Total pages in book: 69
Estimated words: 68459 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 342(@200wpm)___ 274(@250wpm)___ 228(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 68459 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 342(@200wpm)___ 274(@250wpm)___ 228(@300wpm)
“Oh my God,” I said as I gasped. “This is…”
“Everything?” She placed both of her hands together in excitement, bouncing on the tips of her toes. “Is it good?”
“Is it good?” I laughed. “It’s great. I don’t think I’ve ever had anything so good before in my life.”
She clapped excitedly. Then her eyes danced as I ordered so many cookies and other desserts that she had to restock her shelves.
I pulled out my phone and texted Ande as the bakery owner filled my boxes, knowing that her social media reach might very well do the new business owner some good. Ande and I had started after the dinner with Quincy at his family’s place,
Circus House, Keene’s family circus, had the largest social media following I’d ever seen, and I knew that was courtesy of their sister, Hades, who was some social media guru.
Me:
Hey, can you ask Keene, or one of your sisters-in-law, to go check this place out? I think they’ll love it, and this girl is just starting out. She’s fantastic, though, and gave me like three free cookies because she wanted me to try them.
*Photo Attached*
Ande:
Screw Keene. I’m going right now. Those cookies look fantastic! Also, I’m a verified user on the account, I’ll post my own stuff on there. Then bring it to the show tonight.
Grinning, I had just put my phone back into my purse when another Carter caught my attention.
“Well, hello there, Hollis.”
I looked up to find Gable standing there, looking curious.
“Hey,” I grinned. “Are you working?”
He flicked his uniform shirt and said, “Maybe.”
I rolled my eyes, surprised he didn’t say ‘does it look like it?’
All of the Carter men were so freakin’ literal sometimes.
“Do you want a cookie?” I asked, holding up the box.
He looked at the multiple boxes I was holding, and his brows rose. “You going to an event or something?”
I shook my head, widening my eyes at him. “Nope.”
“Then why do you have three bakery boxes?” he wondered.
“Well,” I said as I pointed at the first one, “this is a wedding cake sampler. This one is a box of cookies that looked really good, and I couldn’t decide on. This one is a box of muffins, scones, and other bakery delights that I couldn’t decide on.”
Gable came up to me and glanced down into the box.
His hand came out with the one I wanted to try—the snickerdoodle Snickers one—and took a bite.
He groaned. “Holy shit.”
I snapped my fingers at him. “Break me off a piece so I know whether I need to get another one.”
He laughed and handed the whole cookie to me. “I’ll go grab my own.” He glanced at the place. “Is this new?”
I nodded.
“Wait for me, and I’ll walk you back since I don’t see your car,” he ordered.
I did, waiting for him to finish up inside, and laughing when he came out with a box that looked very similar to mine.
“You got a lot,” I pointed out.
“I got everything she had ready.” He shrugged. “I’ll take it back to the station. Did you talk to Quincy yet?”
My brows rose. “He got a call at like o-dark-thirty, and then he left.”
“He went to Kentucky.” He smiled. “Ask me why.”
My heart hurt a little bit. “Kentucky?”
Why had he not told me that he was leaving?
“He’s probably just about to land,” he said. “You’re not asking me why.”
Heart aching, I asked, “Why?”
“Because Taite DeRosa was seen at a hotel in connection with his murder case,” he whispered.
My mouth fell open. “He what?”
“Yes,” he confirmed. “You heard me right.”
I was shocked.
I mean, I knew he was a bad guy but…
“Is he dumb?” I gasped.
He threw his arm around my shoulder, and then he guided me back toward Quincy’s place.
It was only as I arrived at the door that I said, “I forgot to ask for a key… or the code.”
Gable quickly got me inside, then let me into Quincy’s apartment.
“Man, he’s really got this place cleaned out.” He shook his head. “Did he show you the house?”
The house? “What?”
“The place that he’s building,” Gable expounded.
“Um, no,” I said, trying to hide the fact that there was so much about Quincy that I didn’t know.
Oh, and the hurt that he hadn’t at least left me a note saying he was getting on a freakin’ plane.
What else was he hiding?
And was I even allowed to be hurt by him not telling me?
I want to be your favorite place when you have a bad day.
—Quincy to Hollis
QUINCY
I arrived back in town with Taite DeRosa under arrest.
After booking him, and fully expecting him to lawyer up, I made a call to a contact in New Hampshire where it was said that Alana El Dorado was holed up and asked him to take a look into her for me.
After finishing up, I saw that my desk was surrounded by my brothers, as well as a mostly empty bakery box that said ‘Pie Hard’ on the side of it.