top fifty things I was about to do,” Mel said. “Maybe even top twenty-five.”
Joyce frowned at her.
“I’m kidding,” Mel said. “I would have called you. Promise.”
She hopped off of Joe’s lap and circled the desk and hugged her mom. The blue-green hazel eyes so like her own had faded over the years and were now more blue than green. Mel thought about all her mother had been through, losing her husband, managing two children who were barely adults on her own, and it was small wonder the worry line in between her eyebrows was so deep. It looked deeper today.
“You heard about Blaise, didn’t you?” Mel asked.
“Are you all right?” Joyce asked. It was unspoken acknowledgment that she was really here for that reason but didn’t want to say it.
“I will be,” Mel said.
“And Angie and Tate?” Joyce asked. “It had to be an awful shock to lose their friend.”
“It was,” Mel said. “Tate went with Uncle Stan to tell Blaise’s mother. He didn’t go into it with me, but I gathered from Angie it was one of the hardest things he’d ever done.”
Joyce nodded. “Are they here? I’d like to say hello.”
“You mean check on them?” Mel asked.
“Yes, but with more subtlety than that,” Joyce admitted.
Mel smiled. “You’re such a good mom.”
To her surprise, Joyce blushed.
“They’re in the kitchen with the brothers,” Joe said. “I’ll walk you in so they don’t think you’re a robber and try to tackle you or pelt you with cupcakes.”
“Thank you, dear Joe,” Joyce said.
Mel and Joe exchanged a look and she gave him a small shake of her head. Because Joyce was a worrier, Mel did not want anyone to tell her that Stan suspected someone was out to sabotage Tate and Angie’s wedding by killing off their vendors. Joyce would worry herself sick about it, so just like Joe’s and Tate’s parents, she was to be kept ignorant of the possibility.
Mel scooped up Captain Jack and snuggled him close. His soft white fur soothed her and when she looked at him with his black patch of fur over one eye, she couldn’t help but smile. He batted her nose and she put him down so he could continue his shenanigans. The boy did have a pirate’s soul.
Back in the kitchen, Mel scrubbed up with the detail of a surgeon before continuing the baking. For the tops of the champagne cupcakes, she had gathered a variety of decorations. She wanted champagne buttercream on top with different sized balls to make it look like the frosting was actually bubbles. If her idea proved out, it was going to be incredibly festive-looking and even the high-maintenance Elise Penworthy would approve.
She glanced at the table
