“She’s . . . scared,” he said. “She’s built that business up from nothing and now she stands to lose it all. She’s definitely scared and a little angry.”
Mel couldn’t help but notice an admiring note in Steve’s voice that she’d never heard before.
“You like her,” she said.
“And I’m hanging up now,” Steve said.
“Oh my god, you really like her,” she said.
“How do you figure that?” he asked. “What could I possibly have said that played into your whatever it is that’s going on in your head?”
“Does she know?”
Thump. Thump. Thump.
“Did you hear that nose?” he asked. “That was me, banging my head on my desk.”
“Well, that’s an extreme reaction,” she said. She was trying very hard not to laugh. “A simple, ‘Why, yes, Mel, I do like her very much’ would have sufficed.”
“You’re out of control,” he said. “Just because you’re all engaged to DeLaura and everyone around you is getting married does not mean the rest of the planet is pairing off, too.”
“If you say so,” Mel said. “But I’m telling you, your tone of voice gave it away.”
“Ugh,” he groaned. “So maybe I like her a little. I mean, I’m a defense attorney; most of my clients are guilty as hell and it’s all I can do to get them a reduced sentence. In my line of work, it’s rare to have a client that you just know is innocent.”
“Oh, you know it, huh?” Mel asked.
“Okay, I’m officially hanging up now,” he said. “Anything you want me to pass along to Cassie?”
“Tell her not to worry, and use your big-time lawyer voice to make it sound sincere,” Mel said.
“Will do,” he said. “So, tell me the truth. Did you have even one twinge of ‘Oh, hey, I should really have given Steve a chance’ during this embarrassing conversation?”
Mel laughed. “I’m sorry, no. You know I’ve always belonged to Joe.”
“And the hits keep coming,” he said. But he didn’t sound upset, more resigned. “Hey, Mel, I’m happy for you.”
“Thanks,” she said. “I’m happy, too.”
Steve ended the call and Mel glanced down at the sparkly diamond on her finger. She’d been so consumed with Tate and Angie’s wedding that she hadn’t given much thought to her own wedding to Joe. Maybe it was time to get moving on that.
“Mel, there you are!” The back door to the bakery slammed open and there stood Ray.
“Are you looking for me or your favorite Chocolate Peanut Butter Cupcake?” Mel asked.
“You, but if you have a cupcake to throw at me, I won’t say no,” he said. Ray strode into the bakery in his usual black leather jacket and jeans.
Mel marveled at how he looked like he really belonged on the Jersey shore and yet he had spent most of his life in Scottsdale, Arizona, a town known more for golf than goodfellas.
Mel moved to the cooler and plated two of Ray’s favorites. There was still coffee in the pot that was hot, so she poured him a cup of coffee, too.
“All right,” she said. She put the cupcakes in front of him at the table. “What do you have to tell me?”
“I heard from a very reliable source that there is video of Elise Penworthy’s ex threatening her right before the book came out,” he said.
“Seriously?” Mel asked. “That would be huge. Who has the video?”
“That’s the problem,” Ray said. He paused to take a bite out of one of the cupcakes. He was still chewing as he explained, “Word is the second wife has it and she’s holding it over husband dearest as leverage in their marriage.”
“Huh, so the Child Bride is no fool,” Mel said. “I bet he’d do anything to keep that video from surfacing.”
“I’m thinking you need to have a chat with wife number two,” Ray said.
“Oh, sure, how am I supposed to make that happen?”
Ray polished off the last of the cupcake and took a sip of coffee. “My same source told me she’s taking tennis lessons at her country club.” He paused to look at his phone. “In a half hour.”
Mel narrowed her eyes at him. “Why are you telling me this and not Uncle Stan or Detective Martinez?”
“Do you really think either of them is going to listen to me?” he asked.
“No,” she said.
Ray held his hands wide in a gesture that indicated there was her answer.
“My source also said that she suspects there is something going on between Child Bride and her tennis pro.”
Mel’s eyebrows rose. “That’s some source you have.”
Ray gave her a grin. “It’s the tennis pro’s wife.”
“Okay, hold up,” Mel said. “How do you know the tennis pro’s wife?”
“We went to school together,” he said. “She’s a nice girl. She also asked me to get the money shot on her husband and the Child Bride so she can file for divorce and take him to the cleaners. Full disclosure, the money shot is worth five hundred smackers.”
“Oh my god, so you have a whole other agenda going?”
Ray shrugged. “I can’t get into the club, but you can.”
“How do you figure?” Mel asked.
“You look the part,” Ray said.
“Meaning what?”
“You’re all tall and blond,” Ray said. “Total country club material, plus I had my friend put you on the roster. You’ll be able to scoot right in and ask questions.”
“You’re crazy,” Mel said. “The rehearsal for the wedding is in three hours. How am I supposed to get to the country club and then back to the church in time?”
“I’ll drive you,” he said.
Mel glanced down at her hot pink apron over her jeans and white T-shirt. “Not really dr—”
Ray held up a garment bag that had a lady’s tennis outfit in it.
“You’ve really thought of everything, haven’t you?” she asked.
“Oh, yeah?” a shout sounded from the kitchen’s swinging door. “Well, you snore!”
Marty burst into the kitchen looking pink in the face and irritated.
“Problem?” Mel asked.
“Oz is the worst roommate ever,” Marty said. “And I say that as someone who lived with Olivia Puckett, the
