“And I can see why.” Carlita watched as “Santa” placed his index finger on his cheek and then tapped Noel’s button nose.
“Miss Noel, what special Christmas balloon would you like Santa to make for you?”
“Rudolph.” Noel clapped her hands.
“Rudolph, it is.”
“Santa” was a pro at producing a respectable Rudolph, complete with shiny black antlers and a fiery-red nose.
Gracie chose a snowman, which came complete with a black top hat and a blue scarf wrapped around his neck. A black and white penguin with red feet and a striped red and white scarf was PJ’s balloon art.
Last, but not least, was Violet. She stood next to Santa, patiently waiting for him to present her with a mischievous elf. It was Carlita’s favorite with his pointed ears, a green and white body and finished off with a pair of black elf shoes.
“They’re having so much fun,” Carlita said. “What a wonderful treat.”
Pete and Carlita’s eyes met, and a flush of warmth filled her. “The look of joy on your face at being with your family and me being a part of it is all the thanks I need, lass.”
He lowered his head and kissed her tenderly. Carlita smiled through the kiss as the band slowed the tempo.
Pete chuckled as he took a step back and gave Cool Bones a thumbs up.
“…and I want a puppy for Christmas,” PJ told Santa. “I’m gonna name him Jellybean.”
“Jellybean,” Gunner squawked.
“That bird is so funny.” Gracie giggled. “He likes to talk.”
“Likes to talk,” Gunner echoed. “Watch out for the pirates. They’ll steal your booty.”
“Gunner.” Carlita drew near to the birdcage and parrot who was sporting a Santa hat. “You’re looking festive this evening.”
“Gunner is handsome.”
“You’re right, Gunner is handsome.”
“Watch out for the pirates.”
“He’s been looking forward to the party all day, haven’t you, Gunner?” Pete placed both hands behind his back. “Sing your new song for Carlita. The one you just learned.”
“Song.” Gunner began to sing. “Yo ho, Yo ho. Gunner is a rat a tat tat tat.” He went from singing to making his favorite noise.
“We’re still working on it,” Pete laughed. “Unfortunately, he’s easily distracted.”
The couple made their rounds, chatting with Annie Dowton, a local real estate agent and Carlita’s neighbor. Pete was in the process of selling his ranch home on the outskirts of town. He had recently confided in Carlita that the house was too much to keep up and that he spent most of his time in town managing his restaurant and the pirate ship, leaving little time for anything else.
She secretly suspected he also wanted to be closer to her, and she was thrilled. Over the last few weeks, since their first “official” date when he hired Sam Ivey to take them on a private tour of Savannah, they had begun meeting for breakfast on a weekly basis, followed by quiet evenings at home.
Carlita relied on him not only for advice about her restaurant, Ravello’s Italian Eatery, but her other businesses, the pawn shop and apartment rentals, as well.
In turn, he had asked for her input on decorating his recently renovated apartment above his popular restaurant, the Parrot House.
A foghorn echoed across Merry Bay. “That’s my signal. We’re about to start the boat parade.” Pete excused himself to take command of his ship and set sail while Carlita joined her daughter.
Carlita surveyed the crowd, searching for the troublesome Roxy Ciccone and found her standing in the corner, sunglasses firmly in place.
Mercedes leaned in. “Do you see Roxy?”
“Yeah.”
“She’s been standing there staring at me for the last ten minutes. What’s up with the sunglasses? It’s almost dark.”
“Who knows.”
Sam wandered over. “Hello, Carlita.”
“Hi, Sam. I’m glad you could join us.”
“Thanks. I’m glad I could make it too.” He handed Mercedes a glass of punch. “I’ve never been part of a boat parade. This is pretty slick. I told Pete I would be happy to spread the word to my tour groups.”
“That would be nice.” Carlita absentmindedly stared at Roxy, wondering what was going on behind the sunglasses.
Sam followed her gaze. “She’s an odd duck. I heard her and Luigi arguing a few minutes ago. I get the impression they aren’t fans of one another.”
Elvira and Dernice approached the railing, passing by Roxy. Dernice tripped and lost her balance. The cup she was holding flew out of her hand, splashing the front of Roxy’s blouse with bright red liquid.
Roxy jumped back. “Watch where you’re going,” she growled.
“You tripped me.” Dernice’s eyes narrowed. “Maybe if you took off those stupid sunglasses, you would be able to see what’s going on around you.”
Roxy lifted her sunglasses to inspect the bright red splotch on her blouse. “You ruined my shirt, toad.”
“Who are you calling toad?” Dernice took a menacing step forward. “I would rather be a toad than a dog.”
“Are you calling me a dog?” Roxy’s voice rose an octave.
Luigi dropped his plate on the table and strode across the deck, stepping between the women. “Let’s keep it cool and not ruin the party. I’m sure Dernice didn’t mean to spill her drink.”
Carlita could feel the blood drain from her face when she saw Roxy reach into her pocket and pull out a gun.
Chapter 4
“Hey! Hey!” Vinnie, who had witnessed the altercation, raced across the deck. “This ain’t the place. It was an accident.”
Ricco eased in next to him. “Let it go, Roxy,” he warned.
There were several tense moments before Roxy relaxed her stance and slid the gun back inside her pocket. “Don’t let it happen again.”
“Don’t threaten me,” Dernice said.
“She’s not worth it. C’mon, let’s go.” Elvira led her
